A History with the Aman Folk Ensemble,
Part III

Michael Alexander recalls the beginnings of the Aman Folk Ensemble, which grew from its beginnings in the early 1960s at UCLA into a major company of international distinction, recognized for its exuberant, authentic recreations of a wide variety of world…

A History with the Aman Folk Ensemble,
Part II

Michael Alexander recalls the beginnings of the Aman Folk Ensemble, which grew from its beginnings in the early 1960s at UCLA into a major company of international distinction, recognized for its exuberant, authentic recreations of a wide variety of world…

A History with the Aman Folk Ensemble, Part I

Michael Alexander recalls the beginnings of the Aman Folk Ensemble, which grew from its beginnings in the early 1960s at UCLA into a major company of international distinction, recognized for its exuberant, authentic recreations of a wide variety of world…

Love At My First Plié

In this article, Jeff Slayton writes of his life in dance. The article covers his time with the Merce Cunningham and the Viola Farber dance companies and his career in Los Angeles and Long Beach since 1978. Included is his…

Reflections on Gloria Newman (From Former Dance Company Members)

The following are recollections by various former Gloria Newman Dance Theater members. ALVIN MAYES I would hear “catch,” and turn around to see a big blonde woman flying through the air into my arms. Of course that was Joella.  She…

Agnes De Mille Said: “You Won’t Catch Me Doing That!”

Dancer Iris Pell writes of her experience performing “Lewitzky Floor Exercises” in “Conversations About the Dance”, a lecture demonstration that was created by Agnes DeMille in 1980 and was videotaped at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles for the PBS…

Dancers For Life 1991-2009

Jo Dierdorff, Professor of Dance at Riverside Community College produced a series of fifteen concerts to benefit the fight against HIV/AIDS.  In response to this pandemic, more than 150 dancers, choreographers, musicians, and designers from Southern California and other regions…

A History of the AMAN Folk Ensemble and the AVAZ International Dance Theatre

Anthony Shay is an Associate Professor of Dance at Pomona College.  He is the founder of AMAN, which became one of the largest and most influential folk dance ensembles in America.  He writes of the early history of the Los Angeles-based group, which…

Joey Harris and Lois Ellyn in the Black Swan pas de deux. Photo by Steve Mason, from the Don Hewitt archive.

Notes on Ballet: History and Teaching in the L.A. Area

This article appears in two parts:  In Part 1, Don Hewitt writes of his life as a ballet artist/teacher in Los Angeles for more than forty years. In Part 2, he provides an extensive overview of Southern California’s many important ballet teachers, their schools…

Dance Events for the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival

Sharon Took-Zozaya writes about her work as an Assistant to the Executive Director of the Olympics Dance Festival. 1984 Olympic Arts Festival Dance Component (Hereafter referred to as Olympics Dance Festival) The citywide arts festival which preceded the Los Angeles…