Benita Bike’s DanceArt Performs in Culver City

Trudy Niess, Clare Kiklowicz, Liza Barskaya and Sarah Gertler in Plugged (Photo by Bari Lee).

Benita Bike’s DanceArt will bring a program of dance exploration to the Culver City Senior Center on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 1:30 p.m. The performance is free, and has been made possible in part by the City of Culver City and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with support from Sony Pictures Entertainment and the Culver City Arts Foundation. 

According to a statement, “Benita Bike’s DanceArt is dedicated to presenting polished concert dance works not only in theater settings, but also in non-traditional community spaces. This Culver City dance discovery performance is designed for all ages. Viewers will not only see fine performances of engaging modern dance works, but they will be invited to share their thoughts about art and dance.”

The program features the dances “Griot Songs” and “Plugged.” “‘Griot Songs’ follows the development of girls from girlhood, through young womanhood, and into maturity,” they said. “‘Plugged’ explores our relationships to the machines that occupy our world and how these machines affect our sensitivity to nature, quiet, and the earth.”

No reservations are required, and featured dancers at the performance are Nola Gibson, Lauren Gold, Micay Jean, Lydia McDonald, and Skye Schmidt.

“Although this performance takes place at the Culver City Senior Center, it is a show for all ages where viewers can see dances performed, learn more about dance, and share their thoughts with performers and other viewers,” Bike told the CCN. “So the show is a mixture of performance, education, and sharing. This is a family-friendly, all-ages event that is suitable for those new to modern/concert dance and those who are already experienced in dance. Our show will give people an inside view of dance making and dance performance.”

Benita Bike’s DanceArt is now in its 42nd season, and the company creates and presents concert dance works for the stage, while priding itself in sharing the modern dance art form with people in their communities via the Company’s outreach programming. 

“The January 28th performance at the Culver City Senior Center is an example of this outreach programming; viewers will not only see beautiful dancing, but they’ll be encouraged to share their thoughts,” said Bike. “The Company was created in Boston, Massachusetts in 1980 and has been based in Los Angeles since 1991. During these years, the Company has performed from California to New England and abroad, and has been described as both classical and contemporary in style. Director Benita uses unusual and interesting music from throughout the world to create her varied dance works. The Company has received decades of funding from the City of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Culver City’s Cultural Affairs Commission, and the California Arts Council.”

The Senior Center Auditorium is located at 4095 Overland Ave., Culver City. Call 818-470-5734 or see www.danceart.org/schedule.html for more information.