Offstage + Unbound™ Podcast

In the 15th installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Robert Battle, artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

In the 14th installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of American Ballet Theatre (ABT).

Teaser of Episode #13 of Offstage + Unbound - The Music Center Podcast. Kevin McKenzie, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre Rachel Moore, President & C.E.O. of The Music Center

In the 13th installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Dwight Rhoden, founding artistic director and resident choreographer of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Rhoden has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.” A native of Dayton, Ohio who began dancing at age 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1994, Rhoden and legendary dancer Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Together they have brought their unique brand of contemporary dance to the world for nearly two decades. Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to The Music Center on April 20, 21 and 22, 2018 with StarDust, a dance tribute to David Bowie. Tickets on sale now.

In the 12th installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Ashley Wheater, artistic director of The Joffrey Ballet. Wheater recently celebrated 10 years at the helm of The Joffrey Ballet, one of the world's better-known ballet companies, now based in Chicago. Many Angelenos may recall that the Joffrey was a resident company at The Music Center from 1983 to 1991. According to Sasha Anawalt's history, The Joffrey Ballet, Nancy Reagan prompted the residency when her husband was in the White House, and her son was in the company. In fact, Wheater was a regular Joffrey dancer on The Music Center's Dorothy Chandler stage almost 30 years ago. The Joffrey Ballet returns to The Music Center on March 9, 11 and 17, after a 5-year absence with Romeo & Juliet. Tickets on sale now.

In the eleventh installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Lourdes Lopez, artistic director of Miami City Ballet. Over the course of a year, Lopez worked closely with designers Isabel and Ruben Toledo to create a newly redesigned George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Lopez became artistic director of Miami City Ballet in September 2012, bringing with her a nearly 40-year career in dance, television, teaching and arts management. As a Soloist and Principal Dancer with New York City Ballet, she danced for two legends of the art form, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

In this special tenth installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with celebrated Cuban-American artist/designer couple Isabel and Ruben Toledo, the geniuses behind the unique style of the newGeorge Balanchine’sThe Nutcracker® by Miami City Ballet. Over the course of a year, the Toledoswere responsible for designing dozens of sets and 150 costumes that will belongto this new Nutcracker (with a world premiere at The Music Center on December 7, 2017.) Strongly anchored in Cuban culture yet highly individualistic, the Toledos were inspired by the originalNew York City Ballet designs,Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s timeless score andBalanchine’s iconic choreography.

In the ninth installment of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Osnel Delgado, resident choreographer, founder and artistic director of Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company. Delgado danced with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba from 2003 to 2011, before founding Malpaso. He has worked to develop original commissions with a number of prominent North American choreographers including Aszure Barton and Sonya Tayeh. Malpaso will present their works, as well as one of Delgado’s, as part of The Music Center’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA programming, Cuba: Antes/Ahora, Then/Now, a three-day celebration of Cuban and Cuban-American artists with dancers, musicians and visual artists.

In the eighth installation of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Akram Khan, founder, artistic director, choreographer and dancer of the Akram Khan Company. Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award, the Bessie Award (New York Dance and Performance Award), the prestigious ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) Distinguished Artist Award, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, the Herald Archangel Award at the Edinburgh International Festival, the South Bank Sky Arts Award and six Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. The Music Center On Location is proud to present Akram Khan's 'Until the Lions' as part of the Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center 15th season.

In the seventh installation of "Offstage and Unbound," The Music Center's President and CEO Rachel Moore chats with Jacob Jonas, choreographer and founder of Los Angeles-based Jacob Jonas The Company, and Aszure Barton, acclaimed choreographer and founder of Aszure Barton & Artists. Both artists will be performing original pieces at Ford Theatres in Hollywood as part of The Music Center On Location™ initiative, which takes The Music Center's creative vision beyond the places and spaces of its Downtown Los Angeles home and into the diverse venues and locales of greater Los Angeles.