“Through the early decades of modern dance in this country, The 92nd Street Y became a safe haven for many artists who were not being presented anywhere else in New York City,” says Alison Manning, co-executive director of the Harkness Dance Center and director of the Harkness School of Dance at 92NY. Dance legends like Erick Hawkins, José Limón, Sophie Maslow, Pearl Primus, Ruth St. Denis, and Ted Shawn all performed on 92NY’s stage. Although the organization also had classes and concerts in other dance styles, it was a hotspot for modern dance in particular just as the genre was beginning to take off in the U.S.

This year, as 92NY celebrates its 150th anniversary, honoring those dance roots is at the top of the list of priorities. The organization is installing a major exhibit called “Dance to Belong: A History of Dance at 92NY,” from March 12 to October 31, in 92NY’s Weill Art Gallery. It kicks off with a one-night-only performance on March 12 meant to connect the venue’s illustrious past to the promise of what’s ahead. The Limón Dance Company will perform José Limón’s beloved There is a Time, paired with Omar Román De Jesús’ Like Those Playground Kids at Midnight. The Martha Graham Dance Company will perform Appalachian Spring Suite, paired with an excerpt from Jamar Roberts’ We The People. And Ailey II will perform a series of excerpts from Ailey classics, including The Lark Ascending, Streams, and Blues Suite, plus a premiere by Hope Boykin.

“We are highlighting that, in the moment when modern dance was wrestling into relevance in this country, The 92nd Street Y played a pretty critical role in opening doors for artists who needed space and support,” says Manning.

The programming for the upcoming performance began with Limón’s There Is a Time, she says. “The piece represents such an important message about our own 92NY history. There have been ups, there have been downs,” she explains. “And we as an institution have weathered both times of great challenge and of joy, but that we were at the forefront for many overlooked artists, during this important period in modern dance history, in providing support, time for joy, time for grief, whatever they needed to make their work.” 

The one brand-new work on the bill is a premiere by Boykin, who says it’s an expression of her gratitude to the legends who paved the path before her. Creating it for this concert was a “no-brainer” she says, since 92NY not only gave some of those legends a platform, but offered her one too: Her first full-evening show of her own took place there in 2021. “This work is a thank-you,” says Boykin. “A thank-you for the lessons, and paths made clear. This work will be a celebration of who I have become as a result of the work so many did before me.”

Putting together the March 12 program has brought home for Manning just how pivotal a role 92NY has played in the story of modern dance, and her role in stewarding that forward for the next generation. “My vision centers around trying to make sure that artists who need a platform and haven’t had an opportunity have it,” she says, “and artists who already have substantial support and known work can lift up these younger, less established artists simply by sharing the space and being presented on these same stages.”

Román De Jesús points out that this is precisely what this particular program is doing for him. The emerging choreographer has recently been racking up fellowships and awards, like the Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Award, yet he still struggles to find resources and venues to showcase his work. “To me, standing on the same stage as legendary companies and alongside fellow emerging artists symbolizes representation, inclusivity, and hope,” he says.

92NY’s long tradition of inclusivity is ongoing, and it will continue to be a place where dance history is made for many more decades to come.

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All About Ailey

NEW YORK CITY   Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater takes over New York City Center for the month of December as the company celebrates its 65th anniversary. Following an opening-night gala on Nov. 29 honoring artistic director emerita Judith Jamison, the five-week season features premieres by former artistic director Robert Battle, former Ailey dancer Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish (Me, Myself and You, a duet set to “In A Sentimental Mood”), and new Ailey artist-in-residence Amy Hall Garner (CENTURY, inspired by the choreographer’s grandfather). Also in the mix are fresh productions of Ronald K. Brown’s Dancing Spirit, Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream, Jamar Roberts’ Ode, and Hans van Manen’s Solo; programs highlighting the legendary women of the company and featuring live music performed by the Future of Jazz Orchestra; and, of course, a healthy helping of Ailey classics. Nov. 29–Dec. 31. alvinailey.org. —Courtney Escoyne

Seven and Seven

NEW YORK CITY   Seven dancers, seven violists, three collaborative works. Tiffany Mills Company and contemporary music troupe Ensemble Ipse converge at National Sawdust for a program of live music and dance theater, inspired by texts exploring exile, the human cost of war, and the literal and metaphorical power of sight and being seen. Dec. 2–3. nationalsawdust.org. —CE

Dreamy Duets

NEW YORK CITY   A dreamy collection of current and former dancers from Bruce Wood Dance, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, New York City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet come together for Lar Lubovitch at 80: Art of the Duet, a special Works & Process program featuring performances of some of the choreographer’s favorite duets alongside a conversation about their creation. Dec. 3. guggenheim.org. —CE

Snapshots of Love

SAN FRANCISCO   In Loving: A Photographic History of Men in Love, 1850s–1950s, Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell presented hundreds of previously unpublished vintage photographs of gay couples from their collection. Following a two-month developmental residency at 836M Gallery, RAWdance co-artistic directors Wendy Rein and Ryan T. Smith premiere a series of duets inspired by those images, Loving Still. Select photos are being reproduced in a larger format for display in the space; additionally, audiences attending the free performances can catch an abbreviated version of Shawn Sprockett’s Unspeakable Vice walking tour, which unearths Jackson Square’s queer history, ahead of the show. Dec. 8–10. rawdance.org. —CE

Undercurrents

DRESDEN   Contemporary choreographer Johan Inger has a knack for delving into the psychology and dark undercurrents of the subjects he tackles, particularly when he takes a more narrative bent. His latest: A Swan Lake for Dresden Semperoper Ballett, which uses the oft-performed classic to question how violence, manipulation, personal freedom, and respect intersect and impact personal relationships. Dec. 9–Jan. 14. semperoper.de. —CE

Happily Ever After?

WORCESTER, MA   Why is it that in so many fairy tales, female protagonists can only attain happiness by enduring sacrifice and violence? That’s the question animating For you, I dream of me, a new evening-length from Kristin Wagner. Developed in part through workshops reconsidering those stories with local young adults of all gender identities, some of whom will perform alongside Wagner’s Bodies Moving company, the work has its first public showings at the Jean McDonough Arts Center BrickBox Theater Dec. 15–16. bodiesmoving.com. —CE

Fresh Nutcrackers

Two new takes on the holiday classic premiere.

Orlando Ballet

ORLANDO   Drawing from his experience working in children’s theater, artistic director Jorden Morris frames Clara’s dream as a journey through a life-sized snow globe. Steering away from the Land of the Sweets’ potential for cultural insensitivity, Tchaikovsky’s “Chinese” dance is reinterpreted as a pas de deux between Drosselmeyer and a yellow-and-black heron, and the Arabian divertissement features a dancer—premiering with a female soloist but choreographed to be non–gender-specific—defying gravity in an acrobatic Cyr wheel. Tapping the Orlando community, Morris collaborated with Disney puppeteers to bring sets and costumes by Robert Perdziola to life. Dec. 8–24. orlandoballet.org. —Hannah Foster

Milwaukee Ballet

MILWAUKEE   Artistic director Michael Pink says that his 2003 Nutcracker production is still “bloody good,” so much so that much of its choreography is being retained for The Nutcracker: Drosselmeyer’s Imaginarium. With the reconceptualization, Pink seeks to continue the protagonists’ narrative journey into the second act, featuring them prominently in the dancing throughout. Whimsical new costumes, sets, and music transitions between scenes create a seamless flight into imagination and wonder. Dec. 8–26. milwaukeeballet.org. —Steve Sucato

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American Dance Festival

DURHAM, NC  The modern dance festival’s 90th-anniversary season blazes on through July 22, with 32 performances featuring 13 festival commissions, 9 premieres, and 7 ADF debuts. Among the highlights: the Made in NC program featuring newly commissioned works by Renay Aumiller, Caroline Calouche, Kristin Taylor Duncan, Michelle Pearson, and Nicole Vaughan-Diaz; Kyle Marshall Choreography’s festival debut, including the ADF-commissioned Onyx, which digs into the Black and brown artists involved­ in the origins of rock and roll; and the U.S. debut of Taiwan’s physically integrated­ Resident Island Dance Theatre. Plus, catch the late-in-season premiere of were we birds?, Cara Hagan’s site-specific meditation on the disorientation of migration, on Aug. 22 at the Nasher Museum of Art. americandancefestival.org.

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

BECKET, MA  Offering its most international lineup since before the pandemic, the Pillow presents an overwhelmingly full nine weeks of programming. Dutch National Ballet, AXIS Dance Company, Oona Doherty, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, and Tulsa Ballet make their Pillow debuts. Mythili Prakash premieres She’s Auspicious, a bharatanatyam exploration of the paradox of femininity, on July 21, while two festival commissions will be unveiled during Hip Hop Across the Pillow, Aug. 2–6: one for Rokafella and Kwikstep and another performed by d. Sabela Grimes with the Ladies of Hip Hop. Over two dozen distinct performances will hit the iconic outdoor Henry J. Leir Stage, in addition to numerous exhibits, classes, and workshops across the campus and off-site. June 28–Aug. 27. jacobspillow.org.

Manchester International Festival

MANCHESTER, UK  This year’s dance lineup for the ever-imaginative Manchester International Festival is brief, but boundary-pushing. Theo Clinkard provides the moves for the premiere of the musical adaptation of Larry Mitchell and Ned Asta’s novel The Faggots and Their Friends Between Revolutions, an anarchic bedtime story reimagining the history of the world through a queer lens. The dancers of L-E-V hit the nightclub floor with R.O.S.E, a collaboration between choreographer Sharon Eyal, record label Young, and DJ Ben UFO that invites the audience to join the performers on the floor at New Century Hall. And, in partnership with trans arts festival Trans Creative, cabaret legend Justin Vivian Bond performs One Night In Trans Vegas, which culminates in a celebratory takeover of Festival Square. June 29–July 16. factoryinternational.org.

Bates Dance Festival

LEWISTON, ME   Four carefully curated performances form Bates’ main-stage performance lineup. A.I.M by Kyle Abraham performs An Untitled Love, exalting in the complexities of self-love and Black love to songs from R&B artist D’Angelo. Gerald Casel’s Not About Race Dance responds to the silent but ever-present racial dynamics at play in the U.S. postmodern dance scene. LaTasha Barnes’ The Jazz Continuum celebrates how Black artists’ contributions to jazz music proliferated a whole host of vernacular dances. In mourning after mornings, Vanessa Anspaugh’s multigenerational cast moves through communal loss and rituals to mark endings, inspired by a collection of death and grieving rituals. July 7–29. batesdancefestival.org.

Vail Dance Festival

VAIL, CO  The starry, late-summer festival boasts 10 premieres this year, including a solo by and for artist in residence Adji Cissoko and a commission from Kyle Abraham for dancers from Alonzo King LINES Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, and A.I.M. Fellow first-time festival choreographer Melissa Toogood also contributes a premiere, as will regular suspects Tiler Peck, Lil Buck, Caili Quan, Justin Peck, and Larry Keigwin. DanceAspen will debut a new work by Matthew Neenan, while BalletX does the same with a piece by Jamar Roberts. Martha Graham Dance Company, L.A. Dance Project, and Music From the Sole will present programs, in addition to a who’s who of the ballet world and beyond appearing in role debuts and cross-company partnerships. July 28–Aug. 7. vaildance.org.

Dancing on the Spectrum

SAN DIEGO  After being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 33, in 2021, Jenn Freeman was inspired to reexamine her childhood memories through dance. Is It Thursday Yet? is the result, a dance-theater work co-created­­ and directed by Sonya Tayeh featuring original live music by Holland Andrews, home video footage, and audio narrations from Freeman’s therapist as the artist navigates and celebrates the complexities of her own neurodivergence. Previews are slated for July 11–15, followed by a three-week run July 16–Aug. 6. lajollaplayhouse.org.

Ballet and Brushstrokes

NEW YORK CITY  Ballet Hispánico artistic director Eduardo Vilaro responds to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition “Juan de Pareja, Afro-Hispanic Painter” with Buscando a Juan. Performed in the courtyard of the Met’s Lehman Wing, the new work considers the assumptions that might be made witnessing people of color in traditionally white spaces—like the multiracial Pareja at work in Diego Velázquez’s studio, where he was enslaved for over two decades before becoming an artist in his own right. July 13–15. metmuseum.org.

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Gone Tomorrow

SALT LAKE CITY  The trio of works featured in Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Here Today program will be performed onstage for live audiences for the very first time. Charles O. Anderson’s chilling Rites and Molly Heller’s quarantine-inspired Full View make the leap from 2021 film projects to full stage productions (the former with the addition of students from Westminster College), while Raja Feather Kelly‘s Scenes for an Ending premieres. Jan. 12–14. ririewoodbury.com.

High Drama From Hong Kong

NEW YORK CITY  Hong Kong Ballet makes a rare appearance stateside at New York City Center, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what Septime Webre has made of the company since becoming artistic director in 2017. His Romeo + Juliet, which premiered in summer 2021, sets the star-crossed lovers and their warring families in 1960s Hong Kong. Jan. 13–14. nycitycenter.org.

Spice at Sadler’s Wells

LONDON  The announcement of a new dance work featuring experimental choreographer Jules Cunningham, frequent collaborator Harry Alexander and pop star Melanie Chisholm (“Melanie C,” of Spice Girls fame) elicited for many the question posed by the piece’s title: how did we get here? The collaborative work, premiering at Sadler’s Wells, will dig into the stories the performers hold in their bodies—subject matter that seems perfectly aligned with Cunningham’s searching, identity-driven work, in an arena wildly outside of what one would expect of Sporty Spice (despite her early dance training). Jan. 19–29. sadlerswells.com.

New, Now, Next

SAN FRANCISCO  The much-anticipated next@90 festival, boasting three triple bills of brand-new works, kicks off at San Francisco Ballet this month. The first program features Haffner Serenade by Robert Garland, which includes a solo for Esteban Hernández that places West African movement in a classical context; Jamar Roberts’ theatrical Resurrection, in which an attempt­ to raise the dead goes awry; and Danielle Rowe’s MADCAP, inspired by clowns. Longtime SFB artist Val Caniparoli contributes Emergence, while new-to-the-company dancemakers Bridget Breiner and Yuka Oishi offer a new take on the Biblical tale of Salome and on Maurice Ravel’s iconic Bolero, respectively, to program two. The festival closes with Nicolas Blanc’s Gateway to the Sun, modeled after a poem by Rumi that is excerpted in composer Anna Clyne’s 2019 “DANCE,” to which it is set; Claudia Schreier’s Kin, to a commissioned score by Tanner Porter; and resident choreographer Yuri Possokhov’s fresh take on the music famously associated with Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto. Jan. 20–Feb. 11. sfballet.org.

One Night With Osipova

NEW YORK CITY  Ballet superstar Natalia Osipova brings the U.S. premiere of her Force of Nature program to New York City Center Jan. 21. Among the solos and duets on offer are the third-act grand pas de deux from Don Quixote, Fokine’s seminal The Dying Swan and Ashes, a work co-choreographed by Osipova and Jason Kittelberger. A percentage of ticket sales are to be donated to the Ukrainian relief effort. nycitycenter.org.

Peck, Copland, Jinakunwiphat

NEW YORK CITY  Winter at New York City Ballet promises repertory staples, recent additions and a pair of notable premieres. Resident choreographer Justin Peck returns to the music of Aaron Copland after 2015’s electric Rodeo: Four Dance Episodesfor his first evening-length ballet for the company, premiering Jan. 26. Keerati Jinakunwiphat, who dances with A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, will debut her first work for NYCB during the 21st Century Choreography program (Feb. 1, 8, 9 and 11), which also includes Alexei Ratmansky’s distinctive Voices and Peck’s playful Everywhere We Go. nycballet.com.

Elementary…

ST. LOUIS  What happens when Joshua Peugh, a choreographer lauded for his theatrical yet honest works on queer themes, turns his attention to the great Victorian detective Sherlock Holmes? The Big Muddy Dance Company is on the case with the premiere of the evening-length My Dear Watson—though the title is, perhaps, suggestive. Jan. 27–28. thebigmuddydanceco.org.

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Where Prayer and Play Meet

What can be made in a particular museum that can’t be made anywhere else? It’s a question Bijayini Satpathy has considered during her tenure as 2021–22 MetLiveArts artist in residence. Widely lauded as an international treasure, she creates what she calls “futuristic choreographies of traditional dance,” accompanied by nontraditional soundscapes by composer Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy.­ In the spring, she performed abstractions of ancient­ Odissi dance forms in interventions responding to the art, architecture, artistry and aesthetics of four galleries at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum­ of Art. On Sept. 13 at the Grace Rainey Rogers Audi­torium, in the fifth and final performance of her residency, Satpathy­ will synthesize 18 months of on-site research­ to explore the inter­section of praying and playing. “I’ve fed my body enough for it to speak,” the veteran artist says. We’re all ears. metmuseum.­org. —Meredith Fages

Ukraine Artists Debut Stateside

When the Kyiv City Ballet flew to Paris on Feb. 23 to embark on a long-planned tour, little did they know that their home country would be under siege the following day. The artists have since been sheltering in France, raising funds and forging ahead with performances—which will soon include the company’s first-ever appearances in the U.S. The 15-city tour, showcasing a full-length Swan Lake and a mixed-rep bill of contemporary choreography and Ukrainian folk dance, kicks off in Wilmington, NC, and includes stops in Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit and Oklahoma City, as well as at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance. Sept. 16–Oct. 24. kcbtheater.com. —Claudia Bauer

Bringing Jamaica to South Florida

Rousing live music, vivid design and vigorous performances will bring the spirit of the Caribbean to our shores when National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica visits South Florida. Whether soulful or light­hearted, the troupe’s repertory, curated by artistic director Marlon D. Simms, draws as aptly from the tra­ditions of the African diaspora as from modern dance to project a cultural rainbow. Signature pieces such as company co-founder Rex Nettleford’s Kumina, which reveals Congolese roots, and Drumscore, depicting the grace of everyday life in a Creole society, follow the beat of Jamaican sounds and movement toward an all-embracing humanity. The double 60th-anniversary celebration of both the island’s independence and the company’s founding hits South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center on Oct. 1, followed by Miramar Cultural Center Oct. 2–3. smdcac.org and miramarculturalcenter.org. —Guillermo Perez

An Iconic Ballerina Gets Her Flowers

Lauren Anderson’s pointe shoes are in the Smithsonian, so it’s only fitting that there be a dance-theater piece based on the living legend’s storied life. Plumshuga: The Rise of Lauren Anderson tells the unfiltered story of the ballerina’s historic journey to become Houston Ballet’s first Black principal, as well as her battle with addiction and her courageous road to recovery. Produced by Houston’s Stages, the production features writing by acclaimed former Houston Poet Laureate Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton (who led an exhaustive research and interview process), choreography by Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch and local modern dance legend Harrison Guy, music by Jasmine Barnes and dancers from Houston Ballet. Previews Oct. 7–12, ahead of an Oct. 13–Nov. 13 run. stageshouston.com. —Nancy Wozny

An Extended Flight

In 2017, Crystal Pite created Flight Pattern, her first work for The Royal Ballet. Set to the opening movement of Górecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, the short ballet responded to the ongoing refugee crisis, shifting between presenting its 36-strong cast as a community moving together as one body and as individuals with their own unique stories, emotions and relationships. This year, Pite will develop the Olivier Award–winning work into a new, full-length ballet set to premiere at London’s Royal Opera House on Oct. 18. As so many tragic events have unfolded since Flight Pattern’s first iteration—from the devastating effects of the U.S. and U.K.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to the displacement of millions of Ukrainians—it feels timely to revisit the work, and to consider how dance can be used to speak to one of the biggest humanitarian crises of our time. Oct. 18–Nov. 3. roh.org.uk. —Emily May

Brazil’s Messy Humanity

The pulsating human mass in Lia Rodrigues’ choreography can slip from feeling like a neighborhood party to a frightening mob. This fall, the Brazilian Rodrigues, whose work is celebrated in Europe but rarely seen in the U.S., brings the darkly outrageous Fúria, flesh grappling with flesh, to the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, OH, Oct. 21–22; Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Oct. 28–29; and Peak Performances in Montclair, NJ, Nov. 3–6. Then, switching moods but not modes, she offers her raucously joyful Encantado to Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, Nov. 8–9. wexarts.org, walkerart.org, peakperfs.org and bam.org. —Wendy Perron

New Director, New Works

America’s oldest ballet company has big new things in store for 2023: San Francisco Ballet’s 90th repertory season will be its first under Tamara Rojo’s artistic direction, and it opens with next@90. Planned by outgoing artistic director Helgi Tomasson, the new-works festival will bring world premieres from a tantalizing roster of dancemakers creating their first SFB commissions—Nicolas Blanc, Bridget Breiner, Robert Garland, Yuka Oishi, Jamar Roberts and Claudia Schreier—as well as resident choreographer Yuri Possokhov and frequent contributors Val Caniparoli and Danielle Rowe. Tomasson’s taste for innovation made SFB’s last new-works festival, 2018’s mammoth Unbound, a treasure trove of choreographic surprises and star-making roles for the company’s young dancers. With any luck, next@90 will be just as rewarding. Jan. 20–Feb. 11. sfballet.org. 

—Claudia Bauer

A Surprise at City Ballet

Among the crowd of mainstays whose work is appearing during New York City Ballet’s winter season, Keerati Jinakunwiphat is a welcome surprise. A dancer for A.I.M by Kyle Abraham and a freelance choreographer, she’s premiering her first dance for NYCB this February on a program alongside Alexei Ratmansky’s Voices and Justin Peck’s Everywhere We Go. The ballet’s debut will make Jinakunwiphat, who is Thai American, the second Asian American choreographer to set work on NYCB and the first Asian American woman to do so.

Jinakunwiphat received her first professional commission in 2019—a piece for A.I.M—and has since choreographed mostly for contemporary dance companies, including PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and Houston Contemporary Dance Company. But she’s no stranger to the NYCB ecosystem: She assisted Abraham during the creation of The Runaway and premiered a ballet for the New York Choreographic Institute last fall. Titled Impeccable Quake, it showcased both Jinakunwiphat’s characteristic attention to the individuality of each of her dancers and the sweeping motions and curving shapes that are emerging as central elements of her style. We can’t wait to see how these qualities unfold on the NYCB mainstage. Feb. 1, 8, 9, 11. nycballet.com. —Caroline Shadle

Part of That World

The live-action remake of the Disney animated classic The Little Mermaid is slated to hit cinemas in May. The literal fish-out-of-water story, directed by Rob Marshall, features choreography by Tara Nicole Hughes—best known for her dancing in Mary Poppins Returns and La La Land—and Joey Pizzi—co-choreographer of Mary Poppins Returns and associate choreographer for movie musicals like Hairspray and Dreamgirls. Airborne choreography combined with special effects will create the underwater illusion on screen, but audiences can also anticipate beautiful dancing on land as the romance between Prince Eric and Ariel unfolds. It’s going to be a—what’s that word again?—treat. disney.com. —Ruthie Fierberg

Changing Tides in Musical Theater

Several new musicals feature styles, source material and casting choices not commonly seen on the Great White Way.

DDLJ to Broadway

The longest-running film in Indian cinema arrives on the theatrical stage with Come Fall in Love—The DDLJ Musical, an adaptation of beloved Bollywood film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Simran, an Indian American woman, is set for an arranged marriage to a family friend. But when she meets the American Rog on a European adventure, will she be able to marry her heritage with her heart? Tony Award–winning choreographer Rob Ashford teams up with associate Shruti Merchant to create a collision of cultures in this new musical rom-com, which features book and lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde: The Musical) and music by Broadway newcomers Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani. Merchant says the choreography integrates Indian folk styles, like the jhumar, luddi and giddha, while blending traditional and contemporary movement “served with a dash of robustness and energy galore.” Performances begin Sept. 1 at San Diego’s Old Globe ahead of an anticipated Broadway transfer. Sept. 1–Oct. 16. theoldglobe.org. —Ruthie Fierberg

Recasting the Founding Fathers

One look at the cast photo, and you know these Founding Fathers are different: not a cisgender white man in the bunch. Instead, Roundabout Theatre Company uses female-identifying, nonbinary and transgender actors to play John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and the other (white, male) delegates to the Continental Congress in its revival of Peter Stone’s and Sherman Edwards’ 1969 Tony-winning hit, 1776. This production, directed last summer at American Repertory Theater by Diane Paulus and Fela! alum Jeffrey L. Page, is different in another way, too: It pays attention to dance, replacing the original’s lone minuet with extensive choreography by Page. Sept. 16–Jan. 8 at American Airlines Theatre. roundabouttheatre.org. —Sylviane Gold

KPOP Don’t Stop

Hair brought rock to Broadway, Big River brought country, and In the Heights brought hip hop. Now it’s K-pop’s turn, with a splashy tale set in a music factory that trains and styles young hopefuls to climb the charts in South Korea and beyond. A 2017 hit off-Broadway, KPOP stars genuine K-pop diva Luna and features choreography by Hip Hop Nutcracker co-creator Jennifer Weber. Director Teddy Bergman leads the immersive theater group Woodshed Collective, which conceived the show with its author, playwright Jason Kim. Songs, in English and Korean, are by Helen Park and Max Vernon, and the bulk of the cast and creatives are making their Broadway debuts—along with the title genre. Previews Oct. 13, opens Nov. 20 at Circle in the Square. kpopbroadway.com. —Sylviane Gold

Wax On, Wax Off

Fresh off its out-of-town tryout at Stages St. Louis in Missouri, this season the musical adaptation of The Karate Kid will mark choreographic powerhouse duo Keone and Mari Madrid’s Broadway debut. With a book by the famed film’s original screenwriter, Robert Mark Kamen, The Karate Kid—The Musical follows Daniel LaRusso as he trains with solitary handyman and martial arts expert Mr. Miyagi to fight back against school bullies. The Madrids’ choreography is, they say, 80 percent their signature hard-hitting hip-hop with jazz and contemporary lyricism and 20 percent martial arts. While Keone studied karate briefly as a kid and has been training in muay thai the past few years, associate choreographer Vinh Nguyen (experienced in tae kwon do and muay thai) and karate consultant Sakura Kokumai (Olympic kata competitor) bring authenticity to the onstage martial arts. “Miyagi-do is all about defense first while also finding inspiration from his Okinawan roots to find balance in nature,” the Madrids say, while rival teacher John Kreese, “à la Cobra Kai, is straight lines, fists, eruption, offense first.” thekaratekidthemusical.com. —Ruthie Fierberg 

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Brown Is Back on Broadway

NEW YORK CITY The inimitable Camille A. Brown makes her Broadway directorial debut with for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf, for which she will also choreograph. The first Broadway revival of the acclaimed choreo-poem by Ntozake­ Shange, which illuminates the inner lives of seven Black women, begins previews April 1 at the Booth Theatre (where it premiered in 1976) and is expected to officially open on April 20. forcoloredgirlsbway.com. 

International Delights

HOUSTON  After two years with few visitors from abroad, the Dance Salad Festival promises a feast of international artists for its 25th edition. Planned performers include Hofesh Shechter Company, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet’s Kammerballetten, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Dunia Dance Theatre and Laboration Art Company. April 14–16. dancesalad.org.

Closing the Distance

NEW YORK CITY  Eiko Otake’s ever-evolving Distance is Malleable (Duet Project) has seen the lauded dancer-choreographer partner with 23 artists, living and dead, who span ages, disciplines and cultures. For the New York premiere at NYU Skirball, she’ll perform with revered choreographer Ishmael Houston-Jones, painter and rapper DonChristian Jones, avant-garde pianist Margaret Leng Tan and poet Iris McCloughan. April 15–17. nyuskirball.org.

Out and Away

NEW YORK CITY  The idea of out-of-body experiences serves as a starting point to consider today’s body politic, the search for personal truths and more in David Dorfman Dance’s (A)Way Out of My Body. The cast of six includes Dorfman himself and his wife, Lisa Race. What the choreographer says might be his most personal work yet is set to premiere at NYU Skirball April 22–23. nyuskirball.org.

Digging In

SAN FRANCISCO  Amit Patel and Ishika Seth excavate the Ramayana, one of India’s most significant epic poems, for untold perspectives in Unearthed. The Indian contemporary work looks to give voice to the women and the villain of the tale, drawing parallels to contemporary issues through Seth’s viewpoint as an immigrant and mother and Patel’s as a queer, first-generation Indian American. The work is planned to premiere at ODC Theater April 22–23. odc.dance.

Spring at City Ballet

NEW YORK CITY  For the company premiere of Pam Tanowitz’s Gustave le Gray No. 1, New York City Ballet will be joined by guest artists from Dance Theatre of Harlem, which originated the work with Miami City Ballet in 2019. It will mark the first time NYCB and DTH have shared a Lincoln Center stage in 20 years. Appearing alongside it on the Visionary Voices program, beginning April 22, will be Tanowitz’s­ second commission for the company and repeat runs of Justin Peck’s Partita and Jamar Roberts’ Emanon—In Two Movements. One more premiere, this time from Silas Farley, is on tap; featuring a score by David K. Israel that’s based on compositional exchanges between George Balanchine and Igor Stravinsky, it will debut during the company’s spring gala on May 5, part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of NYCB’s 1972 Stravinsky Festival. nycballet.com.

Dreaming at Danspace

NEW YORK CITY  Danspace Project returns to in-person performances at St. Mark’s Church with Platform 2022: The Dream of the Audience (Part II). Named for and inspired by a 1977 poem by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, which addresses the audience as “a distant relative,” this year’s iteration furthers last year’s theme with a fresh cohort of artists: mayfield brooks, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, iele paloumpis and Ogemdi Ude. April 23–June 11. danspaceproject.org.

The post 7 April Performance Picks Ushering in Spring With Style appeared first on Dance Magazine.

NEW YORK CITY
The 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon dramatizes the events of a bank robbery gone wrong and the ensuing police standoff. One of the men attempting this robbery was motivated by needing money to fund gender-affirming surgery for his partner, Elizabeth Eden. In WEDNESDAY, Raja Feather Kelly dismantles the film to center his relationship to Eden, interrogating the motivations and outcomes of the robbery while questioning whose identities have a place in popular culture—and whose still do not. Following pandemic delays, the feath3r theory debuts the dance theater “speculative documentary” at New York Live Arts. Dec. 1–4, 8–11. newyorklivearts.org. —Courtney Escoyne

All About Ailey

NEW YORK CITY
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater makes a triumphant return to New York City Center for its annual winter engagement. There are milestones to toast, from the 50th anniversary of Ailey’s iconic Cry—celebrated in a special program on Dec. 4 and 15—to artistic director (and 2021 Dance Magazine Award recipient) Robert Battle’s decade helming the company—marked by an evening of his own works, including a new production of Unfold, Dec. 7, 11 and 17. There’s a bittersweet departure to honor, as star performer Jamar Roberts bids farewell to the stage on Dec. 9. (He’ll continue as the company’s resident choreographer.) There are digital dance pieces to see in person for the first time—Roberts’ Holding Space and Battle’s For Four—alongside new productions and revivals of existing works. There is, in short, much to look forward to in the packed three-week season—a very fitting welcome home for Ailey. Dec. 1–19. alvinailey.org. —CE

For the Future

TV & ONLINE Oona Doherty takes the lead for this year’s iteration of Fly the Flag, an annual celebration in the UK of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Focused on teenagers living in a post-Brexit UK, a new film will give voice to their perspectives on the future, featuring dance crafted by Doherty in collaboration with crews from around the UK responding to the principle of freedom of expression. The film will debut on Sky Arts Dec. 10. flytheflag.org.uk. —CE

Something Old, Something New

MIAMI Dance NOW! Miami’s Masterpiece in Motion programs connect the company’s original repertory with history-making choreographies. Stories for the Holidays promises a fresh encounter with the restless spirit of Isadora Duncan thanks to scholar Andrea Mantell-Seidel’s restagings of the early-20th-century pioneer’s work. From Harp Étude and the cradling tenderness of Ave Maria to the defiance of Varshavianka and Dubinushka, the lineup embraces devotional solace and resolute solidarity. Three Moments in Time and Die Frauen, by founding directors Diego Salterini and Hannah Baumgarten, respectively, and Jon Lehrer’s Solstice join these Duncan offerings. Dec. 11. dancenowmiami.org. —Guillermo Perez

Dorrance and Dormeshia Reunite

NEW YORK CITY & ONLINE
It’s been 10 years since Michelle Dorrance and Dormeshia (a 2021 Dance Magazine Award recipient) first collaborated to put together a program at Danspace. Now, the brilliant tap artists are teaming up again, this time at 92Y, for Michelle Dorrance, Dormeshia & Guests, a slate of tap dance that is sure to be every bit as effervescent, delightful and surprising as its hosts and curators. Tickets are available for both in-person attendance and livestream viewing. Dec. 16–17. 92y.org. —CE

The post 5 Non-Nutcracker Shows We Have Our Eyes on This December appeared first on Dance Magazine.

VIPs in the Valley

VAIL, CO
Vail Dance Festival returns, headlined by a comfortingly familiar cast of characters. As the festival’s artist in residence, American Ballet Theatre principal Calvin Royal III will dance in new works created for him by Tiler Peck and Jamar Roberts. Other premieres on the docket include choreography by Michelle Dorrance, Lil Buck with Lauren Lovette, Justin Peck (for Tiler Peck and Herman Cornejo), Cleo Parker Robinson (danced by her eponymous company, which recently concluded its 50th season) and James Whiteside. BalletX performs as company in residence, while New York City Ballet MOVES makes its first Vail appearance since the touring company’s debut there in 2011, opening the festival with Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering. July 30–Aug. 9. vaildance.org.

Outdoor Opera

LOS ANGELES
Danielle Agami directs and choreographs Arnold Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, a dreamy operatic melodrama written to be sung by a single female soloist. Singer Kiera Duffy will be joined by the dancers of Agami’s Ate9 for the work on a double bill presented by Long Beach Opera at The Ford. Aug. 14–15. theford.com.

Chicago Comes Together

CHICAGO
Dance for Life, Chicago Dancers United’s annual fundraiser for The Dancers’ Fund, plans to make its return to live, in-person performance at Millennium Park with, for the first time in its history, free admission. The 30th-anniversary performance will feature DanceWorks Chicago, Giordano Dance Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, The Joffrey Ballet, Movement Revolution Dance Crew, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, South Chicago Dance Theatre, Trinity Irish Dance Company and Visceral Dance Chicago, plus a film by Winifred Haun and a special finale choreographed by Randy Duncan. Aug. 26. chicagodancersunited.org.

Empire State of Mind

New York City closes out the summer with a spate of outdoor performances.

Open Air

Open Air, a summer performance series from four/four presents pairing choreographers and composers, continues at the Bushwick Playground Basketball Courts in Brooklyn. Dancer-choreographer Kayla Farrish and experimental-jazz musician Melanie Charles will debut a site-specific collaborative work after a 30-minute set from Charles and a 15-minute excerpt of Farrish’s choreography. The performance is free to attend (though ticket reservation is required) and will be livestreamed on Instagram. Aug. 8. fourfourpresents.com.

Update: This performance has been postponed to Sept. 12.

Picnic Performances

Picnic Performances is back in midtown Manhattan’s Bryant Park. The dance programming includes double bills pairing Limón Dance Company with Leonardo Sandoval and Gregory Richardson’s Music from the Sole; Paul Taylor Dance Company with EMERGE125 (formerly Elisa Monte Dance); and Ballet Hispánico with Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet. Events are free to attend, though advance registration may be required; livestreams of most performances will also be available online. Aug. 16, 20, 27. bryantpark.org.

BAAND Together Dance Festival

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispánico, Dance Theatre of Harlem and New York City Ballet will team up for the first time for the BAAND Together Dance Festival. Held on Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ transformed outdoor campus as part of the Restart Stages initiative, a different mixed bill, collaboratively curated by the companies’ directors, will be presented nightly Aug. 17–21. Performances are free, but tickets raffled through the TodayTix Lottery will be required for entry. lincolncenter.org.

Beach Sessions

After pivoting to TikTok last summer, the annual Beach Sessions Dance Series plans to return to Queens’ Rockaway Beach with Moriah Evans’ REPOSE. Twenty dancers will travel along 1.4 miles of beach in the course of a six-hour performance, drawing attention to the behaviors typical of beachgoing while being influenced by chance encounters. Aug. 29. beachsessionsdanceseries.com.

The post 7 Outdoor Shows to Close Out the Summer appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The dance is Morani/Mungu (Black Warrior/Black God), a solo he created for himself as part of last year’s Fall for Dance festival, commissioned by New York City Center. Fifteen minutes long, full of rises and falls, it is a killer, Roberts told me recently. “I hope I never have to dance it again,” he says.

A lot of these dynamics radiate from the power and malleability of his back. “That’s where the movement starts from, the intent of it,” says fellow Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer Ghrai DeVore-Stokes. “Watching him is amazing, because you learn so much about yourself and about dance.”

But beyond all that, Roberts, and his choreography, gives the clear and deep impression that there is much happening beneath the surface. He has emerged, in the past two years, as a choreographic voice of uncommon force and originality. His work captures the spirit of our age, full of doubt, pain, but also grace. Two years ago he became resident choreographer at Ailey, where he has danced since 2002. More recently, he started a fellowship at NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts, and has commissions for Vail Dance Festival and New York City Ballet in the works. Even the pandemic hasn’t put a damper on his creativity. If anything, it has pushed it even further.

When he created Cooped, a solo for Works & Process Artists Virtual Commissions in May 2020, Roberts threw himself into the process of finding new ways to film movement with the best camera he had: his iPad. Despite no experience in film, he ended up creating something original, strangely detached from reality, disorienting.

“I think I used a lamp, an iPad, a yoga mat, some Scotch tape and a milk crate,” he says. Out of that and the sound of blaring bagpipes, he created a space outside of time, as well as a powerful image of the Black body in pain, trapped in a too-small, suffocating space, with no way out.

This ability to make something so visually complex and compelling out of just a few elements—sound, the body, a yoga mat—is something he associates with his difficult childhood, growing up with little money, a mother who struggled with addiction, a grandmother who wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to be a dancer. As a kid, he largely had to keep himself entertained. He would retreat into his own world and draw, or create little figures out of pieces of wire. Later, dance became a salvation, the thing that took him to a different place. “It reminds me of when people say that African Americans, throughout their entire journey, have been making something out of nothing,” he says. He has the patience, the focus and the imagination to make something new each time.

At Ailey, Roberts, 38, is known as a quiet person who keeps to himself. “When I see him walk into the studio, or just walking around, he looks like there’s something bubbling up,” says Ronald K. Brown, who has choreographed on him many times. “He’s brewing.” It can read as shyness, but his colleagues know better. “I think that’s where he lives, in that space within,” Robert Battle, artistic director of Ailey since 2011, says.

By the time Battle asked Roberts to become the company’s first official resident choreographer in 2019 (the expectation was that he would make a work per year for three years), he had been watching Roberts closely for a while. “Jamar never came to me and declared himself a choreographer,” Battle says. “But I had been watching him, being a voyeur, seeing him improvise little things. Sometimes you can just tell. Even just the way he interprets other people’s choreography told me something about his creativity.”

After seeing a piece Roberts made for Ailey II, Battle commissioned his first work for the main company in 2017. He also knew about Roberts’ other artistic pursuits, drawing and fashion design.

Roberts has left Ailey twice, once early on to pursue a degree in fashion design. (“I hated it. Sitting through lectures about how to make a Peter Pan collar, I really wasn’t into that,” he says.) It was during his second time away from Ailey, from 2011–12—he was burned-out, he says—that he discovered his love for choreography. It happened while he was teaching in the Miami studio of his longtime mentor and teacher Angel Fraser-Logan. (As an adolescent, he had studied dance with Logan at Dance Empire, as well as at New World School of the Arts.) He spent hours there making dances for the students and for friends in college nearby.

“It was a very intense and immersive kind of experience. And I started to notice that there was something there, something happening with the movement,” he says. After a year, feeling that he would have more opportunities to choreograph in New York City, he decided to go back to Ailey.

But it was his first dance for Ailey, Members Don’t Get Weary, that really set him on his current path. When it premiered in 2017, it looked like the creation of a much more veteran choreographer. Its intentions and emotions—conflict and pain, struggle and terror, the fatigue of hard work—felt distilled, reduced to their essence. “Like an alchemist, he got to the heart of the matter,” says Battle.

When Roberts started the piece, he had come in with an idea and an atmosphere. His choice of music (John Coltrane) and the costumes he had designed (plain work clothes) had already created a sense of time and place, “a space for the dancers to exist in,” says DeVore-Stokes. Once that space had been defined, the process of making the piece was one of exploration and filling in. “Whenever I go to make something, there’s a large area of unknown. I’m always throwing myself into a space where I don’t have the answer. I love doing the work to find the answers,” he says.

He goes through a similar process with the music he chooses. Roberts intentionally selects scores he is not only drawn to, but challenged by. When he first listened to the music for Members, the complexity and richness of Coltrane’s musical meanderings terrified him, he admits. “But, then you sit with it, something appears, whether it be big or small, and you keep pulling on that string.” In this case, pulling on the string means listening, intently, to all the nuances in the music, figuring out how they tie together, their energetic flow, finding a way to physicalize those connections.

Like Members, his other works have been set to jazz, including classic and bebop and avant-garde. But he came to jazz late. Roberts grew up listening to R&B and pop and alternative rock. However, when he started to think seriously about choreography, he felt that he needed to turn to music that gave him more space to explore. Pop was too easy. “I wanted to develop a more sophisticated ear, to invest in listening to more sounds.” Using classical music felt inauthentic. So he turned to jazz, America’s own classical idiom, rooted in African-American musical traditions. His understanding of jazz is something he has had to work at, he says. “I had to figure out how to do it—how to take myself there.” Expanding his musical palette still takes up a lot of his free time.

That musical understanding is central to his craft. When you watch him dance, or see others dance his work, it’s like seeing the notes travel through muscle and bone. “The way he hears music is beyond anything I’ve seen,” DeVore-Stokes says. “He’ll hear things that we didn’t even know were there.”

Roberts doesn’t seem interested in making slight, throwaway dances. “I wanted that piece to be about this duality of light and dark, what W.E.B. Du Bois called double consciousness,” he says of Morani/Mungu. “About being Black and being American, and this idea of always having to fight for your freedom and fight for your rights, even though you’re American.”

Struggle, and the pressure that builds up because of that struggle, is a powerful motor behind his creative process. But his dances are also full of mystery and abstraction. Nothing is spelled out. “He works as if he had a secret,” Brown says. In Roberts’ 2019 Ode, a response to the shootings of Black men and women, there were no obvious images of gun violence. And Morani/Mungu contains almost no literal references to the words in the text to which it is set, except when Roberts “marches,” on his knees, to the words “Black is marching in Alabama.” Even that is fleeting and easy to miss.

But as you watch one of his pieces you feel as if you have been on a voyage through Roberts’ mind, experiencing what this dancer—this idealized human—feels as he processes his thoughts: about Blackness, about America, about Coltrane, about rhythm, about the sound of Nina Simone’s fingers on the piano keys, about exhaustion, about hope.

Struggle lies both in the subject matter of his dances, which often touch on issues related to race, but also in the form of the dances themselves, the way they are constructed, the way the contrasts within them build tension and, eventually, release. “I think there’s a lot to learn there, a lot of beauty,” he says. He’s not content to simply convey meaning; form and craft are just as important.

It is part of what makes his dances, and his dancing, so potent. They feel lived in, and pregnant with meaning. Just as crucially, he is able to communicate those qualities to the dancers he works with. “When I’m in the studio with Jamar,” says DeVore-Stokes, “I feel like I’m doing work that’s really important and is going to push the field in a different direction.” Just which direction that will be is yet to be seen. As Battle says, “He’s just getting started.”

The post Jamar Roberts’ Astonishing Dancing Is Matched By His Mesmerizing Choreography appeared first on Dance Magazine.

As a bonus: The event will also include a short show-and-tell with Roberts sharing his artistic inspirations and other artistic works he keeps in his home. From jazz music to drawing to fashion design, Roberts’ interests and influences are wide-ranging, and sure to surprise and delight.

Register to join us and submit your questions for Roberts here. This event is sponsored by New World School of the Arts.

The post Join Dance Magazine for an "Ask Me Anything" With June Cover Star Jamar Roberts appeared first on Dance Magazine.

As a bonus: The event will also include a short show-and-tell with Roberts sharing his artistic inspirations and other artistic works he keeps in his home. From jazz music to drawing to fashion design, Roberts’ interests and influences are wide-ranging, and sure to surprise and delight.

Register to join us and submit your questions for Roberts here. This event is sponsored by New World School of the Arts.

The post Join Dance Magazine for an "Ask Me Anything" With June Cover Star Jamar Roberts appeared first on Dance Magazine.

Mondays in Motion

Sam du Pon, Courtesy Jacob Jonas The Company

Jacob Jonas The Company is producing an ambitious new dance-film series. The 15 short films created for Films.Dance feature more than 150 artists from 25 countries and were shot across 10 dif-ferent cities, from Los Angeles to New York City, São Paolo to Shanghai. Perhaps most emblematic of the project’s breadth and star power is “Match,” which features choreography by Emily Kikta, Jamar Roberts, Oliver Starpov, Peter Walker and Xin Ying, performed by a roster of 44 dancers from leading companies around the world. One film will premiere every Monday beginning Jan. 25, available for free on Instagram and at films.dance.

Chopped

Mike Esperanza, Courtesy Chop Shop

Seattle’s CHOP SHOP: Bodies of Work Contemporary Dance Festival is bringing its annual master classes and no-experience-necessary workshops, plus a new arts-journalism intensive for teens, online this year. But the centerpiece of the festival is the premiere of seven newly commissioned dance films, debuting every Thursday in February. Created by Lauren Horn//Subira vs. Movement, Nicole von Arx/NVA & Guests, Omar Román De Jesús/Boca Tuya, Daniel Costa, Eva Stone and Simone Elliott, Javier Padilla and The Movement Playground, and Mark Haim, the works will be available on a pay-what-you-can basis through March 31; live Q&As with the artists will take place the Sunday following their respective premieres. chopshopdance.org.

Process as Product

Raymond Jerome, Courtesy Carol Fox and Associates

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Chicago Dancemakers Forum are teaming up to make the most of an unconventional season. 10×10 | Crossbody Collaborations pairs 10 Hubbard Street dancers with 10 previous CDF awardees, each duo documenting the process on social media—but with no expectation of a final product or piece. The second cohort comes together beginning this month, pairing Craig Black with bharatanatyam choreographer Anjal Chande, Adam McGaw with tap dancer Jumaane Taylor, Elliot Hammans with burlesque artist Jenn Freeman (aka Po’Chop), Jacqueline Burnett with multimedia artist Catherine Sullivan, and Andrew Murdock with Red Clay Dance Company founder Vershawn Sanders-Ward. The duos’ experiments will be posted on Instagram at #10×10 and #CrossbodyCollaborations Feb. 8–March 19. hubbardstreetdance.com.

Everybody Dance Now

Yi-Chun Wu, Courtesy Janet Stapleton

Dance Now thrives on challenging artists to create within limitations—specifically, asking them to craft bite-size pieces that fit on the bite-size stage at Joe’s Pub in New York City. It’s not so surprising, then, that celebrating its 25th-anniversary season virtually has only fostered more creativity. This month’s chapter features newly commissioned works by Kate Ladenheim, Alice Sheppard, Subject: Matter and Maleek Washington alongside archival captures of pieces from Adam Barruch and Mark Gindick. Unlimited digital access to these works is available for $10 beginning Feb. 11, with an option to add on a ticket to a Zoom celebration on Feb. 25 honoring Claire Porter, hosted by the inimitable TruDee. dancenow.online.

Highlighting Heritage

Thomas Mohr, Courtesy SCDT

South Chicago Dance Theatre typically spends February touring a Black History Month–themed program to schools around the greater Chicago area. The up-and-coming company’s 2021 virtual edition, open to the broader public, comprises almost entirely new choreography by executive artistic director Kia Smith, beginning with a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. before taking viewers on a tour through the history of Black innovation in jazz music and dance. Streaming Feb. 20. southchicagodancetheatre.com.

The post 5 Dance Film Projects We're Following Over the Next Month appeared first on Dance Magazine.

This story is part of a
week-long series guest edited for Dance Magazine by choreographer Kyle Abraham.

The post Finding the Perfect Title: How Choreographers Name Their Work appeared first on Dance Magazine.

An Open Invitation

Bobby Rogers, Courtesy Walker Art Center

Faye Driscoll’s first solo museum exhibition, “Faye Driscoll: Come On In,” had been open for little more than two weeks when the Walker Art Center closed its doors. The exhibition invited visitors to sit or recline on padded platforms while listening to meditative prompts recorded by Driscoll, creating an ever-evolving living sculpture gallery. Driscoll and the Walker reimagined part of the exhibition as an online experience. Visitors were introduced to Driscoll’s work and shown images of the space before being invited to listen to one of the six audio tracks and follow along with the subtle directives at home—an experience that simultaneously transported you elsewhere and grounded you in your own skin.

The post 6 of Our Favorite Digital Dance Projects to Come Out of Quarantine appeared first on Dance Magazine.

But pre-show routines are also highly individual, and involve artists preparing their heads for performance just as much as their bodies. That could mean anything from listening to a favorite song, bonding with cast members or meditating.

Feeling like your pre-show ritual could use a bit of inspiration? These 12 pros shared their tried-and-true routines with us:

Choreographer and Entrepreneur Jacob Jonas

“My company is very family-oriented. We warm up as a group and before the show like to huddle up and share any messages of motivation.”

Miami City Ballet’s Nathalia Arja

“I like to listen to gospel songs in my dressing room as I’m getting ready for my shows, and I will never get out there without praying. I dedicate every performance to God.”

Dancer and Choreographer Emma Portner

“I arrive hours early for mental preparation, abdominals, push-ups, caffeine and then ‘save it for the stage.’ “

The Washington Ballet’s Ashley Murphy

“I take a power nap, drink a Red Bull and take three Advil.”

Dancer and Choreographer Ephrat Asherie

“I have a very specific warm-up that I swear by. I also have a tradition of giving my dancers York Peppermint Patties before every show.”

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Leta Biasucci

“For roles that are accompanied by nerves, I like to find time before a performance to spend visualizing the piece. I close my eyes and imagine how the ‘perfect’ performance would feel. I find this practice to be meditative and allows for me to feel more excited than nervous.

“Not necessarily a ritual, but I have to double-check my performance shoe ribbons and re-sew ones that look like they might possibly come unsewn. Who wants to spend a show worrying about shoes falling off?”

Martha Graham Dance Company’s PeiJu Chien-Pott

“I usually arrive at the theater much earlier than the call time. I set up my dressing room to create a feels-like-home space. I do my makeup and hair while I listen to some calm music. And right before I get onstage, I meditate for five minutes and ‘talk’ to Martha. Finally, I give the stage a kiss.”

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Hope Boykin

“My most important ritual is prayer. I simply ask that the audience will see the most honest artist in me. Despite the frustrations, feelings, aches and pains I may be experiencing, I long for the best performance to resonate in the hearts of those watching.”

Dancer and Choreographer Caleb Teicher

“I usually improvise to a couple songs by myself to get some creative juices flowing. Then, I try to find some quiet time so that listening to music onstage feels fresh and focused. I may eat some gummy bears, too.”

Ballet Dancer Joy Womack

“A nap, music, meditation, a solid class and a leisurely yet thorough warm up. Also, SECOND SKIN.”

Dutch National Ballet’s Michaela DePrince

“I always kiss the floor and then I pray and dedicate my show to someone in my family because most of the time they don’t have the opportunity to watch me perform.”

Choreographer James Alsop

“I close my eyes and whisper the most intimate prayer.”

The post Is Your Pre-Show Ritual Uninspired? Take A Cue From These 12 Pros appeared first on Dance Magazine.

All it took was for that one song that everyone loved for us to start dancing like mad.

The post From the Running Man to Ailey, Jamar Roberts Has Always Considered Dance His Playground appeared first on Dance Magazine.

The post News of Note: What You May Have Missed in July 2019 appeared first on Dance Magazine.

We’ve been asking stars about the alternate career they’d like to try in our “Spotlight” Q&A series, and their answers—from the unexpected to the predictable—do not disappoint:

The post What These 9 Stars Would Be Doing If They Weren't Dancers appeared first on Dance Magazine.

We caught up with Roberts for our “Spotlight” series:

The post Why This Ailey Dancer Dreams of Dancing with Ellen DeGeneres appeared first on Dance Magazine.