Laguna Dance Announces New Annual Live Dance Performance Series: 2026 SUMMER STAGE - WE The People

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. - June 16, 2026 - PRLog -- Laguna Dance announces a new live dance performance series, the inaugural Laguna Dance Summer Stage: WE The People, Aug. 6–9, 2026, across multiple venues in Laguna Beach. The four-night event will feature both free and ticketed performances highlighting collaborations with professional dancers.

The inaugural series explores themes of unity, nature and collective creativity, bringing together artists of varying experience levels in a shared process of training, creation and performance. In conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the program reflects on national identity, resilience and artistic expression.

"Experience dance in ways you've never seen before, on the beach, in a museum, on stage, and in the heart of the community," says Jodie Gates, founder of Laguna Dance. "WE The People is a first-of-its-kind experience: a celebration of community, creativity, and collaboration that connects local beauty with global artistry,"

SUMMER STAGE SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 6 — MOVE with US!
Main Beach Cobblestone
Laguna Canyon Road/Beach St at Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Time: Starts at 5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public

Versa-Style Street Dance Company was founded in 2005 by Los Angeles natives Jackie Lopez and Leigh Foaad. Versa-Style was created to promote and celebrate the artistry of hip-hop and street dance culture. Named LA Weekly's "Best Dance Troupe for Hip Hop Empowerment" and Red Bull Magazine's "Heroes of the Year" in 2019, the company brings together highly skilled street dance artists reflecting the beauty and diversity of Los Angeles. An audience participation segment will follow the performance.

Thursday, August 6 — MOVE with US!
Laguna Art Museum
307 Cliff Dr, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Time: Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Cost: Free and Open to the Public

The evening continues at the Laguna Art Museum with a special performance by the Pan America Chinese Dance Alliance,, which was co-founded in 2019 by the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, with a mission to provide performance opportunities for dance lovers throughout the region. Based in Orange County, the company tells classic Chinese stories through traditional dance while also inspiring original choreography that reflects the experience of Chinese Americans.

Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8 — Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theatre: Nuttin' But A World

Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Time: Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $78 general, $25 students

Founded in 1992 by Philadelphia native Lorenzo "Rennie" Harris, Rennie Harris Puremovement is widely credited with pioneering the genre of Street Dance Theater, bringing hip-hop from the street corner to the concert stage. A Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of three Bessie Awards, the Herb Alpert Award, and the Doris Duke Artist Award, Harris has been hailed by the London Times as "the Basquiat of the U.S. contemporary dance scene," an artist whose work honors the African and African American roots of hip-hop while speaking to the full breadth of human experience.

Sunday, August 9 — Voices Unbound (World Premiere)
Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Rd, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Time: Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $78 general, $25 students

The evening production  will feature a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer Peter Chu, known for work that combines athletic movement with emotional storytelling, alongside a newly reimagined piece by Jodie Gates, a contemporary ballet choreographer recognized for blending classical technique with contemporary movement.

Tickets and series information available at https://lagunadance.org/2026-summer-dance-we-the-people/