Ronald K. Brown News

It was humbling listening to audience members remark upon the beauty and pure joy of seeing a stage filled with artists of color, responding to a shared sense of knowing, especially Ailey's work, Cry, dedicated in the program to 'all Black women everywhere - especially our mothers.' The ability for audience members to feel seen in a 2,000 plus seat auditorium, by a nearly fifty-year-old work, is the platform Ailey gave his artists.

Bard SummerScape's 17th edition celebrates one of the most important female figures in classical music history, with seven weeks of music, opera, theater, dance, film and the SummerScape Spiegeltent, centered around the 31st Bard Music Festival, 'Nadia Boulanger and Her World.'

Bard College has announced the appointment of Liza Parker as executive director of the Fisher Center, a leading performing arts center and hub for research and education. Previously a member of the senior leadership team at Lincoln Center, most recently as chief operating officer, Parker was responsible for overall strategy and direction, overseeing management of the campus, including Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the David Rubenstein Atrium. As executive director of the Fisher Center, she will lead senior administration, and manage operations and external relations for the Center's professional and educational programs.

Jacob's Pillow, in partnership with the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) and the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), invites early career dance presenters to apply for an immersive professional development experience at Jacob's Pillow, August 5-8, 2020. The third annual Forum, reinstated in July 2018 in response to field-wide interest, is developed in collaboration with key partners from across the U.S. and designed to be a catalytic opportunity for early career dance presenters.

Celebrating 35 years of fusing the beauty of traditional African movement with contemporary choreography, The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) welcomes the return of Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE. With a mixed bill of company classics and a newly-commissioned work, the Brooklyn company will play The Joyce Theater from February 25-March 1.

The Auditorium Theatre's Visiting Resident Company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Chicago March 4-8, 2020 with Midwest premieres, Chicago premieres, and new productions of classic works.

ODC Theater will present Kinetech Arts in the world premiere of AI SENSORIUM, a multidisciplinary investigation of the powers and pitfalls of artificial intelligence (AI). Performances run February 21 - 23, Friday to Sunday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $30, and may be purchased online at odc.dance/tickets or by phone at 415-863-9834.

Let's Dance International Frontiers 2020, Leicester's annual dance festival celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2020 with a thrilling programme of dance and performance from the UK, USA, Norway, Cuba, Martinique, Tanzania, Italy and more.

The International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD) has partnered with Philadanco!, The Philadelphia Dance Company to bring the 32nd Annual International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance to Philadelphia, PA in January 2020. During this conference, emerging, established, and legendary Black Dance companies from all over America will convene in the City of Brotherly Love for Then Now Next a one of a kind festival where dance lovers can experience over forty diverse companies and styles from January 15-18, 2020. This four-day conference and festival celebrates the brilliance of Black Dance companies while enhancing audiences' understanding of Black Dance history and technique.

The Auditorium Theatre announces programming for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's March 4-8, 2020 performances in Chicago, featuring Midwest premieres and Ailey classics. The company gives the Midwest premiere to three works: Ode, created by Ailey dancer and the company's first-ever Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts; Greenwood, Donald Byrd's ensemble work inspired by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre; and Ounce of Faith, Darrell Grand Moultrie's ode to teachers and mentors. The engagement also includes Chicago premieres of BUSK, Aszure Barton's 2009 work premiered by the Ailey company in 2019, and The Call by Ronald K. Brown, a joyous mix of modern and West African dance. The company brings new productions of Ailey Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison's Divining and Lar Lubovitch's Fandango, along with audience favorites In/Side and Ella by Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle. Keeping with Chicago tradition, every performance ends with company founder Alvin Ailey's masterpiece Revelations.

Linda Shelton, Executive Director of The Joyce Theater Foundation, unveiled the full slate of programming for the organization's Spring/Summer 2020 season, featuring a diverse roster of companies from across the U.S. and around the world. From classical ballet and seminal contemporary dance to some of the most in-demand choreographers and dancers creating new work today, the New York City organization continues to pave the way for dance as one of the world's most renowned presenters of the art form. The Joyce Theater's Spring/Summer 2020 season will see dance artists and companies celebrate monumental milestones and boundary-breaking world premieres, creating a unique blend of revered tradition and future classics across genres that will both delight dance aficionados and engage new audiences all season long.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season with a one-night only gala benefit on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm, complete with an exceptional performance at New York City Center and dinner-party at the Hilton New York Grand Ballroom.

The American Dance Festival (ADF) will present the 2020 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement to acclaimed choreographer Shen Wei. Established in 1981 by Samuel H. Scripps, the annual award honors choreographers who have dedicated their lives and talent to the creation of modern dance. Shen Wei will be in residence at ADF during the 2020 season working on his latest ADF commission set on ADF students. ADF Director Emeritus Charles L. Reinhart will present the $50,000 award in a brief ceremony on Thursday, July 23rd at 8:00pm, prior to the Footprints performance in Reynolds Industries Theater.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season with a one-night only gala benefit on Wednesday, December 4 at 7pm, complete with an exceptional performance at New York City Center and dinner-party at the Hilton New York Grand Ballroom. The gala honors Philanthropist Elaine Wynn & The Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation for their generous contributions which have supported the creation of new works as well as the Elaine Wynn & Family Education Wing, which in 2017 added three floors a?" featuring four dance studios and two classrooms a?" to The Joan Weill Center for Dance, New York's largest building dedicated to dance.  The event's co-chairs are Emily & Len Blavatnik, Paulette Mullings Bradnock & Howard Bradnock, Mellody Hobson & George Lucas, Daria L & Eric J. Wallach and Joan & Sandy Weill.

Donald McKayle was well represented at Lincoln Center on November 12th, 2019 with performances that touched on three periods of his long life as a choreographer and educator.

The School at Jacob's Pillow, a world-renowned center for artistic growth and excellence, announces 2020 professional advancement programs in Contemporary Ballet, Street & Club Dances, Contemporary, and Musical Theatre Dance; and professional development programs in Choreography and Dance Photography. Situated in the heart of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, the longest-running dance festival in the United States, The School has been instrumental in furthering the careers of dance artists for over 80 years and offers innovative programs each year with its roster of renowned and sought-after choreographers and dance leaders who serve as faculty. Dancers selected to attend The School at Jacob's Pillow join one of the most influential international dance networks in the field. 

Jacob's Pillow announces this season's artist residencies offered at the Pillow Lab, its year-round incubator of new work. The annual season of customizable residencies supports U.S.-based and international dance artists during crucial development, research, and technical stages of choreography-driven projects. The 2019-2020 recipients include Kyle Abraham, Aszure Barton, Brian Brooks, Milka Djordjevich, Alice Gosti, Kinetic Light, Stephanie McKee-Anderson, Aakash Odedra, RUBBERBAND, Didy Veldman, and Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre. 

Continuing their decades-long commitment to cultivating appreciation of all varieties of dance, The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) will welcome arts patrons to its annual Choreographers & Cocktails event on Monday, October 28. Held at The Joyce Studio at Gibney Dance, the evening offers dance enthusiasts and supporters the opportunity to enjoy cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a silent auction alongside celebrated dancers and choreographers while experiencing intimate open rehearsals. Tickets, priced at $150, can be purchased at www.Joyce.org, or by calling Vernon Scott at 646-278-0442. Gibney Dance is located at 280 Broadway, with entrance at 53A Chambers Street. For more information, please visit www.Joyce.org.

Continuing its season-long dedication to including live music in its programming, The Joyce Theater Foundation (Linda Shelton, Executive Director) presents a world premiere from the collaborative forces of Ayodele Casel and Arturo O'Farrill. The Hoofer Award-winning tap dancer and the six-time Grammy-winning musician come together to pay tribute to their mutual roots in Afro-Latin culture at The Joyce Theater from September 24-29.

Paul Taylor American Modern Dance (PTAMD) returns to Lincoln Center for its annual Season at the David H. Koch Theater from October 29 to November 17, featuring the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC). Paul Taylor: Celebrate the Dancemaker honors the legacy of founder Paul Taylor, who died in 2018.