After providing one of last year’s dance highlights—the bold, disturbing Tense Dave—the feisty and unpredictable Australian troupe Chunky Move is back to offer further surprises with I Want to Dance Better at Parties, the 2004 work. Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek videotaped interviews with various men about their experiences with dance, but soon found the discussion veering into more personal and intimate areas of their lives and provided the seed material for the piece. Initially, the Chunky Move dancers (both male and female) perform spiffed-up versions of the men’s own movement—a bit of line dancing here, a salsa lesson there—in front of filmed images. Gradually they break out into Obarzanek’s rough-hewn, gawky, surprising movement explorations inspired by the men’s remarks and reflections, heard as narration. 

“I love telling stories through my work, and some of them are incredibly narrative,” explains Obarzanek. “I’m also interested in formalist work and abstraction. Some works occupy both those worlds; sometimes I’ll split the two completely apart.” Obarzanek’s fertile movement imagination investigates what lies behind those stories—what motivates, frightens or embarrasses them. Based on their two previous New York programs, you can expect more in the way of the grotesque and dangerous than the soothing and elegant.

Through July 15. Joyce Theater, 175 8th Ave. (at 19th St.), 212-242-0800; Wed.-Fri. 8, Sat. 2 & 8, $36.