LOS ANGELES — As contemporary Angelenos, seeing the immersive “Little Women Ballet” might be as close as we’ll ever get to stepping into a time machine. The series of dance works about Louisa May Alcott’s beloved 19th century novel are staged inside the stately Victorian homes of Northeast L.A.
’s Heritage Square Museum. Dancers and actors are dressed in period-inspired costumes, from cap-sleeve pioneer dresses to Steampunk-style fashions. Before each performance, the scene is set by a narrator who speaks in a prim, puritanical accent reminiscent of a bygone era.
And the production demands the audience’s full participation: As guests, we’re invited to do everything from visit the homes of the novel’s March sisters to step in to play roles to advance the plot. We begin by splitting off into small groups and following along as a character — in my group’s case, the girls’ wealthy Aunt March — leads us into the various houses where the ballet will be staged. The show is intimate — dancers are not even 2 feet away from audience members, who are granted limited seating and space to stand in the small rooms.
They’re so close that you can hear the muffled sounds of their ballet shoes on the carpet and can make eye contact, which feels both intimate and mildly discomfiting. Directed and choreographed by Emma Andres, the experience kicked off in May with a spring iteration before bowing its autumn production last month. In late November, the series will con.