In our Second Season Arts issue, we look at the upcoming months and share some of the stuff we’re dying to see and hear between now and summer. Here's dance critic Deni Kasrel's picks for dance; for more on what's coming up in music and the arts, check out our calendars of spring must-sees for visual arts, theater and music from pop to jazz to roots to classical.
Pilobolus Dance Theatre
Masters of the art of bodily entanglement, the Pilobolus crew contorts their super-flexible bodies into delightfully inventive formations. These wily shape-shifters have a serious side, but are best known for their ability to amuse.
Jan. 17-20, Annenberg Center.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
When in Philly, this company always presents Revelations, a signature work by its namesake founder-choreographer. We’ll get fresh material, too, including pieces by homegrown hip-hop master Rennie Harris.
Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Merriam Theater.
Motionhouse
England’s Motionhouse crosses the pond for its American debut. Dynamic and cinematic in approach, the troupe intricately blends live performance and film and goes full tilt on the wow factor.
Feb. 7-9, Annenberg Center.
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
It will be a real treat to catch an outfit so accustomed to bigger venues in the intimate setting of the Painted Bride. This program ventures back to the company’s avant-garde roots.
Feb. 21-23, Painted Bride.
Parsons Dance
The high-spirited and ever-charming David Parsons draws from his newest repertoire of creative dance works.
Feb. 27-March 2, Annenberg Center.
SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance
Two contemporary ensembles known for being intellectual and detail-oriented while also having a sense of wit — Seattle’s The Real Shannon Stewart and Philadelphia’s Green Chair Dance Group — perform recent work.
March 22-23, Conwell Dance Theater, Philadelphia Dance Projects.
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers KYL’s East-meets-West aesthetic deftly balances spiritual and humanist qualities. We may look forward to more of the same from this program’s world premiere, One. March 22-23, Mandell Theater.
Pasión y Arte Flamenco Company/Freshblood
This is part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, and while details are scarce, the show’s title is certainly an attention-grabber: May 05, 1096 — Birth of the First Gynecologist.
April 5-7, Fleisher Art Memorial, PIFA.
Philadanco
Locally based, internationally renowned ’Danco opens its spring season at the Kimmel Center with a program that will no doubt cement the company’s rep as a home for some of our most technically adept and crowd-pleasing performers.
April 19-21, Kimmel Center.
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Following a multi-year hiatus, contemporary ballet’s esteemed DTH is once again out and about, this time touring new material and classics by George Balanchine.
May 16-18, Annenberg Center.
Pennsylvania Ballet
Lately, the Pennsylvania Ballet has been leaning heavily on the tried and true, but here they take a big leap with two company premiers by highly influential European dance makers: William Forsythe’s provocative Artifact Suite and Jirí Kylián’s somber, soulful Forgotten Land.
June 13-16, Academy of Music.
BalletX
BalletX continues to introduce us to noteworthy contemporary choreographers, this time with a world premier by Nicolo Fonte, who’s known for poetic, beautiful, visually captivating movement.
July 10-14, Wilma Theater, BalletX.
