Invertigo Dance Theatre to Present AFTER IT HAPPENED at Ford Theatres in Los Angeles

Invertigo Dance Theatre, a Los Angeles-based Dance Company founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Laura Karlin, will reprise After It Happened on Friday, September 30 at 8:30 pm at the Ford Theatres, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068. $35 General Admission; $75 VIP; $18 Students; $15 Children; FordTheatres.org; 323 461-3673; non-visual media: 323-GO-1-FORD.

Named "#1 Dance Show of 2014" by LA Weekly, After It Happened tells the story, sometimes dramatic, sometimes heartbreaking and often touchingly funny, of a community rebuilding in the wake of an unspecified disaster.

A multidisciplinary work of magical realism, After It Happened features nine dancers and two musicians performing choreography by Laura Karlin in collaboration with the dancers.The piece is set to an original score by Los Angeles-based composers Toby Karlin, Laura's brother and longtime Invertigo collaborator, and Diana Lynn Wallace.

Company members drive the action through virtuosic dancing delivered with Invertigo's signature and stunning athletic physicality and complete the vivid emotional palette with theatre, spoken dialogue, live music and puppetry. True to what often happens as a community rebuilds, roles are porous, as dancers contribute to the soundscape, musicians are swept into the action, and the audience itself is converted from outsider to insider. Transformation is thematic: blue trash bags transition into shelter, ocean waves, a soccer ball, birds and an haute couture dress.

"After It Happened is a testament to the human capacity to create light, song, and re-growth when foundations and structure are swept away," says Laura Karlin. "We examine this situation by asking questions: how do people behave as individuals and within the context of their greater community? How do we process loss and re-create social norms? The storytelling journeys through some dark places and is balanced out by the funny and wildly inappropriate moments we all encounter in times of transition," she adds.

After It Happened highlights Invertigo's deep commitment to the theatrical tradition. The performers have built such specific characters that it's easy to get caught up in the individual ways in which each reacts to events in the narrative and how their relationships with each other unfold onstage. Dancers and musicians perform on, in and through a set built by Los Angeles theatre set designer John Burton and community members through a partnership with the Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum.

In October 2014, Invertigo presented After It Happened in a three-weekend sold-out Los Angeles run, a remarkable achievement in that Los Angeles dance companies rarely have the opportunity to perform for more than one night or weekend at a time. The autumn 2016 production will retain the structure and story of the 2014 show, yet the company has collaborated on creating new scenes and moments, deepening and sharpening the movement, adding nuances and building even more layers into the evocative tapestries of dance and sound.

About Invertigo Dance Theatre

Invertigo Dance Theatre creates thought-provoking performances and programs that tell compelling stories, promote artistic and physical empowerment, utilize diversity in collaboration and are accessible to communities that might not otherwise find joy in dance.

Invertigo was founded in 2007 by Artistic Director Laura Karlin. The company has grown steadily and quickly became recognized as a cornerstone of the Los Angeles dance scene. Invertigo was recently awarded a Bloomberg Philanthropies' Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) program grant, and Dance Spirit Magazine named it one of the "top six trend-setting companies to watch in LA."

Invertigo has performed original evening-length and shorter works across Los Angeles, in venues including the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ford Theatres, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Grand Park and the Broad Stage. The company is regularly invited to perform and give master classes at festivals, such as Celebrate Dance, the LA Dance Festival and the LA Dance Invitational. Invertigo's new works are frequently commissioned and often include original music that is performed live onstage.

In addition to Invertigo's performances, its Dancing Through Parkinson's community program provides weekly classes to people living with Parkinson's and its Invert/ED program provides a range of dance education and performance opportunities to young people. Throughout all company initiatives, Invertigo is committed to paying fair wages to company members and commissioned artists.

About the Artistic Director

Laura Karlin is the founder and artistic director of Invertigo. She graduated summa cum laude from Cornell University with degrees in Choreography/Production and Pre Law/LGBT Civil Rights. She studied dance theatre and contemporary dance in London, where she trained with Akram Khan and presented work at the prestigious Resolution! festival and Greenwich Dance Agency.

Karlin founded Invertigo in 2007 with the aim of creating a vibrant dance institution in Los Angeles. She choreographs for the company and works to make Invertigo a lively presence in Los Angeles through performance, education, outreach and collaboration. Her work has been presented at venues including the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ford Theatres, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Broad Stage and LACMA. She is a recent alumna of the West Coast satellite program of the Directors Lab.

About The Ford Theatres:

Following extensive renovations to this historic facility, the Ford Theatres have reopened for the 2016 Summer Season. The Ford is located just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, between Hollywood and Universal Studios in the Cahuenga Pass. The grounds open two hours before show time for picnicking. The Ford offers a number of dining options: a variety of food and beverages is available on site. Patrons are also welcome to bring their own food and drink. The Ford is disabled accessible. Portable wireless listening devices are available upon request.

Parking at the ford is stacked and costs $5-$10 per vehicle for evening performances. New off-site parking location: a FREE shuttle services the parking structure located at 1710 N. Cherokee Avenue in Hollywood. Parking is $10 for Ford patrons. Shuttle departures begin two hours before show time and reservations are required. Metro riders: a FREE shuttle picks up from the Universal City/Studio City Metro Station (3913 Lankershim Blvd, Studio City 91604). The shuttle, which cycles every 20 minutes, stops in the "kiss and ride" area.

This event is part of the Ford Theatres 2016 Summer Season, a multidisciplinary arts series presented by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in cooperation with Los Angeles County arts organizations. A complete season schedule, directions to the amphitheatre and parking information can be found at FordTheatres.org.

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