Summer Arts Preview: Dance
Infinite Moving Ever Evolving Returns to the Lobero, State Street Ballet Gets Intense
Summertime means a break from the regular school year schedule, and not just for the kids. In dance, the spotlight shifts from big-name touring companies to homegrown productions. Over the next few months, fans of the most physical art form can enjoy site-specific performances at downtown parks, revel in the accomplishments of young dancers, and check out the city’s budding performance art series.
The fun starts on Friday, June 25 with Get Up and Go, an outdoor performance held in Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens. Creator Monica Robles drew a crowd to her last landscape-inspired work, “Timber,” at the Botanic Gardens. To learn more about the work, visit visualoutputs.com.
On Saturday, June 26, thousands will gather along State Street to drink in the zany fun that is the Summer Solstice Parade. This year’s theme is “Carnival,” so expect some Mardi Gras-style floats, feathery headdresses, and ensemble dance routines. For a spot in the shade, show up early; the parade begins at Cota Street at noon and makes its way up State to Micheltorena Street, culminating in a festival at Alameda Park.
That same evening, head over to the Pescadrome, where dance and technology will collide in Dichotomous. The creator of the duet, Marco Pinter, designed a sensor that transmits information as the dancers move. As part of the performance, audience members will get a chance to test out the equipment. For tickets, visit fusion-artist.com/tix.
On Friday, July 9, and Saturday, July 10, Infinite Movement Ever Evolving returns for its second summer performance at the Lobero Theatre. The young company uses a distinct blend of dance, spoken word, and film, and their new program features choreography by company members and guest artists.
Then on Friday, July 16, the students of State Street Ballet’s Summer Intensive program will deliver a fully staged performance at UCSB’s Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall. Young dancers who take part in the month-long program are chosen by audition, and this show highlights their skills in classical ballet, jazz, and modern dance.
Ballet Santa Barbara (balletsantabarbara.com) fans will gather at the Lobero Theatre on Friday, July 23 for a fundraiser to toast the company’s upcoming fall season. And, as autumn looms, mark your calendar for NECTAR, the quarterly showcase of edgy new performance art that takes place at Yoga Soup. This autumn it falls on Saturday, September 11, and the theme is “Shift.” As always, interpretations will vary.
