Joyce Rudolph
A SPICY MIX OF CULTURES WILL tempt lovers of dance as the third
annual Celebration of Dance unfolds tonight at the Alex Theatre in
Glendale.
Among the six dance companies performing are Jazz Antiqua Dance &
Music Ensemble, touting a celebration of the African American roots
of jazz, and the Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company, offering a
slice of zesty Latin heritage.
The performance is meant to celebrate styles of ethnic dance,
ballet, modern jazz, tap and modern dance, said Jill Sanzo, director
of Ballet of the Foothills, which sponsors the event. While ethnic
dance groups are abound in Los Angeles, she said, they don't get much
notice.
"I want to bring professional, diverse groups to a venue that is
well-suited to dance and broaden the audience base," the Burbank
resident said.
Last year, a Hawaiian dance segment seasoned the program of ballet
and modern jazz, and was so well produced that the show received 11
nominations for the Lester Horton Dance Awards.
Ballet of the Foothills, a nonprofit ballet company based at
Ballet Petit, Sanzo's dance studio in La Canada Flintridge, is
nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Festival/Series. Four of the
companies from the show are nominated in Performance Company and
technical categories. Nominations were announced in the March/April
edition of Dancezine, put out by the Dance Resource Center of Greater
Los Angeles. Winners will be announced April 10 at the El Portal
Theatre in North Hollywood.
"It is the dancer's Oscar," Sanzo said. "So we are thrilled we
received the nominations."
Anna Lux, chairwoman of the Lester Horton Viewing Committee, which
recommends dance companies for the awards, saw the first two
Celebrations of Dance.
"It's just a real well-organized show," she said. "You get to see
an example of dance from around the world."
As word of the company's nominations spreads throughout Los
Angeles, many dance companies are already calling Sanzo to be
involved in next year's performance.
"Which proves that our event is highly regarded in the Los Angeles
area dance community," she said.
This year, nine dancers from Sanzo's company are performing the
nostalgic opening, Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing." Ballet gets a
jazzy makeover in this piece choreographed by Llewellyn DeVilliers of
Pasadena, co-artistic director of Ballet of the Foothills.
"It's a fun piece," Sanzo said. "It will show the pleasure and
exhilaration that dance can give one."
When seeking entries to be considered for the show, premiere dance
