Astra Dance Company - Los Angeles, CA  U.S.A.

Bio: An innovative, original narrative-dance-theater company, Astra Dance Company (ADC) is currently in its fourth year as an L.A. company combining historical and imaginative dance stylings, entrancing stories, and absorbing digital scenography. This growing company is constantly adding, developing, and pursuing new avenues in both their concepts and in their involvement and participation in arts and entertainment. With three new works in development their repertoire is now four productions strong: “Astra,” “Eleonora,” “The Wonderful Tune,” and “Tam Lin.” Each of these tales, whether from classic literature, folk tradition, or original composition, are presented to original music by Regan Remy and narrated by Artistic Director David Wilkinson. By presenting a range of productions from the fairy-tale “Wonderful Tune” to the morally challenging “Astra,” ADC seeks to entertain audiences of all ages, drawing families, children and aspiring dancers to the incomparable experience of live dance-theater performance.

With a mandate of growing, learning and striving, this dynamic company has initiatives in dance performance, film and educational outreach. Their inaugural show “Astra” performed in 2008 at Burning Man, Blackrock City, Nevada,; in 2009 at the Electric Lodge, in Venice, California; and in 2010 at the historic Million Dollar Theater on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. The ADC documentary “The Making of a Dream – Behind the Scenes” is an inside look backstage at all the production elements, dynamics and people it takes to put up a dance-theater show—with the additional challenge of staging it at Burning Man! Educational workshops are also in development to offer high school students exposure to dance lessons and introduction to production to open their eyes to opportunities on and off stage.

With so much on the go, the creative team is also steadily growing. At the helm are David Wilkinson as Artistic Director/Writer, Regan Remy, Co-Creator/Composer, Autumn Fawn, Producer/Director, Sasha Travis, Director/Choreographer, and Mecca Vazie Andrews and Cynthia Marie Mendez as Choreographers.

What Astra Dance will be bringing to the Festival

Astra Dance will be performing "Eleonora" at the Electric Lodge, choreographed by Cynthia Marie Mendez.

A poem by Edgar Allan Poe, a favorite author for the Astra Dance Company, is narrated by UCLA Professor and ADC Artistic Director David Wilkinson. “Eleonora” is a Poe rarity—for although it contains the elements of love, death, betrayal and return, it ends in happiness and reconciliation. This tale of treachery and forgiveness lends itself to intimate theatrical and choreographic illustrations.  This 8-9 minute version of the full 45 minute piece is a synopsis of the innocence, imagination and passion of these two lovers lost in the world of Poetry.