A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

The acclaimed Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) makes its Joyce debut with a program celebrating the extensive repertoire of its Artistic Director Mark Morris. Founded in New York City in 1980, the company has received “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity” (Bloomberg News). Live music from the MMDG Music Ensemble accompanies works from across the decades that feature Morris’ distinctive wit and devotion to music. Experience a world premiere work by Morris, audience favorites, and rarely seen pieces from the company’s repertory.

The rebellious dance company, Pilobolus, returns to The Joyce for the conclusion of its Big Five-OH! tour, bringing New York premieres and fan favorites as the Company propels itself into the next half century of “sensory-exploding performances” (Huffington Post). Now under the leadership of long-time members and creative partners Renée Jaworski and Matt Kent, the Company will present three New York premieres, featuring collaborations with Darlene Kascak of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, Jad Abumrad (composer and founder of Radiolab, Dolly Parton’s America), choreographer Madison Olandt, and former Pilobolus dancers Derion Loman and Gaspard Louis. Pilobolus’s signature aptitude for combining wit, sensuality, and stunning physical acumen is sure to thrill and surprise audiences.

GALLIM returns to The Joyce with a dynamic bill celebrating a 15-year prolific period of Artistic Director and Founder, Andrea Miller’s expansive, boundary-blurring, interdisciplinary work. Music pulsates throughout the program with newest works, FROM and Sama, to the intoxicating tracks of Nicolas Jaar and Duets for Jim to the hallowed songs of music legend, Sade. Miller’s much anticipated World Premiere for the "King of Krump," Brian "HallowDreamz" Henry, marks a new collaboration between two mavericks of movement invention. New works and long time favorites all share Miller and GALLIM’s embodiment of the elemental and sensual appearing in the glow and shadows of live performance and its alchemy. Additional guest artists and creatives to be announced.

In The Sacrifice, South African choreographer Dada Masilo embodies the rituals of Tswana dance in a work inspired by composer Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” Masilo expands upon the concept of sacrifice, building a unique narrative by fusing ballet with modern and traditional dance to reimagine classic tales. The traditional dance of Botswana, Tswana dance is both rhythmic and expressive, rooted in storytelling and healing practices—a fertile base on which Masilo expertly melds disparate styles.

Following its triumphant debut at The Joyce last season, New York's Gibney Company returns with a powerful program featuring two world premieres and Johan Inger's Bliss, an ode to the joy of dancing. Co-artistic directors of Vancouver's Out Innerspace Dance Theatre, Tiffany Tregarthen & David Raymond make their U.S. debut with a new work commissioned for Gibney Company. Featuring rigorous, hyper-detailed movement, the work will meld dance and design into an inseparable and ambitious interdisciplinary collaboration. Acclaimed choreographer Yue Yin combines Chinese classical and folk dance, ballet, and contemporary dance movement into a completely unique creation. Her new work for Gibney Company features an original score of live music and recorded sound by Ryan Lott of the band Son Lux. Rounding out the program, Johan Inger's Bliss was inspired by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett's legendary Köln Concert who is considered the epitome of virtuoso improvisation. Inger translates the essence of Jarrett's iconic music into dance that truly is a state of bliss.

The Nrityagram Dance Ensemble in collaboration with the Chitrasena Dance Company presents the New York City premiere of Āhuti, a thrilling combination of classical Odissi dance from India and traditional Kandyan dance from Sri Lanka. Meaning “offering,” Āhuti bridges the gap between distinct dance traditions of these South Asian cultures, in the second cross-cultural collaboration between these two acclaimed companies.

Bessie Award winner Ayodele Casel is a longtime City Center collaborator and one of the world’s great tap talents, beloved for her musicality, strength, and fluid, generous style. As the second featured artist-curator in our Artists at the Center series, Casel invites an all-star roster of choreographic and performing talent to join her on the City Center stage in an evening that features six World Premiere City Center Commissions. Casel expands her sublime 2021 Fall for Dance commission Where We Dwell—featuring live original music by Crystal Monee Hall—to further explore her and her collaborators’ personal, cultural, and musical approaches to the quintessentially American tap form. “The work transforms the stage into a kaleidoscope of vibrant dancing bodies” —The New York Times

Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to New York City Center, April 19th-23rd! The Company’s extraordinary dancers shine in two New York premieres: William Forsythe’s Blake Works IV, the latest installment of the choreographer’s continuously evolving work The Barre Project; and a new ballet by Tiffany Rea-Fisher set to an original score created by New York-based DJ and composer Erica Blunt (aka Twelve45) and inspired by the trailblazing Hazel Scott, the classical and jazz musician and civil rights activist. A program of works featuring Resident Choreographer Robert Garland‘s latest hit, Higher Ground—named one the best performances of 2022 by The New York Times—as well as Artistic Director Virginia Johnson’s favorite George Balanchine ballet—the joyous Allegro Brillante—will also be presented. Join us for the audacious vision for classical ballet that is Dance Theatre of Harlem. Special events include pre-show DJ and dancing on the Grand Tier, Divine Nine/HBCU Night and a post-performance talkback with soon-to-be Artistic Director Emerita Virginia Johnson (Friday), and a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the relaunched Company and Virginia Johnson’s final season as Artistic Director (Sunday).