What to Know
- Friday evenings, Aug. 13 through Sept. 10, 2021
- 7 to 11 p.m.
- Cumbia, disco, and other joyful genres are the themes
Twirling beneath the stars is a time-honored tradition all over the planet, for sure, but for plenty of toe-tapping, hip-swaying Southern Californians, twirling by the lights of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, near the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum, has become an ebullient expression of summer.
We're talking about the oh-so-free, and oh-so-freeing Dance DTLA, the sweet Friday-night series helmed by the festive, dance-loving team at the Music Center.
For nearly two decades, this pay-nothing event has invited all Angelenos to stop by the plaza (which recently went through a stylish, full-scale renovation) for a quick dance lesson, followed by an opportunity to show off the moves you just picked up (or already knew).
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Dance DTLA went virtual in 2020, but it returns for a few start-the-weekend-right soirees on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.
Oh, and you can bet that theme nights are back, too: Cumbia, Disco, Motown, Salsa, and Bollywood will all have their designated evenings.
The most important message behind this get-moving, feel-merry dance-it-out delight?
"No dancing experience necessary!" So, really: No hemming and/or hawing, you are totally welcome and invited and wanted there, even if you last hit a dance floor, well, never.
And happening on select dates during the five-Friday run? A vaccine pop-up on Aug. 13 and Sept. 3, and art-making workshops on specific nights, too.
Swing, swing, swing by this site now to determine which when you'll go, the friend you'll invite, and if you want to arrive early enough for those tip-filled, truly-helpful lessons (which are created for beginners, but always brim with good ideas for anyone at any level).
