Abby Lee Kicks Off Summer at Hartwood; “Psychic Panic” Continues at SPACE (CPs Sun., 6/1/14)

1) The Abby Lee Dance Company’s Kick-Off to Summer! promises to have not only kicks but also jumps, slides, and twirls, as the young stars from Dance Moms, a Lifetime reality show, perform at the Hartwood Acres Amphitheater. The Pittsburgh-based Dance Moms, now in its fourth season, chronicles children from dance practice to rehearsal to national title competition, all against the backdrop of their attentive mothers and choreographer Ms. Abby Lee Miller herself. Concert-goers can expect the dancing minus the drama for this free event, which is part of the 2014 Allegheny County Summer Concert Series. The Abby Lee Dance Company is a 27-year-old, widely renowned non-profit dance studio in Penn Hills. Miller, the founder, is also featured on Lifetime’s Abby Lee’s Ultimate Dance Competition. 7:30 p.m. 200 Hartwood Acres, Pittsburgh.

2) Twenty-five artworks by nine artists present the “push/pull” relationship between body, materials, and labor—plus the psychological ramifications thereof—in Psychic Panic, the current exhibit at SPACE. The artists employ various media including film and video, painting, photography, and found objects. Viewers can expect to see everything from a fur-covered pipe to a piece created from the pathology report detailing a botched surgery. Olivia Ciummo, a Pittsburgh-born, Brooklyn-based artist, is the guest curator. Psychic Panic runs through June 29 and is free. Wed-Thurs. 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri-Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–5 p.m. 812 Liberty Ave., Cultural District.

3) Summer is arguably the best time to enjoy the year-round outdoor grilling at Las Palmas Carniceria y Supermercados. (That’s “Butcher and Supermarket” for our readers who took German in high school). At any of Las Palmas’s three locations you simply choose your meat and number of tacos, pay, add vegetables and salsas—and enjoy the most authentic Mexican food Pittsburgh has to offer. With tacos at $2.50 each it’s also cheap, so be sure to tip. Vegetarians can either go plain or enjoy uncanny potato substitutes on weekends. Grilling is 10:30 a.m..–9 p.m. The insides of Las Palmas offer a variety of grocery and deli options as well, for both American and Hispanic dishes. Las Palmas, which began in Brookline and has expanded to Oakland and to Beechview’s old IGA, has become a gathering point for foodies and Pittsburgh’s growing Hispanic population alike. 9 a.m.–10 p.m. daily. 1540 Beechview Ave., Beechview; 700 Brookline Blvd., Brookline; 326 Atwood Street, Oakland.

4) Walt Disney’s Maleficent (PG) is a live-action re-imagining of Sleeping Beauty, the animated Disney classic released ‘way back in 1959. Maleficent opened May 30 and is playing at theaters region-wide, so no worries, you wouldn’t have to go to the “Disney vault” just yet. The film stars Angelina Jolie as the antagonist of the same name, and it tells the story of Sleeping Beauty through the villain’s eyes. Academy-Award-winning Robert Stromberg (Avatar; Alice in Wonderland) makes his directorial debut. Elle Fanning and Brenton Thwaites play Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip, respectively. Jolie has said publicly that she’s excited to have made a film her children can see.

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