two dances fling their arms back while in an attitude

Diary Entry Final

Based on Ryan’s memory of three striking and life changing events – a wedding, a vacation, and the sudden death of a friend whose boat capsized and drowned. In it, he identifies with the desperation, urgency and eventual peace that is found in the remembrance of these events as they are blurred together in a single memory.

Choreographer: Ryan Heffington
Premiere Date: 2007
Run Time: 13 minutes

Credits

Choreographer: Ryan Heffington

LACDC Artists:

Lou Becker, Michael Crotty, Jamila Glass, Devin Fulton Gomez, Kate Hutter, Marisa Jimenez, Carlos Rodriguez

Collaborators Include:

Music: Elvis, Mike Dred & Peter Green
Costume Designer: Ryan Heffington
Costume Construction: Amy Bobeda & Alexis de Forest in collaboration with the choreographers
Sound Designer: Ryan Heffington
Lighting Designer: Mason Barker
Photographer: Taso Papadakis

Trailer coming soon...

a medium skinned woman and man throw their pelvis forward

a fair skinned man and a brown skinned woman lunge

a fair skinned woman on the ground stretching all her limbs outward. a fair skinned woman stands with her arms outstretched.

three women throw their arm back while another woman is in mid-cartwheel

a fair skinned man wearing a grey shirt and dark pants with arms flung back legs in an attitude. a medium skinned woman in a grey and neon dress does the same.

After 20 years of artistic creation and community engagement, L.A. Contemporary Dance concludes its journey as an organization as of January 9, 2026.

Founded to showcase dance in Los Angeles, LACDC evolved into a home for collective artistry where performances were crafted by choreographers and dancers alongside playwrights, composers, designers, filmmakers, photographers, stage managers, technicians — an incredible team whose imaginative work gave shape and emotional depth to our repertory. These collaborations brought contemporary dance to life in ways that were bold, explorative, expressive, and accessible.

Through live events, digital experiences, and educational programming, LACDC cultivated environments rooted in curiosity, belonging, and learning without judgment. The organization consistently asked how contemporary dance might better reflect and serve the community around it, valuing discovery over mastery and process alongside performance.

This vision was made possible thanks to the creativity and leadership of our Artistic Directors, Executive Directors, Managing Directors, and Company Staff:

Artistic Leadership

Kate Hutter Mason — Artistic Director & Co-founder (2005–2015)
Genevieve Carson — Artistic Director (2016–2020)
Jamila Glass — Artistic Director (2021–2025)

Executive & Managing Leadership

Michelle Jolly — Executive Director & Co-founder (2005–2009)
Lauren Dragicevich — Managing Director (2009–2013)
Eva Angeloff — Managing Director (2013–2018)
Napoleon Gladney — Executive Director (2019–2025)

We are profoundly grateful to all who have left their fingerprints on the organization. This work would not have been possible without the support of our board members, donors, producers, presenters, community partners, volunteers, students, audiences, friends, and family — all who believed in this work. You made it possible.

While LACDC as an organization is closing, the values we cultivated continue forward through the relationships formed here and in all of you.

To anyone considering starting a company or pursuing a dream project — do it. Start now. Don’t wait for the opportunity; be the opportunity. We need your voice and creative work more than ever.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey.

L.A. Contemporary Dance
(2005–2025)