Anna Kaiser and Ryan Patrick Farrell of the Chase Brock Experience are part of the Battery Dance Company’s Downtown Dance Festival
August is generally a quiet time for the city’s dance scene. The performance calendar slims down, and even the Joyce Theater takes a few well-deserved weeks off. But this week and next, there are notable events taking place Uptown, Downtown and in Central Park as two of the most highly regarded and consistently revelatory choreographers working today will offer premieres, and a longstanding annual week-long festival will present a smorgasbord of dance for free.
This being summer, only one of these events takes place indoor. The Mark Morris Dance Group has become the de facto resident dance company of the Mostly Mozart Festivals, and in recent years have offered a series of memorable performances of both revivals and new works under the Festival’s auspices. This year, with the New York State Theater closed for renovation, they will perform (Aug. 19 through 22) at the Rose Theater and will forego orchestral accompaniment in favor of chamber music. The two new works are set to scores by composers whom Morris, even in his wide-ranging musical explorations, has not previously chosen. Visitation, a work for 10 dancers, is set to Beethoven’s Sonata No. 4 in C for cello and piano, while Empire Garden, performed by 15 dancers, is set to Charles Ives’ Trio for violin, cello and piano. The deluxe roster of musicians is headed by Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma, who will perform in both these works as well as in V, one of Morris’ most masterful and eloquent dances, with Schumann’s Quintet in E-flat major for Piano and Strings as its score.
Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, the must-see, ever-evolving troupe founded by Christopher Wheeldon two years ago, is a most welcome resident company at City Center, and will return there at the end of October. Those programs will include Wheeldon’s Commedia, set to Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and first seen last year, and a new work to Rachmaninnoff. But this week finds Morphoses performing on an outdoor stage and Wheeldon venturing into very different musical territory for the troupe’s performances at Central Park SummerStage (Aug. 14 & 15). He and fellow choreographer Edwaard Liang are collaborating with singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright. In addition to releasing two albums of her own material, has often performed alongside many major musicians, and recently sang the Brecht-Weill Seven Deadly Sins for a Royal Ballet program. But this project, titled Tears of St. Lawrence, marks her first collaboration with a choreographer, and she will be performing her commissioned music.
Battery Dance Company’s Downtown Dance Festival (Aug. 17 through 23) keeps two stages humming for seven days with program showcasing a total of 21 companies. Many are local, but there are also intriguing opportunities to see troupes from India and the Republic of Georgia. The Wednesday performance is curated by the Indo-American Arts Council, and offers an array of works exploring various styles of Indian dance. On Wednesday the Kolkha Folk Ensemble will perform the distinctive and beguiling Georgian dances, which are known for the women’s luminous poise and the men’s robust, vigorous jumps. Local ensembles performing in the Festival include Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Chase Brock Experience and Naomi Goldberg Haas in addition to Battery Dance Company.
Morphoses
Aug. 14 & 15 Central Park SummerStage, enter park at E. 69th St. & 5th Ave., 212-360-2777; 8, FREE
Downtown Dance Festival
Aug. 17 through 21 at various locations, visit www.batterydance.org for more information.
Mark Morris Dance Group
Aug. 19 through 22, Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, at Jazz at Lincoln Center (W. 60th St & Broadway), 212-721-6500; times vary, $40 and up.
This being summer, only one of these events takes place indoor. The Mark Morris Dance Group has become the de facto resident dance company of the Mostly Mozart Festivals, and in recent years have offered a series of memorable performances of both revivals and new works under the Festival’s auspices. This year, with the New York State Theater closed for renovation, they will perform (Aug. 19 through 22) at the Rose Theater and will forego orchestral accompaniment in favor of chamber music. The two new works are set to scores by composers whom Morris, even in his wide-ranging musical explorations, has not previously chosen. Visitation, a work for 10 dancers, is set to Beethoven’s Sonata No. 4 in C for cello and piano, while Empire Garden, performed by 15 dancers, is set to Charles Ives’ Trio for violin, cello and piano. The deluxe roster of musicians is headed by Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma, who will perform in both these works as well as in V, one of Morris’ most masterful and eloquent dances, with Schumann’s Quintet in E-flat major for Piano and Strings as its score.
Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, the must-see, ever-evolving troupe founded by Christopher Wheeldon two years ago, is a most welcome resident company at City Center, and will return there at the end of October. Those programs will include Wheeldon’s Commedia, set to Stravinsky’s Pulcinella and first seen last year, and a new work to Rachmaninnoff. But this week finds Morphoses performing on an outdoor stage and Wheeldon venturing into very different musical territory for the troupe’s performances at Central Park SummerStage (Aug. 14 & 15). He and fellow choreographer Edwaard Liang are collaborating with singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright. In addition to releasing two albums of her own material, has often performed alongside many major musicians, and recently sang the Brecht-Weill Seven Deadly Sins for a Royal Ballet program. But this project, titled Tears of St. Lawrence, marks her first collaboration with a choreographer, and she will be performing her commissioned music.
Battery Dance Company’s Downtown Dance Festival (Aug. 17 through 23) keeps two stages humming for seven days with program showcasing a total of 21 companies. Many are local, but there are also intriguing opportunities to see troupes from India and the Republic of Georgia. The Wednesday performance is curated by the Indo-American Arts Council, and offers an array of works exploring various styles of Indian dance. On Wednesday the Kolkha Folk Ensemble will perform the distinctive and beguiling Georgian dances, which are known for the women’s luminous poise and the men’s robust, vigorous jumps. Local ensembles performing in the Festival include Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Chase Brock Experience and Naomi Goldberg Haas in addition to Battery Dance Company.
Morphoses
Aug. 14 & 15 Central Park SummerStage, enter park at E. 69th St. & 5th Ave., 212-360-2777; 8, FREE
Downtown Dance Festival
Aug. 17 through 21 at various locations, visit www.batterydance.org for more information.
Mark Morris Dance Group
Aug. 19 through 22, Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, at Jazz at Lincoln Center (W. 60th St & Broadway), 212-721-6500; times vary, $40 and up.
