Around the world in 180 Days: International dance abounds in the U.S. from January to June

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Looking to broaden your horizons in 2018, but just can’t make that dream expedition around the world happen? Not to worry. Argentina, Cuba, the Nederlands, Spain, Canada, the United Kingdom — all will be represented on stage in the United States by touring dance companies during the first half of this year. We’ve compiled a list of places to be and performances to see from January through June, so grab your calendar and let the international dance adventure begin.

Malpaso Dance Company

This young Cuban ensemble was established only six years ago by resident choreographer/Artistic Director Osnel Delgado, Executive Director Fernando Sáez and dancer/Associate Artistic Director Daileidys Carrazana. It received a production and touring grant from the National Dance Project last fall, and — in collaboration with The Joyce — it has commissioned works by renowned choreographers such as Ronald K. Brown and Trey McIntyre. The program includes pieces by Delgado, Brown and Aszure Barton, and several presenters will offer master classes in conjunction with the performances.

Dates:
January 11-12: Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH)
January 17-21: The Joyce Theater (New York, NY)
January 27: Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, University of Mississippi (University, MS)
May 11-12: Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, D.C.)​
For more information, visit www.malpasodance.com/touring.

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal

Under the direction of Louis Robitaille for the past 20 years, this Canadian troupe combines classical aesthetics with contemporary movement trends, striving to appeal to a multidimensional audience worldwide. The company’s current repertory includes works by Rodrigo Pederneiras, Itzik Galili, Andonis Foniadakis, Barak Marshall, and the ubiquitous Benjamin Millepied. Headlining the company’s tour will be a piece by Galili, featuring Afro-Cuban music by Perez Prado. A Q&A session will follow some performances.

Dates:
February 2-3: Cutler Majestic Theater, Emerson College (Boston, MA)
February 6: The Lyndon Institute (Lyndon Center, VT)
February 8: Merrill Auditorium (Portland, ME)
February 15-18: Prince Theater (Philadephia, PA)
For more information, visit www.bjmdanse.ca/en/2018-calendar.

Che Malambo

An all-male Argentinian company, Che Malambo made its debut in Paris, in 2007, and has since toured throughout the world. Choreographed by Director Gilles Brinas, a former ballet dancer, the troupe’s shows pay tribute to the gaucho traditions of South America through a mix of percussive movement and music geared toward contemporary audiences. Some presenters will offer artist conversations or other outreach activities.

Dates:
February 11: Wheeler Opera House (Aspen, CO)
February 13-15: Los Angeles Music Center (Los Angeles, CA)
February 17: Haugh Performing Arts Center, Citrus College (Glendora, CA)
March 11: Midland Center for the Arts (Midland, MI)
March 15: Center for the Performing Arts, Penn State (State College, PA)
March 17: Ohio Theatre, Playhouse Square (Cleveland, OH)
March 20: Weis Center for the Performing Arts, Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)
March 22: Orpheum Theater, Omaha Performing Arts (Omaha, NE)
March 24: Stephen B. Humphrey Theater, College of St. Benedict (St. Joseph, MN)
March 27: Bass Concert Hall, University of Texas, Austin (Austin, TX)
March 31: Warren Miller Performing Arts Center (Big Sky, MT
April 7: Tempe Center for the Arts (Tempe, AZ)
April 13-14: Kravis Center (West Palm Beach, FL)
April 15: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts​ (Miami, FL)​
April 17:​ Eastman Theatre, Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY)
April 20: Dana Center (Manchester, NH)
April 21: Hanover Theatre (Worcester, MA)
April 22: Colonial Theatre (Pittsfield, MA)
April 26: Lenfest Center for the Arts, Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA)
For more information, visit www.chemalambolive.com.

Company Wayne McGregor

One of three resident troupes at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre, in London, Company Wayne McGregor has developed a lofty international reputation since its founding in 1992. The award-winning British choreographer at its helm has generated over 30 works for the ensemble, which serves as a veritable laboratory for his creative output. In San Francisco and New York, the company will perform Autobiography, an abstract series of choreographic portraits centered on the concept of self. The Boston program will consist of Atomos, a melding of sculptural movement and sound with film and intricate lighting design.

Dates:
February 27-March 3: The Joyce Theater (New York, NY)
March 8-10: YBCA Theater (San Francisco, CA)​
May 4-5: Shubert Theater, The Boch Center (Boston, MA)
For more information, visit waynemcgregor.com/calendar.

Compañía Nacional de Danza

Founded in 1979, this Madrid-based company developed under an eclectic (and impressive) succession of directors, including Victor Ullate, Maya Plisétskaya, and Nacho Duato. Now led by José Carlos Martínez, Compañía Nacional de Danza boasts a repertory ranging from purely classical to neo-classical and cutting-edge contemporary. On the bill for the troupe’s U.S. tour will be Johan Inger’s stripped-down production of Carmen, which made its world premiere in 2015, at Spain’s Teatro de la Zarzuela.

Dates:
March 3-4: Mondavi Center, University of California (​Davis, CA)
March 6-7: Granada Theatre (Santa Barbara, CA)
March 10: Jones Hall (Houston, TX)
For more information, visit cndanza.mcu.es/en/247-season/cartelas/cartelas-17-18-en/2028-tour-to-united-states-of-america.

Nederlands Dans Theater

Avant-garde and often enigmatic, NDT is widely regarded as one of the foremost contemporary dance purveyors in the world. Following in the extraordinary footsteps of visionary director Jiri Kylián, Paul Lightfoot has held the artistic reigns of this pioneering ensemble since 2011. With works by Crystal Pite and the dynamic duo Sol León and Lightfoot on the docket for its U.S. tour, the company’s ardent American audience is sure to be satisfied. (Take a deep dive into NDT’s current culture with this Dance Informa feature.)

Dates:
March 23-24: Power Center, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
March 28-29: Carolina Performing Arts Center (Chapel Hill, NC)
April 4-6: Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC)
For more information, visit www.ndt.nl/en/tickets/tour-usa.html.

National Ballet of Canada

One of Canada’s premier classical troupes, the National Ballet is nearing seven decades of dance presentation in its home country and around the world. The company’s brief visit to the U.S., as part of the San Francisco Ballet’s 2017-18 season, will feature John Neumeier’s Nijinsky, a semi-biographical homage to the ill-fated ballet legend. The score to the production includes works by Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsokov, and Dimitri Shostakovich, and the sets and costumes are based, in part, on sketches by Léon Bakst and Alexander Benois.

Dates:
April 3-8: War Memorial Opera House (San Francisco, CA)

For more information, visit national.ballet.ca/Productions/2017-18-Season/Nijinsky-San-Francisco.

Ballet Nacional de Cuba

​Alicia Alonso’s iconic ensemble was born in 1948, but (for obvious reasons) made its U.S. debut a full three decades later, at the Kennedy Center. Considered “the highest expression of the Cuban school of ballet”, the company melds classical technique and a theatrical style with a reverence for national culture. Chicago will be treated to Don Quixote, while Tampa and Saratoga Springs will enjoy Giselle. Both productions will appear in Washington, D.C.

Dates:
May 18-20: Auditorium Theatre (Chicago, IL)
May 23: Straz Center for the Performing Arts (Tampa, FL)
May 29-June 3: Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC)
June 6-8: Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Saratoga Springs, NY)
For more information, visit individual presenter websites.

By Leah Gerstenlauer of Dance Informa.