USA Dance Los Angeles County

Kudos to the many L.A. County Chapter members who were selected to perform in ASTRA, the upcoming dramatic play and waltz-ballet.

Based on a libretto by David Wilkinson of UCLA, ASTRA draws on dark themes from Edgar Allan Poe’s stories Metzengerstein and “Ligeia.” It is performed to an original score by composer Regan Remy and evolves from the 19th century classical style and orchestration of imperial Austria to the 21st century’s cosmopolitan and trans-cultural Gothic form; the two united under the discipline of the waltz.

The USA Dance dancers will be portraying the parts of ballroom dancers, dancing Viennese waltz throughout Act II of the play.

Below is a complete list of those who auditioned and were selected for the cast.

Stephen Wong, Gabriel Tsai,Sam Billimoria, James Woo, Fred Guerin, Kent Lowell, Jerry Hernandez, Ogie Espinosa, Philip Caluen , Dana Hathaitham, Maiedell Rose, Jennifer Yu, Lily Chang, Dorothy Tan, Natalie Linthorst, Sheila Peach, Laura Harvell, Jan Jeffreys, Alexandra Caluen.

ASTRA will be performed at the Million Dollar Theater downtown and at the El Rey Theater on Wilshire Boulevard on October 22nd, 23rd, 29th, 30th and 31st. A masked ball with the cast will follow selected performances; for more info and tickets, please visit the website www.AstraDance.com

–Livia Squires