Daniel Ezralow Coming to Ford Amphitheatre, 9/13

Winding up the Zev Yaroslavsky Signature Series and bringing the Ford Theatres 2014 summer season to a close, Ezralow Dance takes the stage at the Ford Amphitheatre on Sept. 13 at 8 p.m.

The commissioned, site-specific world premiere from world-renowned director/choreographer Daniel Ezralow will be accompanied by live music from contemporary classical ensemble wild Up, marking the debut of Ezralow's new, Los Angeles-based company.

"Daniel is a visionary who creates grand pieces on a scale not usually seen at the Ford," says Ford managing director of productions Adam Davis.

Hailed as "unforgettably gutsy" by The New York Times and "one of the best American dancer-choreographers now working on an international scale" by the Chicago Tribune, Ezralow most recently choreographed the opening ceremonies at the Sochi Olympics. He has created choreography and aerial choreography for theater, film, opera and television around the world, including The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil, Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, the film Across the Universe and for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Batsheva Dance Company and Paris Opera Ballet. Ezralow is a co-founder of ISO Dance and an original dancer/choreographer of MOMIX.

"I try to break traditions, to look at something we may have all viewed many times before and see it completely differently," Ezralow explains. "With this new company of 9 dancers, I want to build a creative home for the huge amount of repertory I've developed around the world. Being an eclectic artist means that I've been lucky enough to jump from film to TV to stage, but there's been no way until now to collect everything into a single body of work."

According to Ezralow, the evening will begin with the "Awakening" of the Ford's historic outdoor amphitheater, which is set against a backdrop of cypresses and chaparral in the Hollywood Hills, and close with a sequence tentatively titled "DEconstruxion."

According to Ezralow, the choreography will be intimately linked to the music, and wild Up artistic director Christopher Rountree is enthusiastic about the collaboration. He is particularly passionate about the planned premiere of a new Bach deconstruction by Chris Kallmeyer (composer of the Bach As A Lens series) and a performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto #3 played by a completely different set of instruments than those Bach would have used, which will make the familiar piece sound wildly different and virtuosic. The two Bach pieces will "bookend" the evening. Also on the program will be dances choreographed to various 19th century composers as well as to the music of contemporary composer David Lang.

"This type of collaboration happens very rarely," Rountree says. "We're going to take old world music and adapt it to become something completely new. We define a concert as anything that draws people together to have a shared experience of listening, so this experiment is very exciting for us."

Since its start in 2010, wild Up has been Orchestra in Residence at the Hammer Museum, Ensemble in Residence with American Composers Orchestra and Education Ensemble in Residence with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Last season, the collective made its debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Brooklyn Festival and Minimalist Jukebox Festival at Walt Disney Concert Hall and had their first in a series of collaborative projects with the Colburn Conservatory of Music. The group has been featured at a number of Los Angeles' prominent cultural spaces including the Edye at the Broad Stage, Zipper Hall, REDCAT, Beyond Baroque, the Armory Center for the Arts and the Jensen Rec. Center Studio. Their recordings of Shostakovich, Rzewski and Messiaen have been featured on KUSC, KPFK and American Public Media's Performance Today, whose host, Fred Child, called them "searing, penetrating and thrilling." Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times hailed them as "magnificent" and "Best in Classical Music 2012."

This summer marks the Zev Yaroslavsky Signature Series' second season celebrating Los Angeles as a destination for world-class artists who find here both collaboration with, and inspiration from, celebrated local artists. The series is presented by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission with support provided by Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and all proceeds benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation.

At 1,200 seats, the Ford Theatres creates an intimate concert experience that is a favorite among Angelenos. Each summer, the Ford hosts a diverse roster of events representing music and dance styles reflective of the communities that comprise Los Angeles County. Ford summer season events are presented in partnership with Los Angeles County arts organizations and producers. Unlike a traditional presenting model, these organizations apply to be part of the season and receive significant marketing, box office and house management support while keeping the majority of box office proceeds. Located in a County regional park in the Hollywood Hills, the Ford is owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles and operated through a three-way partnership between the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Ford Theatre Foundation.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County. The Arts Commission provides leadership in cultural services for the County, encompassing 88 municipalities, including funding and job opportunities, professional development and general cultural resources. For more information, visit lacountyarts.org.

The Ford Theatres' 2014 summer amphitheatre season is a program of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission with core support provided by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Additional supporters include the Angell Foundation; The Boeing Employees Community Fund; City National Bank; Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; Discover Hollywood; The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation; The James Irvine Foundation; KCRW 89.9 FM; Tom LaBonge, City of Los Angeles Fourth District; LA18; L.A. Parent; LA Weekly; Macy's; National Endowment for the Arts; NBC Universal; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; SONY Pictures Entertainment; Southern California Edison; Wells Fargo; Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky; and Yelp.com.

The Ford Theatres are located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway, between Hollywood Blvd. and Barham Blvd. in the Cahuenga Pass. On site, stacked parking costs $5 per vehicle. FREE nonstacked parking serviced by a FREE shuttle to the Ford is available at the Universal City/Studio City Metro Station lot at Lankershim Blvd. and Campo de Cahuenga. The shuttle, which cycles every 15-20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area. The grounds open two hours before showtime for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site and box dinners for evening events may be ordered in advance. Patrons are welcome to bring their own food and drink. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request.

Ezralow Dance takes place on Saturday, Sept.13 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50, $65 and $80 (reserved seating), with a VIP package available for $100 that includes premium seating, a choice of wine or beer and on site parking. A $5 discount is available with advance purchase by Sept. 6. All proceeds benefit the Ford Theatre Foundation. For more information and to purchase tickets go to FordTheatres.org or call (323) 461-3673 (323 GO 1-FORD).

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