Jessica Abejar

Artist-in-Resident Sydnie L. Mosley premiered BodyBusiness as part of the Performance Project at University Settlement. This experiential work explored the issues, ideas, and solutions regarding how dancers can make a living off meaningful work. Part marketplace, part performance, and part practical resource sharing, BodyBusiness was more than just a performance piece--it was a revolutionary way of building and uplifting the dance community.

After touring several states, "South of Gold Mountain" held its New York premiere at New York Live Arts. Renowned choreographer HT Chen and Dancers brought to life the untold stories of Chinese immigrants who settled in the South, using elements of Chinese Opera Movement, modern dance, traditional Chinese music, deep south blues, personal narrative, and old family photos. What emerged was a living history unfolding before the audience's eyes.

Fall for Dance continued to marvel audiences with its third program. A cultural treasure for New York, Fall for Dance allows audiences access to some of the field's greatest visionaries from around the globe. The third program included a variety of pieces from passionate street dance to pristine ballet that captured the audience's attention all evening.

This week The Joyce Theater is presenting two unique premieres. The first is Aparna Ramaswamy's They Rose at Dawn. Accompanied by a live musical ensemble, this gifted Bharatanatyam dancer graced the stage with such vibrancy, energy, and light, leading the audience to become part of a beautiful experience.

Always a great treasure to the city, New York City Center's Fall for Dance opened its second program with great anticipation. For an affordable price, audiences get a glimpse of the wonderful world of dance, with access to some of the field's greatest visionaries from around the globe. With a roster that included breathtaking athleticism, a comical tap solo, intriguing minimalist ballet, and an entrancing African-urban fusion, Fall for Dance's second program of 2015 did not let the audience down. There is no wonder that this is perhaps one of the hottest tickets in town!

The People Movers presented their final installment of their inaugural season of CRAWL, a multi-disciplinary arts series. CRAWL's mission is to provide a platform for a diverse range of creative emerging artists to 'radically change the way that contemporary art is seen and experienced.' Set in a warehouse in Brooklyn and featuring works by Dante Brown (Warehouse Dance) and Gregory Dolbashian (The Dash Ensemble), as well as music and poetry by E. Oks (Evan Okun), CRAWL: Chapter 4 did exactly that.

BalaSole Dance Company celebrated its fifth anniversary this past weekend at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. For the past five years and sixteen concerts, BalaSole (which stands for "Balance" and "Solo" has given dancers, who would have otherwise been shunned by the concert dance world, a chance to share their passion.

Nearly two weeks after famed dancer Dudley Williams' passing, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater took to the stage at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center for a fitting tribute. Though the program was already set, the sudden passing led to the addition of "A Song for You" from Love Songs and added new meaning to the rest of the evening's performances, especially for Rennie Harris' world premiere.

For three nights only, after hours at the American Museum of National History, the spotlight was put on climate change. However, this issue was not presented through demonstration, lecture, or film, but rather through dance. With a narration written and performed by biologist Paul Ehrlich and support from Museum Curator Rob DeSalle, Karole Armitage's On the Nature of Things creatively showed the emotional dimension of a global yet intimate topic.

During its premiere season at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance presented an eclectic evening of dance that had the audience experiencing a range of emotions. From wonder and awe to shockingly disturbing, glee to solemn reverence, the complex evening had a variety of pieces, but had one thing in common: simply exquisite dancing.

For only four performances at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, China Arts and Entertainment Group presented the first US performance of the Hong Kong Dance Company's The Legend of Mulan. Based on a folk poem of a young woman fighting in the Chinese army in place of her ill father, this beloved legend was brought to life through dramatic presentation and incredible, jaw-dropping physical feats.

As a part of its Hear the Dance program for the Winter 2015 season, the New York City Ballet presented two pieces featuring compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. They were choreographed by the Company's most renowned choreographers, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. With minimal set and costume designs, the evening allowed for music and dance to take flight, leaving the audience at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in awe as they watched Bach's music come to life in a pure dance experience.

The sights and sounds of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker are a staple to Christmastime in New York City. The American Ballet Theatre has brought this timeless tradition to the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the past five years. The Company began its final run of Artist in Resident Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker last weekend, delighting audiences at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and leaving a legacy of joy and wonder.

The Bessies, formally known as the New York Dance and Performance Awards, celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Apollo Theater on Monday, October 20th. It was an exciting evening that commemorated the diverse world of dance and those who tirelessly contribute to a field that makes this city come alive.

This fall, L.A. Dance Project, founded in 2012 by newly appointed Paris Opera Ballet director and former New York City Ballet principal Benjamin Millepied, made its New York debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as a part of the 2014 Next Wave Festival. With works by Millepied, Justin Peck, and William Forsythe, this west coast collective came in full force, demonstrating incredible creative genius and outstanding performance.

Dixon Place has been a creative haven for the downtown arts scene for nearly 30 years. Bold in its approach to supporting the creative process, Dixon Place did not disappoint in its choice of commissioned work this October - Creatures of Habit, choreographed by Jonathan Royse Windham, a highly entertaining piece.

The Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center has been a cultural staple for New York City for eleven years, giving audiences the opportunity to witness excellence found in the worldwide field of dance (and at an affordable price, too!). This year's festival opened up with four distinct works, including two NY premieres, one US premiere, and one world premiere by Mark Morris Dance Group, much to the delight of the audience.

This weekend, BalaSole Dance Company's fall show Pastiche was presented at The Ailey Citigroup Theater, introducing audiences to a variety of new solos from a diverse group of dancers. Billed as a company that addresses the gaps in the dance field by giving opportunities for underrepresented artists to find their voice, this season's show did just that and more. What Pastiche showed was that dancers of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, and experiences had at least one thing in common - passion.

Sixteen New York City public high school students were given the opportunity of a lifetime this summer when Bessie-winner Alice Teirstein took them under her wing and introduced them to the dance community. After a whirlwind tour across New York City, as well as a slew of other dance-related activities from shows to workshops to seminars, The Young Dancemakers Company ended its 19th season with a packed gala performance at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.

There are no limits to what wonders Pilobolus can create. And as evidenced by the opening of their summer season at the Joyce Theater, the company's creativity transcends beyond imagination, revolutionizing dance and the human experience.