Dance-Enthusiast.com Features

IMPRESSIONS: Under the Radar Festival Presents Kevin Matthew Wong's "Benevolence" at Lincoln Center

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"Kevin Matthew Wong presents a compelling one-person show that blends inventive props, video interviews, singing, acting, and movement. Wong's deft performance skillfully incorporates these elements as he brings us along on the journey to discover his Chinese-Canadian heritage." — Sabrina Petrelli, New York

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Catherine Gallant on "GIFT: A Life In Dance"

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"I'm interested in the responsibility of questioning Duncan's work. I don't think the dances will be lost. Many people have felt the responsibility and passed them on in their own way. I want to crack that open and make sure that [the Duncan work] is shared very widely, with people from other areas and disciplines within dance or otherwise. I feel my responsibility is to keep the work relevant and valuable to students of dance." — Catherine Gallant, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Ogemdi Ude’s "MAJOR" at New York Live Arts

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Ogemdi Ude’s MAJOR at New York Live Arts: Majorette dance is an ensemble form birthed at Historically Black Colleges and Universities’s in the 1960s when marching-band majorettes put down their batons to perform full-out precision dance routines combining Black-rooted vernacular and theatrical dance styles. The provoking 55-minute piece unpacks Ude’s corporeal, self-identity journey from a young majorette dancer to a grown-up choreographic artist committed to uplifting her “community” of Black femmes, which includes all LGBTQ+ folks who present in a feminine fashion. - Lisa Jo Sagolla, New York City

IMPRESSIONS: 2nd Best Dance Company in "Slumber" at Triskelion Arts

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"2nd Best Dance Company’s Slumber, presented at Triskelion Arts, in December, reimagines Sleeping Beauty through a blend of fairy tale and contemporary theatrical strategies. Written, directed, and choreographed by company founder Hannah Garner, the piece is performed by a cast of five deft dancer-actors." Catherine Tharin, Brooklyn, NY

IMPRESSIONS: Winter in Brief (Part 1): Out-FRONT!, Exponential, Under the Radar, and New York Live Arts Live Artery Festivals

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"Whew, I’m exhausted in the best way. Ready for more? I am! Stay tuned for Winter in Brief, Part 2, featuring even more from the January festival season. Happy dancegoing, everyone!" — Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, New York

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Gina Gibney, Recipient of the Bessies Service to the Field Award (2025)

The Dance Enthusiast — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"Everything that we are as an organization now – we have this repertory company with nine really amazing dancers that does work by choreographers that I've admired my whole career, we have two facilities, and we have a very robust community action program that works in domestic violence shelters and with youth with healthy relationship training. All these things are big, and they grew in the scale that I never anticipated." — Gina Gibney, Founder, Artistic Director and CEO of Gibney Dance

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Dyane Harvey-Salaam, Recipient of The Bessies Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), Reflects on Her Storied Career

The Dance Enthusiast — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"I think that, in a way, I have been charged with always bringing the Black perspective to the front of my work. My mother was heavily involved in social activism, Black identity [...] And then women. Women's power is so often either negated or ignored or taken for granted. I believe that women are the carriers of humanity, civilization and culture itself." — Dyane Harvey, Salaam, recipient of the Bessies 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award

IMPRESSIONS: Paris Opera Ballet in "Notre Dame de Paris" at The Opéra Bastille

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 16 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"The ballet has a two-dimensional, Pop Art-feel to it, with a Minimalist touch." — Ann Moradian, Paris

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Pioneers Go East Collective’s Fourth Out-FRONT! Festival

The Dance Enthusiast — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 00:00:00 -0500

"...with social media, there's so much visibility for our communities, but it’s in very small, 30 second clips on YouTube. And so the visibility is very accessible, but in a way that is commercialized and commodified [...] live performance is a way to connect to the performers on stage and their voices that cannot be done in any other way. And so it brings back the humanity of our artists." — Remi Harris, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Das Besties and Billy McEntee Present "Das Raushgift" at Box of Moonlight, Bushwick

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"Das Rauschgift, the latest collaboration from Brooklyn-based dance-theatre duo Travis Amiel and Cosimo Pori (aka Das Besties) is a playful, exuberant, and ultimately tender tale about the trials and tribulations of having a good time." — Kate Purdum, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Triskelion Arts' Split Bill #47 Presents Ariana Speight and Cristina Moya-Palacios

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"At the intimate Triskelion Arts, Split Bill #47 presented two solos, works by Cristina Moya-Palacios and Ariana Speight, which spoke of identity, reflection, and memory." — Kristen Hedberg, Brooklyn

MOVING VISIONS: Can Dancing Raise Climate Consciousness?

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"...there are dance artists in the New York area who are highlighting our essential connection to the earth. They are dedicated to tackling climate change, promoting sustainability, and engaging with their communities to raise awareness. While there is no guarantee that any form of performance can put a dent in the increasing assault on the planet, these artists remain deeply committed to making a difference..." Wendy Perron, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Dutch National Ballet at New York City Center

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

An ensemble work by artistic director Ted Brandsen opens the four-performance season of the Dutch National Ballet at New York City Center in November. After a moment in a spotlight, a single woman finds herself surrounded by a cluster of onrushing people all clad in white, unisex dresses that swing freely from tightly fitting leotard tops. Brandsen choreographs to the music of John Adams, and presumably as a nod to this eminent American composer, uses the title of the composition, The Chairman Dances.

- Henning Rubsam, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Hilary Easton's Thoughtful Dance-Theater "Ringelblum" at Gibney Dance

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"The dance invoked throughout Ringelblum is a fictional, deliberately mutable recollection, while the historical figure Emanuel Ringelblum, whose name it bears, was real." — Catherine Tharin, New York

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Martha Graham Dance Company's Legacy, Photographed by Deborah Ory and Ken Browar

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"The company is touring the entire world, but they may not come to every city and they may not be in every city at a date when you can go. For people to get a taste of the 100 year celebration even if they can't get to a performance is wonderful. They can take it home with them." — Deborah Ory, NYC Dance Project

IMPRESSIONS: Complexions Contemporary Ballet at The Joyce Theater

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"Complexions' Dwight Rhoden and Co-Artistic Director Desmond Richardson continue to challenge the boundaries of contemporary ballet, reminding us that this is a genre in constant evolution." — Miranda Stück, New York

IMPRESSIONS: American Dance Machine for the 21st Century in "Gotta Dance!"

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"Despite my fervent interest in musical-theatre dance, I’m typically disappointed by full-evening productions comprising discrete dance numbers from different Broadway shows. I find myself appreciating those dances as “artifacts” for scholarly analysis [...] when presented “out of context” [Broadway] choreography loses much of its eloquence. But here, I felt none of that academic “distancing” as I was completely caught up in the drama put forth by each excerpt." — Lisa Jo Sagolla, New York

DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Marla Phelan's “Birth + Carnage” Threads Galaxies

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"What struck me more than anything,” continues Phelan, “was the amount of friction that it takes for a star to be born — or for anything to be created. I found it inspiring [...] I asked myself: What's the human layer? We discovered that it's the fight to survive.” — Marla Phelan, choreographer and director of Birth and Carnage

IMPRESSIONS: Hélène Simoneau Danse in "Late Bloomer" at 92NY

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"Canadian-born Hélène Simoneau’s premiere, Late Bloomer, at 92NY, exists in a state of almost constant motion, a continuum of sleek, superbly performed dancing." — Catherine Tharin, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Tere O’Connor Presents “Construct-a-Guy” and “The Lace” at New York Live Arts

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"41 years on, O’Connor’s voice remains fresh, still full of air and an irascible generosity of sensation that comes through each dancer’s body in its own way. His love of dance — and his love of dancers — shines through his commitment to a world where “choreography becomes a liberatory space.” — Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, New York

DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Heidi Latsky Dance's "ON DISPLAY" at Wave Hill, Bronx

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"Heidi’s vision is “to disrupt space and redefine beauty and virtuosity through performances and discourse" so, in ON DISPLAY, she gathers performers of different ages, races, disabilities, genders, body shapes, and ethnicities. We invite people stare. To take pictures. To make videos. And we look back..." — Amy Meisner -Threet, The Bronx

IMPRESSIONS: "THAT SHOW (long form)" at Judson Memorial Church

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"All of the works featured in THAT SHOW (long form) are poignant and genre-bending. Curators Kayla White and Taylor Schmuelgen bring a clear vision to their effort, with risk-taking and innovation central to every iteration of THAT SHOW. I’m excited to see what's in store for the final show of the year. Don't miss it this Friday, December 12, 2025 at The Gym at Judson Memorial Church." — Rush Johnston, New York

IMPRESSIONS FROM PARIS: “Figures in Extinction” by Crystal Pite & Simon McBurney Conveys "Yearning for Connection"

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"The Netherlands Dance Theater dancers are gorgeous. Their technical skill is excellent, their artistry undeniable, but what stands out here is their cohesion as a community, like a congregation dedicated in prayer. Sparkling wit and humour keep us laughing at our own absurdity as we take in the enormity of what we have become." — Ann Moradian, Paris

IMPRESSIONS: Pete Townshend's "Quadrophenia: a Rock Ballet," with Orchestral Score

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"However, what’s most interesting about the spanking new ballet is the opportunity it affords to revisit the historical sub-culture of the Mods, as the dance relates the coming-of-age adventures of Jimmy, an angst-ridden, 18-year-old Mod, suffering from schizophrenia." — Lisa Jo Sagolla, New York

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Moses Pendleton of MOMIX on Moving with Nature

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

"I really believe in “trust the accident” — you make things because you don't know what you're making. It's a process of discovery and then it applies to choreography and life in general. And “let nature finish the sentence” — we're all collaborators with life force and movements and energies." — Moses Pendleton

Dance-Enthusiast.com Features

IMPRESSIONS: Under the Radar Festival Presents Kevin Matthew Wong's "Benevolence" at Lincoln Center

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Catherine Gallant on "GIFT: A Life In Dance"

IMPRESSIONS: Ogemdi Ude’s "MAJOR" at New York Live Arts

IMPRESSIONS: 2nd Best Dance Company in "Slumber" at Triskelion Arts

IMPRESSIONS: Winter in Brief (Part 1): Out-FRONT!, Exponential, Under the Radar, and New York Live Arts Live Artery Festivals

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Gina Gibney, Recipient of the Bessies Service to the Field Award (2025)

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Dyane Harvey-Salaam, Recipient of The Bessies Lifetime Achievement Award (2024), Reflects on Her Storied Career

IMPRESSIONS: Paris Opera Ballet in "Notre Dame de Paris" at The Opéra Bastille

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Pioneers Go East Collective’s Fourth Out-FRONT! Festival

IMPRESSIONS: Das Besties and Billy McEntee Present "Das Raushgift" ​at Box of Moonlight, Bushwick

IMPRESSIONS: Triskelion Arts' Split Bill #47 Presents Ariana Speight and Cristina Moya-Palacios

MOVING VISIONS: Can Dancing Raise Climate Consciousness?

IMPRESSIONS: Dutch National Ballet at New York City Center

IMPRESSIONS: Hilary Easton's Thoughtful Dance-Theater "Ringelblum" at Gibney Dance

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Martha Graham Dance Company's Legacy, Photographed by Deborah Ory and Ken Browar

IMPRESSIONS: Complexions Contemporary Ballet at The Joyce Theater

IMPRESSIONS: American Dance Machine for the 21st Century in "Gotta Dance!"

DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Marla Phelan's “Birth + Carnage” Threads Galaxies

IMPRESSIONS: Hélène Simoneau Danse in "Late Bloomer" at 92NY

IMPRESSIONS: Tere O’Connor Presents “Construct-a-Guy” and “The Lace” at New York Live Arts

DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Heidi Latsky Dance's "ON DISPLAY" at Wave Hill, Bronx

IMPRESSIONS: "THAT SHOW (long form)" at Judson Memorial Church

IMPRESSIONS FROM PARIS: “Figures in Extinction” by Crystal Pite & Simon McBurney Conveys "Yearning for Connection"

IMPRESSIONS: Pete Townshend's "Quadrophenia: a Rock Ballet," with Orchestral Score

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Moses Pendleton of MOMIX on Moving with Nature

IMPRESSIONS: Das Besties and Billy McEntee Present "Das Raushgift" at Box of Moonlight, Bushwick