 |
SUSAN KIM Ballet Student, Supporter Los Angeles, California USA BIO | POSTS |
This past Saturday, at co-founder (co-director, choreographer and dancer) Betsy Uhler’s invitation, I attended the inaugural performance of LA Unbound. Based on Ithaca College’s IC Unbound, a student dance company that Betsy was a member of during her college days, LA Unbound is a dance troupe comprised of dancers in Los Angeles who represent as many different backgrounds, styles, and levels as can possibly be imagined. The company’s primary objective: To hold performances featuring a diverse array of dances in a non-competitive environment.
When Betsy first described LA Unbound to me, the organization and the philosophy upon which it is founded immediately struck a special chord with me because it reminded me so much of the college dance group that I myself directed during my time at Amherst. There, like here, the group existed fundamentally to facilitate dance for dancers (and non-dancers who wanted to dance). The group’s sole demand/s: dance and, more importantly, have fun. LA Unbound’s philosophy is very similar.
 |
 |
| Ithaca College alum Doug Hannah entertains the crowd with unusual juggling and balancing acts. |
Ithaca College alum Peter Verdell provides musical interludes in between dances. |
Because it is, in a way, a Los Angeles extension of the Ithaca-based IC Unbound, a majority of LA Unbound’s dancers are IC Unbound and Ithaca College alums. (Just as an aside: I never realized that so many Ithaca College alums live in Los Angeles. They must amount to at least half the city’s population! (Okay, I exaggerate…)) What a fantastic resource, though. Those Ithaca College alums who did not dance on Saturday helped out where they could, either selling tickets, passing out programs, queuing the music, setting the lights, performing in between dance numbers and, of course, supporting the dancers from the house.
Happy dancers.
What a great start for LA Unbound! Cheers to co-founders and co-directors Betsy Uhler and Elizabeth Tramontozzi for their hard work and for creating this special vehicle for dancers and dance lovers. And for keeping it fun.
Betsy and Elizabeth smile after a long day of rehearsing and performing.
