10 Dance Performances to See This Fall
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New York City Ballet: Fall Season
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, enter at 63rd Street
Runs through October 17.
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New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Runs October 13-24.
Since 2004, City Center has showcased brilliant dance companies from around the world for this annual event. After presenting a virtual season last year, the festival returns to the storied stage with five fantastic programs, each just $15. Highlights include New York City Ballet’s phenomenal soloist, Georgina Pazcoguin, stepping into Gwen Verdon’s dance shoes for Sweet Gwen Suite featuring choreography created by Bob Fosse and his longtime muse; the NYC premiere of The Movement, Step Afrika!’s delirious celebration of stepping; Philadelphia’s innovative BalletX in a dazzling premiere from resident choreographer Matthew Neenan; and brand-new works from tap great Ayodele Casel and modern dance master Lar Lubovitch.
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American Ballet Theatre: Fall Season
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, enter at 63rd Street
Runs October 20-31. If you’re a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase them at a discount.
American Ballet Theatre’s fall lineup includes classics such as Giselle and Antony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire alongside much-appreciated innovations. These include the in-person premiere of Christopher Rudd’s Touché, a sensual pas de deux about the love and lust between two men; resident choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s tribute to the music of Leonard Bernstein; Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Indestructible Light, a lively romp to American jazz; and Jessica Lang’s ZigZag, a celebration of Tony Bennett’s incredible career as a singer and painter.
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Christopher Williams: Narcissus
New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues
Runs October 28-30.
We all know that Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection, but Christopher Williams infuses his ornate ballet with a queer sensibility, as the title character navigates a forest full of fairies while pursued by another man. New York City Ballet principal Taylor Stanley and the stellar Cemiyon Barber share the leading role. In addition to Andrew Jordan’s out-of-this-world costumes, the show boasts an exceptional crop of talented modern dancers.
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Indigenous Enterprise: Indigenous Liberation
The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street
Runs November 9-14.
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Harlem Stage, 150 Convent Avenue at 135th Street
Runs November 12-13.
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Complexions Contemporary Ballet
The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street
Runs November 16-28.
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New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Runs November 17-21.
Twyla Tharp turned 80 in July, but as a recent PBS special proved, not even a pandemic can keep this award-winning dance-maker down. This November, she brings a fabulous collection of dance stars from Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet together for a pair of premieres and two old favorites her incredible repertoire. James Gilmer, Jacquelin Harris, Aran Bell, Catherine Hurlin, Roman Mejia, Tiler Peck and Tony nominee Robbie Fairchild will give their all to Tharp’s genre-defying genius.
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Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets
Runs November 18-20.
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The Gym at Judson, 243 Thompson Street between West 3rd Street and Washington Square South in the West Village
Runs through November 21.
A dance-theatre piece devised to appeal to devotees and non-fans alike, Beyond Babel fuses circus arts, hip-hop and breakdancing to retell the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet. You don’t need a degree in Shakespeare to appreciate this high-energy reinvention of the classic romantic tragedy set to a pulsing soundtrack.
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Juan Michael Porter II is the staff writer for TheBody.com and a contributor to TDF Stages, Did They Like It?, SF Chronicle, Christian Science Monitor, American Theatre, them, Into More and SYFY Wire. He is a National Critics Institute and Poynter Power of Diverse Voices Fellow. Follow him at @juanmichaelii. Follow TDF at @ TDFNYC.
Top image: Larissa Gerszke and Craig Dionne in LOVE ROCKS by Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Photo by Steven Pisano.
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Juan Michael Porter II