Five of NYC’s most iconic dance companies—Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem—return for the fourth annual BAAND Together Dance Festival, sharing the spotlight and a stage as part of Lincoln Center’s third annual Summer for the City. The Festival began when the performing arts were coming back after the height of the pandemic in 2021 as a new form of collaboration in celebration of the return to live performance.

 

From July 30–August 3 and this year moving indoors to the David H. Koch Theater, audiences will be treated to five exceptional performances of beloved programming curated collaboratively by the artistic directors of the companies, featuring repertory favorites. Performances: Tue-Fri at 7:30pm, Sat at 4pm.

 

https://lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/baand-together-dance-festival-696

 

Program:

Dance Theatre of Harlem - Blake Works IV (The Barre Project) by William Forsythe

New York City Ballet - Duo Concertant by George Balanchine

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Solo by Hans Van Manen

American Ballet Theatre - Night Falls by Brady Farrar

Ballet Hispánico - Sombrerísimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

 

Each afternoon, one of the companies brings its unique teaching style to participants of all ages with free dance workshops in the David Geffen Hall lobby. The series will offer a variety of teaching styles and dance forms, appropriate for all ages and abilities.

 

The Festival is made possible by CHANEL, representing the fourth year of the House’s support of the BAAND Together Dance Festival. This partnership reflects CHANEL’s long-standing patronage within the world of dance, which has continued for over a century.

 

Statement from the artistic directors of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing), American Ballet Theatre (Artistic Director Susan Jaffe), Ballet Hispánico (Artistic Director & CEO Eduardo Vilaro), Dance Theatre of Harlem (Artistic Director Robert Garland), and New York City Ballet (Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan):

 

“The BAAND Together Festival has become a summer must-see event, thanks to Lincoln Center's dedication to our community. This year we are thrilled to be at the Koch Theater with an exciting program highlighting the vibrancy of New York City’s dance landscape and cementing our commitment to making great dance accessible to all New Yorkers.”

- BAAND Artistic Directors

 

To make the arts more accessible, tickets are available on a Choose-What-You-Pay basis (suggested ticket price $35): https://lincolncenter.org/series/summer-for-the-city/baand-together-dance-festival-696.

 

Program Details:

Dance Theatre of Harlem - Blake Works IV (The Barre Project) by William Forsythe

Renowned choreographer William Forsythe’s love for the music of British composer, James Blake, achieves its fourth iteration in dance with Blake Works 4 (The Barre Project), created specifically for Dance Theatre of Harlem. Blake Works 4 is the latest in a continuously evolving series, The Barre Project, which originated digitally during the height of the pandemic when live performances were not possible. A “love letter to dancers, to technique, to the possibilities of the ballet barre,” (Fjord Review), this new version highlights the diverse and formidable talents of the company.

 

New York City Ballet - Duo Concertant by George Balanchine

Stravinsky dedicated Duo Concertant to Samuel Dushkin, a violinist he met in 1931 and with whom he premiered the work in 1932. Balanchine first heard the piece performed soon after it was composed, but not until years later, when he was planning the 1972 Stravinsky Festival, did he decide to choreograph it.

 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - Solo by Hans Van Manen

Hans van Manen divides his dynamic Solo among three dancers in a tour de force that challenges the Ailey men's daring agility and grace. This explosive display of virtuosity and wit launches the performers into an exhilarating whirlwind of movement and musicality. Featuring “Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002 – Double: Presto” and “Partita for Solo Violin No. 1 in B minor, BWV 1002 – Double: Corrente” performed by Sigiswald Kuijken and composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.

 

American Ballet Theatre - Night Falls by Brady Farrar

Night Falls is a pas de deux that reflects an atmosphere of intimacy, inspired by the tranquil light at dusk, set to Chopin's Nocturne No. 19 in E Minor No. 1.

 

Ballet Hispánico - Sombrerísimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa

Inspired by the surrealist world of Belgian painter René Magritte, famous for his paintings of men in bowler hats, Sombrerísimo references the iconic sombreros (hats) found throughout the world that help to represent culture. Originally choreographed for an all-male cast, Sombrerísimo has evolved into a work that can also be performed by an all-female or mixed-gender cast.

 

Photos are available here. Additional details may be found here.

 

The Summer for the City announcement is available here. More at SummerForTheCity.org.

 

**In person press opportunities for Summer for the City must be arranged in advance with the Lincoln Center Press Office, pressoffice@lincolncenter.org**

 

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Ballet Hispánico was founded on the principle that everyone deserves dance, quality dance training and innovative performances. In creating the company in 1970, Tina Ramirez shattered a glass ceiling—challenging iconic representations and exposing the joy and celebration to be found in Latindad. Despite its humble origins, Ballet Hispánico immediately served as a catalyst for people in the Latine/x/Hispanic community, especially for Latino youth, to follow their dreams in the cultural world. Today, as the largest Latino cultural organization in the United States and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, Ballet Hispánico’s three main programs, the Company, School of Dance, and Community Arts Partnerships bring together communities to celebrate the ever growing and multifaceted Hispanic diasporas. Ballet Hispánico’s New York City headquarters provide the space and cultural heart for Latinx dance in the United States. It is a space that expands on Ramirez’s original vision by providing our community the ability to train through dedicated scholarship opportunities, exceptional dance training, inclusive cultural dialogues, and exemplary performances. No matter their background or identity, Ballet Hispánico welcomes and serves all, breaking stereotypes and celebrating the beauty and diversity of Hispanic cultures through dance.

 

Founded by Alvin Ailey in 1958 and forged during a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater uplifts the African American experience while transcending boundaries of race, faith, and nationality with its universal humanity. Recognized as a "vital American cultural ambassador to the world," it is one of the most acclaimed dance companies worldwide. Having performed in more than seventy countries on six continents, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues to bring joy to audiences everywhere while upholding Ailey’s legacy for future generations. This fall, AILEY is partnering with the Whitney Museum of American Art to present Edges of Ailey (September 25, 2024–February 9, 2025), the first large-scale exhibition to reflect on Alvin Ailey's life, work, and legacy. This landmark exhibit will feature an ambitious program of live performances and special events from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, The Ailey School, Ailey Extension, and Ailey Arts In Education.

 

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great legacy of classical dancing to the widest possible audience. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America's National Ballet Company®.

 

New York City Ballet, one of the foremost ballet companies in the world, was founded in 1948 by the legendary choreographer George Balanchine and arts patron Lincoln Kirstein, and quickly became world-renowned for its athletic and contemporary style. Jerome Robbins joined NYCB the following year and, with Balanchine, helped to build its extraordinary repertory. Today, in its 75th anniversary year, NYCB continues to be inspired by its founders who envisioned an authentically American expression of ballet with a company that reflects the rich cultural diversity of our city and nation. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Jonathan Stafford, Associate Artistic Director Wendy Whelan, and Executive Director Katherine Brown, NYCB remains dedicated to its primary objectives: to preserve the ballets, dance aesthetic, and standards of excellence created and established by its founders; to develop new work that draws on the talents of contemporary choreographers and composers and speaks to the time in which it is made; and to make ballet accessible to the widest possible public through touring, education programs, the creative use of media, and other outreach efforts.

 

Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem is considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times). Shortly after the assassination of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell was inspired to start a school that would offer children — especially those in Harlem, the community in which he was born — the opportunity to learn about dance and the allied arts. Now in its sixth decade, Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of providing opportunities for creative expression and artistic excellence that continues to set standards in the performing arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world.

 

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (LCPA) is a cultural and civic cornerstone of New York City. The primary advocate for the entire Lincoln Center campus, our strategic priorities include: fostering collaboration and deepening impact across the Lincoln Center resident organizations; championing inclusion and increasing the accessibility and reach of Lincoln Center’s work; and nurturing innovation on stage and off to help ensure the arts are at the center of civic life for all. LCPA presents hundreds of programs each year, offered primarily for free and choose-what-you-pay, including many specially designed for young audiences, families, and those with disabilities.

 

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BAAND Together Dance Festival is made possible by CHANEL

 

Major support provided by the Thompson Family Foundation

 

The BAAND Together Dance Festival is proud to be part of Summer for the City

 

A Project of Arnhold Dance Innovation Fund

 

Major support provided by Arnhold Dance Innovation Fund

 

Additional support provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance

 

Endowment support is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation Fund for Dance and the Doris Duke Foundation

 

Lead support for Choose-What-You-Pay is provided by the Family of Robert Wood Johnson III

 

Major support is provided by the Scully Peretsman Foundation

 

Additional support is provided by the PNC Foundation

 

Lead Support for Summer for the City Community Programming is provided by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

 

Major support for Lincoln Center Presents and Summer for the City is provided by Chase, the Shubert Foundation, MOVADO Group Foundation, EY, and the Howard Gilman Foundation

 

Additional support is provided by Fairfield by Marriott Central Park

 

Endowment support is provided by the Blavatnik Family Foundation Fund for Dance, The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Foundation, Oak Foundation, and PepsiCo Foundation

 

Lincoln Center’s artistic excellence is made possible by the dedication and generosity of our board members

 

Operation of Lincoln Center’s public plazas is supported in part with public funds provided by the City of New York

 

Programs are made possible, in part, with public funds provided by National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Empire State Development, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor, Mayor of the City of New York, the New York State Legislature and the New York City Council

 

NewYork-Presbyterian is the Official Hospital of Lincoln Center

 

United is the Preferred Airline of Lincoln Center Presents

 

Steinway & Sons is the Preferred Piano Partner of Lincoln Center

 

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