Weekend Report

May 21, 2013

Amid barbeques and beach trips, there are plenty of dance events to check out this Memorial Day weekend. Late May officially kicks off spring recital season, but as you know, not all school productions mean hours of toddlers in tutus “sashaying”—don’t you mean chassé-ing?!—to top 40 hits.

Jump start your weekend with tickets to Purchase Dance Company at New York Live Arts May 22–25. It’s the company’s first full New York City season, and we imagine we’ll be seeing the performers (who are select dancers from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase) on New York stages many times post graduation. It’s a diverse program: they’re performing Bill T. Jones’ Spent Days Out Yonder, George Balanchine’s Valse-Fantaisie, and new works created by Ori Flomin, Loni Landon and Claire Porter. Four seniors will perform solo works by Kyle Abraham, Stephen Petronio, Andrea Miller, and Sarah Mettin. Info: www.newyorklivearts.org

The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC, presents their Spring Performance Series May 23–25 at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. Students will perform Balanchine’s sprightly Allegro Brillante and Act II of the romantic ballet La Sylphide. Info: www.kirovacademydc.org

Of course, no Memorial Day weekend is complete without a little John Philip Sousa. Head to Portland’s PCC Sylvania Performing Arts Center Friday May 24 and 25 to see The Portland Ballet Youth Company‘s production of Balanchine’s classic Stars and Stripes. (The program also includes an excerpt of Don Quixote and Oregon-based choreographer Josie Moseley’s piece, When I Close My Eyes.) TPB’s academy showcase is Saturday afternoon; the hour-long show highlights dancers from pre-ballet to pre-professional levels. Info: www.theportlandballet.org