The Naval Training Center (NTC) in Point Loma got its start in the 1920s as the Navy’s premier West Coast recruit training grounds. Over the last decade or so since the shuttering of NTC, Liberty Station has been transformed into a center for cultural appreciation, retail and culinary delights — particularly the arts. Creating the most recent stir at Liberty Station is the San Diego Dance Theatre (SDDT), which will soon be filling evenings with “Intimate Cabaret Dances.” Directed by Jean Isaacs, the SDDT is located within the NTC Promenade of Liberty Station. To stir interest in the 28-acre creative district every Saturday in January, the SDDT will feature nights full of fun and sensual cabaret dancing. “Our idea is to bring people sexy, smart art,” Isaacs said. “These shows will feature dance that is not so cerebral, but easier to enjoy with more accessibility. Our venue only holds a hundred guests, so these performances will be up close and breaking the proscenium.” The proscenium is a term referring to the invisible barrier or fourth wall separating the audience from the live stage and the performers. It is broken when an actor speaks to or interacts directly with the crowd. Isaacs aims to break this fourth wall with performances in a laid-back atmosphere, mixed with food and drink. Show organizers will encourage commentary from the audience during the performance, Isaacs said. According to Alan Ziter, executive director of the NTC Foundation, these shows will be a significant event in growing more interest in the Promenade, as these dance performances will be the first finished and professional performances put on display there. With extra intrigue attracted by these “slightly naughty, yet light and fun” performances, the general public awareness in the historic NTC area and Liberty Station’s bastion for the arts will be increased. Isaacs is hopeful this extra awareness will help spur the redevelopment of the dormant Luce Auditorium, which may feature future cabaret performances and a plethora of other dance, theatre and film creations as well. The Luce Auditorium is a historic relic from San Diego’s military past. It was originally completed in May of 1941 and named after Admiral Stephen B. Luce. It is a one-story structure boasting 20,000 plus square feet, a 2,305 seating capacity and an interior deemed historically significant by the city. The auditorium was used to show films to naval recruits about life at sea, shipboard procedures, hygiene and many other topics. Bob Hope did radio broadcasts from its stage, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and other distinguished celebrities also performed there. On weekends, it was used as the base theater, showing the latest movies for an economical 25 cents. “The Luce is sitting there empty and unsafe, full of asbestos and needs to be retrofitted for earthquakes,” Isaacs said. “The theater has been under renovation for three years with no clear finish date in site. The full [renovation] process will take millions of dollars. We are putting on these cabaret performances because we need to dance, we want to bring the vitality home to NTC and we are taking the matter into our own hands.” San Diego Dance Theatre is widely considered to be one of the best dance companies in San Diego and all the dancers are completely professional, according to Isaacs, who previously taught dance at the University of California, San Diego for 25 years. Supporters said the “Intimate Cabaret Dances” will help support the ongoing effort to create a cultural and artistic beacon at Liberty Station. The evenings will feature two performances at 6 and 8:30 pm, each lasting roughly 75 minutes. Food and drink will be offered before and in between shows to provide patrons a wider, more consumable experience. Tickets to just the show cost $20. For $35, attendees will have access to a buffet of Indian cuisine with wine, beer and soft drinks available for purchase separately. For more information, visit www.sandiegodancetheater.org or www.ntcpromenade.org. The San Diego Dance Theatre is located at 2650 Truxton Road, Suite 108. For more information, call (619) 225-1803.
