The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA annually presents a selection of artists, ranging from musicians to comedians, to the UCLA community. This winter, the likes of dance companies, comedians and musicians from all over the world will grace the stage in Royce Hall.
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance: “FAR”
Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.
$20 for UCLA students
British choreographer Wayne McGregor and his company Wayne McGregor | Random Dance present the Los Angeles premiere of “FAR,” a performance set to music by experimental artist Ben Frost. McGregor, who drew inspiration for this work from the Age of Enlightenment and the brain’s neural connections, is known for combining dance, technology, visual art and science in his dances and illuminated backdrops. He is also responsible for choreographing Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke’s convulsive jerks in the band’s “Lotus Flower” music video. McGregor and members of the dance company will participate in a discussion after Friday’s performance.
Bassekou Kouyate plus True Blues
Saturday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.
$15 for UCLA students
Malian musicians Bassekou Kouyate and Amy Sacko bring a taste of West African music to Royce Hall, blending traditional instruments with contemporary influences. Sacko will provide vocals as Kouyate plays the ngoni, an African lute with four strings, against a backdrop of calabashes (gourds) and tama, a West African drum. Opener True Blues, a project by blues and reggae artist Corey Harris, invites musicians Alvin Youngblood Hart and Guy Davis to perform a soulful acoustic set inspired by the blues and West African music.
Sandra Bernhard: “I Love Being Me, Don’t You?”
Saturday, Feb. 15 at 8 p.m.
$15 for UCLA students
Sandra Bernhard, comedian, actress, singer and author, brings her one-woman show to Royce Hall. Bernhard got her start in comedy in the ’70s at L.A.’s own Comedy Store and is known for her critiques of pop culture and politics. She has also held a slew of roles in films and TV shows like “Roseanne” and has several off-Broadway shows, albums and books under her belt.
Kronos Quartet with special guest Wu Man: “40th Anniversary Celebration”
Friday, March 14 at 8 p.m.
$15 for UCLA students
San Francisco-based contemporary classical group Kronos Quartet celebrates its 40th anniversary with a set ranging from classical compositions to selections from movie scores. The quartet, which is known for its broad repertoire and performing the scores for “The Fountain” and “Requiem for a Dream,” often experiments with jazz, tango and classical music. Special guest Wu Man joins the group with the Chinese pipa, a four-stringed lute, for an arrangement of composer Philip Glass’ “Orion: China.”
Estrella Morente: “Autorretrato”
Sunday, March 16 at 7 p.m.
$15 for UCLA students
By the age of seven, Estrella Morente, the daughter of well-known Spanish flamenco singer Enrique Morente and dancer Aurora Carbonell, was performing alongside her father. Estrella Morente, who first debuted in the U.S. five years ago, has since followed in his footsteps as a flamenco singer, recording five albums and earning herself multiple Latin Grammy nominations. Her most recent album “Autorretrato” lends its name to this performance, which will feature Morente accompanied by guitar and hand claps in traditional Spanish style.