Dance Listings > Performances & Events

ALL ARTS Announces New Season of "Past, Present, Future" Premiering in April

Company:
ALL ARTS

ALL ARTS Announces New Season of Past, Present, Future Premiering in April 

Dance artists include Sara Mearns, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber

ALL ARTS, the streaming platform and TV channel dedicated to the arts, premieres the fourth season of Past, Present, Future, consisting of two films by dancers and choreographers Sara Mearns, Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. ALL ARTS’ Past, Present, Future initiative commissions films in which dance artists explore the past, present and future of their work.

Past, Present, Future includes the short documentary “Stage Animal" starring Sara Mearns and the narrative dance film “Waiting Places” by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, both premiering Tuesday, March 18 at 6 p.m. on the ALL ARTS website and streaming app. “Stage Animal” premieres on the ALL ARTS broadcast channel Tuesday, April 1 at 7 p.m., followed by “Waiting Places” on Tuesday, April 8 at 7 p.m.

 

“Stage Animal” by Sara Mearns

“Stage Animal,” directed by filmmaker Steven Cantor, follows dancer Sara Mearns as she works with choreographer Guillaume Côté, actor-writer Jonathon Young and dancer Gilbert Bolden III on the world premiere of “Don’t Go Home,” commissioned as part of her curatorial debut at New York City Center’s Artists at the Center program. Through movement and written word, the New York City Ballet principal dancer reveals the tension between beauty and inner turmoil. A deeply personal piece that explores her mental health struggles and the realities of being a dancer, the film takes place inside of a studio at Guild Hall, where the team worked as part of the Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artist-in-Residence program.

Originally from Columbia, S.C., Sara Mearns has been a principal dancer at New York City Ballet since 2008. She originated roles in works by Justin Peck, Kyle Abraham, Alexei Ratmansky, Pam Tanowitz, Bobbi Jene Smith, Christopher Wheeldon, Guillaume Côté and Beth Gill, among others. At New York City Center, she starred in Matthew Bourne’s “The Red Shoes,” Encores! “I Married An Angel” and “TWYLA NOW,” as well as multiple Fall for Dance Festivals. She makes her curatorial debut this spring in New York City Center’s fourth Artists at the Center program, which provides dance artists a platform for creative exploration and experimentation. Mearns has been a guest performer with Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Cunningham Centennial Celebration, Jodi Melnick Dance, Bill T. Jones/Lee Ming Wei and Wang Ramirez, as well as in “Dances of Isadora Duncan” at Lincoln Center. Mearns performed “A Piece of Work,” a full evening of five world premieres at The Joyce Theater (2022), was awarded a Bessie Award for Outstanding Performer (2018), the Dance Magazine Award (2019) and an honorary doctorate from University of South Carolina (2019).

“Don’t Go Home” has its world premiere alongside a new work by Jamar Roberts as part of “Sara Mearns | Artists at the Center” April 3-5 at New York City Center. More information can be found on the New York City Center website.

 

 “Waiting Places” by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber

In “Waiting Places,” five individuals inhabit a room, bound by the act of waiting — each for a different longing. Choreographed and directed by Smith and Schraiber, this dance film explores the intersection of time, desire and connection. The piece takes place entirely within one room and is performed by Smith and Schraiber alongside current and former Royal Danish Ballet dancers Astrid Elbo, Alexander Bozinoff and Kizzy Matiakis. Adapted from a live version of the same name, which made its stage debut in 2024 at Betty Nansen Theatre in Copenhagen, the film features original music by Yonatan Daskal and is produced by Garen Scribner.

Bobbi Jene Smith is a director, choreographer and dancer. She has choreographed original work for the Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Ballet BC, Los Angeles Dance Project, VAIL Dance Festival, the Batsheva Ensemble, Theater Basel and others. Her dance and theater works have been presented and supported by the American Repertory Theater, PS 122, La Mama, ODC Theater, Stanford Live, Carolina Performing Arts, Kaufman Hall at the 92nd St. Y, Luminato, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, Betty Nansen Theater and others. Additionally, she has starred in or choreographed films including Elvira Lind's “Bobbi Jene,” Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride,” Alex Garland's “Annihilation,” Georgia Parris’ “Mari” and Boaz Yakin’s “Aviva.” She has directed her own films including “Broken Theater” and “Gallop Apace.” Smith is an alumnus of the Juilliard School, North Carolina School of the Arts and Royal Winnipeg School. She is a founding member of the American Modern Opera Company (AMOC) and a co-founder of The Broken Theater. In 2019, she was awarded The Harkness Promise Award and was The Martha Duffy Resident Artist at Baryshnikov Arts Center. In 2024, she was awarded the Wilhelm Foundation Award. Smith was Artist in Residence at the Los Angeles Dance Project from 2022-2024. 

Or Schraiber is a dancer, choreographer, actor and filmmaker. After dancing with the Batsheva Dance Company for seven years, Schraiber moved to New York City to study acting at the Stella Adler Studio, and in 2019, he took on the role of Zelger in the national tour of the Broadway production “The Band’s Visit.” Schraiber has choreographed and appeared in a number of films, including “Aviva” (2019), “Wolf Man” (2025), “The Way of the Wind” (2025) and “The Bride” (2025). His creative partnership with Bobbi Jene Smith has led to numerous original dance works for companies such as the Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Ballet BC, Batsheva Ensemble, Gothenburg Dance Company and L.A. Dance Project. Schraiber has directed numerous award-winning short films and music videos including “Strays” (2024) and “Prayers” (2024). In 2023, he made his off-Broadway debut, co-choreographing “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea” alongside Bobbi Jene Smith. Schraiber is a founding member of the American Modern Opera Company and a co-founder of The Broken Theater alongside Bobbi Jene. Schraiber was Artist in Residence at the Los Angeles Dance Project from 2022-2024. 

ALL ARTS’ Past, Present, Future initiative launched in May 2021 and has produced commissions from dance artists Kyle Abraham, Jack Ferver, Pam Tanowitz, Omari Wiles, Ayodele Casel, Raja Feather Kelly, Katy Pyle and Kinetic Light.

Created by The WNET Group, ALL ARTS launched in 2019 to reduce barriers to experiencing the arts and build new audiences for cultural organizations. ALL ARTS’ New York Emmy-winning programming is available online nationwide through AllArts.org, the free ALL ARTS app on all major streaming platforms and @AllArtsTV on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Viewers in the New York City area can also watch the 24/7 broadcast channel. The national ALL ARTS livestream is available in select areas. 

For ALL ARTS: Anna Campbell and Jake King are Senior Multimedia Producers. Kristy Geslain is Executive Producer. James King is Senior Artistic Director. Diane Masciale and Neal Shapiro are Executives in Charge.

 

Major funding for The Past, Present, Future Festival is provided by Elise Jaffe and Jeffrey Brown. Leadership support for ALL ARTS is generously provided by Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation; The Jerome L. Greene Foundation; the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation; David and Susan Rockefeller; The Rosalind P. Walter Foundation; the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation and the Estate of Roland Karlen. ALL ARTS is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. For a full list of major ALL ARTS supporters, please visit us online.

Sara Mearns and Gilbert Bolden III in “Past, Present, Future: Stage Animal.”