Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA. Whether, “Little Italy” or “Chinatown,” the swath of land adjacent to Downtown LA has undergone countless aesthetic, sociological and demographic changes over the last century. Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre’s Chinatown Blues explored what the intertwining of cultures means for a place.

Joined by musicians from four-piece French-Canadian band Claire Gignac et compagnie, the performance moved from outside the former bazaar into the shady and cavernous body of the under-construction building. The dancers searched for clues as to what’s happening to the space and bridged the gap between the building’s past identities and its future one. Photo credit: Eric Simpson