Major Dance Companies | Resident Companies | Dance Venues and Festivals
by Dance editor Michele Kadison
It is almost impossible to calibrate the amount of dance going on in New York at any given time, so prolific is this nucleus of choreographic activity. From major dance companies to underground ensembles that represent the avant-garde, from established theaters to small venues that host new work, New York offers the best in the expected and the unexpected.
As the world’s showcase for the arts, all five of New York’s boroughs are fertile ground for discovering the many genres that exist in dance, as varied as the melting pot that represents the city itself.
The New York dance scene can be (loosely) divided into three categories:
- Major Dance Companies: Five major world-famous dance companies (six if you count Merce Cunningham, which is about to disband) not only call New York home, but present one or two multi-week seasons every year, including Alvin Ailey, American Ballet Theatre (ABT), and the New York City Ballet.
- Resident Companies: Although they spend the majority of their annual performance schedule touring the world, twelve dance jewels call New York home, and perform several weeks here each year.
- Dance Venues & Festivals: the Fall for Dance Festival, the Joyce Theaters, etc.
In our attempt to keep the connoisseurs and the curious abreast of what’s happening in New York and its environs, our listings will constantly expand to reflect the ever-growing state of the art.
Discounts
Besides the usual sources of performance discounts (Goldstar, TDF, Club Free Time) NYC dance lovers should check out DanceLink Club – an email club devoted to dance performance discounts, as well as various discount plans offered by the Joyce Theater.
