performances
LITVAKdance’s Fall 2025 production, THIS, boasts a cast of fourteen dancers with diverse original works by international, national and local choreographers, Ronen Izhaki, Kaia Makihara + Chelsea Roquero, April Tra and LITVAKdance artistic director, Sadie Weinberg.
The choreography in THIS asks big questions about what it means to be alive and how to revel in the beauty of each day amidst the turmoil and tragedy we face every day.
Location:
800 Santa Fe Drive Encinitas, CA 92024
Ticket Pricing:
General $35
Students/Senior/Military $25
About the works:
After the Fire | Ronen Izhaki
Exploring the fragile tension between revenge and grace, this work reflects on profound grief, vengeance, and the search for mercy in the aftermath of violence. Inspired by Aeschylus’ Eumenides, it contemplates the human journey “after the fire” toward reconciliation.
Israeli artist Ronen Izhaki is founder of the Between Heaven and Earth association and Head of Dance at The Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. His work has been presented internationally since 2002.
3 works by Sadie Weinberg
The Crossing Dedicated to Emery Chalekian, this work portrays a community of young women guiding, protecting and carrying a solo figure to the other side. A procession that provides safe passage that holds joy, grief, and tenderness all at once.
A Mother’s Grief A short ballet dedicated to an aspiring ballerina gone too soon, and to her beautiful mother, who continues to show up to her community with love and generosity.
Making Circles Inspired by Talmudic text and the story of Honi the Circle Maker, this work asks us to consider how we contribute to our communities and care for future generations. Dedicated to Brodee Champlain-Kingman and commissioned in part by the Lipinsky Family JFest & Coastal Roots Farm.
Finding Warmth | April Tra
Considering how to live amidst the turbulence, Finding Warmth reflects on the possibility of grounding in compassion.
Based in San Diego, April Tra holds a BA in Dance from UC Irvine and is a founding member of LITVAKdance. This is her fourth work for the company.
remain | Kaia Makihara and Chelsea Roquero
‘remain’ contemplates the rapid-fire processing of human emotions expected in modern day living through a series of movement blips that jump cut through various emotional and physical landscapes similar to channel surfing or social media scrolling.
Kaia Makihara holds a BFA in Dance from CSU Long Beach, his work heavily influenced by his roots in hip hop dance. Chelsea Roquero, a second generation Filipina-American, received dance training from Mesa College and CSU Long Beach. They are both Los Angeles-based dancers and choreographers,
THIS dancers
Ashley Akhavan, Lulu Arellano, Jordan Daley, Abby DeSpain, Mya Dixon, Gio Francisco, Emily Hreha, Robinn Jaide, Nicole Kim, Lauren Lee, Briele Melahn, Nick McGhee, Davan Murphy, Libby Patterson, April Tra, Hannah Wyer
Litvakdance past performances:
2025
October 4 Encinitas Art Night
May 17 ICA San Diego Annual Gala
2024
June 25 Lipnsky Family Jewish Arts Festival, JCC La Jolla, CA
June 30: Eco-Jewish Fest at Coastal Roots Farm, Encinitas, CA
May 20 Terrain at Flora Vista Elementary School
April 21 The Gathering with Ballet Counterpointe
March 17 Private Birthday party
March 9 ArtNight Encinitas, Encinitas Community Center
2023
Nov 18, 19 LITVAKdance Fall 2023 Performance, 5 women choreographers
Oct 1 LITVAKdance Annual Fundraiser
Sept 24 Our Man-made Waterways Broomfield, Co
Sept 16 Synergy Fundraiser ICA/SD
July 20 Dancing Outdoors Take 3, ICA/SD
July 16 JFEST 24-hr play fest, Leichtag
June 16 Broomfield CO Filming
June 3 Encinitas Art Night, Encinitas Community Center
May 8 JFEST, Ido Gidron at The Old Globe
April 29 & 30 Spring 2023 Concert: Terrain and Other Dance Stories
April 14, Casa de la Cultura, Tijuana MX
April 1, Carlsbad Library Arts and Cultures Event, 7pm
March 17 Progressive Step at Mission Hills High School 7pm
March 19 Dances and a Gathering w/ Ballet Counterpointe
March 22 Park Dale Lane, Public school performance
2022
Dec 18th LIGHT at LFJCC. La Jolla, CA
Nov 19 & 20, LITVAKdance Fall 2022 performance, Encinitas, CA
Oct 14 LITVAK fundraiser, The Barn
September 7 LIGHT Scene III Leichtag Hive
July 30, Dancing Outdoors Take Two, ICA San Diego North, Encinitas
June 19th, Seattle Inter/National Dance Festival, Seattle WA
June 7th SD Rep Jewish Arts Festival, Lyceum Theater, San Diego
April 30th collaboration with A Step Beyond Grape Day Park, Escondido
April 9 LITVAKdance Spring 2022, Border Stories Torrey Pines Theater , San Diego
February 19 Private Wedding performance
February 21st United African Americans Ministral Action Council Black History Month Celebration
2021
Dec 19, LIGHT, CPAA Studio Theater
Dec 1 Private Wedding Performance
Nov 4, Fall Performance: Revisiting Repertoire, Lawrence Family JCC in La Jolla
Oct 22, Suffrage in the Desert, The Borrego Springs Library
September 18, 19 LITVAKdance at The Vine
Sept 12 LITVAKdance Fundraiser
August 28 Dancing Outdoors ICA San Diego, North Campus
June 5 CDC/Fest Orlando, Ornaldo REP Theater Ritual
April 10 Spring 2021 Performance Dances to Strings virtual production at La Jolla Music Society and Historical Society
2020
Nov 7-8 Fall 2020 Performance Polymorphic: 4 compositions for 4 choreographers virtual performance
August 2020 Women’s Museum of California, Untold Perspectives
JCC of La Jolla’s Arts and Ideas Virtual Suffrage Celebration
October 2020 Encinitas Friends of the Arts Virtual Día de los Muertos Celebration
Ongoing, The Suffrage Project: Online 2020
August 22 Encinitas Friends of the Arts, Passport to Encinitas, Virtual Livestream
March 7 LITVAKdance and NorthWind/Ray Li at the Schulman Auditorium, Carlsbad Dove Library
March 7 LITVAKdance and UNA Productions at the Encinitas Library
March 4 “Make Some Noise: Ester’s story” Leichtag
2019
Nov 2-3 LITVAKdance Fall 2019 Performance, San Dieguito Academy
Oct 22 Zephyr Unfolding at Canyon Crest Academy
Oct 20 Fundraiser for Escuela de Esperanza
Oct 13 Dumbo Dance Festival, Brooklyn NY
Sept 21 ArtWalk Carlsbad
September 15 LITVAKdance 2nd Annual Fundraiser.
August 23-25 Fresh Dances 2019
July 13, 14 Small Dances: Round 2 @ The Vine
June 14, LUX Art Institute opening reception, Carolyn Case
May 11 Passport to Dance, Encinitas Community Center. Performed She|Her|Hers
April 13, 14 Reimagining Suffrage and other stories, LITVAKdance Spring Performance
April 7, LITVAKdance Spring Show Run Through for invited guests
April 5: Oceanside Museum of Art, ArtWalk Oceanside, selected works
March 30, 31 17th Annual Mid Atlantic Choreographers Showcase, considering the difference between stillness and waiting
March 30-31 PGK San Diego Dances, Reimagining Suffrage Suite
March 29 Progressive Steps, Mission Hills High School, selected works
March 8 Carlsbad Spotlight Event, Reimagining Suffrage and LITVAKdance Outtakes
Feb 8 LUX Opening Courtney Mattison, selected works
Feb 8 La Jolla Historical Society, Tangible Memories: La Jolla Pioneer Women, Reimagining Suffrage Suite
Jan 11-13 Tryst at Diversionary Theater considering the difference between stillness and waiting
2018
Dec 2 Leichtag Peformance: Jerusalem Biennale Kindle
Nov 29 Leichtag Performance: Jerusalem Biennale, Ritual
Nov 17-18 LITVAKdance Fall Concert
Nov 10 Private Birthday Party, Centrostalgia
Nov 8, San Dieguito Academy Lec/Dem Redemption
Nov 2, First Friday Takeover at PAW, works-in-progress
Oct 6, National Dance Educators Performance, UCSD for my eldest son
Oct 2, Canyon Crest Faculty Performs, selected works
Sept 25, Rising Arts Leaders Pop up, The Practice of Coming Back
Sept 22, ArtWalk Carlsbad, Selected Works
Sept 8, LITVAKdance Annual Fundraiser
Sept 7 LUX opening Lia Halloran
Sept 1 Shout and Stomp: American History Theater: Solo Works
July 28, 29 Small Dances: LITVAKdancers Choreograph at The Vine in Rancho Bernardo
June 18, LUX Creative Nights, something altogether different and adding and subtracting of people and ideas
June 1-3 Temecula Front and Main Festival, 3rd Place for Another Ezio Summer
May 16-20 MiraCosta College Spring Concert, Palpable Void
May 12 Carrie Anne Fipps Memorial Scholarship Audition
May 12 Spot Light on Artists, Carlsbad Martha Schulman Auditorium
May 5, 6 ImagoMoves and LITVAKdance perform at City Heights Annex
April 28, 29 LITVAKdance 1st Annual Spring Performance
April 22 Carlsbad Studio Showing: Open Rehearsal.
April 14, San Diego Dance Theater Alumni Performance: Another Ezio Summer
April 7, LUX Opening Gabrielle Bakker, selected works
American History Theater Production: Solo works
March 23, Progressive Steps, Mission Hills High School: The Practice of Coming Back and Finding Home
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