a woman wearing white lays on the floor on top of styrofoam, looking upward

Plastique

“Plastique takes place in a post-organic world, where the only remaining habitable continent is the great Pacific Garbage Patch”.

Choreographer: Nehara Kalev
Premiere Date: 2011
Run Time: 19 minutes

Credits

Choreographer:

Nehara Kalev

LACDC Artists:

Zsolt Banki, Genevieve Carson, Hyson Choi, Michael Crotty, Kate Hutter, Drea Sobke, Tiffany Sweat

Collaborators include:

Original Score: Eric Mason
Lighting Designer: Mason Barker
Costume Designer: Kate Hutter
Photographer: Eric Mason

INFO

What would the world be like as a completely plastic environment? Nehara’s idea for the piece began with her research of the plastic island / garbage patch that is floating in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and the California coast. In this piece, Nehara envisions what life would be like on this island and how the seven people stranded there would adapt to this new environment. The inhabitants of this world would remember organic substances, but would have come to embrace and adapt to their new man-made existence. The piece is a celebration of what may be inevitable for the human race and highlights the new behaviors that evolve due to their new environment.

Trailer coming soon...

a group of people dressed in white and standing on styrofoam

a group of people dressed in white sitting at a white dinner table, surrounded by styrofoam

a group of people dressed in white and sitting at a white table, surrounded by styrofoam

group of people wearing white drink sit at a white dinner table drinking styrofoam

a woman wearing white lays on the floor on top of styrofoam, looking upward

a woman wearing white is lifted into the air by two people

a group of people wearing white lean toward a pitcher of styrofoam being poured out at a white dinner table

a group of people wearing with a white dinner table on top of styrofoam at their center

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)