Where else do you get to see 20 companies over the course of 10 days, with a ticket price of just $15?! These are only a couple reasons why we are falling for Fall for Dance Festival, held each autumn at New York City Center. This season, the lineup is like an unlimited buffet of dance companies, with nearly each continent represented.
This season, September 26-October 8, performances include flamenco dance artist Farruquito; Elizabeth Streb’s latest work, Airslice; Wayne McGregor’s pas de deux for Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo; the Sarasota Ballet with guests Alina Cojocaru, Friedemann Vogel and Johan Kobborg; Hong Kong Ballet; Arthur Pita’s duet for Wendy Whelan and British dancer Edward Watson; and much more.
Jessica Lang Dance. Photo by Todd Rosenberg.
“Representing a wide range of geographies and dance idioms is an important part of the Festival’s philosophy,” says Vice President for Programming Stanford Makishi. “An audience member will encounter a variety of forms and sensibilities within each program and across the Festival as a whole.”
Aside from the eclecticism of Fall for Dance’s programming and the diversity within each evening’s program, one thing that sets the Festival apart from other dance offerings is the reasonable ticket price. Tickets, which go on sale on September 10 at 11am (either online, by phone or in person), are only $15 each.
“Fall for Dance is one of the greatest cultural bargains in New York, especially given the extremely high level of artistry represented on our Festival stage,” Makishi adds. “History proves that this accessibility attracts a diverse audience from aficionados to newcomers, and everyone in between.”
In fact, about 30 percent of the Fall for Dance audience is under the age of 30, Makishi notes.
The Festival seems to offer something for everyone, with varied dance styles represented on each program combination. Makishi explains that some patrons buy tickets with interest in seeing one or two companies and then leave the rest to chance, and that others purchase tickets without paying any attention to the lineup, thus “entrusting us to lead them on a journey of real discovery”.
Hong Kong Ballet. Photo courtesy of Fall for Dance Festival.
While Fall for Dance has consistently offered a chance for audiences to witness a lot of dance for only a little money, it still continues to evolve in its choices.
“In the beginning, each Festival was a wonderful sampler that allowed attendees to see 30 companies over just five nights,” Makishi says. “Now we have 20 companies over 10 nights, with each company performing for two consecutive nights. We are also featuring some large work that punctuates the Festival in what we hope are interesting ways. This shifts the dynamics of the Festival, sometimes significantly.”
For more information on Fall for Dance Festival, including how to purchase tickets, visit www.nycitycenter.org/Home/On-Stage/Fall-for-Dance.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
Photo (top): Grupo Corpo in ‘Suite Branca’ Photo by José Luiz Pederneiras.
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