Walt Disney Concert Hall regularly hosts orchestras, ensembles and bands, but it is not often that dancers command the esteemed concert stage. This Friday through Sunday, a select roster of Paris Opera Ballet superstars who have danced in some of France\u2019s most beautiful landmarks and chateaux will be performing \u201cThe Music Center\u2019s BalletNOW: Superstars of Paris\u201d at Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA\u2019s own iconic architectural gem.<\/p>\n
\u201cWalt Disney Concert Hall is an extraordinary space,\u201d said The Music Center\u2019s President and CEO Rachel. S. Moore. \u201cIn the performing arts world, there are theaters that have prosceniums and then there are concert stages, which don\u2019t have wings \u2014 so dance isn\u2019t generally done on a concert stage setting.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Paris Opera Ballet \u00c9toile (principal dancer) Hugo Marchand is extraordinary, according to Moore, and he has pulled together incredible dancers from Paris Opera who have performed in unusual places like chateaux and gardens in France. When Marchand expressed interest in doing a site-specific performance at the Concert Hall, Moore knew it would be brilliance in motion.<\/p>\n
Before Moore was the president and CEO of The Music Center, she started life as a professional ballet dancer with American Ballet Theatre. An injury forced her to switch careers. She went back to graduate school and ended up assuming the role of CEO of American Ballet Theatre for 11 years. In 2015, when the CEO position opened at The Music Center, she jumped at the idea to return to her native California.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was interested in how The Music Center has a dual role as both a cultural leader and a civic leader, and I thought that being able to do work that intersects people\u2019s cultural lives and civic lives would be interesting,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
One of the first actions under Moore\u2019s leadership was a major renovation of the plaza that transformed how people could enter The Music Center. Escalators, restaurants and new restrooms were added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe leaned into this notion that we want The Music Center to be accessible to everyone, to have everyone feel like they belong,\u201d she shared. \u201cWe do not want to be this scary white castle on the hill but rather a place for everyone. The plaza is the physical manifestation of that value of having a place where people can come and enjoy the arts, enjoy each other and have a sense of community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the last decade, her team has worked to uplift free and low-cost programming by activating Gloria Molina Grand Park and Jerry Moss Plaza.<\/p>\n
The Music Center\u2019s Dance DTLA takes place on Fridays through Aug. 14 at Jerry Moss Plaza. This year is the 22nd summer of free outdoor dance parties, featuring dance lessons, live DJ sets, interactive experiences, food and drinks.<\/p>\n
Each week features a different dance and music style, so one Friday could be Colombian, another disco and another Texas two-step. People from all over and of all ages come together, bring picnics and dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about being good,\u201d said Moore. \u201cIt\u2019s about having fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Aug. 15 at Jerry Moss Plaza, Los Mirlos, the first Peruvian band to perform at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, will perform at The Music Center\u2019s annual free summer concert, Live at The Music Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel our mission is to deepen the cultural lives of every resident of Los Angeles County,\u201d said Moore. \u201cWe evolved that vision because culture happens everywhere, and we are here to help people engage with culture. We want everybody\u2019s culture to be honored and uplifted and enjoyed. At the end of the day, the arts make people\u2019s lives better. Our job is to make sure that as many people as possible have access to something that makes their lives better.\u201d<\/p>\n
The ramifications of COVID have been long-lasting for live entertainment. People behave differently; they are much more selective about what they do and where they go. The Music Center, like everything else, has had to adapt to make every event a special event \u2014 something that can only be experienced in person, which, as Moore sees it, is performing arts\u2019 superpower.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople long to come together,\u201d she relayed. \u201cCOVID left such a feeling of isolation and loneliness. We bring people together in a community to jointly share the joy of an experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI love being at the performances or in the middle of activities and seeing people having a wonderful time,\u201d she continued. \u201cThe joy on people\u2019s faces when they\u2019re at Dance DTLA or when they\u2019re in a theater or kids are doing arts education activities. The reason we get up every day is to see how the arts are transforming people\u2019s lives for the better.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Music Center\u2019s BalletNOW: Superstars of Paris<\/p>\n
WHEN: July 31 at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; Aug. 2 at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
WHERE: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles<\/p>\n