Events for the weekend of Oct. 8-10, 2010

Above: DESERT DANCE THEATRE’s KARATECHOP

Think there’s no culture in the Valley of the Sun? Then you haven’t been paying attention.

For instance, you live in a great place for contemporary dance. ASU’s dance program has spun out a lot of small local companies, which in turn have attracted small companies from other cities to come visit and perform here. One annual celebration of Valley dance culture is the Arizona Dance Festival, put together by the folks at Desert Dance Theatre. Its 2010 edition rolls out this Friday and Saturday night (Oct. 8 and 9) at the Tempe Performing Arts Center; click here for info or call 480-962-4584.

The festival presents different groups each night. A list of company names indicates the tempting variety of styles:

Friday – Chaos Theory Dance, CONDER/dance, Desert Dance Theatre, Dulce Dance Company, Germaul Barnes/Viewsic Expressions Dance, Movement Source Dance Company, Moving Arts Dance, Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Step’s Junk Funk, Yumi La Rosa.

Saturday – Anca Mihalcescu, Arathi School of India Dances, Astarte Belly Dance Company, Beauvais Ballet, Chaos Theory Dance, Desert Dance Theatre, Dias Dance Life, Dulce Dance Company, Instinct Dancecorps, Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Scorpius Dance Theatre, Step’s Junk Funk.

There’s also opera this weekend. Some people think all the operas have already been written, but new ones are coming out all the time, including one by composer Kirke Mechem on the classic Moliere comedy, Tartuffe. Alas, professional opera companies are among those who think all the operas have already been written – ironic, ain’t it? – so it falls to ASU’s Lyric Opera Theatre to stage this work Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. For more information, click here.

My composition teacher Ned Rorem used to pounce on any mention of Fred Astaire with the comment, “Ginger was better. She had to do everything backward and in high heels.” I have no idea if Ned’s comment had anything to do with the show opening Arizona Theatre Company’s new season this weekend, but the title is: Backward in High Heels. And yes, it’s about Ginger. Click here for info.

Also opening this weekend (at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa) is Sugar, the musical based on the classic film comedy, Some Like it Hot. It’s one of those shows I’ve never seen, because I love the movie so much I’ve been fearful the stage adaptation would fall short. This week I intend to cast my fear aside and check it out. Click here for more info.

– Ken LaFave