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August 26, 2021
COSTA MESA, CA – Segerstrom Center for the Arts is ecstatic to announce 2021 Dance performances showcasing a varied and culturally rich program beginning next month with three of the most innovative North American dance companies heading to Orange County. From modern dance to contemporary ballet, the Center will host an extraordinary range of performances indoors.
“Each of these companies was chosen to open our season because of the quality of the dancers and the unique style of the choreographers. Nothing can compare to the excitement of live dance. The choreography is imaginative, and each company has its own unique style. Dance is the perfect way to open our season back at Segerstrom Hall stage. This is an experience you do not want to miss!,” shares Judy Morr Executive Vice President.
Starting on September 11, the series opens with gorgeous, stunning dancers showcasing impeccable technique and powerfully visual works with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, termed “Gripping, urgently beautiful choreography.” (San Francisco Chronicle) Then, Ballet X, the powerhouse company from Philadelphia that has been blazing a path of creativity and innovation, makes its Segerstrom Center debut on October 16. Parsons Dance Company takes center stage November 20 for its Center debut. As one of the world’s leading modern/contemporary dance companies, Parsons Dance is internationally renowned for its remarkably athletic and joyous style. “This is a dance your heart out (at all times, no excuses) kind of enterprise” (The New York Times).
Performance:
September 11, 2021
Segerstrom Hall
Alonzo King LINES Ballet performs the rich body of work created by visionary choreographer Alonzo King. Leading the performance is AZOTH, one of Alonzo King LINES Ballet’s acclaimed cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Charles Lloyd, Jason Moran, and Alonzo King create an unforgettable dialogue between movement and music that illuminates the shared freedom and wonder of their art forms. “Alonzo has a way of hearing,” explains Moran. “His choreography becomes melodic content.” Lloyd, a Memphis Music Hall of Fame inductee, and Moran, a MacArthur Fellow and artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center, share a boundless, multidisciplinary approach to their craft that perfectly compliments King’s expansive vision for ballet. This bold new work features a light installation by renowned Bay Area artist Jim Campbell whose work crowns San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower. Rounding out the evening are stunning excerpts from the Company’s nearly forty-year history.
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Performance:
October 16, 2021
Segerstrom Hall
Philadelphia’s powerhouse company BalletX, led by Artistic & Executive Director Christine Cox, makes its Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut! Diverse and innovative, the company commissions new works that are “fresh, inclusive and connect to what people want.” (Philadelphia Citizen). Celebrating their 15th Anniversary, BalletX has been blazing a path of creativity and innovation across leading stages including The Kennedy Center, The Joyce Theater and Jacob’s Pillow, and has quickly become the “IT Company” to watch.
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Performance:
November 20, 2021
Segerstrom Hall
Exuberant and virtuosic, Parsons Dance is internationally renowned for its remarkably athletic and joyous style which has solidified them as one of the world’s leading modern/contemporary dance companies. Now making their Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut, Parsons Dance is sure to thrill audiences with their effortless movement and enthusiastic dancers. Stunning works, like the iconic Caught, exemplify this company’s innovation and huge appeal.
These performances are presented with generous support from Michelle Rohé
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence, offering unsurpassed experiences and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring arts-based education and community engagement programs.
Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School.
The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.
Segerstrom Center is a leader among the nation’s performing arts centers for providing education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. The Center’s programs reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in five Southern California counties. Community engagement programs developed through the Center for Dance and Innovation and Center Without Boundaries also connect the Center more comprehensively with Orange County’s many diverse communities. The CDI supports flagship artistic programming and a wide range of projects that celebrate innovation, nurture creativity and engage audiences of the future. It is home to the ABT Gillespie School and the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities. The Center Without Boundaries develops partnerships with non-cultural organizations to help them in their own efforts to respond the ever-changing needs of the community.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons performed at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. In addition to Segerstrom Center for the Arts as a presenting and producing institution, it also identifies the beautiful 14-acre campus that embraces the Center’s own facilities as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.
