Much has been made of the recent premiere of the L.A. Dance Project, headed by former New York City Ballet principal and celebrated choreographer Benjamin Millepied, known to most of the world as Mr. Natalie Portman.
Most of the fuss comes down to two things: “Look who showed up on the red carpet!” and “Good luck with dance in Los Angeles” – a.k.a., the draw of celebrity and the curse of the city.
Despite a long and rich dance history, LA has famously been unable to sustain a major company. Dance – and the performing arts in general – tend to be upstaged by the glare of Hollywood. Millepied seems to be trying to bring those two worlds together and maybe that’s the key that will finally crack the code.
This LA Times piece about the company’s opening night looks, and reads, like a film premiere. An Orange County Register’s interview with Millepied questions why LA and not New York. Most other reports have met the company with a similar mix of excitement and cautious optimism.
DCA Board Member Brian Schaefer, an LA native, writes in My Two Left Feet that a little celebrity won’t hurt dance needs every once in a while; it may be just the thing we need:
“If Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project becomes some trendy must-attend event and the average Jane thinks she might catch a glimpse of Ms. Portman by attending, then I think the man has played his cards right,” he writes. “I don’t mind seeing dance in the spotlight, with the in-crowd, and generating a little mainstream buzz. We deserve that, too.”
Will Hollywood prove a useful bed partner? Does celebrity help or hurt what we call “serious” concert dance? Is Millepied the man to finally grow world-class roots in LA? Weigh in with your comments.