The Wallis Features Versa-Style Dance Company in Box of Hope

Versa-Style Dance Company makes its Wallis debut with a three-night live engagement of its latest hip-hop dance-theater production, Box of Hope, Thursday, August 19 to Saturday, August 21, 2021, 8 pm, on The Wallis’ outdoor stage. An evening-length work, Box of Hope explores themes that deal with the inequalities in today’s volatile social climate – specifically within underserved communities – through the lens of the sounds of Motown. Versa-Style taps into the timeless nature of this struggle reflected through the music of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and other artists who sang about these issues in the 1970s. The committed artists of Versa-Style bring hip-hop to the concert stage, pushing the boundaries of traditional hip-hop dance in order to share the realities of their lives, experiences and struggles within the varied and infinitely complex political and personal landscapes of Los Angeles. The dance company’s work gives voice to and a platform for an urban demographic that has experienced years of economic and racial oppression. Above all, it brings a sense of understanding and hope for all people. KCET states, Versa-Style Dance Company “directly engages with civics…(and) as hip-hop artists, they’re uniquely equipped to perform in outdoor settings.”

The Wallis’ Artistic Director Paul Crewes says, “Versa-Style Dance Company will captivate our audiences with their energy and style. We are very excited to showcase their empowering production BOX of HOPE.”

For safety updates and protocols, please visit https://thewallis.org/safety

Tickets for Versa-Style Dance Company, $35, are on sale now. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit www.thewallis.org, or call 310-746-4000 (Tue.-Fri. 9:30 am – 2:30 pm).

About the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts: 

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a dynamic cultural hub and community resource where local, national and international artists share their artistry with ever-expanding audiences. The campus, located in the heart of Beverly Hills, CA, is committed to robust and distinctive presentations and education programs curated with both creativity and social impact in mind. Distinguished by its eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles and its location in the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis has produced and presented more than 300 dance, theater, opera, classical music, cinema and family programs since its doors opened in October 2013. Hailed as “au courant” (LaLa Magazine), The Wallis was lauded by Culture Vulture, which proclaims, “If you love expecting the unexpected in the performing arts, you have to love The Wallis.” Its programming has been nominated for 79 Ovation Awards and nine L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards. The campus itself, a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot facility, celebrating the classic and the modern, has garnered six architectural awards. Designed by acclaimed architect Zoltan E. Pali (SPF:architects), the restored building features the original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places), which serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and includes the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater; the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater; an inviting open-air plaza for family, community and other performances; and GRoW @ The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education, where learning opportunities for all ages and backgrounds abound. Together, these elements embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is led by Chairman of the Board Michael Nemeroff, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Rachel Fine and Artistic Director Paul Crewes.

For more information about The Wallis, please visit: TheWallis.org.

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