Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center Continues Its 20th Dance Season with MOMIX’s Fantastical Work Alice Adapted from Lewis Carroll’s Book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
MOMIX Residency Invites the Public to Post Original Videos on TikTok for #VisionsInWonderLAnd Depicting the Many Wonders of Los Angeles County
LOS ANGELES (April 13, 2023) — The Music Center welcomes the debut of MOMIX, a company of dancer-illusionists, at The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre from May 19–21, 2023. The second company to perform in the 20th season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, MOMIX will take audiences on a fantastical journey down the rabbit hole with Alice, conceived by Artistic Director Moses Pendleton and Associate Director Cynthia Quinn and inspired by the imagery in Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
In this mind-bending adventure, Alice encounters time-honored characters including the undulating Caterpillar, a lobster quadrille, frenzied White Rabbits, a mad Queen of Hearts and a variety of other surprises. Filled with visual splendor and startling creative movement, Alice reveals that nothing in MOMIX’s world is as it seems! The Wall Street Journal writes: “MOMIX’s Alice fills the stage with a marvelously dizzying flow of physical activities and illusions amid expansive, artful projections.” Broadway World adds: “The company members of MOMIX are called dancer-illusionists for a good reason; what they pulled off in this show seemed superhuman...This is a trip that merits many return visits.”
“MOMIX already has thrilled fans around the world in over 22 countries, and we cannot wait to share the company’s stunning blend of acrobatics, extraordinary dance technique and whimsy with Los Angeles,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “A beautiful homage to the fairy tale, Alice is a visual feast. I encourage Angelenos of all ages to watch MOMIX’s dazzling performances that capture the magical experience found only at The Music Center.”
To engage and inspire students and educators through dance and movement, The Music Center will present a special matinee performance for middle school and high school students on Friday, May 19, and provide up to 20 high school dancers with the opportunity to participate in a master class utilizing creative props, taught by MOMIX dancer Elise Pacicco on Saturday, May 20.
Inspired by MOMIX’s performances, The Music Center is launching an innovative opportunity for creative expression and inviting participants to contribute to Visions in WonderLAnd—depictions of where they find wonder in L.A.—designed to connect the local community through the universal emotion of wonderment. Working with digital innovation studio yU+Co, The Music Center will use Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technology to create stunning visual representations of participants’ personal “visions of wonder” and share them on the LED screens at its Jerry Moss Plaza, on the screens in The Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and across The Music Center’s social media platforms. Participants will be required to submit their original videos through The Music Center website and on their own TikTok accounts, using hashtag #visionsinwonderland and tagging @musiccenterla. The first 200 submissions will receive a pair of complimentary tickets to MOMIX's Alice (May 19–21) at The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre. There is no limit on the number of videos submitted per person; tickets are limited to one pair per person. For full details and entry requirements of Visions in WonderLAnd, or to submit videos, visit musiccenter.org/wonderland.
“In addition to the performance stage experience that MOMIX offers, TMC Arts reaches beyond concert-going during this dance residency with Visions in WonderLAnd, using dreamlike A.I. technology to help channel creative energies in Los Angeles County and produce brilliant new video work for everyone,” said Josephine Ramirez, executive vice president of TMC Arts. “We'll learn from a rich diversity of Angelenos' personal experiences of deep awe and gain new understanding and connections to one another and to the place we all call home.”
Tickets to MOMIX’s performances are available for purchase now by visiting musiccenter.org/momix or calling (213) 972-0711. The Music Center’s Ticket Buyer Assurance Program protects all advance ticket purchases for dance presentations through 2023. Ticketed patrons will receive, at their request, a full refund or a credit for a future performance if Los Angeles County or the State of California elects to restrict or prohibit large gathering events at venues, resulting in the cancellation by The Music Center of dance performances due to COVID-19-related conditions. If an event is postponed or rescheduled, ticketed patrons will be moved automatically to the new performance date; however, patrons may request a refund or credit for the future. All changes must be handled prior to the purchaser’s scheduled performance date.
The Music Center remains committed to the highest standards of safety, sanitation and security to minimize risk for guests, artists and employees. Visit musiccenter.org/safety for information about The Music Center’s continued safety and security measures.
CALENDAR LISTING FOR DANCE PERFORMANCES
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center
MOMIX: Alice
Friday, May 19, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
The Music Center’s Ahmanson Theatre
135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 90012
Company debut performance at The Music Center
Conceived and directed by: Moses Pendleton
Associate Director: Cynthia Quinn
Production Manager & Lighting Supervisor: Woodrow F. Dick III
Lighting design: Michael Korsch
Music collage: Moses Pendleton
Music editing: Andrew Hanson
Video design: Woodrow F. Dick III
Spider puppet design: Michael Curry
Costume design: Phoebe Katzin
Costume construction: Phoebe Katzin and Beryl Taylor
CALL FOR VISIONS IN WONDERLAND ORIGINAL VIDEO SUBMISSIONS
WHAT:
The Music Center invites the public to submit original short-length videos online and in TikTok that depict anything in Los Angeles County eliciting wonderment. Working with digital innovation studio yU+Co, The Music Center will use A.I. technology to create stunning visual representations of participants’ personal “visions of wonder” and share them across The Music Center’s social media platforms and on the LED screens at Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. The first 200 submissions will receive a pair of complimentary tickets to MOMIX's Alice (May 19–21) at The Music Center's Ahmanson Theatre. There is no limit on number of videos submitted per person; tickets are limited to one pair per person.
WHO:
Free and open to the public
WHEN:
Deadline for submissions is Sunday, May 14, 2023
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
- Film a short video (30 seconds or less) of everyday life that inspires wonder
- Post the video on TikTok using the hashtags #visionsinwonderland and tagging @musiccenterla
- Describe the wonderment in the caption
- Submit the same video through The Music Center’s website at musiccenter.org/wonderland and agree to the program’s Terms & Conditions
MORE INFO:
musiccenter.org/wonderland
About Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center
Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, a TMC Arts program, is one of the leading presenters of dance on the West Coast. The celebrated series offers significant works by prestigious ballet and contemporary dance artists from around the world. Now entering its 20th year, Dance at The Music Center is a powerful force, supporting new works and artists-in-residence projects by today’s most influential companies and choreographers. Performances are complemented by special experiences for both ticket buyers and the public with opportunities to learn more about the choreography and the themes explored, including panels, master classes, dance film festivals, interactive experiences and more. The 20th season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center is generously supported by Glorya Kaufman Foundation, Center Dance Arts, Dorothy B. Chandler Program Fund and Elisabeth Katte Harris.
About Center Dance Arts
Center Dance Arts is a dynamic community of patrons with a passion for dance. Center Dance Arts members bring dance to life in Los Angeles by promoting The Music Center’s world-class dance performances, extensive educational outreach and free and low-cost community experiences so all may experience the transformative power of dance. For more information, visit musiccenter.org/cda.
About The Music Center
The Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.
About MOMIX
MOMIX, a company of dancer-illusionists founded and directed by Moses Pendleton, has been presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty for more than 40 years. From its base in Washington, Connecticut, the company has developed a devoted worldwide following. In addition to stage performances, MOMIX has also worked in film and television, as well as corporate advertising, with national commercials for Hanes and Target, and presentations for Mercedes-Benz, Fiat, and Pirelli. With performances on PBS’s Dance in America series, France’s Antenne II, and Italian RAI television, the company’s repertory has been beamed to 55 countries. The Rhombus Media film of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with MOMIX and the Montreal Symphony was the winner of an International Emmy for Best Performing Arts Special. MOMIX was also featured in IMAGINE, one of the first 3-D IMAX films released in IMAX theaters worldwide. MOMIX dancers Cynthia Quinn and Karl Baumann, under Moses Pendleton’s direction, played the role of “Bluey” in the feature film F/X2, and White Widow, co-choreographed by Pendleton and Quinn, was featured in Robert Altman’s movie The Company. With nothing more than light, shadow, fabric, props, and the human body, MOMIX continues to astonish and delight audiences on five continents.
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