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15 Dance Performances to See in October

By: Susan Reiter
Date: Oct 04, 2024
Dance

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Catch performances by American Ballet Theatre, Bill T. Jones, the National Ballet of Ukraine and more

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A new literary-inspired work for American Ballet Theatre, classics by Tony-winning choreographers Bill T. Jones and Garth Fagan, and the National Ballet of Ukraine are just some of the exciting dance performances to see this month. There are also international dance-makers at smaller venues around the city, plus don't forget that New York City Ballet's fall season continues through October 13.

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Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street in Chelsea

Runs October 1-6.

One of the nation's leading Black dance companies returns to The Joyce with a triple bill that includes works by two high-profile choreographers: Rennie Harris' Jacob's Ladder, inspired by artist Jacob Lawrence's scenes of city life, and Paul Taylor's 1975 masterpiece Esplanade, his singular response to Bach. Rounding out the program is Ray Mercer's This I Know For Sure, which investigates the creative interaction between dancers and their choreographer.

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Lenio Kaklea: Analphabètes

Play Lawns on Governors Island

Runs October 5. FREE

For this US premiere, Greece-born, Paris-based choreographer Lenio Kaklea crafts a site-specific work designed for three different viewing perspectives: near, far and very far away. Earlier incarnations were offered on a Cycladic island and in the Tuileries Garden in Paris. The New York iteration features three local dancers joining Kaklea in this piece, which has been reimagined for the Governors Island landscape.

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Lenio Kaklea: Αγρίμι (Fauve)

New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in Chelsea

Runs October 9-11.

Another singular piece by Lenio Kaklea, Αγρίμι (the Greek word for "wild one") conjures a forest through choreography as she and her dancers navigate a cluster of metal poles.

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Botis Seva/Far From the Norm: BLK DOG

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street in Chelsea

Runs October 9-13. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

Choreographer Botis Seva leads the London-based company Far From the Norm, known for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The troupe makes its Joyce debut with its Olivier Award-winning BLKDOG, an exhilarating exploration of the challenges youths face today, set to original music and text by composer Torben Sylvest.

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Niall Jones: JohnsonJaxxxonJefferson

Danspace Project, St. Mark's Church, 131 East 10th Street between Second and Third Avenues in the East Village

Runs October 10-12.

Multimedia artist Niall Jones fuses dance, sound, text, photography and video for his genre-defying performances. His latest immersive piece, JohnsonJaxxxonJefferson, is the culmination of a yearlong stint as a Danspace Research Artist-in-Residence and crafted specifically for the venue.

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National Ballet of Ukraine

New York City Center, 131 West 55th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues in Midtown West

Runs October 15-16.

Despite the terrible toll of the country's ongoing conflict with Russia, the dancers of the Kyiv-based National Ballet of Ukraine continue to soldier on and are currently on a US tour that stops at City Center for two evenings. The program is shared with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers, a robust folk troupe 44 members strong, who perform traditional works against an eye-popping, 3D LED screen, while the ballet tackles excerpts from Giselle, Don Quixote, La Bayadère and less familiar repertoire. A portion of the proceeds goes to an organization dedicated to supporting Ukrainian families impacted by the war, which should be top of mind during the moving contemporary work Prayer for the Fallen.

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Vildwerk: Time to Protect Our Planet

El Teatro at El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th Street in East Harlem

Runs October 15-16.

An impressive lineup of choreographers from ballet and contemporary dance join forces for this green-themed program. Vildwerk's inaugural season features works by Christopher Wheeldon, Henning Rübsam, Joshua Beamish and others, performed by dancers from The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, the Martha Graham Dance Company and more.

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American Ballet Theatre Fall Season

David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza at 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue in Lincoln Square

Runs October 16-November 3.

American Ballet Theatre expands its fall season to three weeks this year. The first two feature mixed-repertory programs that include a pair of world premieres, one by Kyle Abraham, the other by Gemma Bond. The final week introduces a dramatic new ballet: Helen Pickett's Crime and Punishment, based on Dostoyevsky's landmark novel. The full-evening work features an original score by Isobel Waller-Bridge, and the central role of Raskolnikov will be performed by alternating dancers of different genders. Returning repertoire includes two works by Twyla Tharp, In the Upper Room and Sinatra Suite, as well as several ballets that display technical grandeur, such as Études and Ballet Imperial.

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DD Dorvillier: Dance is the archeologist, or an idol in the bone.

The Chocolate Factory Theater, 38-33 24th Street between 38th and 39th Avenues in Long Island City, Queens

Runs October 17-19.

A much-admired independent artist on New York's contemporary dance scene in the '90s and '00s, DD Dorvillier has been based in France since 2010. She makes a rare return to our city to perform this solo, a collaboration with sound artist Sébastien Roux, that was inspired by a dream she had after spending time at remote archeological sites in France.

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Maureen Fleming: The Alchemist's Veil

La MaMa's Ellen Stewart Theatre, 66 East 4th Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue in the East Village

Runs October 17-27. If you're a TDF member, log in to your account to purchase discount tickets.

As intrepid and adventurous as ever at age 70, Maureen Fleming conceived and choreographed this world-premiere solo, a surreal celebration of femininity with visuals inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings. Danced to music by Brian Eno and Philip Glass, the piece also features moving sculptures by Christopher Odo.

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Dual Rivet: Subscript

92NY, 1395 Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street on the Upper East Side

Runs October 18-19.

Dual Rivet, an emerging, women-led company, was a runner-up in the 92NY's Future Dance Festival in 2022. The troupe returns to the esteemed venue with Subscript, which utilizes visceral imagery and dynamic movement to explore questions around autonomy.

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Sergio Bernal Dance: A Night with Sergio Bernal

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street in Chelsea

Runs October 23-27.

A former principal dancer with Ballet Nacional de España, Sergio Bernal fuses elements of flamenco and ballet to expand the horizons of both forms. He is joined by dancers and musicians in this evening-length program that incorporates touchstones of Spanish music as well as Ravel's Boléro.

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Nadia Beugré: Quartiers libres revisited

New York Live Arts, 219 West 19th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in Chelsea

Runs October 24-26.

Nadia Beugré, a France-based dancer-choreographer from the Ivory Coast, reimagines her 12-year-old solo Quartiers libres (free rein) for the Crossing the Line festival. Beugré is joined by two emerging artists from her homeland for this exploration of how spaces can entrap us and or spark epiphanies.

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Garth Fagan Dance

The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street in Chelsea

Runs October 29-November 3.

For more than 50 years, this eminent troupe has reflected the singular vision of founder Garth Fagan (Tony-winning choreographer of The Lion King), who blends Afro-Caribbean movement, American modern dance and experimental influences for his distinctive style. Two of his most loyal and longstanding dancers now lead the company and contribute new works that are performed alongside the founder's creations. Norwood Pennewell serves as the artistic director and his shamanistic take on The Rite of Spring is receiving its New York premiere alongside executive director Natalie Rogers-Cropper's Life Receding, which explores the impact of climate change on her Caribbean homeland. Rounding out the program are two dances by Fagan and a pair of additional Pennewell works.

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Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Still/Here

BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Avenue between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Runs October 30-November 2.

When it premiered in 1994, Bill T. Jones' large-scale, deeply personal Still/Here was timely, groundbreaking and controversial in some quarters. Incorporating dance, text and multimedia, the piece was born out of the pain and traumatic impact of the AIDS crisis, with Bill T. Jones drawing on workshops he conducted with people living with life-threatening illness. Even three decades later, with AIDS no longer a death sentence, this classic is sure to resonate.

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Susan Reiter covers dance for TDF Stages.