Marianne Adams

Depth of Field

Depth of Field


“BIPED,” “Mycelium”
Lyon Opera Ballet
Festival: Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
New York City Center
New York, NY
February 21, 2026


In a three-night engagement at New York City Center, Lyon Opera Ballet presented two substantially contrasting works that nonetheless formed an unexpectedly coherent program: Merce Cunningham's landmark "BIPED" paired with Christos Papadopoulos's "Mycelium" – works opposite in structure, atmosphere, and era, yet united by a shared exposition of what happens to the human body when

By Marianne Adams
A New Beauty Awakens

New York City Ballet

A New Beauty Awakens


"The Sleeping Beauty”
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 19, 2026


In a two-week run of Peter Martins’s staging of “The Sleeping Beauty,” New York City Ballet saved the best debut cast for last. The beauty of this “Beauty” was in the nuance, and Emma Von Enck as Aurora and Dominika Afanasenkov as the Lilac Fairy gave transcendent, intentional performances, while David Gabriel was a gallant and hopeful Prince. Meaghan Dutton-O'

By Marianne Adams
Step Sequined

Step Sequined


Trinity Irish Dance Company
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
February 17, 2026


The Riverdance phenomenon may have faded from public consciousness, but Trinity Irish Dance Company wasted no time at The Joyce Theater in proving that Irish dancing is not only alive and well — it is more of the present moment than ever. In a program of nine works including two world and one New York premiere, the company tapped, twisted, and slapped infectious rhythms with an energy that

By Marianne Adams
Winners and Losers

New York City Ballet

Winners and Losers


"Dig the Say," "This Bitter Earth," "The Naked King," “Everywhere We Go"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
February 7, 2026 (matinee)


In a program of works by Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, and Alexei Ratmansky, New York City Ballet displayed the choreographic bedrock of the company’s current, post-Balanchine era. Fiercely technical, with a focus on musicality and sometimes drama, the direction is a formidable one when executed well. With Ratmansky’s new ballet

By Marianne Adams
Fresh Takes

New York City Ballet

Fresh Takes


"Walpurgisnacht Ballet," "Flower Festival in Genzano Pas de Deux," "The Wind-Up," "Opus 19/The Dreamer"
New York City Ballet
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
January 30, 2026


On a night abundant with debuts, including an all-new second cast for Justin Peck’s “The Wind-Up” which premiered a day earlier, the real revelations came from the repertory. While Peck's latest work stumbled through familiar choreographic territory, the dancers once again proved that a company’

By Marianne Adams
All That Worth Protecting

All That Worth Protecting


“When the Water Breaks,” “Monarcas,” “Floes,” “Symbiotic Twins,” “Network,” “After the Rain,” “Asylum,” “Moss Anthology: Variation #5b (2025)”
vildwerk.
New York Live Arts
New York, NY
December 17, 2025


Dance lovers are drawn to dance because of its inherent beauty: visual, musical, and in story ballets, narrative. And it’s no coincidence. Humans are creatures captivated by beauty, whether born of nature or shaped by human effort. And so, when vildwerk., a three-year-old nonprofit with an urgent mission,

By Marianne Adams
Complexions: Gorgeous, Stalled

Complexions: Gorgeous, Stalled


“Beethoven Concerto,” “Deeply,” “I Got U,” “Love Rocks”
Complexions Contemporary Ballet
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
November 25, 2025


Founded in 1994, Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s endurance is to be applauded, and its two-week run at The Joyce Theater is testament to the weight of commitment.  The company bills itself as an innovator, yet Program B, which I saw on this night, revealed that steadfast dedication to creation was more of its forte than innovation itself. 

By Marianne Adams
Tapping Into It, the Soul of Things

Tapping Into It, the Soul of Things


American Street Dancer
Rennie Harris Puremovement
The Joyce Theater
New York, NY
November 12, 2025


There's something powerful about watching a body create rhythm and sound. Rennie Harris's company’s new program titled “American Street Dancer” offered an entire evening of such flavors in the form of a documentary-style performance that honored the African-American roots of American street dance and celebrated three distinctive regional traditions: Detroit jitting, Chicago footwork, and a now seldom performed on the

By Marianne Adams
Women’s Stories

Women’s Stories


“Radeau/Raft,” “Hex,” “Las Desenamoradas,” “Exhibition”
Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company
Ailey Citigroup Theater
New York, NY
November 7, 2025


The tantalizingly brief run of modern dance works by Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company proved a rare gem – blink and you'd miss it. Those fortunate enough to attend were treated to Eleo Pomare's once-daring and still-potent choreography, alongside a new work by the company's Artistic Director Enrique Cruz DeJesus, and the evening became an exploration

By Marianne Adams
Till We Meet Again

American Ballet Theatre

Till We Meet Again


“Have We Met?!,” “Serenade after Plato’s Symposium,” “Theme and Variations”
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 30, 2025


For one of the final programs of its fall season, American Ballet Theatre presented a study in contrasts: the world premiere of Juliano Nunes's "Have We Met?!" explored parallel love stories across a century, while George Balanchine's "Theme and Variations" reminded us what timeless classicism looks like. Sandwiched between them, Alexei Ratmansky's 2016

By Marianne Adams
Wisps of Fortune

American Ballet Theatre

Wisps of Fortune


“The Kingdom of the Shades,” “Le Grand Pas de Deux,” “Rhapsody (Pas de Deux),” “The Sleeping Beauty, Act III”
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 28, 2025


Sometimes fortune smiles on an audience. The second version of ABT’s “Classics to the Contemporary” program, which replaced the middle act pieces with Christian Spuck’s “Le Grand Pas de Deux” and an excerpt from Frederick Ashton’s “Rhapsody,” had a last-minute replacement for the opening

By Marianne Adams
Uneven Showcase

Uneven Showcase


“The Kingdom of the Shades,” “Grand Pas Classique,” “Known by Heart (“Junk” Duet), “The Sleeping Beauty, Act III”
American Ballet Theatre
David H. Koch Theater
New York, NY
October 26, 2025


It was a showcase of individual talent at ABT’s mixed bill titled “Classics to the Contemporary,” with plenty of solos to dance in Natalia Makarova’s “Kingdom of Shades,” Victor Gsovsky’s “Grand Pas Classique,” Twyla Tharp’s “Known by Heart” duet and the entire third act of

By Marianne Adams