this week in dance

NEW DANCE ALLIANCE: PERFORMANCE MIX FESTIVAL 2024

Company [REDACTED] presents My Apocalypse at NDA Performance Mix Festival (photo by Joohee Park)

PERFORMANCE MIX FESTIVAL
Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand St. at Pitt St.
June 6-9, $18.50
newdancealliance.org
www.abronsartscenter.org

The thirty-eighth annual Performance Mix Festival, hosted by New Dance Alliance at Abrons Arts Center, features live and recorded works from thirty-five experimental dance and film artists, including pieces from NDA’s Black Artists Space to Create residency and LiftOff residency. Running June 6-9, the festival features such creators as Mickey Davidson, Carole Arcega, Arantxa Araujo, j. bouey, Beatriz Castro Mauri, Jordan Deal, Tal Halevi, Yolette Yellow-Duke, and Aya Shabu, exploring such issues and subjects as ghost porn, climate change, queer platonic intimacy, Michael Jackson, masculinity, gun violence, gender markers, effeminacy and androgyny, and landscapes of memory. The 2024 event is curated by NDA founder and executive director Karen Bernard and an artist panel comprising Rafael Cañals, Maxi Hawkeye Canion, Jil Guyon, Rebecca Patek, and Stacy Lynn Smith, with films selected in collaboration with Ciné-Corps.

Tickets are $18.50; below is the complete schedule.

Thursday, June 6
j. bouey: A Message from Mx. Black Copper, Shua Group: Over, Frédéric Nauczyciel: A Baroque Ball (Shade), Bob Eisen, 7:00

Nina Laisné and François Chaignaud: Mourn, O Nature!, Flamenco Rosado, ankita sharma: jagaana/Awaken/, Isa Spector: A Larger Body, 8:30

Friday, June 7
Breakfast Mix: virtual dance experience organized by Agora de la danse/Koros, New Dance Alliance Studio, 182 Duane St., free with advance RSVP, 10:00

Panel discussion with Karen Bernard, L’Annexe-A, Virginie Combet, and Vanessa Bousquet of Koros, including two VR dance pieces by Hélène Blackburn and Andrea Peña, 10:30

Thomas Choinacky: Home Is the Body, Smaïl Kanouté: Never Twenty One, Company [REDACTED]: My Apocalypse, Shua Group: Over, 7:00

Saturday, June 8
Audrée Juteau, Zoey Gauld, Catherine Lavoie-Marcus, and Ellen Furey | Mystic-Informatic, followed by a reception, 7:00

Sunday, June 9
Carole Arcega: Hymen, Beatriz Castro Mauri: girl crush, Chloë Engel: Rubber, Johanna Meyer: Suit Hang, noon

Mickey D. & Friends: Visiting the Past to See the Future, Jordan Deal: capeforce, Lo Fi Dance Theory: Move Freely, Aya Shabu: LandED (excerpt), 1:30

Tal Halevi: Hidden in a Closet My Mother Imagined Being Wrapped in Her Father’s Shawl, Mohamad Moe Sabbah and Khansa: Khayef, Yolette Yellow-Duke, 3:00

Arantxa Araujo in collaboration with Mariana Uribe: Breathsculpt: Transformations Unveiled, Lena Engelstein: Stage Direction, Viktor Horváth, 4:30

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER AT BAM

Jamar Roberts’s Ode is a meditation on gun violence (photo by Paul Kolnik)

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
June 4-9, $37-$105
718-636-4100
www.bam.org

If you missed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s annual monthlong visit to City Center this past November/December, you can still catch two programs from their sixty-fifth anniversary season, taking place at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House June 4-9. Alvin Ailey had close ties to BAM, dancing there in 1956 and starting a company residency in 1969.

“Contemporary Visions” consists of new productions of Jamar Roberts’s 2019 Ode, Hans van Manen’s 1997 Solo, and Alonzo King’s 2000 Following the Subtle Current Upstream. Set to Don Pullen’s “Suite (Sweet) Malcolm (Part 1 Memories and Gunshots),” Ode is a seventeen-minute meditation on gun violence, restaged by Ghrai Devore-Stokes. Solo, originally performed by the company in 2005 and restaged by Clifton Brown and Rachel Beaujean, is seven minutes of playful one-upmanship as three male dancers strut their stuff in a kind of dance-off, their costumes (by Keso Dekker) differentiated by yellow, orange, and red; as each finishes a solo, they make gestures and eye movements inviting the next dancer to top what they have just done. But this is no mere rap battle; instead, it’s set to Sigiswald Kuijken’s versions of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002 — Double: Presto” and “Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002 — Double: Corrente.”

Alonzo King’s Following the Subtle Current Upstream is part of “Contemporary Visions” Ailey program at BAM (photo by Paul Kolnik)

And Following the Subtle Current Upstream, which King calls “a piece about how to return to joy,” is a twenty-two-minute work that unfolds in a series of vignettes with nine dancers performing to silence, a storm, chiming bells, and other sounds by Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain, American electronics composer Miguel Frasconi, and the late South African singer and activist Miriam Makeba. At one point a dancer is alone onstage, like a music box ballerina, two horizontal beams of smoky light overhead; the lighting is by Al Crawford based on Axel Morgenthaler’s original design, with tight-fitting, short costumes by Robert Rosenwasser, the men in all black, the women in black and/or yellow.

“All Ailey” is a treat for company aficionados, with presentations of the Ailey classics Memoria (1979), A Song for You (1972), Cry (1971), and Revelations (1960). Memoria, which will be performed with members of Ailey II and students from the Ailey School, was inspired by the death of Ailey’s friend and colleague Joyce Trisler; it is set to music by Keith Jarrett. A Song for You, an excerpt from Love Songs, features Donny Hathaway’s version of Leon Russell’s title track. Ailey choreographed the seventeen-minute Cry as a birthday gift for his mother. And Revelations is, well Revelations, one of the most famous and important dance works of all time.

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

DanceAfrica 2024: CAMEROON

Who: DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, Women of the Calabash, the Billie’s Youth Arts Academy Dance Ensemble, Siren — Protectors of the Rainforest, DJ YB, more
What: DanceAfrica Festival 2024
Where: BAM Howard Gilman Opera House, BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave.
When: May 24-27, many events free, Gilman dances $22-$95, film screenings $16
Why: The coming of summer means the arrival of one of the best festivals of every year, BAM’s DanceAfrica. The forty-seventh annual iteration focuses on Cameroon, with four companies performing “The Origin of Communities / A Calabash of Cultures” in BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House: DanceAfrica Spirit Walkers, Women of the Calabash, the Billie’s Youth Arts Academy Dance Ensemble, and Siren — Protectors of the Rainforest, highlighting movement and music from the Central African nation. Curated by artistic director Abdel R. Salaam, the festival also includes the DanceAfrica Bazaar with more than 150 vendors, dance workshops and master classes in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Mark Morris Dance Center, Salifou Lindou’s art installation La course 2, the Council of Elders Roundtable: Legacy & Preservation, and a late night dance party with DJ YB.

This year’s FilmAfrica screenings and cinema conversations range from Jean-Pierre Dikongué Pipa’s 1975 Muna Moto and Mohamed Challouf’s The Many Moods of Muna Moto to Jean-Marie Téno’s Colonial Misunderstanding, Jean-Pierre Bekolo’s 2005 Les Saignantes (The Bloodettes), and Gordon Main’s 2023 London Recruits, all followed by Q&As with the directors.

“This year’s DanceAfrica is a journey into the heart of Cameroon, driven by a quest to explore the ancient roots of African culture and answer profound questions about humanity’s earliest origins,” Salaam said in his mission statement. “How timeless is Africa, and was it the land of the most ancient beings? What were the origins of humanity, thought, consciousness, art, culture, creativity, and civilization?”

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

JODY OBERFELDER PROJECTS: AND THEN, NOW

And Then, Now leads guests through historic Green-Wood Cemetery (photo courtesy Jody Oberfelder Projects)

And Then, Now
Green-Wood Cemetery
Fifth Ave. and 25th St., Brooklyn
May 4-6, $30
www.jodyoberfelder.com
www.green-wood.com

“Are Americans always in a hurry?” dancer and choreographer Jody Oberfelder asked in a May 2022 diary entry published in The Dance Enthusiast.

She was writing about her site-specific piece Splash Dance, which took place in the pool in the John Madejski Garden at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, but she could have been referring to so much of her work.

Founded in New York City in 1988, Jody Oberfelder Projects has staged immersive, participatory, and/or site-specific performances in an officers house on Governors Island, at the since-demolished amphitheater in East River Park, on pedestrian bridges in Germany, and in the 6½ Ave. corridor in midtown Manhattan, among other locations around the United States and the globe. This weekend, Oberfelder will be in historic Green-Wood Cemetery for the world premiere of And Then, Now, a unique guided hike through the cemetery, which boasts spectacular vistas, lush green hills and giant trees, monk parakeets, and remarkable headstones, mausoleums, gates, and catacombs. Among the famous and infamous buried there are Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbets, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Lola Montez, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and Horace Greeley. Comfortable footwear is strongly suggested; seating will not be available as everyone winds through the environs.

And Then, Now gives attendees the opportunity to slow down and contemplate as part of an intimate community. “Invite someone you’ve lost to walk with us,” one of the dancers offers.

“In this season of rebirth, amidst a challenging time for our collective humanity, we extend a heartfelt invitation to our neighbors to witness moments of exquisite artistry and profound reflection among the historic backdrop of Green-Wood Cemetery,” Oberfelder said in a statement. “Through dance, music, and dialogue, let us honor the enduring power of connection by bridging the gap between the echoes of the past and their tangible influence on our present lives.”

There will be four performances, including a special twilight show on May 6, for which flashlights are encouraged. The 105-minute immersive, performative walk will feature three dancers at a time (Maria Anton-Arters, Andi Farley Shimota, Michael Greenberg, Justin Lynch, and Oberfelder), with live music by the Glass Clouds Ensemble, consisting of violinist Raina Arnett, violist Noémie Chemali, and vocalist Marisa Karchin playing pieces by Henry Purcell, Missy Mazzoli, and others. The costumes are by Reid & Harriet, with sound by Sean Hagerty and dramaturgy by Rebekah Morin. Having seen many of Oberfelder’s works over the last twenty years, I can’t recommend And Then, Now highly enough, as she always delivers a special experience.

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

WORD. SOUND. POWER. 2024 — RHYTHM IS RHYTHM

Who: MC Baba Israel, Hetep BarBoy, Squala Orphan, JSWISS, KUMBAYA, DJ Reborn
What: Word. Sound. Power. 2024: SOUND — Rhythm Is Rhythm
Where: BAM Fisher, Fishman Space, 321 Ashland Pl.
When: Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, $25, 7:30
Why: In past years, BAM’s annual “Word. Sound. Power.” showcase of hip-hop and spoken-word artists has featured such performers as Helixx C. Armageddon, Pri the Honey Dark, Silent Knight, Peggy Robles-Alvarado, Jade Charon, Nejma Nefertiti, Okai, Dizzy SenZe, and others. The 2024 iteration, “SOUND — Rhythm Is Rhythm,” is taking place at the Fishman Space April 19 and 20, with an impressive lineup that includes host, cocurator, and director MC Baba Israel, Hetep BarBoy with Squala Orphan, Kumbaya, JSWISS, and DJ Reborn, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary.

“Hip-hop embodies an ongoing dialogue between the beat and the community. Sometimes, it’s the rhyme that answers back, while other times, it’s the body that continues the discussion,” event cocurator and BAM education manager Mikal Amin Lee said in a statement. “This year, we aim to spotlight the dynamic conversation between beats and rhymes, in the spirit of the Last Poets, the block, and the Cipher. Whether expressed through the ones or the mic, the essence remains the same: rhythm is rhythm.” The seventy-minute live performance will be followed by a twenty-minute Q&A with the artists.

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY: AMERICAN LEGACIES

Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo is part of Martha Graham’s New York City Center season (photo by Carla Lope / Luque Photography)

Who: Martha Graham Dance Company
What: GRAHAM100
Where: New York City Center, 131 West 55th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
When: April 17-20, $55-$155
Why: The Martha Graham Dance Company returns to City Center for the first part of its three-year centennial celebration, “GRAHAM100,” consisting of six works that explore the past, present, and future of the troupe. “American Legacies” takes place April 17-20, consisting of a new production of Agnes de Mille’s 1942 classic, Rodeo, with music by Aaron Copland, reorchestrated with bluegrass flair by Gabe Witcher, costumes by Oana Botez, and visual design by Beowulf Boritt; Graham’s 1990 Maple Leaf Rag, set to music by Scott Joplin, with costumes by Calvin Klein; Graham’s 1944 classic, Appalachian Spring, with music by Copland, scenic design by Ismau Noguchi, and costumes by Graham; Hofesh Shechter’s 2022 CAVE, with music by Shechter and Âme; Graham favorite The Rite of Spring (1984), with music by Igor Stravinsky, set by Edward T. Morris, costumes by Graham and Halston, projections by Paul Lieber, and a new production concept from artistic director Janet Eilber; and the world premiere of Jamar Roberts’s We the People, with music by Rhiannon Giddens. Music for the Graham classics will be performed live by the Mannes Orchestra.

The gala on April 18 comprises Maple Leaf Rag, The Rite of Spring, and Graham’s 1932 Satyric Festival Song, which was reconstructed in 1994 by Diane Gray and Eilber to music by Fernando Palacios and will feature special guest FKA twigs, who is one of the gala honorees, along with Adrienne Holder and Dr. Donna E. Shalala. “As part of ‘GRAHAM100,’ we are interested in reframing iconic works of the twentieth century in ways that expand our views of that time and offer a more inclusive history,” Eilber notes in the program. “We hope our new production of Rodeo, which also features the most diverse cast to have ever performed the work, will resonate with today’s conversations about gender and inclusion while celebrating Agnes’s timeless and timely story about a young person who feels unable to fit in finding community on their own terms through dance.”

In a statement, Eilber added, “We’re thrilled to be working with Rhiannon Giddens, whose work often celebrates Black and immigrant artists who are foundational to American folk music. Pairing her with choreographer Jamar Roberts on programs with our new bluegrass production of Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo puts twentieth- and twenty-first-century Americana side by side and offers audiences a more expansive and inclusive way to understand our past. And our remarkable dancers somehow move seamlessly and brilliantly between styles and techniques that span decades.” Those dancers are Lloyd Knight, Xin Ying, Lorenzo Pagano, Leslie Andrea Williams, Anne Souder, Laurel Dalley Smith, So Young An, Marzia Memoli, Jacob Larsen, Alessio Crognale-Roberts, Richard Villaverde, Devin Loh, Antonio Leone, Meagan King, Ane Arrieta, Zachary Jeppsen, Matthew Spangler, Justin Valentine, Jai Perez, and Amanda Moreira.

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]

CASTING

CASTING
Gymnopedie
1139 Bushwick Ave.
March 15-17, $23.18
castinginnyc.eventbrite.com
gymnopedie.nyc

Winner of the Los Angeles Immersive Invitational Grand Prize, Koryn Wicks’s Casting is making its New York City debut March 15-17 at Gymnopedie in Bushwick. Most performers dread the audition process, but in this case up to twelve audience members at a time will participate, trying to land a big role. The thirty-minute work was created by Wicks (I love you so much, SQUEEZE ME TO DEATH; To Die in the Valley I’ve Loved) and a team of collaborators that includes writer Sam Alper, singer-songwriter Hanah Davenport, lighting and video designer and dancer Morgan Embry, sound designer and composer Alex Lough, and actors Audrey Rachelle and Jonathan Gordon. Tickets are $23.18 for your chance to be the star of the show.

[Mark Rifkin is a Brooklyn-born, Manhattan-based writer and editor; you can follow him on Substack here.]