The Hybrid Lab: Conversations in Merging Dance Cultures at LAX Festival 2021
The second iteration of The Hybrid Lab happened at the LAX Festival 2021produced by Los Angeles Performance Practices. Presented a few months after covid restrictions lifted on performance, Amy invited artists to improvise/freestyle in a structure inspired by beloved Paris street dance event, “I Love This Dance”. Artists were paired. They each chose a song to freestyle to. We witness each of them dance to their selections, then dance to each other’s selections. Following these experiments, the artists sat down with Amy O and the audience to share each dance artist’s background and approach, discuss freestyle dance culture vs performance, the tensions and joys of movement hybridity, and the valuing of freestyle/improvisation as technical rigor and real time choreographic process.
Curated and directed by Amy O’Neal
Post show discussion with artists and audience facilitated by Amy O’Neal.
Participating Dance Artists:
Aisha Barge
Ardyn Flynt
G’bari Gilliam
Max Pham
Amaria Stern
Stephan Tanner
