Dance-Enthusiast.com Features

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Author Maureen Footer On Her New Book "Feel the Floor"

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"He was the trailblazer for bringing jazz to major choreographers such as Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine, so we see the results of his work, but we didn’t know who he was. He moved cultural framework, placing Black dance on white stages and transforming dance on two sides of the ocean with jazz. " Maureen Footer, on Buddy Bradley

IMPRESSIONS: [Spring in Brief] Sugar Vendil, Alexa Grae & Symara Sarai, marion spencer, and Tyler Ashley

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"As spring continues to unroll toward the promise of summer, I’m enlivened by the generous flood of creativity in the performance scene. And while our spring weather is proving fickle this May, experimental dance is steadfast and thriving." — Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, New York

IMPRESSIONS: GRAHAM 100 at New York City Center (Part 2)

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Among the Graham company’s new works, the only one whose aspirations and complexity carry it high enough to reach the founder’s orbit is the 2023 Cortege, by the choreographic duo Baye and Asa." — Robert Johnson, New York

IMPRESSIONS: GRAHAM 100 at New York City Center (Part 1)

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Although the Martha Graham Dance Company is now a century old, the troupe refreshes itself continuously. No longer the raw women’s collective whose debut in 1926 seemed like a rash experiment, neither is it the same ensemble whose legendary matriarch held court during Broadway seasons flush with celebrities. The streamlined troupe... has acquired an eclectic, contemporary repertoire, Yet, true to its founder, it preserves her knife-edge style and dramatic sophistication." — Robert Johnson, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Alessandra Corona Performing Works at the Theater at St. Jean

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 19 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"From May 1 to 3 at the Theater at St. Jean, Alessandra Corona Performing Works (ACPW) delivered a program of four short pieces. The cast of eight danced in works by Madeline Burr, Miguel Miranda, Wesley Ensminger, and a final slightly longer work by Corona. The choreography came together in a five-week workshop under Corona’s curation and supervision, and each choreographer was given one week to create a ten minute piece for the showcase." — Stacey Menchel Kussell, New York

POSTCARDS: Nimbus Dance Artistic Director, Samuel Pott, on "Sum of Parts," a Surreal Spring Season and Art Show

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"We can’t control what life puts in our path. But with the right framework: a trust in our abilities to bring order and meaning, an openness to insights and unexpected ways of seeing, and a groundedness in common values with our teammates, our neighbors and our fellow citizens, we can together elevate beyond the mere circumstances, the “parts” of our lives, and accomplish so much." — Samuel Pott, Nimbus Dance, Jersey City

IMPRESSIONS: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana at The Joyce Theater

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"An otherworldly hum overwhelms us for the opening and closing of Quinto Elemento, Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana's 2026 scintillating offering at The Joyce Theater. With that sonic choice, the audience immediately expects a fresh take on this traditional art." — Deirdre Towers, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Joan Jonas Presents "The Juniper Tree" at Danspace Project's "Platform 2026: Secret Gardens"

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"The performance that follows is a combination of narration and choreography that plays like memory. The stage is strewn with objects: loose squares of fabric, empty frames, a ladder, a table on sawhorses, blood red apples. There’s a hushed, casual atmosphere in the room, with the first several rows of the audience seated on the floor. Jonas’s voice, strong and clear, narrates the text of the story as she and a younger dancer, Lucy Mullican, play-act the events." — Kate Purdum, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Rosán Sensory Adventures in "Antarctica! Crew Wanted" at The Big Umbrella Festival

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"A master in immersive storytelling, Rosán Sensory Adventures is a physical theater company designed for neurodivergent audiences. Based in Galway, Ireland, the collaborative ensemble intermixes elements of dance, puppetry, and circus arts with whimsical stagecraft." — Stacey Menchel Kussell, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Celebrating 10 Years of Tiffany Rea-Fisher’s Artistic Leadership with EMERGE125 at El Museo Del Barrio

The Dance Enthusiast — Sat, 09 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Accolades for Tiffany Rea-Fisher’s dance company EMERGE125, celebrating its 10th year, were numerous. Filmed testimonials spoke of Rea-Fisher’s impact on the dance community, citing her “vision and consistency.” Taking the stage at El Museo del Barrio on April 30, Rea-Fisher introduced an evening that departed from the expected retrospective format. Instead, she offered two premieres and one work in progress for her company of ten, noting that she is not looking back but looking forward with appreciation." — Catherine Tharin, New York City

IMPRESSIONS: AXIS Dance in “Patterns” at Lincoln Center’s Big Umbrella Festival 2026

The Dance Enthusiast — Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Since its inception in 1987, AXIS Dance Company, a pioneering integrated dance company, has advanced the field through artistry and innovation. AXIS collaborates with disabled, non-disabled, d/Deaf, and neurodiverse artists using visibility and advocacy to challenge ableist bias towards dance and dancers. This April, AXIS Dance Company performed at Lincoln Center for the first time, presenting Patterns, a collection of four new works that demonstrated technical prowess, emotional range, and choreographic complexity." — Rush Johnston, New York City

IMPRESSIONS: Spring in Brief | Jonathan González's "Swerve Fatigue" and Symara Sarai's "Angelic Architectures"

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 07 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Two such performances this April catalyzed these reflections on effort and ease: Jonathan González’s multimedia group work, Swerve Fatigue, presented by The Kitchen in their loft at Westbeth, and Symara Sarai’s dance-play, Angelic Architectures, at Abrons Arts Center’s Experimental Theater." — Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Ballet Hispánico’s “Mujeres: Women in Motion” at New York City Center

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Though the exciting program of three ensemble works spotlights the varying talents of its Latina choreographers, the real stars of the show are the Ballet Hispánico dancers who, under the artistic direction of Eduardo Vilaro, perform with fiery elegance, technical brilliance, and generous expressivity." — Lisa Jo Sagolla, New York

IMPRESSIONS FROM LA: Mythili Prakash in “She’s Auspicious” at Santa Monica's Broad Stage

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"As a child, choreographer Mythili Prakash questioned why they had to create a Goddess when there were already others able. Why must it be a Goddess made of male energy? In challenging the story, she started to shape her view of femininity and womanhood." — Steven Vargas, Los Angeles

IMPRESSIONS: “The Politics of Movement: When Dance Speaks Out” Presented at the 14Y Theater

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"This performance marked the American Dance Guild and Clark Center's first joint presentation, uniting legacy institutions in a shared call for artistic and social engagement. Founded in 1959 with support from Alvin Ailey, the Clark Center provided critical opportunities for Black dancers and choreographers historically excluded from mainstream concert stages. ADG, established in 1956, remains one of the nation's first dance service organizations." — Deirdre Towers, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Stephanie Saywell & Helen Wicks at Arts On Site

The Dance Enthusiast — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Stephanie Saywell and Helen Wicks shared an hour-long evening at Arts On Site, an intimate stage well-suited to their solo and duet program." — Catherine Tharin, New York City

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Cameron McKinney on Kizuna Dance, His Global Style, and the CUNY Dance Initiative

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"I’ve been fortunate across my time here to be involved in a lot of different residencies and fellowships. But what I’ve found in New York City is that some of the residency opportunities have disappeared. The CUNY Dance Initiative is really the top opportunity that is offered to artists at all ends of the spectrum." — Cameron McKinney, Artistic Director/Choreographer, New York

IMPRESSIONS: "Plato Caves: Screens vs Shadows" at The Chocolate Factory Theater

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Steven Wendt and Wes Day’s Plato Caves: Screens vs Shadows was, on the sunny Sunday afternoon performance I attended, a massive delight for a rapt audience of children. The event is The Chocolate Factory Theater’s first venture into theatre for young audiences (TYA), and unlike other TYA shows I’ve attended (including in my own childhood), this one gave the adults in the room something real to think about: our dependence on screens." — Kate Purdum, Queens, NY

DAY IN THE LIFE OF DANCE: Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup Presents Moving Memory Project 2026: Next Gen

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"What's bringing me the most joy in what I do in the dance world?' It's having a bunch of people walk into a room with zero expectations, no judgment, and leaving much happier than when they came in. That is a win! And for me, creating many opportunities for that to happen is my trajectory." — Stefanie Nelson, New York

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Gabrielle Lamb on "Rising," a Collaboration with Composer Robert Sirota and the Neave Trio

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"As climate change accelerates and oceans rise, choreographer Gabrielle Lamb’s latest collaboration turns to water as both physical force and poetic metaphor [...] Lamb translates scientific ideas into embodied experience— an impulse which expands into a meditation on oceans, memory, and a planet in flux [...] The work invites audiences to examine and feel our evolving relationship with the natural world." — Theo Boguszewski, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Benjamin Millepied’s "Romeo & Juliet Suite" at the Park Avenue Armory

The Dance Enthusiast — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Walking past the enormous stage, the 1,200-person audience takes their places on risers facing the back of a glowing red sofa with a giant screen hovering behind it. The setting is impressive; one feels Lilliputian in the dark, cavernous Park Avenue Armory, the site of Benjamin Millepied’s Romeo & Juliet Suite, inspired by William Shakespeare’s tragedy and set to the traditional ballet score by Sergei Prokofiev." — Catherine Tharin, New York City

IMPRESSIONS: Jane Comfort at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club's Ellen Stewart Theatre

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Frisky and irreverent, choreographer Jane Comfort makes no secret of her contempt for America’s decadent political Establishment. The Gulf of America, the premiere that her Jane Comfort and Company presented on March 19, in La MaMa ETC’s Ellen Stewart Theatre, drew on recent events to portray a peaceful community assaulted by militarized police." — Robert Johnson, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Jodi Melnick's "Superbloom (Dancing Into Choreographic Forms)" at the 92NY

The Dance Enthusiast — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"One of the most arresting moments occurs as Melnick and Mearns, in a meditative duet, envelop their bodies into looped sculptures of flowers. With this image, it is as if they become flowers themselves: representing not only the beauty of a fully realized bloom, but also the process of getting to that place." — Kristen Hedberg, New York

IMPRESSIONS: Mark Morris Dance Group's 45th Anniversary at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

The Dance Enthusiast — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"Costumed by Isaac Mizrahi in loose-fitting, long-sleeved jumpsuits — white on the front, black on the back — MOON’s nine dancers suggest the light and dark sides of the moon, or perhaps pajama-clad youngsters lured to view the mysterious object shining in the nighttime sky." — Lisa Jo Sagolla, Brooklyn

THE DANCE ENTHUSIAST ASKS: Donald Byrd Revisits "Occurrence #14" at La MaMa Moves! Dance Festival

The Dance Enthusiast — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0400

"As an aging, aged, old artist, the question I'm asking is around relevance. Can I be relevant? [...] That can't be the same relevance that younger artists have [...] When you've done work for a long time, you become less interested in “pow, pow,” overwhelming the audience [...] I don't care about those things anymore. I care about the relevance of the work. What am I saying? Can I say something that speaks to our humanity in some way that may require contemplation?" — Donald Byrd, New York