Dance List 4
This list arrives as many people are settling into holiday downtime, so be warned: it might not put you in the out-of-office spirit. We are heading into January, that month overflowing with dance and theater in New York, on and around the occasion of the performing arts professionals convention known as APAP. (If you’re new to the acronym, that’s pronounced AY-pap.) Brace yourselves, because there’s a lot going on.
With so many festivals coming up, this list looks a little different than usual, possibly a bit unwieldy; I hope it is still helpful.
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Some special business this month: For 18 days, Dec. 15 through Jan. 1, I’m giving 18% of subscription income to Doctors Without Borders, which been responding to the catastrophic situation in Gaza as part of its broader mission to provide medical assistance to those who need it most around the world. In Jewish tradition, 18 (“chai”) is a symbol of life, and it’s common to give monetary gifts or donations in multiples of 18. (Because of my thoroughly Irish name and affiliations, people are often surprised to learn: I’m Jewish!) It has been hard for me to carry on with my daily work as I watch the horrors of this U.S.-funded war unfold and process its reverberations closer to home. I see this as one small way to channel my resources in a meaningful direction.
The list below begins with some late-December events I learned of recently (for more this month, see Dance List 3) and continues through the last full week of January. A few notes for navigation:
The events are listed in order of opening date. Where listed as “through” a certain date, the event has already opened.
The list has two sections: performances (week by week) followed by a roundup of dance-related screenings, talks, and exhibitions.
* = free, suggested donation, or sliding-scale ticket options
The information below is current as of the last time I checked, but things can change (and while I strive for accuracy, I will inevitably make a few mistakes). Please visit the event websites for up-to-date details and full date/time info.
January is so busy, I imagine I’ll learn of more APAP-adjacent events in the coming weeks. I’ll try to post updates on the website version of this list.
Another extensive-not-comprehensive list will be coming your way on Jan. 18. Want to let me know about an upcoming show? Write to me at danceletter@substack.com.
Performances
(Updated 1/19/24 at 5:42pm)
Additional late-December events
Dec. 27-Jan. 16: Noche Flamenca, Searching for Goya at the Second Floor Theatre at 122CC
Dec. 30: Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, “Kwanzaa: A Regeneration Celebration” at the Apollo Theater
Week of Monday, Jan. 1
*Jan. 5-14: Motion/Matter: Street Dance Festival at Perelman Performing Arts Center
Jan. 5-7: Program A: Supa Rich Kids by Oulouy, Afrikan Party
Jan. 11-12: Program B: Korea National Contemporary Dance Company / Lee Kyungeun, BreAking and Kia LaBeija, P IS FOR POP D IS FOR DIP
Jan. 13-14: Program C: Nicolas Huchard, The Barefoot Diva and Kia LaBeija, P IS FOR POP D IS FOR DIP
Jan. 6-14: Nile Harris, this house is not a home at Abrons Arts Center
Through Jan. 7: MOMIX at the Joyce Theater
Through Jan. 16: Noche Flamenca, Searching for Goya at the Second Floor Theatre at 122CC
Week of Monday, Jan. 8
*Jan. 8: Movement Research at the Judson Church (Stacy Lynn Smith, Amelia Heintzelman & Leah Fournier, Yao Qingmei) at Judson Memorial Church
Jan. 9-14: American Dance Platform at the Joyce Theater
Jan. 9-10: “Jazz at the Joyce” (Dormeshia Tap Collective, Michelle N. Gibson, Josette Wiggan Presents)
Jan. 11 and 14: Soles of Duende, Can We Dance Here?
Jan. 12-13: Dallas Black Dance Theatre
Jan. 9-20: Live Artery at New York Live Arts (or off-site where noted)
Jan. 9-13: Faye Driscoll, Weathering
Jan. 11-13: Roderick George | kNoname Artist, Venom at Gibney
Jan. 11-13: Albert Ibokwe Khoza, The Black Circus of the Republic of Bantu
*Jan. 11-14: Juliana F. May, Family Happiness at the Chocolate Factory
Jan. 12-15: Lisa Fagan and Lena Engelstein, Deepe Darknesse at Collapsable Hole
Jan. 13-15: Live Artery Studio Showings (Troy Anthony | The Fire Ensemble, Kimberly Bartosik/daela, Wally Cardona, Jasmine Hearn, Wanjiru Kamuyu | WKcollective, Raja Feather Kelly | the feath3r theory, Shamel Pitts | TRIBE)
Jan. 14-15 and 18-20: Dynasty Handbag, Titanic Depression
Jan. 10: Lauren Horn, Renaissance Gyal (part of Black Aesthetics, curated by Malcolm-x Betts & Arien Wilkerson) at Judson Memorial Church
Jan. 10-16: Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at the Guggenheim Museum (and Lincoln Center where noted)
Jan. 10: Kayla Farrish, Put Away the Fire, dear (in-process)
Jan. 11: Pontus Lidberg, On the Nature of Rabbits (highlights); Taylor Stanley and Alec Knight, new work (in-process)
*Jan. 12: Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall), featuring Ephrat Asherie Dance, It’s Showtime NYC!, Kwikstep and Rokafella, Ladies of Hip-Hop, LayeRhythm, Les Ballet Afrik, MasterZ at Work Dance Family, The Missing Element, Princess Lockerooo & The Fabulous Waack Dancers, and Underground Uptown Ball
Jan. 13: Ladies of Hip-Hop, The Black Dancing Bodies Project: SpeakMyMind
Jan. 14: Lloyd Knight, Jack Ferver, and Jeremy Jacob (in-process);
Company Stefanie Batten Bland, Embarqued: Stories of Soil (highlights)
Jan. 15: Passion Fruit Dance Company / Tatiana Desardouin, Trapped (highlights); Preeti Vasudevan and Amar Ramasar, Indian Letters (in-process)
Jan. 16: Francesca Harper, The Reckoning; Kash Gaines, Caged Birds (in-process)
*Jan. 10-15: Out-FRONT! Festival at The LGBT Community Center (continued below, Jan. 17-20 at Abrons Arts Center)
Jan. 10-11: Jason Anthony Rodriguez, Take a Good Look / Meet Me in the Moon
Jan. 11-12: Joey Kipp & Pioneers Go East Collective, Tracing Lorraine
Jan. 13-14: Ogemdi Ude, Hear
Jan. 14-15: Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez, YO OBSOLETE
Jan. 10-21: Luke Murphy, Volcano at St. Ann’s Warehouse
Jan. 11-13: Urban Bush Women, Haint Blu at Harlem Stage
Jan. 12-13: A shared evening: Jordan Demetrius Lloyd & Mina Nishimura at Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church
Jan. 12-21: Thunderbird American Indian Dancers’ Pow-Wow and Dance Concert at Theater for the New City
Jan. 13: Nightcap: Hilary Hahn and Tiler Peck at Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall
Jan. 14 and 19-20: Weena Pauly and Katie Workum, Monster Mourning at Kestrels
Through Jan. 14: Nile Harris, this house is not a home at Abrons Arts Center
Through Jan. 14: Motion/Matter: Street Dance Festival at Perelman Performing Arts Center (details above in Week of Jan. 1)
Through Jan. 16: Noche Flamenca, Searching for Goya at the Second Floor Theatre at 122CC
Week of Monday, Jan. 15
Jan. 16-21: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE at the Joyce Theater
*Jan. 17-20: Out-FRONT! Festival at Abrons Arts Center (begins Jan. 10-15 at The LGBT Community Center; see above)
Jan. 17 and 19: Arthur Aviles and Collaborators, Naked Vanguard
Jan. 18 and 20: Annie MingHao Wang, had my mouth
Jan. 19-20: Paz Tanjuaquio / TOPAZ ARTS Dance Productions, Silweta
Jan. 18-20: Sharleen Chidiac, Home Entertainment Complex at Pageant
Jan. 19: State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, Cinderella at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
Jan. 19-20: Take Root with Cori Kresge and Stephanie Saywell at Green Space
Jan. 21: Fertile Ground New Works Showcase (Alanna Huling, Gwen Appenfeller, Jack Murphy, Navatman Dance, Shira Kagan-Shafman, Steph McIsaac) at Green Space
Jan. 21-22: Durante Verzola, “A Choreographic Portrait,” with Dance Lab New York, Angela Lyn, Miami City Ballet, and New York Choreographic Institute at Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Through Jan. 16: Noche Flamenca, Searching for Goya at the Second Floor Theatre at 122CC
Through Jan. 16: Works & Process Underground Uptown Dance Festival at the Guggenheim Museum and Lincoln Center (details above in Week of Jan. 8)
Through Jan. 20: Dynasty Handbag, Titanic Depression at New York Live Arts
Through Jan. 20: Weena Pauly and Katie Workum, Monster Mourning at Kestrels
Through Jan. 21: Luke Murphy, Volcano at St. Ann’s Warehouse
Through Jan. 21: Thunderbird American Indian Dancers’ Pow-Wow and Dance Concert at Theater for the New City
Week of Monday, Jan. 22
*Jan. 22: Movement Research at the Judson Church (Barnett Cohen) at Judson Memorial Church
Jan. 22 (also Jan. 21): Durante Verzola, “A Choreographic Portrait,” with Dance Lab New York, Angela Lyn, Miami City Ballet, and New York Choreographic Institute at Works & Process at the Guggenheim
Jan. 23-28: Compagnie Hervé KOUBI, Sol Invictus at the Joyce Theater
Jan. 23-March 3: New York City Ballet winter season at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center
Jan. 23, 24, 26, 27: “Tribute to Robbins” (Jerome Robbins, Fancy Free, In the Night, The Four Seasons)
Jan. 25, 27, 28: “Wheeldon + Martins + Peck” (Christopher Wheeldon, Polyphonia; Peter Martins, Barber Violin Concerto; Justin Peck, The Times Are Racing)
Jan. 24: Arien Wilkerson and Domenic Pellegrini, LOVE8: the pain of love without breaking (part of Black Aesthetics, curated by Malcolm-x Betts & Arien Wilkerson) at Judson Memorial Church
Jan. 24-26: “Nihon Buyo in the 21st Century: From Kabuki Dance to Boléro” at Japan Society
Jan. 25-27: Peter BD, Changeover at Pageant
Jan. 25-27: Christopher Rudd / RudduR Dance, “Tomorrow” at the Chelsea Factory
Jan. 25-Feb. 4: Great Jones Repertory, Aristotle Thinks Again (choreographed / directed by Dan Safer; co-created with maura nguyen donohue, John Maria Gutierrez, Valois Mickens, Kim Savarino, and Marcus McGregor) at La MaMa
Jan. 27-28: Ellen Robbins, “Dances By Very Young Choreographers” at New York Live Arts
Screenings, Talks & Exhibitions
*Dec. 27: “The Dance Historian Is In: Omonike Akinyemi on Manuel Alum” at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
*Jan. 12-March 2: Madeline Hollander, Entanglement at Bortolami
*Jan. 13: Out-FRONT! Films: Omega X & Danni, Fana Fraser, Tourmaline, part of Out-FRONT! Festival at The LGBT Community Center
Jan. 24: Dance Talks: Ishmael Houston-Jones and Chris Cochrane, curated by Phoebe Berglund, at Pageant
*Jan. 26: Jerome Robbins Dance Division Annual Symposium: presentations and performances with a focus on Martha Graham, by Michael Byrne, Kim Jones, Alexandra Kamerling, Lloyd Knight, Virginie Mécène, and Alexa West
*Through Feb. 4: Ligia Lewis, study now steady at CARA, with live studies Thursdays-Sundays (except Dec. 18-Jan. 12)
*Through March 16, “Border Crossings: Exile and American Modern Dance, 1900-1955” at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts