Brand Associates Dance Series
The Brand Associates Dance Series, curated by acclaimed choreographer, teacher and producer Jamie Nichols, presents top dance companies from Southern California performing site-specific work in non-traditional performance spaces around Brand Library & Art Center. This series began in the 1960s as part of the Brand Library & Art Center's mission to promote all aspects of Art.
Performances run between 60 - 90 minutes without intermission. Admission is free.
Sponsored by the Brand Associates.
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2025 Dance Series
Pennington Dance Group
Saturday, May 3, 5:00pm
Pennington Dance Group (PDG) is committed to artistic excellence in creating, performing, and preserving the work of founding director John Pennington, and of other contemporary and past dance artists. Collaborating with visual and performing artists of note, PDG creates and performs works that contain social, emotional, political, abstract, and scientific themes that appeal to a wide audience.  PDG aspires to cultivate an understanding and love of dance through education in the schools and in the community, through national and international performances, and other innovative programming. 
The group celebrates its 25th Anniversary with the “Spirit of Dance.” With a collective of local dance artists, musicians, and singers, PDG will bring the inner vitality of life to the outer expression of dance
Afro-Peruvian Experience Dance Co.
Saturday, May 10, 5:00pm
Afro-Peruvian Experience Dance Co. reflects the cultural heritage of the African diaspora in Peru and showcases traditional musical instruments such as el cajón (drawer), la cajita (box) and la quijada (jaw). Director Nadia Calmet has more than 30 years of experience promoting the culture of Peru around the world. By integrating art from a holistic perspective, the dance company’s performances result in the cultural resistance and resilience of Peru’s African ancestors on stage. The performance at Brand, “Afro-Peruvian experience: Echoes of Resistance,” will be a cultural journey through the African diaspora in Peru, its music, theater, poetry and Afro-Peruvian dances such as: Panalivios, Zamacuecas and Festejos.
Volta Collective
Saturday, May 17, 5:00pm
Volta Collective fuses physicality, theatricality and multidisciplinary approaches to performance. Directed by Mamie Green, Volta has performed and taught across the US, Europe, and the UK and is the recipient of grants from the German Consulate General, the US Embassy, smART grant, and more. Named in Fjord Review’s "Best of Dance 2023," Volta has been commissioned and presented at the Laguna Art Museum, East Miami Hotel, Neutra House VDL, Loyola Marymount University, Hosek Contemporary, Museum of Neon Art, and Brooklyn Center Theatre Research, among others. The company will perform "Loneliness Triptych: Excerpt," which explores contemporary isolation through three interconnected vignettes.
No Easy Props
Saturday, May 31, 5:00pm
No Easy Props is a cultural arts organization made up of a team of 20 street dancers, graffiti artists, deejays, beat makers, rappers, who are all performance artists as well as arts educators. The group is committed to fortifying youth and creating community connection using the vehicle of Hip-Hop culture. They provide quality Hip-Hop cultural dance, art, and music education, enrichment, and opportunities for BIPOC youth and adults through engaging programs, workshops, performances, and cultural events throughout the communities of Los Angeles and Denver. No Easy Props will present “West Coast Funk & Soul Theatre Show,” created by Zulu Gremlin . A live multimedia street dance art experience, this is the story of west coast street and club dance, music, and culture.