The world premiere of Victoria Marks, A Deer Walks into a Dance debuts at The Nimoy Theater in Westwood. Presented by CAP UCLA and the award-winning choreographer Victoria Marks confronts how words along with bias can re-frame our understanding of how we see the world. The show with run for two days only – October 16, and 17, 2026.
Victoria Marks A Deer Walks into a Dance
UCLA Nimoy Theater; photo by Richard Bilow
This innovative contemporary dance performance invites Los Angeles audiences to reconsider identity, perception, and community. The choreographer explores identity, language, and human connection through contemporary dance. The performance transforms the structure of a familiar joke into an unexpected choreographic exploration. However, the piece moves beyond humor to examine the labels that divide people.
Choreographer Victoria Marks
Marks collaborates with four performers: Rian Alcid, Maya Billig, Karen Chuang, and Aaron Mason. Together, they shift between identities and perspectives through movement and text. Meanwhile, original music by Simon Chernow adds another dimension to the performance. The work also examines the tension between what people see, say, and believe. Consequently, audiences can consider how language sometimes limits understanding rather than encouraging connection.
courtesy of CAP UCLA
Victoria Marks has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Rauschenberg Fellowship, and the Alpert Award. Additionally, she serves as a professor in UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance.
The Nimoy Theatre
A state of the art 300-seat theater, performances at The Nimoy Theater is curated by UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance. The widow of Leonard Nimoy collaborated with CAP UCLA to create the theater which is named after the famed actor. Find out more about the theater via an ETG CAP UCLA Review on our art inspired travel site – EatTravelGo.com
The performance runs approximately 55 minutes without an intermission. Furthermore, the October 16 performance offers live audio description for blind and low-vision audience members.
Admission
Tickets start at $39; Visit CAP UCLA’s website (see below) for tickets and availability.
What: A Deer Walks into a Dance by Victoria Marks
Where: The Nimoy Theater, 1262 Westwood Boulevard, LA, 90024
When: October 16–17, 2026, at 8pm
Website: https://cap.ucla.edu/ucla-nimoy-theater
