{"id":96160,"date":"2025-12-16T02:59:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/96160\/"},"modified":"2025-12-16T02:59:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T02:59:13","slug":"dance-at-the-odyssey-expands-to-2-stages-in-9th-year-jan-8-feb-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/96160\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Dance at the Odyssey\u2019 Expands to 2 stages in 9th Year Jan. 8 \u2013 Feb. 15"},"content":{"rendered":"

Curated by series co-founder Barbara Muller-Wittmann<\/a>, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has announced the ninth season of their annual and extremely popular Dance at the Odyssey festival. Now known as the place to be to view new work by cutting edge Los Angeles based dance artists, Dance at the Odyssey<\/a> has doubled the number of offerings with performances taking place concurrently in two theaters, Odyssey 2 and Odyssey 3, from January 8 through February 15, 2026. Tickets are now on sale<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Choreographers featured on Dance at the Odyssey 2026 include Neaz Kohani\u2019s SHE IS MY SISTER, Owen Scarlett\u2019s GASP (premiere), Teresa Toogie Barcelo\u2019s SOUNDBODY (premiere), Hunter Wayne Foster\u2019s Corrigan (premiere), Camila Arana\u2019s For Better of For Worse, Kevin Williamson\u2019s two works blue and beast, a dance film presented by Dare to Dance in Public, TAQ Dance\u2019s full-evening Cue (premiere), Rosanna Gamson\/World Wide\u2019s Clever Ideas for Smaller Rooms (premiere), Marcella Lewis\u2019 Spectacle of Ritual, Dancing Through Prison Walls\u2019 FREEDOM TIME, Marianna Varviani and Selcouth Dance Theatre\u2019s Default: Joy (premiere), Intrepid Dance Project\u2019s Silent Fiction (premiere), and Hannah Millar and Imprints One World (premiere)<\/p>\n

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

Owen Scarlett \u2013 GASP \u2013 Photo by Katie Rose Nartker<\/p>\n

There will also be two workshops offered on this year\u2019s Dance at the Odyssey festival. Workshop for choreographers (not open to the public): Less Hot Air About Dance is an un-curated opportunity for choreographers to show in-process projects at any point in their development for constructive critique. Presented by RGWW (Rosanna Gamson \/ World Wide) (Jan. 15-18); and Embodied Voice, The Voice of Release, a two-day transformative workshop led by vocalist, performer and guide Julianna Bloodgood, presented in collaboration with Galiana&Nikolchev\u2019s The Useless Room (Feb. 6-8).<\/p>\n

The full schedule is listed below.<\/p>\n

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

Dare to Dance in Public \u2013 HEARTACHE (Spain, 2023) choreographed by Iker Karrera \u2013 Photo by Ilker Karerra<\/p>\n

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble was founded in 1969 by Ron Sossi, who remained at the company\u2019s helm for 56 years until his death at the age of 85. The company remains one of Los Angeles\u2019 most vibrant and adventurous under the current leadership of artistic director Beth Hogan, who co-founded the Dance at the Odyssey series with Barbara M\u0171ller-Wittmann in 2017.<\/p>\n

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

Hao Huang and Kevin Williamson \u2013 blue and beast \u2013 Photo by Taso Papadakis<\/p>\n

SCHEDULE AND DETAILS<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jan. 8 through Jan. 11<\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
Choreographer Neaz Kohani blends dance, spoken word and live music in SHE IS MY SISTER to explore the persecution and resilience of female wisdom keepers and traditional healers. Lush meadows, melodic birds and a familiar yet unfamiliar world await when two creatures embark on a journey of self-discovery and mutual understanding in the world premiere of GASP from choreographer Owen Scarlett. (Thursday, Friday and\u00a0Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Choreographer Teresa Toogie Barcelo and composer Joe Berry of electronic band M83 return to Dance at the Odyssey with the world premiere of SOUNDBODY, a duet that draws on telepathy, psychoacoustics and ritual to merge movement, breath and sound into a hypnotic field of resonance and intuitive exchange. (Friday and\u00a0Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jan. 15 through Jan. 18<\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
Inspired by his time spent at Corriganville Park in Simi Valley, a public park and former movie ranch, choreographer Hunter Wayne Foster\u2019s world premiere of Corrigan is his re-imagining of what might take place behind-the-scenes of an unpolished and unfiltered Hollywood movie set. For Better or For Worse, choreographed by Camila Arana, dissects love\u2019s most exquisite brutality \u2014 the ache of devotion, the beauty in destruction, the tenderness that cuts both ways. (Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Los Angeles dancemaker and Lester Horton Award recipient Kevin Williamson presents two premieres: blue and beasts. In blue, Williamson and celebrated pianist Hao Huang meditate on the confines and nuance of despair as Williamson spirals through a mirage of characters and Huang brings the haunting compositions of Ryuichi Sakomoto to life. In beasts, a trio of seekers (performers Divya Ahuja, Rian Alcid and Sasha Marlan\u2013Librett) cultivate a movement language that is as ferocious as it is scared. (Thursday, Friday and\u00a0Saturday at 8 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Workshop for choreographers (not open to the public): Less Hot Air About Dance is an uncurated opportunity for choreographers to show in-process projects at any point in their development for constructive critique. Presented by RGWW (Rosanna Gamson \/ World Wide) with support from Los Angeles County Arts & Culture and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. The workshop is limited to eight participants, first come-first served. The sign-up fee is $10. (Sunday from 3 p.m.-7 p.m.)<\/p>\n

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

Sasha Marlan\/Librett \u2013 TAQ Dance Theatre \u2013 Cue \u2013 Photo by Sasha-Marian-Librett<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jan. 22 through Jan. 25 <\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
Dare to Dance in Public presents official festival selections and award-winning films that explore the intersection of dance, camera, and what it means to be alive and human in the world today. (Friday and\u00a0Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
TAQ Dance presents the evening-length premiere of Cue, a funny and unsettling meta-theatrical dance-theater piece choreographed and directed by Sasha Marlan\u2013Librett (returning with her own work after performing in Kevin Williamson\u2019s beasts the week prior). The audience is invited into a performance of a rehearsal where, beholden to their own high standards and an unfolding script,\u00a0four performers rehearse, repeat, forget and question their actions and lines. (Thursday, Friday and\u00a0Saturday at 8 p.m.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Jan. 30 through Feb. 1<\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
RGWW (Rosanna Gamson \/ World Wide) presents the world premiere of Clever Ideas for Smaller Rooms, chamber works by choreographers Rosanna Gamson, Marissa Brown, Hanna\u00a0Tzong-Han Wu\u00a0and\u00a0Gretchen Ackerman,\u00a0and a duet\u00a0by Chelsea Roquero and Ryan Ruiz. (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
After developing two early versions of Spectacle of Ritual at previous Dance at the Odyssey festivals and watching the work evolve and grow, choreographer Marcella Lewis returns with the world premiere of the completed piece in its full form. (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 6 p.m.)<\/p>\n

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

Dancing Through Prison Walls \u2013 FREEDOM TIME \u2013 Photo by Alessia Zanobimi<\/p>\n

\u2022 Feb. 6 through Feb. 8<\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
Dancing Through Prison Walls, a California-based abolitionist project whose mission is to dance, choreograph and tell stories within embodied carceral landscapes to amplify the voices of incarcerated people and address mass incarceration, returns to Dance at the Odyssey with FREEDOM TIME, performed by formerly incarcerated and \u201cfree world\u201d members of the Dancing Through Prison Walls community:\u00a0Mohamed Abo-Bargs, Suchi Branfman, Jay Carlon, Selina Ho, Kenji Igus, Brianna Mims, Amy Oden, Terry Sakamoto and Tom Tsai. (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Choreographer Marianna Varviani and Selcouth Dance Theatre return to Dance at the Odyssey with the world premiere of Default: Joy. Performed and co-created by Simon Chernow, Tyler Law and Maya Peterson and featuring original music composed by Yvonne Yifeng Yuan, this intensely physical dance-theater work draws from Greek traditional dances, communal celebration rituals and intimate personal gestures to channel collective energy into movement. (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Embodied Voice, The Voice of Release, a two-day transformative workshop led by vocalist, performer and guide Julianna Bloodgood, presented in collaboration with Galiana&Nikolchev\u2018s The Useless Room. Advance sign-up is required for this\u00a0two-day immersive experience offering an embodied approach to vocal training, utilizing somatic practices and vocal technique to bring about the awareness, awakening and activation of our authentic voices. Limited to 15 participants. Sign-up fee:\u00a0$200.\u00a0(Saturday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m.)<\/p>\n

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

Intrepid Dance Project \u2013 Silent Fiction \u2013 Photo by Lotta Photos<\/p>\n

\u2022 Feb. 13 through Feb. 15<\/p>\n

Odyssey 2
Intrepid Dance Project presents the world premiere of Silent Fiction, a new work exploring the world of old-time cinema devised and directed by Jennifer Jonassen in collaboration with the company (Rachel Carlson-Zuniga, Nate DeLuca, Ari DeSano, Loreena Garcia, Doug Goldstein, Lise Hart, Juan D. Mendoza, Oneiros Villarreal-Burns). (Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

Odyssey 3
Choreographer Hannah Millar and Imprints returns to Dance at the Odyssey with the world premiere of One World, featuring a special performance of Way In Over My Head choreographed by Peter Chu. What kind of world do you want to create? Through visceral movement and raw storytelling, One World invites the audience to feel, to awaken, and to remember that the world we imagine together can become the one we live in. (Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.)<\/p>\n

The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. Free parking is available in on-site lot. All tickets are $25, with an additional $3 per ticket fee if using a credit card. For more information and to purchase tickets, call (310) 477-2055 or go to OdysseyTheatre.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Written and compiled for LA Dance Chronicle from press release by Lucy Pollak.<\/p>\n

Featured image: Marcella Lewis \u2013 Spectacle of Ritual \u2013 Photo by Sylvia Drav.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Curated by series co-founder Barbara Muller-Wittmann, the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble has announced the ninth season of their annual…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":["post-96160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}