{"id":186285,"date":"2026-02-20T16:58:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T16:58:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/186285\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T16:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T16:58:17","slug":"hannah-millar-imprints-dance-company-at-the-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/186285\/","title":{"rendered":"Hannah Millar \u201cImprints Dance Company\u201d at The Odyssey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hannah Millar<\/a>, Artistic Director of Imprints Dance Company<\/a> brought an extraordinary afternoon of dance to the Odyssey Theatre<\/a> on Feb. 15, 2026.\u00a0 Each of the three pieces presented brought something special to the stage but the clear highlight was \u201cOne World\u201d choreographed by Millar and danced by her exceptional cast of dancer\/actors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Way Over My Head\u201d by guest choreographer Peter Chu<\/a> set a high bar for anything that might follow.\u00a0 His premise is to, \u201cembrace the chaos of anxiety, intertwine movement with flowing hair to reflect turbulent emotions, and ride the waves toward a beautiful release.\u201d\u00a0 This could be construed as obscure but his vision is evident in the work.<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 \u201cIn Over My Head\u201d by Peter Chu \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

As the lights rise in silence, a lone dancer lies center stage with her luxurious hair sweeping the floor. \u00a0Music and lighting filter onstage bringing the company on with it.\u00a0 Using his vocabulary of contemporary jazz and modern technique Chu adds an aggressive eclectic edge throughout incorporating facial contortions, percussive bursts of slapping, clapping, and exacting hard-hitting movement.\u00a0 He can lighten up when needed as in his quirky nod to Swan Lake.\u00a0 Because his focus is uncompromising; he can shift in any direction moving from a light touch to a hard edge and finally to slow-motion beauty with stunning hair choreography.\u00a0 Chu so cleverly incorporates the abundantly beautiful hair of his dancers that it becomes its\u2019 own entity.\u00a0 Something I thought might verge on clich\u00e9 was instead mesmerizing. \u00a0\u00a0Because Chu has worked with top companies both as a dancer and choreographer including Kidd Pivot and his own company \u201cchuthis,\u201d his work is specific and rigorous and these dancers lived up to expectations. The aptly chosen music was by Gyra by KAVAL, Lie Alone by Blanco White and Surveillance by George Ogilvie.<\/p>\n

Next up was Millars\u2019 piece \u201cBoxed\u201d well danced by her student company. Dressed in long black split legged dresses these young girls are deceiving in their maturity as dancers and performers.\u00a0 Like Chus\u2019 work this is a potent contemporary dance piece that draws you in from the start.\u00a0 Repetitive, rhythmic action moves along propulsively as we seem to be entering a madhouse.\u00a0 Millar sets up a claustrophobic atmosphere filled with twitching, scratching, robotics, canons, floorwork, flashlights and hysteria all performed deftly by these young dancers.\u00a0 She builds the piece with intensity until we are unknowingly trapped in the craziness of her non-stop choreography and bold staging.\u00a0 Millar is not only an imaginative choreographer but she insists on precision and clarity of movement and each section is clean and accurately rendered.\u00a0 \u00a0Her meticulous care ultimately facilitates the work which, develops powerfully and though the premise might be somewhat indeterminate we are nevertheless swept into her world where we are glad to stay for a while.\u00a0\u00a0 The music Soul Chain by ori lichtik perfectly underscores the work.<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 Julia Gonzales and Bailey Holladay in \u201cOne World\u201d by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

The \u201cpi\u00e8ce de resistance\u201d of the afternoon was clearly the wildly entertaining and ingenious final piece, Hannah Millars\u2019 \u201cOne World.\u201d\u00a0 This is a work of importance set in six sections each addressing another facet of the human condition.\u00a0 Set in a \u201cTwilight Zone\u201d world we are drawn into Millar\u2019s work, unable and unwilling to leave for the next 55 minutes.<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 Julia Gonzales and Bailey Holladay in \u201cOne World\u201d by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

\u201cInsecurity\u201d begins as two \u201cmannikins\u201d are hauled onstage by a small crew of dressers who set them up and exit.\u00a0 Tall dancer, Bailey Holladay and small dancer Julia Gonzales come to life each distinctive but the same.\u00a0 This segment is a hilariously heartbreaking commentary on what might be considered femineity today as each performer stuffs her pants with cloth to enlarge her buttocks, adds balloons to her chest, slaps on false eyelashes, lipsticks on an oversize mouth and caps off this terrifyingly absurd transformation with a long white blonde wig.\u00a0 Once done up they preen and prowl, until they realize that tiny Gonzales needs to be taller.\u00a0 In come the surgeons and nurses who strap her into builders\u2019 stilts and send her on her way.\u00a0 Thus, the pair can return to their life of perfection until the next deficiency enters the picture.\u00a0 As drug fueled desperation takes the lead, in come the mannikin dressers and we move into \u201cControl.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 \u201cOne World\u201d by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

Charlie Chaplins\u2019 iconic speech from the 1940\u2019s film \u201cThe Great Dictator,\u201d underscores this vignette in all its\u2019 timely horror.\u00a0 Here the dancers are first trapped and tortured by the black suited \u201cLeaders,\u201d until the trapped become the aggressors, just as a caged tiger turns on its\u2019 master.<\/p>\n

Throughout this six-part series Millar captures the essence of each sentiment perfectly by using the dressers to divert and set up each scene to come.\u00a0 \u201cDisconnect\u201d is a relationship of missed verbal connections set in a living room like space. Impeccably rendered, Holladay and Gonzales handle their provocative dialogue deftly while illustrating their intention with exacting movement. \u201cFear\u201d is a drunken night out for the two women who are menaced by a cabal of dandy\u2019s intent on rape or worse.\u00a0 Cleverly, Millar gives the dandies suits, canes, hats and charming flirtatious choreography which obscures just how dangerous they are, the wolf in sheep\u2019s clothing.<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 Julia Gonzales and Bailey Holladay in \u201cOne World\u201d by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

\u201cTime\u201d is a beautifully rendered portrait of love that has survived the ages.\u00a0 Now Holladay and Gonzales become an old couple enjoying an afternoon at the park.\u00a0 In Millar\u2019s sure hands every move has significance.\u00a0 Slowly this slight piece builds into a touching and tender denouement bringing release and even tears.<\/p>\n

\u201cLearning, Support, Peace and Love,\u201d is the slightly overlong yet compelling final concentration of exuberant choreography that fills the room with joy and the idea that love matters.\u00a0 The full company joins the two leads and together they bring this masterful production to its\u2019 close.\u00a0 I did think leading directly to the bows from here did not give the audience a satisfying moment to fully absorb and take a breath before applause was expected.\u00a0 This is a minor problem easily fixed.<\/p>\n

All the performers do their part with clear devotion but it is Bailey Holladay and Julia Gonzales who have the opportunity to shine here and they exceed expectation.\u00a0 They not only dance well but are consummate actors who bring each of their characters to vivid life.<\/p>\n

The well-chosen music was by Michael Wall, ori lichtik, and Coldplay with expressive lighting design by Bryanna Parra-Brock.<\/p>\n

\"Dance<\/a><\/p>\n

Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 \u201cOne World\u201d by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

Hannah Millar is an important choreographer whose work deserves to be seen widely.\u00a0 Hopefully, she will get many commissions to come. As always thanks to Barbara M\u00fceller-Wittman<\/a> for continually bringing such high caliber work to the Odyssey.<\/p>\n

\u201cWay In Over My Head\u201d dancers were, Lexi Amundarian, Halie Donabedian, Julia Gonzales, Bailey Holladay, Lexi Maxfield, Jordyn Maxfield and Nao Yamashita.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoxed\u201d dancers were, Landis Carpenter, Aminah Carter, Autumn Cooper, Khloe Hinojos, Kaylee Reimer, Bella Reyes, Laney Smith, Zo\u00eb Tobler and Hannah Williams.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne World\u201d dancers not mentioned above were Lexi Amundarian, Shawnee Avila, Collin Bresenio, Halie Donabedian, Lexi Maxfield, Jordyn Maxfield and Nao Yamashita.<\/p>\n

I must comment on an ongoing problem I see in many theaters and unfortunately the Odyssey was no exception.\u00a0\u00a0 Some audience members were occasionally checking their cell phones for text messages.\u00a0 This is rude and distracting as the glowing light from the phone takes attention away from the stage.\u00a0 \u00a0I\u2019m not sure of the resolution but I hope that attention will be paid to this matter.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Hannah Millar and Imprints Dance Company, please visit their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Peter Chu, please visit his website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, please visit their website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Written by Tam Warner for LA Dance Chronicle.<\/p>\n

Featured image: Dance at the Odyssey \u2013 One World\u00a0by Hannah Millar \u2013 Photo by Tucker M. Maxfield, Out of Bounds Photography.<\/p>\n

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