Editor Approved: 7 Dance Shows to Catch This October
As the fall performance season kicks into high gear, we’ve been cramming as much excellent dance on our calendars as possible. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options, we’ve got you covered: From rare U.S. appearances by one of our 2018 “25 to Watch” to an autumn mainstay for New Yorkers, Romeo and Juliet to The Handmaid’s Tale, here’s what caught our eye.
Intimacy and Insight
A.I.M will perform Kyle Abraham’s Dearest Home at The Joyce Theater during NY Quadrille. Photo by Carrie Schneider, Courtesy Richard Kornberg & Associates
NEW YORK CITY The good sight lines at The Joyce Theater are ideal for dance, but in 2016 Lar Lubovitch decided the theater needed a change. He created NY Quadrille, a series in which the Joyce space was transformed from a traditional proscenium into a four-sided stage that allowed us to see—literally—more sides to each participating choreographer. Taking part this year: John Jasperse, Kyle Abraham, Beth Gill, Donna Uchizono and Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener. All have tested the boundaries of intimacy in their work, so it will be fascinating to see how each handles this more exposed performance setup. Sept. 24–Oct. 13. joyce.org. —Wendy Perron
Flamenco’s New Flame
Eduardo Guerrero. Photo by Marjon Broeks, Courtesy Columbia Artists Management
U.S. TOUR
Eduardo Guerrero blazed his way onto our “25 to Watch” list earlier this year with his breathtaking flamenco technique and edgy contemporary sensibility. Now, the boundary-pushing dancer-choreographer is touring the U.S. with his Compania Flamenca Eduardo Guerrero, presenting Flamenco Pasion, an evening-length program of shorter group and solo works. The tour will hit 17 stops beginning Sept. 30 in South Carolina and concluding Nov. 2 in Arizona. eduardo-guerrero.com. —Courtney Escoyne
Take Me Out to the Fall Game
NEW YORK CITY For only $15 a throw, Fall for Dance is a populist’s dream. Dance lovers from every neighborhood come to New York City Center and show their appreciation with hoots and hollers. For its 15th year, the festival sprinkles commissions from six choreographers over the two-week, 20-company festival: American Ballet Theatre’s Gemma Bond, international favorite Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer Justin Peck, commercial powerhouse Sonya Tayeh, tap diva Caleb Teicher, and Jennifer Weber, who is creating a work for Tiler Peck and Lil Buck set to Stravinsky’s Petrushka. For extra celebratory fizz, come early on Oct. 1, when audience members are invited for a champagne toast, archive exhibit and pop-up performances. Oct. 1–13. nycitycenter.org. —WP
Out at Sea
Oregon Ballet Theatre performed the third act of Napoli in 2015. Photo by James McGrew, Courtesy OBT
PORTLAND, OR Boy meets girl, girl insists on marrying boy despite parental disapproval, girl is lost at sea, loses her memory and becomes a sea nymph, but is ultimately reunited with boy for a third-act wedding. The plot of August Bournonville’s Napoli traces familiar (if zany) contours, but the 1842 ballet, long a classic in Denmark, is largely absent from American stages. Oregon Ballet Theatre becomes the first U.S. company to stage a complete production this month. With former Royal Danish Ballet artistic director Frank Andersen at the helm, Napoli will offer a rare glimpse at the nuanced Bournonville style so rarely seen in the U.S. Oct. 6–13. obt.org. —CE
Nasty Women
Works inspired by radical, revered writings from female authors
extreme lyric I
Hope Mohr’s extreme lyric I. Photo by Margo Moritz, Courtesy John Hill PR
SAN FRANCISCO
The poet Sappho’s unparalleled, incomplete musings on female desire feature in Hope Mohr’s latest work, extreme lyric I. Anne Carson’s translations are interwoven with an original text exploring questions of gender identity and narrative, delivered by transgender writer Maxe Crandall. Oct. 4–6. hopemohr.org. —CE
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lila York’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Photo by David Cooper, Courtesy Royal Winnipeg Ballet
WINNIPEG
Royal Winnipeg Ballet wades into the #MeToo movement with a revival of The Handmaid’s Tale, Lila York’s 2013 adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel. Through a series of vignettes, audiences follow Offred’s struggle to survive in a brutally patriarchal society. Oct. 10–14. rwb.org. —CE
Two Households, Both Alike in Dignity
L.A. Dance Project. Photo by Laurent Philippe, Courtesy Los Angeles Philharmonic
LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Philharmonic continues its recent streak of intriguing collaborations with dance artists this month with performances of Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet. L.A. Dance Project will animate the cinematic score with choreography by artistic director Benjamin Millepied, including the iconic balcony scene. Oct. 18–21. laphil.com. —CE
