American Dance Guild to Present 70th Anniversary Festival This Fall
The festival will bring together Ballet Tech, H.T. Chen & Dancers, Douglas Dunn + Dancers and other companies for an intergenerational celebration of American dance.
The American Dance Guild will commemorate its 70th anniversary with Celebrating the Past. Inspiring the Future, a four-day Performance Festival taking place Thursday, October 22 through Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.
The festival will bring together more than 30 works representing a wide range of aesthetic, cultural and generational perspectives in contemporary dance. A special focus of this year's program is its intergenerational exchange, with invited guest companies Ballet Tech, LaGuardia Performing Arts School/Dance Department, Murray Louis Foundation and Graham 2 joining artists from across generations. Their participation brings distinct histories, approaches and perspectives to the same stage, connecting the legacy of American dance with the artists shaping its future.
As part of the anniversary program, the Festival will pay tribute to four influential artists whose lives and work left an enduring mark on American dance: Nai-Ni Chen, Paul Sanasardo, Carla Maxwell and Janet Collins. The festival will also present two special awards: a Lifetime Achievement Award to choreographer, dancer, educator and writer Pat Catterson, and the American Dance Guild Award for Dance Scholarship in Journalism and Dance History to dance historian, critic, writer and filmmaker Sally Sommer.
Founded in 1956, the American Dance Guild is one of the nation's early dance service organizations. For 70 years, ADG has worked to strengthen the dance community by supporting artistic excellence, providing accessible performance and educational opportunities, and fostering exchange among dancers, choreographers, educators, scholars and the public.
ADG's 70th Anniversary Festival reflects that mission by bringing together artists from across generations and disciplines. In addition to its invited guest companies, participating artists include Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble, H.T. Chen & Dancers, Douglas Dunn + Dancers, The Bang Group, Dances by Isadora, Dance Visions NY, Jody Oberfelder Projects, Moving Spirits, EMERGE125 and many others.
FOUR NIGHTS OF TRIBUTES AND PERFORMANCE
Opening night, Thursday, October 22 at 7:30pm, will feature a tribute to choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, whose work was deeply rooted in both Chinese and American dance traditions. The evening will include works by Mireille Nina Buisson, Beth Jucovy/Dance Visions NY, Lola Rose Jenkins, Dances We Dance/Performing Ensemble, Ishmael Konney, The Bang Group, West Devaney and the Murray Louis Foundation.
Friday, October 23 at 8pm, will honor the legacy of Paul Sanasardo, the American dancer, choreographer and teacher whose work influenced generations of performers and choreographers. The evening will include works by Claude C.J. Johnson, Jessica DiMauro Marks/DiMauro Dance, Lifedance/Gloria McLean & Dancers, Arthur Avilés Typical Theatre, Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble and Graham 2, followed by the presentation of the Sally Sommer award and additional performances.
Saturday, October 24 at 8pm, will feature a tribute to Carla Maxwell, the celebrated dancer, choreographer and longtime leader of the José Limón Dance Company. The program will include performances by LaGuardia Performing Arts School/Dance Department, Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama, Nefelaba Dance Theater and Becky Brown performing work by Alan Danielson. The evening will also include the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award to Pat Catterson, followed by performances by Moving Spirits and H.T. Chen & Dancers.
The festival concludes Sunday, October 25 at 7:00pm, with a tribute to legendary dancer and choreographer Janet Collins, one of the first African American ballerinas to achieve prominence at the Metropolitan Opera. The final evening will include performances by Ballet Tech, Racoco Productions, Leo Patel presenting work by Mireille Nina Buisson, Dancefusion, Jody Oberfelder Projects, Douglas Dunn + Dancers, Alex Christie and Renversons Dance.
American Dance Guild 70th Anniversary Performance Festival
Celebrating the Past. Inspiring the Future.
Ailey Citigroup Theater
405 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
Thursday - Sunday, October 22–25, 2026
Performance Times
Thursday, October 22 - 7:30 PM
Friday, October 23 - 8:00 PM
Saturday, October 24 - 8:00 PM
Sunday, October 25 - 7:00 PM
Tickets: American Dance Guild 70th Anniversary Festival Tickets
$30 general admission | $25 ADG members | $20 students
Tickets will also be available at the theater box office one hour before curtain.
Festival Lineup
Not in performance order and subject to change.
Thursday, October 22 - 7:30 PM
Nai-Ni Chen Tribute
Chiara Smith, presenting work by Mireille Nina Buisson - Reverberation (solo)
Beth Jucovy/Dance Visions NY - Insomnia (duet)
Lola Rose Jenkins - the time it takes to know
Dances We Dance/Performing Ensemble - Harmonic Dissonance
Ishmael Konney - Sacred Paths
Intermission
The Bang Group - Turing Tests
West Devaney - Freeyerburn
Murray Louis Foundation - Bach Suite
Friday, October 23 - 8:00 PM
Paul Sanasardo Tribute
Claude C.J. Johnson - Lush Illusion
Jessica DiMauro Marks/DiMauro Dance - Mourning After
Lifedance/Gloria McLean & Dancers - Skin, Flesh and Bone, Part II
Arthur Avilés Typical Theatre - This Pleasant and Grateful Asylum
Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble - Preludes (solo)
Graham 2 - Night Journey
Intermission
Sally Sommer Award for Dance Scholarship in Journalism and Dance History
Dances by Isadora - Allegretto
Ara Fitzgerald - The Rules of the Circus
EMERGE125 - Behavioral Synchrony
Saturday, October 24 — 8:00 PM
Carla Maxwell Tribute
LaGuardia Performing Arts School/Dance Department - There is a Time (excerpts)
Anabella Lenzu/DanceDrama - Dance, Stories, and Songs to Pass Down to the Next Generation
Nefelaba Dance Theater - Ophir
Becky Brown, presenting work by Alan Danielson - Sirocco
Intermission
Pat Catterson Lifetime Achievement Award
Moving Spirits - Sacred Women
H.T. Chen & Dancers - Mott Street (excerpts)
Sunday, October 25 — 7:00 PM
Janet Collins Tribute
Ballet Tech - Calculated Mischief, an excerpt of Echoes of the Studio; Choreography by Dionne Figgins
Janet Collins - Apre le Mardi Gras (solo)
Racoco Productions - My Grandfather's Robe
Leo Patel, presenting work by Mireille Nina Buisson - Inconnu (solo)
Dancefusion - Lyric Suite
Intermission
Jody Oberfelder Projects - Living Room
Douglas Dunn + Dancers
Alex Christie - Sugar Mountain
Renversons Dance - Recreation
Photo Credit: Stephanie Berger; Pat Catterson at MOMA
