BAAND Together Dance Festival Returns as Part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City
Company:
Lincoln Center
Five of NYC’s most iconic dance companies — Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem — return for the fourth annual BAAND Together Dance Festival, sharing the spotlight and a stage as part of Lincoln Center’s third annual Summer for the City. The Festival began when the performing arts were coming back after the height of the pandemic in 2021 as a new form of collaboration in celebration of the return to live performance.
From July 30–August 3 and this year moving indoors to the David H. Koch Theater, audiences will be treated to five exceptional performances of beloved programming curated collaboratively by the artistic directors of the companies, featuring repertory favorites. Performances: Tue-Fri at 7:30pm, Sat at 4pm.
Program:
Dance Theatre of Harlem - Blake Works IV (The Barre Project) by William Forsythe
New York City Ballet - Duo Concertant by George Balanchine
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Solo by Hans Van Manen
American Ballet Theatre - Night Falls by Brady Farrar
Ballet Hispánico - Sombrerísimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Each afternoon, one of the companies brings its unique teaching style to participants of all ages with free dance workshops in the David Geffen Hall lobby. The series will offer a variety of teaching styles and dance forms, appropriate for all ages and abilities.
The Festival is made possible by CHANEL, representing the fourth year of the House’s support of the BAAND Together Dance Festival. This partnership reflects CHANEL’s long-standing patronage within the world of dance, which has continued for over a century.
Statement from the artistic directors of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing), American Ballet Theatre (Artistic Director Susan Jaffe), Ballet Hispánico (Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro), Dance Theatre of Harlem (Artistic Director Robert Garland), and New York City Ballet (Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan):
“The BAAND Together Festival has become a summer must-see event, thanks to Lincoln Center's dedication to our community. This year we are thrilled to be at the Koch Theater with an exciting program highlighting the vibrancy of New York City’s dance landscape and cementing our commitment to making great dance accessible to all New Yorkers.”
— BAAND Artistic Directors
To make the arts more accessible, tickets are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis (suggested ticket price $35): https://lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/baand-together-dance-festival-696.
Program Details:
Dance Theatre of Harlem - Blake Works IV (The Barre Project) by William Forsythe
Renowned choreographer William Forsythe’s love for the music of British composer, James Blake, achieves its fourth iteration in dance with Blake Works 4 (The Barre Project), created specifically for Dance Theatre of Harlem. Blake Works 4 is the latest in a continuously evolving series, The Barre Project, which originated digitally during the height of the pandemic when live performances were not possible. A “love letter to dancers, to technique, to the possibilities of the ballet barre,” (Fjord Review), this new version highlights the diverse and formidable talents of the company.
New York City Ballet - Duo Concertant by George Balanchine
Stravinsky dedicated Duo Concertant to Samuel Dushkin, a violinist he met in 1931 and with whom he premiered the work in 1932. Balanchine first heard the piece performed soon after it was composed, but not until years later, when he was planning the 1972 Stravinsky Festival, did he decide to choreograph it.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Solo by Hans Van Manen
Hans van Manen divides his dynamic Solo among three dancers in a tour de force that challenges the Ailey men's daring agility and grace. This explosive display of virtuosity and wit launches the performers into an exhilarating whirlwind of movement and musicality. Featuring “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” performed by Sigiswald Kuijken and composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.
American Ballet Theatre - Night Falls by Brady Farrar
Night Falls is a pas de deux that reflects an atmosphere of intimacy, inspired by the tranquil light at dusk, set to Chopin's Nocturne No. 19 in E Minor No. 1.
Ballet Hispánico - Sombrerísimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Inspired by the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats, Sombrerísimo references the iconic sombreros (hats) found throughout the world that help to represent culture. Originally choreographed for an all-male cast, Sombrerísimo has evolved into a work that can also be performed by an all-female or mixed-gender cast.
More at SummerForTheCity.org.
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