Los Angeles Dance Park (1985)

In 1985 the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Area Dance Alliance decided to produce an ambitious dance festival at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater.

In addition to their annual production of Dance Kaleidoscope, a juried performance of local dance companies that this particular year consisted of 19 premieres, it was decided to expand programming. The expansion consisted of inviting established artists and companies from California as well as other locations.

The invited artists programs consisted of:
Friday, June 5, Reunion, Dancers: Thais Leavitt,1st soloist Dusseldodrf Opera Ballet and Richard Fein, Elliot Feld Ballets USA, Ludmila Lopukhova, Kirov Ballet Company, and Christopher Boatwright, Stuttgart Ballet.

Friday, July 12 & Saturday July 13, New Amsterdam Ballet, Artistic Directors and Principle Dancers Martine van Hamel and Kevin McKenzie. Additional artists: Cynthia Anderson, Joey Carman, Robert Hill, Sylvia Kinal, Christine Spizzo, Clark Tippet.

Sunday, July 14, Black Dance Retrospective, Solo Dancers: Lettie Battle, Ronald Brown Ruby Millsap Dance Theater, Dancers: Forrest Gardner, Ruby Millsap
Diamano Coura West African Dance Company, Dancers: Dehitti Anderson, Feeta Benson, Mark Carvanaugh, Zak Diouf, Leroy Diggs, Mark Joe Maomi Johnson, Nimley Naplah, Sadie Lee. Chester Whitmore and Company.

Friday, July 19, Rudy Perez Performance Ensemble, Artistic Director, Choreographer: Rudy Perez, Dancers: Ian Cousineau, Kelly Benningfield, Jill Jacobson-Bennett, Michael Curtis, Kate Foley, Linda Hinojosa, Luis Manuel. Tim Miller-Buddy Systems, conceived, choreographed and performed by Tim Miller. Vocalist: Thelma Townshend-Zellner.

Saturday, July 20, Valerie Huston Dance Theater, Artistic Director, Valerie Huston. Dancers: Gina de Angelo, Leslie Johnson, Evelyn Kobayashi, Cathryn Lazarus, Diane Reddy, John Gaydos, Greg Lara, Patricia Ramsey, William Ramsdell.  Gloria Newman Dance Theater, Artistic Director, Choreographer, Gloria Newman. Dancers: Karol Lee, Karen Mullin, Robert Christianson, Jay Sheldrake, Kim Johnston, Karen Ju, Allyson McCullough, Andy Kwan, Doug Bender, George Hernandez, Jeff Velez. Music: The Valley Master Chorale; Gerald Eskein, Music Director.

Sunday, July 21, L.Martina Young with guest artist Ray Pizzi. Jazz Improvisations, SPACEDANCE 1 (premiere). Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dancers: Darryl Sneed, Ronie Whittaker, Curtis Fraser, Marceline Freeman, Winifred Harris, Roslyn Brisco, Bernard Wiseman, Delane Hill, Elizabeth Scott, Krista Langberg. Choregraphies by Cleo Parker Robinson, Donald McKayle, Milton Meyers.

Friday, July 26, ODC/San Francisco, Founder/Director: Brenda Way. Dancers: Jeff Friedman, Cathy Pruzan, Julie Kanter, Arturo Fernandez, Elizabeth Gravelle, Charles Trapolin, Mae Chesney, Robert Moses Jr., Choreographies by Brenda Way, Katie Nelson.

Saturday, July 27, Eiko and Coma. Two pieces: Grain and Elegy performed and conceived by Eiko and Coma.

Sunday, July 28, Floricanto Dance Theatre, Artistic Director: Gema Sandoval
Dancers: Floricanto Dance Theater Ensemble, Choregraphy: Gema Sandoval.
Lola Montes and her Spanish Dancers, Artistic Director; Lola Montes, Dancers:
Angelita, Dolores Coronado, Ambar Gonzalea, Monica Varela, Rebecca Gonzalez, Viviana Romero, Manuel Verdugo, Paco Vera, Daniel Andres, Oscar Nieto.
Choreographies: Lola Montes, Oscar Nieto, Angelita, Lupe del Rio, & traditional.

Friday, June 21, Sunday, June 30, Festival of Premieres, Program I:
David Leahy, Fern Ackerman/Big Flood,TNR/Moebius, Martha Kalman Dance Company, Mary Sue Vanderbur.

Saturday, June 22, Friday, June 28, Festival of Premieres, Program II:
Westside Ballet, Hae Kyung Lee, Diamond Valley Dance Theater, Rebecca Steuermann and Dancers, LTD/Unlimited Dance performance (solo), Angelita Concierto Flamenco.

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Los Angeles Dance Park Staff: Dee Cappelli, Executive Director; Neil Barclay, Administrative Project Director; Donald Hewitt, Artistic Project Director; Gil DeLina; Operations Manager; Chris Burrill, Production Manager.

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