Ed Fuentes

Mecca Andrews on the corner of 7th and Figueroa.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — On a busy Downtown street corner, a cab driver quickly wipes his windshield, a woman walks briskly by in heels with a briefcase in one hand and coffee in the other, shoppers balancing bags hop off a bus to duck into the Metro station and Mecca Andrews is dancing with a section of fabric 200 feet long.

The constant motion of 7th and Figueroa has been inspiring Andrews and the other members of the Collage Dance Theatre company, now in residency at 7+Fig. They're holding open rehearsals for “A Material World,” a site-specific work that takes the physical mass of the space where the group performs under the eye of Artistic Director Heidi Duckler.

In a way, Duckler's creations document Downtown's changes. The ensemble has found inspiration by creating pieces that would be performed in the emptiness of the Herald-Examiner and Subway Terminal Buildings.

“Working inside abandoned buildings and property in disrepair, it became very emotional material,” said Duckler, “Downtown now is very alive, very exciting.”

The street life pulled the ensemble from the 2nd floor gallery space, or as last night, in the lower level courtyard. Certainly the final outcome will be worth seeing.

You can still see the group in rehearsals and they will end the seven-week residency with performances February 12, during the Downtown Art Walk, and February 18.

Collage Dance Theatre at 7+Fig / "A Material World" / Central Library and Movement Workshop Tuesday, January 27 / Final Performances: Wednesday, February 18 at 12:30 pm and 5:30 pm / Free