There’s an inherent tension anytime a new dancer breathes life into an existing work onstage. Interpreting a role is always a push and pull, says Ronni Favors, rehearsal director for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, between what the performer brings and what was already there. “Alvin said, ‘I like dancers who can color movement, who […]

Following the success of his elegant but minimalist “Rococo Variations, Op. 33” for Houston Ballet, the company will premiere a new one-act ballet by Silas Farley September 19–29.

Yang discovered artisan tinned fish at her favorite gourmet grocery store, Houston’s Central Market. She fell for the beautiful packaging first, and the contents second. “I was like, ‘I’d love to have these at home as part of the décor,’ ” she says. “There are vintage-looking ones, and sometimes I splurge on fancy ones.” (Her favorite brands are Fishwife, Berthe, La Barca, and José Gourmet.) Yang developed her pasta dish from there, explaining that the balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats from omega-3s make it the perfect post-performance meal: “Even if it’s really late, and my legs are so sore I cannot walk one more step, the act of creating something really energizes me.”

An American company crossing the pond for the first time, festivals centering Asian dancemakers, premieres responding to colonization, transgender identity, audience relationships, and more—the performance landscape over the next two months is overflowing with possibility. Here’s what’s at the top of our lists.

Balletcore is also a subject of passionate debate among dancers. Many cringe at simplistic representations of the tools of their trade and, especially, at the use of models who appear to lack any ballet experience. Others think it’s a harmless or even potentially beneficial sign of admiration and respect for their art form.

Watching Eric Best navigate the sensuous curves of Stanton Welch’s Tapestry, during Houston Ballet’s Jubilee of Dance this December, the dancer’s flow and exactitude merged into a seamless whole. His generous port de bras caressed the space, drawing out Welch’s nuanced choreographic lines. With his crisp technique, subtle swagger, and beguiling fluidity, Best catapulted from the corps de ballet to soloist at the opening of the season, and audiences cannot get enough of him.

Naturally drawn to dance from a young age, Harper Watters also sought out a sense of community throughout his training. The only boy enrolled at his local studio in New Hampshire, Watters eventually enrolled at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, which brought him to a life-changing audition for Houston Ballet’s summer intensive at the age of 15.

Electric performances, thought-provoking choreography, buzzy bodies of work—the artists on our annual list of dancers, choreographers, directors, and companies poised for a breakout share an uncanny knack for arresting attention. They’ve been turning heads while turning what’s expected—in a performance, from a career trajectory—on its head. We’re betting we’ll be seeing a lot more of them this year, and for many years to come.