Versa-StyleDance Company fuses the vintage sounds of Motownand R&B with the exuberance of hip-hop - house, popping, locking, whacking and boogaloo - as well as salsa, merengue, cumbia and Afro-Cuban dance moves. Escape to the Ford Theatres for 'Box of Hope,' a joyous evening of L.A. street dance, spoken word and music under the stars on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
Box of Hope takes its title from a little red box used by Versa-Style co-artistic director Leigh Foaad as a prop for a solo dance piece.
"That red box inspired us," explains Foaad's co-artistic director, Jackie Lopez. "It reminded us of Pandora - about how all the bad things escaped when she opened her box. When she was able to shut it, the only thing left inside was Hope."
"Hip-hop is special because it crosses color and socioeconomic barriers to create a haven where people can come together for a common passion," Lopez says. "Artists like
Marvin Gaye,
Stevie Wonder and The Temptations sang about overcoming obstacles to make a better world. Versa-Style highlights the timeless nature of this struggle by imbuing their iconic music with contemporary street dance."
Versa-Style has been heavily invested in the business of hope since 2005. Through a unique partnership with the Rosenthal Foundation, Versa-Style offers free one-hour, educational dance shows to Los Angeles public schools that inspire, motivate and educate, as well as low-cost weekly dance classes for underserved youth in Los Angeles. Versa-Style Next Generation, established in 2009, is a pre-professional junior company, whose members can eventually transition into the professional touring company. Through Next Generation, teens are encouraged to finish high school and attend college. A significant percentage of Versa-Style dancers are the first in their families to attend and graduate from four year institutions. A non-profit organization, Versa-Style is supported in part by the California
Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.
"When I was a little girl," concludes Lopez, I never thought I could dance professionally. I take great pride in being able to offer these opportunities to Latino and African American youth in our communities. Versa-Style is a unique company, and we are thrilled to be able to share our joy, social consciousness and love of dance with Ford audiences."
Versa-Style has performed at the Rosenthal Theater at Inner-City Arts; Ford Amphitheatre; Nate Holden Performing Arts Center; and at the
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Music Center as part of the annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, which was broadcast live on public television. The company has participated in legendary hip-hop dance festivals across the country including the San Francisco Hip Hop Dance Festival, J.U.i.C.E. Hip Hop Dance Festival and Rennie Harris Illadelph Legends Festival, as well as in global hip-hop dance competitions, winning dance battles here in Los Angeles and in New York City, Israel and, most recently, at the Streetfighters International Competition in Cesenatico, Italy where Versa-Style represented the USA as a qualifying champion. Versa-Style has traveled to India, Israel and Scotland to teach workshops, speak at lecture demonstrations and perform to sell out crowds.
Jackie Lopez is a first generation Los Angeles native. She was the first in her family to graduate high school, continue her education at L.A. Valley College, transfer to a UC, and graduate. This was all due to the impact of the arts in her life. Jackie graduated Summa Cum Laude from UCLA in 2004 from the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, with a concentration in dance. For the last 18 years, Jackie has been working as a professional dancer, choreographer, teaching artist and cultural educator. She has worked with students and artists of all ages from Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Israel, United Kingdom, France, Colombia and India. She currently is Adjunct Lecturer at UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures where she teaches hip-hop dance, and she is Director of the UCLA Summer Dance/Performing Arts Intensive for high school students. She is also Executive Director of the Flourish Foundation, a non-profit, private philanthropic organization that began as a response to lack of funding in the arts.
Leigh Foaad is Adjunct Lecturer at UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance. His dance vocabulary includes a wide range of styles, from classical ballet to hip-hop. He has been working with Rennie Harris "Puremovement" since 2005 and toured the Middle East as a Cultural Ambassador for the United States. He toured nationally and internationally with John Tesh as the first-and-only featured hip-hop dancer. He choreographed and was featured in the PBS special "ALIVE Music & Dance." Leigh takes pride in teaching the history, culture and technique of hip-hop to the young community of today.
'Box of Hope' features principle dancers Allison Gray,
Harry Weston, Ernesto Galarza, Jackie Oka, Brandon J. Williams,Anthony Berry and Alex Almaraz, and core dancers Cynthia Hernandez, Joey Velasquez, Sandy Vazquez and Gbari Gilliam. Choreography is by Jackie Lopez and Leigh Foaad; lighting design is by Daniel Tator; and the dramaturg is
Kevin Kane.
Following extensive renovations to this historic facility, the Ford Theatres reopened in July 2016. 'Box of Hope' 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 amphitheater and parking information can be found at
FordTheatres.org.
The Ford is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068, just off the 101 Hollywood Freeway 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: aFREE 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 shuttlepicks 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."
'Box of Hope' takes place on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets (reserved seating) are $30 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and under. VIP tickets, which include premium seating, a gift bag and a signed poster, are available for $50. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to
FordTheatres.org or call
323 461-3673 (for non-visual media 323-GO-1-FORD). To learn about discounts for groups of 10 or more, please visit
FordTheatres.org.
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