NDT in NYC

NEW YORK CITY   Nederlands Dans Theater returns to New York City Center for the first time since Emily Molnar took the helm. William Forsythe’s N.N.N.N. is joined by a pair of U.S. premieres: Imre and Marne van Opstal’s The Point Being and Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s Jakie. April 3–6. nycitycenter.org. —Courtney Escoyne

Centering Latina Voices

SAN FRANCISCO  The Carmen premiering at San Francisco Ballet this month won’t look or sound the same as usual. Choreographer Arielle Smith (a 2022 “25 to Watch” pick) sets the tale in contemporary Cuba—specifically at the family restaurant to which the titular heroine returns with her new husband after the death of her mother—while refocusing the story on Carmen and emphasizing the depth and complexity of the characters with cinematic flair. Escamillo, whom Carmen falls in love with, is recast as a woman, and the new score by Arturo O’Farrill only references the familiar Bizet opera as it layers in Cuban folk music. Joining the new ballet on the Dos Mujeres program is Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Frida Kahlo–inspired Broken Wings (which SFB artistic director Tamara Rojo commissioned and starred in during her English National Ballet tenure). The evening marks the first double bill choreographed by women and the first full program dedicated to Latinx stories at SFB. April 4–14. sfballet.org. —CE

Eclipsing All Else

NEW YORK CITY  Ahead of the Great North American Eclipse on April 8, the feath3r theory alights at NYU Skirball to premiere a devised dance theater work about a group of friends who team up to watch the celestial event and miss it. Raja Feather Kelly draws on Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death, the popularity of the science fiction concept of the multiverse, and the ways social media exacerbates loneliness and society’s inability to face it for The Absolute Future (or Death, Loneliness, and The Absolute Future of the Multiverse, or How to Cover the Sun with Mud). April 5–6. nyuskirball.org. —CE

Carnival of Politics

SEATTLE  Choreographed and directed by Francesca Harper and performed by dancer Wendy Whelan and poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Carnival of the Animals reframes the Camille Saint-Saëns classic to consider the animals of a political jungle as it responds to the January 6 insurrection and contemplates the future of democracy. The SOZO-produced work premieres at the Meany Center for the Performing Arts on April 6. sozoartists.com. —CE

Memories of Matriarchs

HOUSTON  With three “Bessie” Awards, the Rome Prize, and a sumptuous stage presence, Jasmine Hearn is one of the most acclaimed contemporary dance artists to come out of Houston. But Memory Fleet: A Return to Matr, a performance, installation, and online archive that preserves the memories of eight Black Houston matriarchs, is their first major commission in their hometown. Commissioned by DiverseWorks, the multidisciplinary project includes original sound scores, choreography, and garments, along with guest performances by former Houston Ballet soloist Sandra Organ Solis and additional vocals and performances by local dancers and “Houston Aunties,” as Hearn calls them. The premiere at Houston Met April 6–7 will be followed by tours to Pittsburgh and New York City. diverseworks.org. —Nancy Wozny

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

COSTA MESA, CA  American Ballet Theatre presents the North American premiere of Woolf Works, Wayne McGregor’s three-act meditation on the writings of Virginia Woolf, at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Inspired by her novels Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves as well as her letters and diaries, the critically acclaimed ballet eschews narrative adaptation to take a stream of consciousness approach to the modernist writer’s oeuvre. April 11–14. abt.org. —CE

Packed With Premieres

CHICAGO  South Chicago Dance Theatre returns to the Auditorium Theatre for an evening filled to the brim with premieres by Donald Byrd, Joshua Blake Carter, Monique Haley, Tsai Hsi Hung, Terence Marling, and founding executive artistic director Kia Smith. April 27. southchicagodancetheatre.com. —CE

The Weight of a Lie

ZURICH  Cathy Marston brings her penchant for literary adaptation to Atonement, her first new work as Ballett Zürich’s director. In Ian McEwan’s novel and Joe Wright’s acclaimed film adaptation, teenage writer Briony Tallis tells a deliberate lie about her older sister’s lover and spends the rest of her life attempting to make up for its unintended consequences. Marston transfers the action to the world of ballet, making Tallis a choreographer while wrestling with the story’s questions about the fallibility of memory and the nature of self-deception and guilt. April 28–June 7. opernhaus.ch. —CE

A Jazzy Centennial

Dance artists join the nationwide celebration of iconic jazz drummer and composer Max Roach.

Max Roach 100 at The Joyce Theater

NEW YORK CITY  Richard Colton curated The Joyce Theater’s Max Roach 100 program, which will feature a new work to Roach’s Percussion Bitter Sweet album by Ronald K. Brown for Malpaso Dance Company and EVIDENCE, A Dance Company; Rennie Harris Puremovement in The Dream/It’s Time; and a solo by tap star Ayodele Casel set to a series of duets by Roach and Cecil Taylor. April 2–7. joyce.org. —CE

Bill T. Jones at Harlem Stage

NEW YORK CITY  Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company revisits Degga, a 1995 collaboration between Jones, Max Roach, and Toni Morrison, as part of Harlem Stage’s E-Moves program. Also on offer is a new work by Roderick George. April 19–20. harlemstage.org. —CE

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Comings & Goings

Jodie Gates has stepped down as artistic director of Cincinnati Ballet. Rehearsal director Cervilio Miguel Amador will serve as acting artistic director for the 2023–24 season. President and CEO Scott Altman will depart the organization at the end of 2023. He will be succeeded by Deborah S. Brant in an interim capacity.

Mikelle Bruzina and Harald Uwe Kern have been appointed artistic directors of Louisville Ballet. Former rehearsal director Helen Daigle has been named principal repetiteur and senior rehearsal director.

Marcus Jarrell Willis has been named artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, beginning in October.

Ty King-Wall has been named artistic director of Royal New Zealand Ballet, succeeding interim artistic director David McAllister in November.

Richmond Ballet artistic director Stoner Winslett will step down at the end of the 2023–24 season, moving into an advisory role as founding artistic director in July. She will be succeeded by current associate artistic director Ma Cong.

Minnesota Dance Theatre artistic director Lise Houlton has retired. Her daughter Kaitlyn Gilliland has been named interim artistic director for the 2023–24 season.

Harriet Clark and Calvin Hilpert have joined American Repertory Ballet as rehearsal directors.

Cameron Morgan has been named executive director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center, which hosts Vail Dance Festival. He succeeds Owen Hutchinson, who has been named artistic director.

White Bird cofounders Walter Jaffe and Paul King have retired, though they continue to serve as co-presidents of its board of directors. Executive director Graham Cole has assumed sole leadership of the organization.

Julieanne Ehre has left her post as director of Pivot Arts to serve as assistant director for programming and engagement at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Former Disney Theatrical president and producer Thomas Schumacher has shifted to the role of chief creative officer. Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart have been named executive vice presidents.

Yoshiaki Nokano and William Moore have been named choreographers in residence at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for the 2023–24 and 2024–25 seasons. Both will continue to perform with the company.

Awards & Honors

The 2023 Bessies Angel Award Honorees are adrienne maree brown, Lane Harwell, Young Soon Kim, and Gus Solomons jr.

New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project has awarded production grants, which includes $45,000 towards the creation of a new dance work, $11,500 for production residencies, and $10,000 unrestricted funds, to Baye & Asa, Ladies of Hip-Hop, inkBoat, RUPTURE, Adia Tamar Whitaker & Àse Dance Theater, Kayla Hamilton, Jenn Freeman, dani tirrell, Jasmine Hearn, Keshet Dance Company, Litebulb/LB Productions, DaEun Jung, Nejla Yatkin Dance, Kayla Farrish, Viver Brasil, Nava Dance Theatre, Morgan Thorson, Jay Carlon, Christal Brown/INSPIRIT, and SOLE Defined. Additionally, $10,000 Finalist Awards were granted to Big Dance Theater, Ananya Dance Theatre, Bridge Live Arts, Ayako Kato/Art Union Humanscape, Kyle Marshall Choreography, Dance Exchange, Prehistoric Body Theater, PUSH Physical Theatre, Inc., Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, little house dance, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, CONTRA-TIEMPO, Jesse Factor, Hope Boykin, DNAWORKS, Jody Kuehner/Cherdonna Shinatra, Blue13 Dance Company, Culture Mill, and Yayoi Kambara.

New Funding Opportunities

Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry. Dance and Social Justice Fellowship Program will award $1,500-$4,000 grants to reimburse individual disabled dance workers for expenses incurred from engaging in dance and/or social justice activities from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. Application deadline is October 10 at 5 pm ET, more information available here.

New York State DanceForce has begun accepting applications for its 2024 New York State Choreographers Initiative, which will award 12 artists studio time, dancers, mentorship, and a $2,500 stipend. Application deadline is December 7. More information available here.

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Comings & Goings

Dani Rowe has been appointed artistic director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, effective February 27.

Moscelyne ParkeHarrison has been appointed associate artistic director of Post:ballet. She will continue to serve as resident choreographer and company artist.

Alabama Ballet artistic director and CEO Tracey Alvey will retire at the end of the current season in June.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet artistic director and CEO André Lewis will step down in 2025.

Marco Goecke has been terminated from his position as ballet director of Hanover State Opera, following a widely-publicized physical assault on journalist Wiebke Hüster. The company plans to keep existing works of his in its repertory.

Elizabeth Sweeney has joined San Jose Dance Theatre as executive director.

At New York City Ballet, Emilie Gerrity, Isabella LaFreniere, Roman Mejia and Mira Nadon have been promoted to principal.

At Miami City Ballet, Dawn Atkins Hilty has been promoted to principal, Damian Zamorano to principal soloist, and Cameron Catazaro and Nicole Stalker to soloist.

At Birmingham Royal Ballet, Max Maslen and Lachlan Monaghan have been promoted to principal.

At Royal New Zealand Ballet, Kihiro Kusukami has been promoted to principal.

At Cincinnati Ballet, Katherine Ochoa has been promoted to soloist.

Tiit Helimets gave his final performance as a principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet on February 11. He will continue as a principal character dancer through the end of the 2023 season.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal Amanda Cochrane has retired.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal Lesley Rausch will retire at the end of the current season. Her final performance is scheduled for June 11.

Royal Ballet principal Laura Morera will retire at the end of the 2022–23 season. Her final performance is currently scheduled for July 8. She will return to stage and coach repertory, including overseeing Kenneth MacMillan’s works for the MacMillan Estate.

National Ballet of Canada principal character artist Rebekah Rimsay will retire from the company in June. Principal dancer Piotr Stanczyk will retire in November.

Awards & Honors

Ayodele Casel and Rosy Simas have received 2023 Doris Duke Artist Awards, which include a $550,000 unrestricted grant. Previous recipients each received an additional $20,000 unrestricted grant.

Rennie Harris will receive the 2023 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award, which includes a $50,000 prize, on June 9. Jody Gottfried Arnhold will receive the 2023 Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching, which includes a $5,000 honorarium, on June 28.

Jasmine Hearn is the recipient of a 2023 Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists award, which includes a $45,000 unrestricted grant. The Merce Cunningham Award, with a grant in the same amount, went to devynn emory.

Akeim Toussaint Buck was awarded a 2023 Arts Foundation Futures Award, which includes a £10,000 unrestricted grant.

At the Venice Biennale, Simone Forti will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, TAO Dance Theater the Silver Lion.

James Kudelka is among the recipients of the 2023 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

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Hearn stops, exhales, smiles and takes the mic in hand to officially welcome the audience, bringing us into our own bodies. Wearing a translucent, earth-toned, floor-length coat, they summon teachers, mentors, ancestors and even the biodiversity of the soil beneath us in their remarks. In fact, several former teachers and mentors are in that very room.

Hearn’s web of connectedness makes for a multifaceted practice that includes yoga, somatics, vocal traditions, collaboration, garmentry, gratitude and outstanding dancing. “I am a teaching artist, a making artist and collaborating artist, all at the same time,” says the three-time Bessie Award winner, the last of which was for an outstanding performance in The Motherboard Suite in 2021.

Currently, the Houston-born artist is readying for WEDDING through Brooklyn’s JACK theater on January 15 and 16, which includes the next iteration of Hearn’s solo series N I L E: Rose Rising, alongside the screening of What soil lines my vessel, a collage of video, song, photos and film footage by Myssi Robinson, Athena Kokoronis, Alex Barbier, Hayden Hubner, Symara Johnson and Hearn. Due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the performances will take place but stream virtually.

“This solo series came during the pandemic from my need to move, but be as safe as I can. I wanted to listen to the land, to be vulnerable, to follow my intuition,” says Hearn. “The title refers to my spine as a river, to follow its resource as a river. This image also encourages me to ask ‘What is my riverbed/resource/ground?’”

It’s no wonder that two of Hearn’s three Bessies were for Outstanding Performer. Whether dancing, speaking or standing still, Hearn is mesmerizing. Watching them casually sustain a seemingly impossible backbend, course across the space at high speeds or fold in an unexpected collapse, it’s clear that they are a virtuoso mix master of a multitude of influences.

“I trained at the Houston Met, watched my mom make pralines in the kitchen, and danced at trail rides and church,” they say. “All of these are maps of memory. I am a living archive.”

Hearn’s movement education is an eclectic one. “I began a yoga practice at 17 to heal my knees and back,” they say. “Now I pair yoga with what I learned while in Afro-Haitian class with Jean Julio, and company class with Alesandra Seutin of Vocab Dance.”

Somatic training is also core to their skills. “I have been able to deepen the studies of my pelvis with Bennalldra Williams, Barbara Mahler, Chanon Judson, Samantha Speis, and full-spectrum doula training program with Ancient Song.”

Despite their current solo-series project, Hearn considers dancing with others a vital and necessary part of dance life.

Since graduating from Point Park University in 2010, they have danced with Urban Bush Women, David Dorfman Dance, Helen Simoneau Danse, Dance Alloy Theater and the August Wilson Center Dance Ensemble.

Now a freelancer, they are collaborating with Claudette Nickens Johnson, Solange Knowles, Alisha B. Wormsley, Lovie Olivia, Athena Kokoronis of Domestic Performance Agency, jhon r stronks, Helen Simoneau and Holly Bass.

Teachers, mentors, friends live in Hearn’s body, and dancing is a way to pay homage to them. Gratitude is huge, so much so that Hearn has a tab on the website to list mentors, teachers and supporters. A Patient Practice, an ongoing body of work, acknowledges these individuals. “These folks have let me know where else they may have seen similar movements and dialects. I have always loved to take dance class or practice moves that I had seen at family gatherings and church events,” says Hearn. “All of these experiences have had such an influence upon me. ”

The recent Bessie, along with commissions from Danspace Project and working with Solange Knowles, has placed Hearn on a larger radar, accelerating their career momentum. “Committing to this freelance life has asked me to be sensitive to the possibilities that may unfold in response to work that I have already done,” says Hearn. “I remember saying that I was just riding the wave—responding to what came to me. There came a moment that I began to shift my perspective and decided to commit to where I’d like to be.” 

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