Eryn Goldstein

It was a pleasure to attend Ballet Hispanico's April 27th performance honoring retiring company dancer Vanessa Valecillos. The diverse program showcased Ms. Valecillos' versatility and commanding presence in both ensemble and soloist roles.

Running through April 13th, Ailey II's All New program presents the company's outstanding young dancers in three new works by rising choreographers. The program is an awe-inspiring combination of technical precision, subtle emotion, and joyful energy. The clarity of the choreographers' visions and the versatility of the 12 Ailey II dancers allow each piece to be seen as a unique statement with an atmosphere all it's own.

It is a challenging and curious task to describe a person you are inextricably linked to, but have never known. Presented as a work in process February 21-23 at the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Festival, Nora Chipaumire's portrait of myself as my father examined the difficult process of tackling that challenge.

At the Sunday matinee performance of Jerome Bel's Disabled Theater at New York Live Arts, the audience was almost as interesting to observe as the performers. To my surprise, the people sitting around me were much more restless than the ten actors who began their performance by each standing in the center of the stage for one minute. Coughing, rustling programs, and shifting in their chairs, the large audience was among the most unsettled groups I have joined in a theater.

Last Friday marked the first time I watched a live theater performance from a swivel chair. The occasion was Big Dance Theater's presentation of Ich, Kurbisgeist at New York Live Arts. Directed by Paul Lazar and written by Sibyl Kempson, the work is a chaotic and humorous collage of sound, movement, and visual art.

The 45th anniversary season of the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company provided a glimpse into Lar Lubovitch's prolific career as a dance maker, showcasing both well-known and new works. Program B, presented at The Joyce Theater from October 15-20, featured a variety of pieces that emphasize Lubovitch's talent for using several distinctive movement themes to create a wide variety of atmospheres and characters.

The Replay Series, presented by New York Live Arts, allows audience members the opportunity to engage with works that span the entire career of influential dance makers. As part of this series, Molissa Fenley and Company can be seen at New York Live Arts October 2-5, performing a world premiere alongside revivals of several pivotal works from the early years of Ms. Fenley's career. Program A, presented on October 2-3 at 7:30pm includes The Floor Dances, Found Object, and Energizer.