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Carmageddon Be Damned! Weekend Dance Performance at Santa Monica Beach House
photo of Sheetal Gandhi courtesy of the artist
Carmageddon be damned! As the freeway event draws closer, artists are bonding together all over the metropolis and offering their take on the quasi-regional holiday. By the Santa Monica beach, performer/director Sheetal Gandhi is culminating her choreographer-in-residence period at the Annenberg Community Beach House with two afternoon performances of "I Am You," a Rumi-inspired, community-engaged, site-specific dance-theater work.
Having seen a few of the previous free cultural events at this landmark location (it used to be the home of silver screen actress Marion Davies and a gift from publishing tycoon William Randolf Hearst), we can attest to the spectacular setting for watching performances. The view of the ocean, the sand and the Santa Monica palisade looking eastward are glorious. Live performance—music, movement and text—adds to the splendor.
Promotional materials state that the premiere work features popular love songs of the 1930s, the timeless poetry of the Persian mystic poet, Rumi, and commentary on motivational talk shows and other self-help scenarios. As part of the performance, the artist is also initiating a unique collaboration with her local Los Angeles community by inviting them to participate in the performance.
Gandhi has just returned from Scandinavia, where she toured her one-woman show that explores her south Asian heritage. She's performed this work on many international stages, after having danced in the cast of Broadway musicals, Cirque de Soleil and much more.
Imagining that the freeways might even be quiet on these weekend afternoons, it looks like a great destination. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30, from 1-2:30 p.m.
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