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The Gibney Company Heads to The Joyce Theater from May 6 - 11, 2025
It’s with great excitement and deep gratitude that we return to The Joyce Theater with a program that I believe captures the essence of who we are at Gibney Company — a space where rigor and humanity co-exist, and where dancers are not only performers but people, storytellers, and vessels of lived experience.
This season, we are honored to present two world premieres and one U.S. premiere that together showcase the full range of our Artistic Associates. We welcome the iconic Lucinda Childs, whose legacy in postmodern dance has shaped generations of artists; the fresh, evocative voice of Peter Chu, whose work is redefining contemporary movement through emotional and energetic depth; and the thoughtful, theatrical eye of Roy Assaf, who continues to bring a unique and moving perspective to the stage.
Lucinda Childs’ Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Cage is a masterclass in precision and repetition. Set to John Cage’s riveting 1940s composition, the piece challenges the dancers to find expression within formality, nuance within structure. Lucinda's legacy — deeply rooted in the postmodern movement and her Judson Dance Theater lineage — reminds us how powerful simplicity and exactness can be. To watch our dancers inhabit her work is to witness discipline transformed into poetry.
Peter Chu’s Echoes of Sole and Animal brings us into an entirely different world — one that is sensorial, and deeply rhythmic. Drawing from qi gong and taiji, Peter asks the dancers to move from sensation rather than form, to trust breath, energy, and the invisible threads that run between bodies and space. There is a primal, almost otherworldly quality to his choreography, where strength meets surrender and instinct drives form. Peter brings a bold and current perspective to the field, and we’re thrilled to be part of his ongoing evolution as a maker.
And then there is Roy Assaf’s A Couple — a 13-minute journey that somehow captures decades of connection between two people. It is tender, theatrical, raw. Roy invites the dancers to be unapologetically human — to show us their flaws, their devotion, their doubts, their joy. It’s a duet, yes, but it’s also a mirror — a reflection of what it means to be in relationship, to weather time together, to remain present through the inevitable shifts. Watching our dancers live inside this work — with all their vulnerability and courage — is nothing short of moving.
This program is a tribute to the Artistic Associates — the heart of Gibney Company. Each piece asks something different of them: to be exacting and sharp, to be expansive and sensorial, to be present and exposed. And in each case, they rise. The choreographers came into the studio with open minds and open hearts, and what emerged is a collection of works that don’t just showcase technique — they celebrate possibility.
As a company director, what I value most is not just beautiful dancing — though you’ll certainly see that — but the deeper connection we foster within the room and beyond it. That connection extends out to our audience. I hope you see yourself in these dancers — in their strength, their relationships, their stories. Because at the end of the day, this work is about being human.
We are honored to be performing again at The Joyce Theater, and we look forward to growing our connection with the artistic community here in New York City. Thank you for witnessing this journey with us.
