Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Presents ATE9

Ate9, one of Los Angeles' most visceral and probing dance companies, makes its Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts debut with two gripping works by Artistic Director/Choreographer Danielle Agami, including the world premiere of a blind LAdy, featuring the live vocals of Spanish indie-pop singer/songwriter Lourdes Hernández (a.k.a. Russian Red), on Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16, 2019, at 7:30 pm, in The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater.

Also featured is the full-length calling glenn, rooted in the Gaga movement and incorporating the imaginative music of renowned Wilco percussionist Glenn Kotche, who performs live on stage with 10 dancers as they expose "the complexities of intimacy and communication within personal, daily routines" (KCET Artbound). A compelling local treasure blazing with innovation, Ate9 captivates with its thought-provoking work. Agami, noted for her electrifying movement, surprising sense of humor and impeccable craft, has been hailed as "choreography's It girl" (Los Angeles Times). Kotche, in addition to his Grammy-winning rock career, has composed music for such ensembles as Eighth Blackbird, Silk Road Ensemble, Kronos Quartet and Bang on a Can All-Stars. Hernández, a native of Madrid, was deemed a musical "revelation" (El País) and named Best Spanish Artist of the Year by MTV in 2011.

a blind LAdy reveals Agami at her sharpest and most profound as she brings vision to the insecurities and absurdities of living and working in LA. The captivating presence of the Ate9 dancers provides a transformational energy to Agami's insightful movement and partnering while the vocal sweetness of Indie-pop singer Lourdes Hernandez offers a compelling backdrop to a stage lit by world-renowned lighting designer Avi Yona Bueno of Batsheva Dance Company. More than just another work of dance, a blind LAdy is meaningful contemporary theater at its most compelling.

calling glenn, Ate9's first collaboration with Kotche, captivates audiences with Agami's choreographic blend of brilliant strength, nuanced physicality and humor that inspires the imagination. The work flows seamlessly through rich visual and audible atmospheres created by Kotche's live sound generation as the dancers embody a rare presence filled with surprising moments of personal honesty and insight. calling glenn is a uniquely balanced collaboration of sound and movement that tells a fresh and contemporary narrative inspired by life's exhausting common rituals and desires.

"The bold and evocative work of Ate9 has invigorated audiences since its inception," says The Wallis' Artistic Director Paul Crewes. "We are very pleased to be bringing the company to The Wallis for the first time."

Ate9, founded in 2012 by Agami, creates experimental works that re-imagine the role of dance in the community while tapping into its power to unite people across diverse social and cultural borders. Valuing the vibrancy and diversity of its Los Angeles home base, the company, which tours nationwide, invests in and cares about the unique qualities and potential each individual brings to the company.

Single tickets are $29-$89. Visit TheWallis.org, call 310.746.4000, or stop by in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services Office located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

About the Artists:

Israeli-born Danielle Agami studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance High School and was a member of the Batsheva Dance Company. Between 2007 and 2009, Agami served as the Artistic Director of Batsheva Dancers Create, and functioned as the company's rehearsal director from 2008-2010. After eight years with Batsheva, Agami moved to New York to serve as the Senior Manager of Gaga U.S.A. She then relocated to Seattle, where she founded Ate9-an undertaking that fully realized her artistic voice as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. Over the past three years, she has created numerous works for Ate9. A highly sought after choreographic talent, she has received commissions to create work for companies around the globe, including Shula in Israel for the Batsheva Ensemble, This Time Tomorrow for NorthWest Dance Project in Portland, Oregon, Loose Gravel for Barak Ballet in L.A, and a unique collaboration with L.A. Dance Project for Invisible Cities by The Industry Opera. In 2015, Agami was commissioned by White Bird, Music Center and The Industry Opera. She was the grand prize winner of the 2013 and 2014 Annual Choreography Festival at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, and was named Dance Magazine's "Top 25 to watch in 2015." Agami is a renowned Gaga teacher and for the past few years, has traveled around the world as an ambassador of Ohad Naharin, staged Naharin's work with Alvin Ailey Company, Ballet Atlanta, Ita Dansa / Barcelona, The Juilliard School and more.

Glenn Kotche is a Chicago-based percussionist and composer. Since 2001, Kotche has been the rhythmic anchor in Wilco, one of the most beloved rock bands on the planet. He has appeared on over 90 recordings by artists as diverse as First Aid Kit, Case Lang Viers, William Tyler, Neil Finn, and Radiohead's Phil Selway, and he's a founding member of two bands - Loose Fur, with Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and longtime collaborator Jim O'Rourke, and On Fillmore, with bassist Darin Gray. He has also written music for contemporary ensembles such as Kronos Quartet, The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Bang On A Can All-Stars, Silk Road Ensemble, Roomful of Teeth, eighthblackbird and many more.

Singer-songwriter, performer and artist Lourdes Hernandez, a.k.a. Russian Red, first came to prominence in her native Spain with the release of her 2008 debut album, "I Love Your Glasses." After releasing four records, including two with a major label, touring the world for years and relocating to Los Angeles to explore other creative disciplines, Lourdes, who was raised in Madrid, is currently using her music to plug into film, contemporary dance and theatrical performances, in addition to operating The Ruby Street, an event and music venue in Highland Park.

About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts:

Since opening its doors in October 2013, The Wallis has produced or presented more than 250 dance, theatre, opera, classical music, cinema and family programs to an ever-expanding audience. Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, The Wallis brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. Featuring eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe. The mission of The Wallis is to create, present and celebrate unique performing arts events and educational programs that reflect the rich cultural diversity of our community. Nominated for 48 Ovation Awards, seven L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards and the recipient of six architectural awards since opening in 2013. The Wallis is a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue that celebrates the classic and the modern and was designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA, of Studio Pali Fekete architects. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation) and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike.

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