fair-skinned woman with short red bustled dress in a lunge, her arms pulled back by fair-skinned main in white button-down and brown pants

The Wagon Train is Divided

"The Wagon Train is Divided" is a contemporary existential Western based in the late 1800s, early 1900s…on the idea of the movement west and pioneering. In particular, it examines what the land provided for man and what the oppressed—the immigrant workers sowing the earth and building the forms of transportation— were afforded opportunity-wise for the development of this country.

Choreographer: Mecca Vazie Andrews
Premiere Date: 2008
Run Time: 14 minutes

Credits

Choreographer: Mecca Vazie Andrews

LACDC Artists:

Paulo Alcedo, Michael Crotty, Devin Fulton, Jamila Glass, Marisa Jimenez, and Cristine Diana Tatomer

Collaborators Include:

Music: Noah Georgeson with
Composer: Sam Cooper and Michael Cameron
Costume Designer: Mecca Vazie Andrews and Idalia Valero
Production Manager: Casey Cowan Gale
Lighting Designer: Mike Mahlum
Photographer: Eric Mason

Trailer coming soon...

medium-skinned guy dressed in a brightly colored jester costume with a painted face throws dust while in a lunge

fair-skinned woman in floral dress in an arabesque while grabbing onto the head of a fair-skinned main in a white button down and brown pants

fair-skinned main wearing a white button down and brown pants is in a deep squat

a medium-skinned woman and a brown-skinned woman clutch face away from each other while clutching their chests

brown skinned woman and medium skinned woman smile and face off while jumping up and down. they wear a white top and brown skirt.

two figures emerge from the shadows wearing traditional colonial clothes

a fair skinned woman wearing a red bustled dress holds herself just above the ground while a fair skinned man peers at her from afar.

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)