Benn Widdey

The second week of the New Original Works (NOW) Festival at REDCAT promises to be as exciting as the first program, with even more dance, music and imagery on the palette this time 'round.

For the past three years, L.A.-based arts journalist and Times dance critic Debra Levine has been on a crusade. She's been tracing the career of not-so-well-known choreographer Jack Cole and carrying his torch all over the country.

The Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater, aka REDCAT, brings its 9th annual New Original Works (NOW) Festival to the stage beginning this Thursday and continuing through the next three weekends.

Contemporary artists are always trying to get their work out there and in front of people other than their friends and family. It's a challenge in this busy, high home entertainment, car culture of a society we live in here in Los Angeles. Local modern dance choreographer Keith Glassman, with roots in New York City, is doing his best to attack this virus.

Coming down to our neck of the woods from the Bay Area, Robert Moses’ Kin will fill The Luckman for one formidable performance this Saturday evening. Presenting critically acclaimed work from their repertory, the production includes accompaniment by the San Francisco Boys Chorus, under the direction of Ian Robertson, and a host of other contributing art-makers.

Getting back to basics, Vox Dance Theatre, in association with The Colburn School, is presenting the first in a series of monthly dinnertime performances this Sunday in the dance studio at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center.

Though our own city just initiated its own contemporary dance festival last weekend at Brockus Project Studios and the Diavolo Dance Theater, our adjacent neighbor has been developing its dance audiences, participants and performances for five years running in the Pasadena Dance Festival.

Exploding into the 2012 season of Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center, the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève brings its European perspective to the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion this weekend for three North American premiere performances.

Seattle-based choreographer Dayna Hanson is bringing her latest dance theater creation, GLORIA'S CAUSE, to REDCAT for its Los Angeles premiere in four performances this week.

Although the country/continent of Australia isn't usually known for its performing arts, the Luckman Theater at Cal State L.A. is presenting one of Down Under's finest dance ensembles this weekend. For one show only, the technology-driven athletic company Chunky Move will grace the Los Angeles stage with the local premiere of its evening length Connected.