Dance

Send DATEBOOK items to the Laguna Beach Coastline-Pilot, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax to 494-8979; call 494-4321 or e-mail coastlinepilot@latimes.com. Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. A complete listing may be found at www.latimes.com/news/ local/coastline. TODAY LAGUNA BEACH HIGH DANCE COMPANY The Laguna Beach High School Dance Company is having their winter dance "Worldance" at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday at the Artists' Theatre.

If the energy generated by the dancers on the Laguna Playhouse stage Saturday night could have been harnessed, no one in Laguna Beach would ever again have to pay a Southern California Edison bill. To say the audience was electrified by the Complexions Contemporary Ballet's vibrant performance would be a gross understatement. The dancers up the stage, armed only with their talent, relied little on elaborate costumes or sets for effect, and folks were still talking about it days later.

Desmond Richardson plans to trek nearly 3,000 miles next week to be in Laguna Beach. Again. The New York resident will board a flight to Orange County on Thursday - something he has done several times over the years. It has made him a familiar face at the Laguna Dance Festival. This year, Richardson plans to take in the "fantastic weather" as the guest of honor at the festival's annual fundraiser, "Visual Immersion," on June 20. The playbill for the upcoming event describes the Tony Award-nominee as a choreographer, dancer, and co-founder and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet Co. He laughed and added singer-songwriter, actor and visual artist to the mix. Dance occupies a special place in his life, though, he admitted.

From musicals to drama to standup comedy, the upcoming season at the Laguna Playhouse was chosen to satisfy the taste of Laguna's theatergoers. The 2013-14 season was announced Wednesday evening at a reception at the Hotel Laguna for enthusiastic Playhouse patrons, who were treated to a surprise appearance by Davis Gaines, who will star with Vicki Lewis in the season opener, "I Do! I Do!" Gaines and his accompanist, Bob Hawkins, were introduced by Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham, who cohosted the reception with Executive Director Karen Wood.

Talented dancers from around the country will soon spin through town, at the fifth annual CaDance Laguna Dance Festival. The three-week event will take place Sept. 19 through Oct. 4 at various locations in Laguna Beach, and will feature seven dance companies and several guest artists, Jodie Gates, the festival?s curator said. Debuting guests include Philadelphia-based Ballet X and Salt Lake City?s Ballet West companies. ?I expect this to be the most exciting season yet,?

Six talented guest choreographers have united with the Laguna Beach High School dance department to help deliver its most colorful and eclectic performance yet. “Spectrum,” an array of dance routines led by Director Lisa Jay, premieres at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Artists Theatre, and will run through Saturday. “The title refers to the variety that eight choreographers bring to the show,” Jay said. “They’re all very creative in their different styles.

Suzie Harrison Straight off performing on Broadway, renowned dancer Jodie Gates will bring the world of dance to Laguna with premier dance companies for Saturday's Dance Day. Gates spent last week dancing with the Complexions Dance Company at the Joyce Theatre in New York City. The new Artistic Director of Gallimaufry Dance in Laguna has come a long way from her Northern California roots. "At 15, I was discovered in Sacramento by director Robert Joffrey; he asked me if I would like to come to New York," Gates said.

A world-class event, CaDance Festival, will take center stage in Laguna Beach from Oct. 1 to Oct. 9, offering a full menu of top dance performances, master workshops and classes, an Oscar-nominated dance documentary with two of its stars in a attendance, and a gala event with Patrick Swayze. An esteemed dance professional for more than 20 years, Jodie Gates, the festival's artistic director, is bringing internationally recognized dancers and premier dance companies for the nine-day event.

A profusion of dance concerts, classes and receptions is sashaying into Laguna this weekend. The Laguna Beach Dance Co., Laguna Beach High School's resident troupe, stages its fall choreography show this weekend. The new Gallimaufry Arts Festival also brings back Dance Day on Saturday. And the Laguna Dance Festival (formerly CaDance) will offer programs throughout the first week of October, including free shows and free master classes. The high school's dance company, led by company director Tod A. Kubo and show director Erika Whalen, will stage student-choreographed works at its state-of-the-art dance facility on the campus at 625 Park Ave. Choreographers include Ashley Trombly, Eleanor Knabe, Kelly Hancock, Julianna Cano, Madeline Morrison, Arianna Ross, Rachel Busic, Ericka Jones and Charlotte Young.