Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A preview of upcoming live-streamed dance events: The Joyce’s STATE OF DARKNESS & City Center’s FALL FOR DANCE

• By drediman
• October 3, 2020
• No Comments

Among the performing arts, dance in particular embraces the visceral immediacy of the present moment. In a previous post of mine, I expressed my slight disappointment over the tendency of dance companies during the pandemic to largely rely on archival footage in lieu of activating dancers, choreographers, and dormant stages via live-streamed events to appease their audiences. However, as the arts world starts to take baby steps from the cultural shutdown that has canceled most of 2020, I’m beginning to catch occasional, hopeful glimpses of real-time creativity emerge from the darkness, as evidenced by a couple of enticing upcoming live-streamed dance events in the coming weeks.

The Joyce Theater in Chelsea.

STATE OF DARKNESS
The Joyce Theater
Live-streaming from October 24 through November 1

One of the more audacious and exciting endeavors this fall is the Joyce Theater’s State of Darkness project, which will live-stream seven performances from the Chelsea venue’s stage over two weekends from October 24 through November 1 (you can read more about the event on the company’s website here). For the first time in more than half a year, the Joyce welcomes dancers back to its stage, this time to individually tackle State of Darkness, choreographer Molissa Fenley’s intense 1988 solo set to The Rite of Spring, Igor Stravinsky’s groundbreaking, still-jarring score (together with Vaslav Nijinsky’s primal choreography, the original ballet caused riots in the streets of Paris when it premiered more than a century ago in 1913). The 36-minute work is a grueling journey – both physically and emotionally – for any dancer and is sure to test the endurance, brute musicality, and interpretive flair of such accomplished talents as Jared Brown (2020 Juilliard graduate), Lloyd Knight (Martha Graham Dance Company), Sara Mearns (New York City Ballet), Shamel Pitts (Batsheva Dance Company), Annique Roberts (Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE), Cassandra Trenary (American Ballet Theatre), and Michael Trusnovec (Paul Taylor American Dance Company). It’ll be fascinating to watch these performances – and how each dancer deals with work’s considerable demands – in close succession, to say the least.

New York City Center in Midtown Manhattan.

2020 FALL FOR DANCE FESTIVAL
New York City Center
Live-streaming on October 21 and October 26

Another welcome development this autumn is the recent announcement of the return of New York City Center’s incredibly popular Fall for Dance Festival, which will be live-streaming two programs on October 21 and October 26, respectively (more info about the event here). It’s no surprise that the 2020 edition will be presented virtually, but thankfully the programs will be filmed live on City Center’s historic stage. As always, the festival remains as eclectic as ever. Program 1 will feature two worlds premieres – a solo work by Alvin Ailey’s resident choreographer Jamar Roberts, as well as a new pas de deux choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon for the luscious pairing of Sara Mearns and David Hallberg, two indisputable stars of dance. The program also includes performances by Ballet Hispánico and Martha Graham Dance Company’s Natasha M. Diamond-Walker. In Program 2, I’m most excited for the world premiere collaboration between Dormeshia and Camille A. Brown, which seeks to celebrate Black women in dance. Another highlight is sure to be another premiere, a solo for ABT principal Calvin Royal III choreographed by the exciting Kyle Abraham. Last but not least, a bevy of wonderful City Ballet principals (including Joseph Gordon, Ashley Bouder, and Tiler Peck) will be featured in two classic works.