Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles makes its Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts debut, bringing its signature fusion of ballet, modern dance, acrobatics, and aerial movement to the Bram Goldsmith Theater with a gravity-defying program entitled, “Heroes, Sheroes, and Eros,” on Friday, February 17, and Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 7:30 pm. CLICK HERE to read a review by one of our staff writers.

Founded in 2009 by Judith FLEX Helle and the Charles Evans Foundation NY, Luminario has toured globally and also performed locally commissioned work with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall and across numerous mediums, such as music videos, television, film, virtual reality, and, soon, NFTs. A post-performance talk-back withmembers of the company will be held on February 17.

The program opens with a collection of seven works by Luminario Ballet choreographers and special guests that explore the tangled paths of history/herstory/ourstory. They include two pieces by Helle – Hard As A Rock set to music of Vivaldi and John Williams, and her dance filmL’Invalide (The Invalid). The collection also features Tend, choreographed by Adrian Hoffman with music by Joe Berry; Bianca Sapetto-Finck’s Wryd Tango, blending dance, film and aerial movement to music by Morgan Sorne; Dreya Weber’s Hexen; and two works by dancer/choreographer Jamal Story – Tosh Thoughts…. Break On Through to the Other Side (Work In Progress) set to music by reggae artist Peter Tosh with spoken word by Grasan Kingsberry, and If the Walls Could Scream, featuring music by Photek, Phillip Glass, and Mumadji.

Hard As A Rock; Photo by Rob Latour; Choreographed by Judith FLEX Helle; Film by Judith FLEX Helle; (L-R) Sadie Black, Raymond Ejiofor, Vanessa Nichole, Antonio Martinez, Stephanie Hall, Adrian Hoffman

Luminario Ballet caps the program with The Last Supper, a rollicking tale that imagines Jesus, Judas, and Mary as Jewish rock ‘n rollers at the Coachella Music Festival. With explosive, emotional choreography across a range of dance styles, the work has “all the energy and fervor of a religious tent revival” and conveys “powerful social messages about love and acceptance” (Explore Dance). Set to a Coachella soundtrack, it was choreographed by Helle and Story.

The run time is approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission

Admission ranges from $29 – $79; Visit the website or call 310-746-4000 (Monday – Friday, 10 am to 6 pm)

What: “Heroes, Sheroes, and Eros,” Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles
Where: Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Bram Goldsmith Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 90210
When: Friday, February 17, 2023, 7:30pm (talk-back following the performance); Saturday, February 18, 2023, 7:30pm
Phone: 310-746-4000
Website: https://thewallis.org/