Blog

Blue13 dance company “Shaadi”

September 17-18, 2021
Heritage Square Museum Los Angeles

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: ACHINTA S. MCDANIEL

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: JON PAUL

Welcome to the wedding of the season! Cast and experience information below. Please take snaps or record short videos and share in our wedding album by using #shaadiblue13 on Instagram (@blue13dance). We would love to have a full wedding album with contributions from our beloved guests.

CREW

Stage Manager: Camille Jasensky

Production Manager: Juan Sebastian Bernal

Lighting Designer: Brandon Baruch

EIC/Crew Chief: Brett Valasek

Lead Tech: Luis Montes

FOH Mixer: Drew Aldridge

RF Tech: Ian Gutierrez

Audio Tech: Peter Baigent

Stage Hands: Claudia Giugni, Tony Moresi, Jenna Jacobsen, Lucy Zepeda

Front of House: Colleen Melhuish, Megan Lewicki Sydney McDonald, Jarred

Volunteers: Dante Corpuz, Tricia Castro, Nate Riel, Aliyah Perry

dancers

Sharan the Groom: Kirby Harrell
Indira the Bride: Joya Kazi

Nilli the Love Interest: Alisa Carreras
Bansi the Bestie: Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright
Duke the Rascal: Robert Gomez

Kaira that Pines: Svetlana Tulasi

Jai that Wanders: Anthony “Tones” Arellano

Roshni who Smiles: Argia Brockway

Sehra who Dances: Valerie Chen

Arun who Laughs: Atticus Dobbie

Anya Intriguing: Lindsay Lykins

Brahm who Hides: Jacob Magana

Bhupinder Posing: Antonio Martinez

Joti the Knowing: Monica Moskatow

Niko the Naughty: William Okajima

Jahaan the Royal: Chase Peterson

Harbans the Traveler: Hayden Rivas

Aiyana the Sweet: Joy Veluz

Sitara that Sparkles: Adrianna Vieux

music

DJ Sandeep Kumar

Violin: Alma Cielo

Drums/Djembe: Enrique Lara

Dhol: Jag Tooray- Dhol Nation

program notes

Jee Aayaan Noo. Street, Train Yard. Full Cast. Choreography by: Achinta S. McDaniel, Jon Paul. Music: “Mast Kalandar,” Mika Singh, Yo Yo Honey Singh.

That Boy is Mine. Shah House Entry. Soloist: Svetlana Tulasi; Duet with: Joya Kazi. Choreographed by: Svetlana Tulasi, Joya Kazi, Achinta S. McDaniel. Music: “Lut Gaye,” Jubin Nautiyal.

Party Crashers. Train Yard, Street, Hale House Entry, Perry House Garden and Entry. William Okajima, Valerie Chen, Hayden Rivas, Joya Kazi, Kirby Harrell, Alisa Carreras, Robert Gomez, Adrianna Vieux, Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright, Svetlana Tulasi, Chase Peterson, Atticus Dobbie. Music: “The Wakhra Song,” Tanishk Bagchi; “Call Ticketron,” Run the Jewels; “Mirchi,” DIVINE; “Chhote Chhote Peg,” Yo Yo Honey Singh.

A Moment of Redress. Perry House Garden. Soloist: Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright. Music: “Cages,” Paul Livingstone, Alma Cielo, Enrique Lara.

Beneath the Surface, the Neighborhood Ticks. Street and Gardens. Full Cast. Music: “The Violent Bear it Away,” Moby.

Eurydice and Orpheus and Eurydice. Street. Chase Peterson, Jacob Magana. Music: Alma Cielo.

choose your adventure

WHEN THE VIOLINIST ENTERS PERRY HOUSE (WHITE HOME). FEEL FREE TO ENTER PERRY HOUSE, HALE HOUSE (GREEN HOME), AND WALK THROUGH GARDENS AND ENTRYWAYS AND PORCHES OF ALL STRUCTURES AS YOU LIKE. You have plenty of time, and are encouraged to go into both houses if you feel comfortable. Walk with your wine around the exteriors only. Please keep your masks on, remain with your party, and please no eating or drinking inside. Please remain on ground floor of houses only and only sit on designated white chairs if needed. Enter rooms and explore as you please. No need to remain standing in doorways. There are exits on sides and backs of both Perry and Hale houses. Houses are closed when doors close.

perry house (white)

Lighted Window at Dusk- Trio performed by: Atticus Dobbie, Lindsay Lykins, Chase Peterson. Choreography: Achinta S. McDaniel. Music: Akh Lad Jaave, Tanishk Bagchi.

House Soloists: Lindsay Lykins, Valerie Chen, Atticus Dobbie, Chase Peterson, Jacob Magana, Antonio Martinez, William Okajima, Argia Brockway. Music: Into the Past, Nero; Amplifier, Imran Khan; Only You, Yaz; Mountain Song, Vitamin String Quartet on Jane’s Addiction.

hale house (green)

Tere Bina (But seriously, please leave.)- Duet performed by: Alisa Carreras, Robert Gomez. Choreography: Achinta S. McDaniel and Dancers. Music: Girls Like You/Tere Bina, Jeffey Iqbal.

You Missed a Word- Quartet performed by: Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright, Robert Gomez, Joy Veluz, Adrianna Vieux. Choreography: Achinta S. McDaniel. Music: Dance Yrself Clean, LCD Sound System.

House Soloists: Anthony “Tones” Arellano, Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright, Alisa Carreras, Robert Gomez, Hayden Rivas, Joy Veluz, Adrianna Vieux. Music: The Humma Song, A.R. Rahman; You Got Me, The Roots feat. Erykah Badu; Kill My Baby Tonight, LA Witch

outdoors

  • Ambient Break: please enjoy the grounds
  • Ranjha, Rupesh Kumar Ram
  • Groom’s Dance Lesson– Come and Learn the Reception Dance with Sharan! Kirby Harrell. Music: Uff Teri Adaa, Alyssa Mendonso and Shankar Mahadavan
  • Definition, Black Star
  • Kehna hi Kya- Quintet performed by: Argia Brockway, Kirby Harrell, Joya Kazi, Jacob Magana, Monica Moskatow. Music: Kehna hi Kya, A.R. Rahman
  • Aromale, Alphonse
  • Indira’s Dance for Sharan- Choreographed and Performed by: Joya Kazi, Music: Mohe Rang Do Laal, Sanjay Leela Bhansali
  • Coming Clean– Full Cast. Choreographed by: Achinta S. McDaniel, Jon Paul, Music: Dance Yrself Clean, LCD Soundsystem

what happens next

we don’t say these things aloud- duet choreographed and performed by: Alisa Carreras and Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright. Music: Alma Cielo, Enrique Lara.

Baraat– please follow the procession. Music: Jag Tooray

Milni- performed by: Argia Brockway, Jacquelyn Buckmaster-Wright, Alisa Carreras, Robert Gomez, Jacob Magana, Antonio Martinez, Monica Moskatow, Joy Veluz, Adrianna Vieux. Music: Discowale Khisko, Pritam Chakraborty

Indira weds Sharan– Kirby Harrell, Joya Kazi. Officiant: Joy Veluz. Music: Jashn-e-Bahaaraa, A.R. Rahman.

the reception (going to the chapel)

Please enjoy the wedding reception- join us on the dance floor for the remainder of the evening. Our ushers may have a surprise for you- please follow them when prompted. Feel free to bring your wine to the reception lawn!

Dhaating Naach– Ford Lawn. Performed by: Anthony “Tones” Arellano, Argia Brockway, Kirby Harrell, Joya Kazi, Antonio Martinez, Jacob Magana, Monica Moskatow, Joy Veluz. Choreographed by: Achinta S. McDaniel. Music: Dhaating Naach, Pritam Chakraborty

Machale some Noise! Performed by: Anthony “Tones” Arellano, Argia Brockway, Kirby Harrell, Joya Kazi, Antonio Martinez, Jacob Magana, Monica Moskatow, Joy Veluz. Music: Dhoom Machale Dhoom, Pritam Chakraborty.

The End of the Affair. Full cast. Music: Khadke Glassy, Yo Yo Honey Singh; Punjabi Wedding Song, Vishal-Shekhar.

Namaste, Sat Sri Akal, Goodnight! Thank you for being our guests. Please stay in touch with us on Instagram and YouTube. Join our Mailing List!

Special thanks to Blue13’s Board of Directors, Executive Director, Terry Scott, Heritage Square Museum, Audiotek, Earl McDaniel, Sumi Patel, and our friends and families. Stay safe.

Shaadi Immersive outdoor dance event los angeles

Blue13 presents Shaadi (Hindi for “wedding”), an audience immersive and site-specific outdoor and carefully indoor contemporary and Bollywood dance experience at Heritage Square Museum Los Angeles. Join the dancers as they perform through the Victorian mansions and grounds of this iconic landmark. Grab your mask and get ready to join the wedding of the summer! Featuring the dancers of Blue13 along with special guest dancers: Joya Kazi, Svetlana Tulasi, Antonio Martinez, Jacob Magana, Monica Moskatow, and dancers from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.

Live Music by Alma Cielo, Enrique Lara, and Dhol Nation, along with DJ Sandeep Kumar.

PURCHASE TICKETS NOW: $10, $30, $75

September 17 & 18, 7:30 p.m.
Gate opens at 7:00 p.m.

Proof of vaccination or negative COVID PCR test required. Ages 12 and up. Predominantly Outdoor Event. Guests have option to go inside structures in pods and socially distanced. Masks are required inside and outside except when drinking or eating, when at least 6 feet between guests is required.

Tickets:
$75.00 – Head Table (wine and hors d’oeuvres provided)
$30.00 – Wedding Party (wine provided)
$10.00 – Ring Bearers (students and 90031 residents with ID) Limited number of Ring Bearer tier tickets ONLY for:
– Students with valid school ID, which must be presented upon arrival to the event or via email in advance, and
– Residents of 90031 zip code, two per household limit. Must show valid photo ID with proof of address upon arrival to the event or via email in advance.

Address: 3800 Homer St, Los Angeles, CA 90031

Heritage Square Museum welcomes visitors who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs. However, travel over long stretches of gravel is necessary to access all the structures on the property. In addition, only three buildings (Perry House, Palms Depot, and Colonial Drugstore) have ramps; all other structures on the tour have stairs.

Hiring Executive Director

Blue13 Dance Company seeks a full-time Executive Director to address the organization’s needs in the areas of development, operations, marketing and fundraising. Candidates should possess strong leadership skills, non-profit arts administration experience, and a passion for dance and the arts. This is a 40 hours/week position.

To read full job description and to apply, visit our Linkedin profile to submit your resume and cover letter by August 23, 2021.

Blue13’s Flip the Script Interview Series on IG

Join us in our new weekly Instagram Interview Series, Flip the Script. The Concept: Blue13er interviews an artist and at the 15 minute mark, “flip” places so the interviewee becomes the interviewer. This will evolve, we hope, into a multitude of artists and arts supporters/professionals chatting in an informal setting, to foster communication and curiosity, and to provide the public with a glimpse into our minds and hearts when we aren’t in a pretty package on stage.

Fighting Inequity in Dance

Blue13 has been having these conversations since our very inception, and we are of course, not alone. Our Black and Indigenous sisters and brothers in the field and worldwide have been bearing this burden for hundreds of years. Our Indian ancestors, in fact our South Asian ancestors at large, have been oppressed and held down by colonialism for hundreds of years. I have been complicit in many ways without realizing, and apologize for that. Specifically: body type casting based on Eurocentric ideals; upholding ballet as superior, and thus whiteness as superior to me, to my dancers, to all forms and styles of dance; using ballet terminology in Bollywood classes (plie, 2nd position, coupe, etc.); so much more. We have been having the conversations for years, but we have so much uncovering and dismantling to do, here at home, and as advocates and activists living out loud. I am committed to making changes with out board and with our dancers and partners to attack and name, and dismantle systemic anti-Blackness, sexism, racism, ableism, anti-LGBTQIA oppression, and white supremacy in dance. We make art to fight, and we must elevate our voices in joint and echoing crescendo.

Please follow us on Instagram and Facebook @blue13dance to see our public conversations, interviews, and roundtable discussions on inequity and white supremacy in our industry. Do more than read a book. Join us and volunteer, join our board, and do the work with us.

Decolonizing the Canon: Blue13 Dance Company Review

Sophie Bress for Ampersand LA

Blue13 questions the lines that we use to divide dance into categories, the lines that denote what is diminishingly called a “fusion” or “cultural” dance form. The company breaks these arbitrary lines, showing us there is no need for them. Blue13 dancers, clad in vibrantly adorned costumes and ghungroos (bells worn on the ankles in traditional Indian dance forms), whirl across the stage, swaying their hips in time to the beat of the drum, pausing only to balance in perfect arabesques, topping off their poses with the intricate arm, wrist and hand positions that come from classical Indian dance. McDaniels’ choreography shows us how much can be gained by a deep understanding and exploration of multitudes of dance styles. 

Click to Read the Full Article.

Terpsichore in Ghungroos Premiere

Blue13 Dance Company premieres two works at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, February 21-22, 2020. Works choreographed by Achinta S. McDaniel include triptych “Terpsichore in Ghungroos,” along with “Fuck Fusion version 2, Or how to/not to be adequately Indian,” and Bollywood favorite, “Diya aur Toofan.”