Traditionally, ballets elicit connotations of properness, structure, and elegance. Yet, American Contemporary Ballet skirts these expectations by pushing the boundaries of dance, venue, and classical storytelling in the absolute best way possible. Beginning their twelfth season under an October moon, their first offering is The Rite and Burlesque—a three-part ballet infused with deep meaning, impressive dance, and a live band, all atop the 28th floor of an LA sky rise. This is unlike any ballet you’ve ever been to, and will subvert every expectation you bring to it—in the best way possible.

The Rite and Burlesque (and Variation VII), is a three-part ballet experience that explores womanhood, sexuality, and casting off societal expectations. With a runtime of 2 hours, this experience is deeply intimate, putting audiences in three rows of chairs directly in front of the ballerinas. The immersion is lighter than their Homecoming and Nutcracker offerings, but wine and chocolates are present to tempt guests to indulge. There are no male dancers in this experience, putting all focus on the women. There is some nudity, tastefully hidden within shadows, but this experience may not be appropriate for younger audiences.

The Rite

The Rite premiers for the first time for American Contemporary Ballet. A reimagining of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, The Rite is the most narrative focused on the three acts. Showing the emotional arc of a virginal girl finding the empowerment to accept her fate as a sacrifice for the communal betterment, Hannah Barr steps into the role of the sacrifice, beginning as a collapsed form lying as the floor as the light dances around her. Barr shows up in this role more as an actress than a ballerina, emotion permanently playing across her face. An outsider to the group, Barr shrinks before her community, afraid and timid, often trying to flee from the other dances as they grab her, pulling her (quite literally sliding her across the floor) back to her fate.

The other dancers unshackle themselves from the traditional nature of ballet, these women are wild, free, and fluid. Madeline Houk emerges as the queen of this tribe, dressed in royal garb compared to the simple and uniform taupe cloth that all others wear (shoutout to the amazing Ruoxuan Li and Yasamin Sarabipour). Houk and Barr share moments of prayer and dance, reminiscent of Mother Ginger from ACB’s Nutcracker. From here, the narrative shifts from fear to empowerment, from denial to acceptance, from horror to beauty—and all of this is told with no dialogue, just Barr’s face to convey narrative.

In an era where the feminine has been unbound from the politeness of society and allowed to be wild and one with nature, The Rite perfectly adds to this conversation. I could see Barr and Houk bringing these roles to Yellowjackets (oh, hey, Antler Queen from Homecoming).

All of this is set to the dual piano stylings of Brandon Zhou and Daniel Gledhill. The music is dissonant and uncomfortable, rising in intensity as the climax hits. And while the musical stylings of The Rite may not be something I’d listen to on its own, it creates a deeper appreciation for the complexity of the dance. Even their footsteps match the uneven notes of the ivory keys—and it’s exceptional to watch the talent of dancer and musician together at the only ballet company that exclusively performs to live music.

Photo by Anastasia Petukhova

Burlesque

Fans of ACB may have caught Burlesque last year—and while it is very much the same experience, it is still excitingly dark, evocative, and unsettling. A traditional burlesque has guests watching as dancers remove their clothes for the audience’s pleasure. But this experience subverts those expectations, by focusing on themes of empowerment, reversals, rebirth, and expectation.
Burlesque is a masterclass of innovative thought, expert choreography, and perfect dancing. In each short vignette, a dancer is given the stage to evoke emotion for the audience. Brittany Yevoli shines as a panther on a leash who takes control back for herself, proudly showing her ability to her lead herself. Annette Cherkasov emerges from a latex cocoon, reborn into this new world. Elise Kruger completes a reversal of traditional burlesque, as she emerges completely nude and is slowly dressed, piece by piece. And Hannah Barr finishes the experience by dancing beautifully in an elegant dress. But in a look of heartbreaking sadness, she realizes that that dance was not enough—the audience has come for Burlesque. So, she resigns to removing her clothes, piece by piece, until the elegance and style that she was so proud of remains as only loose items on an empty dance floor.

Maybe it was my second time seeing it—or maybe it was slight changes that Lincoln Jones or the dancers imbued into their characters—but I felt this experience to be more evocative and meaningful than prior. Some of the surprise and spectacle was replaced with deeper appreciation and a respect that came from strong themes and even stronger talent and dance.

Variation VII

The mysterious third act of this experience is also a repeat of last year—but is so fun that I hope it is brought back every year. It is full of subversion, discomfort, and a climax that straddles the threshold of humor and horror. It is the laughter bubbling forth at a funeral. It is the itch on your neck when you see a spider. It is a must see every Halloween season.

Photo by Anastasia Petukhova

Final Thoughts

The Rite and Burlesque is a hauntingly beautiful examination of expectation, sexuality, and sacrifice. With the raw talent behind the dancers, the musicians, the costumers, and the choreography of ACB, this experience showcases why ACB is our favorite ballet, period. While roughly half of Rite and Burlesque are repeats of last Halloween, I found a deeper examination of the themes and style this year as the spectacle and surprise subsided and I looked deeper at the material.

I always love when ACB leans into the immersive stylings and acting in their experiences—and The Rite felt more like a film than a dance. Barr and Houk showed impressive displays of emotion and Jones clearly understands how to use that in his work. Their tagline is true: The best horror film you’ll see this Halloween isn’t in a theater. It’s on the 28th floor of a LA High-rise, seated in the fog, and watching an all-female cast.

For more information on American Contemporary Ballet or The Rite and Burlesque, check out their Facebook, Instagram and webpage. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.

Haunting is a resource for immersive theater and horror fans in Los Angeles and across the world, promoting art and community. Want to help us reach even more people, and get some cool perks and experiences? For as little as $1 a month, you can join our Patreon and help us keep bringing content to life.

If you like the above article and want to find more like it, make sure to join our community. If Facebook is your favorite, follow us there and become a part of our groups for Immersive Horror fans and/or Immersive creators. We’re active on Instagram, posting evocative imagery and informative stories to promote our reviews and recollections; follow us there. You can even find us on twitter; click here to follow. And subscribe to our event calendar to get emails for all or specific events (look for the link right under the calendar)! Finally, we have a newsletter that comes out once a week; click here to sign up.