Ronald K. Brown News

The New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies), NYC's premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, announces Darrell Jones as the third annual recipient of the Juried Bessie Award. NY State DanceForce member Paz Tanjuaquio, Director of Topaz Arts presented the award during the 2012-2013 Bessie Award nominee press conference held at Gibney Dance. Scroll down for photos of Jones at the announcement!

The New York Dance and Performance Awards (The Bessies), NYC's premier dance awards honoring outstanding creative work in the field, announced today the 40 nominees for the 2012-13 season. Announced at a press conference by members of The Bessies Selection Committee, the nominations (listed below) were made by an independent committee of 38 dance industry professionals. Produced in partnership with Dance/NYC, Bessie Award categories include Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performer, Outstanding Visual Design, Outstanding Composition or Sound Design and Outstanding Revived Work.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world's most popular dance companies and New York City Center's Principal Dance Company, will return to the New York City Center stage for the 42nd consecutive year from December 4, 2013 - January 5, 2014 with exciting performances that have become a joyous holiday tradition.

On June 12, 2013, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the world's most popular dance companies, kicked off its seven performance engagement at the David H. Koch Theater. The performance marked the Company's historic return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for the first time in over a decade and its first engagement there led by Artistic Director Robert Battle. Scroll down for photos from the opening festivities!

Lookingglass Theatre Company has been selected to receive a 37­-month grant of $155,000 from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Artist Residencies to Build Demand for the Arts Program. The purpose of the grant is to support an artist residency at Lookingglass Theatre Company to conduct a project to increase demand for the performing arts.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle has announced casting for the Company's return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater from June 12-16, 2013. He has also invited three new dancers to join and perform with the acclaimed 30 member Company during the seven-performance engagement.

ODC Theater's annual fringe-style festival returns for a second year with samplings of contemporary dance from around the nation. Over two days, tonight, May 31 - Saturday, June 1, 2013 the Festival will feature three separate programs designed to spark conversation. This year's superb roster of artists includes Brian Brooks Moving Company; casebolt and smith; Nicole Klaymoon's Embodiment Project; ODC/Dance; Rachael Lincoln and Leslie Seiters; Kate Weare and Company; and Scott Wells and Dancers.

The National Theatre has just announced its first subscription series in more than a decade with the announcement of Broadway at the National. Boasting the pre-Broadway world premiere of If/Then, the Washington premiere of American Idiot, and the historic return of the Tony Award-winning The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, the 2013-14 season at The National Theatre includes eight productions, and runs November 2013 through June 2014.

ODC Theater's annual fringe-style festival returns for a second year with samplings of contemporary dance from around the nation. Over two days, Friday, May 31 - Saturday, June 1, 2013 the Festival will feature three separate programs designed to spark conversation. This year's superb roster of artists includes Brian Brooks Moving Company; casebolt and smith; Nicole Klaymoon's Embodiment Project; ODC/Dance; Rachael Lincoln and Leslie Seiters; Kate Weare and Company; and Scott Wells and Dancers.

New York City Center is celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival with a very special season, beginning with two FREE evenings of dance at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, hosted by The Public Theater, onSeptember 16 and 17 (Rain date, September 18). The Festival will continue at City Center from September 25 ­ October 5 with performances by 20 acclaimed dance companies and artists from around the world, including three new works from today¹s most exciting young choreographers, commissioned by City Center, in celebration of the tenth anniversary, all for the low ticket price of $15. The Festival¹s many free pre-show events will include dance lessons and panels by choreographers, artists and dance educators. Tickets will go on sale Sunday, September 8 at 11 a.m.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) will host two free evenings of dance to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the New York City Center's Fall For Dance Festival at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park on September 16 and 17 at 8:00 p.m. (rain date September 18). The Public Theater has a long history of hosting dance companies at the Delacorte Theater that began in the 1960s with the New York Dance Festival that served as an inspiration for New York City Center's Fall For Dance when it launched nine years ago. Since then, the popular Fall For Dance Festival has received international acclaim for its quality, innovation and success in introducing new and younger audiences to the world of dance.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will launch at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre this November. The tour, accompanied by a 23-piece orchestra, will begin performances Sunday, Nov. 10 with an official opening on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The national tour will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season in addition to San Francisco, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), West Palm Beach, Tampa, Naples, Greenville, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Buffalo, East Lansing, St. Paul, Des Moines, Las Vegas, Tempe and Charlotte, with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

ODC Theater announces its program for 2013, featuring artists committed to expanding the experience of contemporary performance.

ODC Theater's annual fringe-style festival returns for a second year with samplings of contemporary dance from around the nation. Over two days, Friday, May 31 - Saturday, June 1, 2013 the Festival will feature three separate programs designed to spark conversation. This year's superb roster of artists includes Brian Brooks Moving Company; casebolt and smith; Nicole Klaymoon's Embodiment Project; ODC/Dance; Rachael Lincoln and Leslie Seiters; Kate Weare and Company; and Scott Wells and Dancers.

The National Tour of THE GERSHWINS' PORGY AND BESS, winner of the 2012 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, will star Theatre World Award winner and original Broadway cast member PHILLIP BOYKIN, who will reprise his Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Award-nominated role as Crown. Boykin joins previously announced original Broadway cast members NATHANIEL STAMPLEY as Porgy and ALICIA HALL MORAN as Bess. The national tour, which begins in the late fall of 2013 will travel to more than 20 cities in its first season, including Los Angeles (Ahmanson Theatre), Seattle (5th Avenue Theatre), Dallas (Winspear Opera House), Charlotte, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Des Moines, Tampa, Las Vegas, Cleveland, West Palm Beach, Tempe, St. Paul and Greenville with additional cities to be announced in the coming days.

Exemplifying its commitment to provide Los Angeles with inspiring, immersive entertainment for all ages, The Music Center announced its 2013-2014 Season, which includes major dance premieres, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary performances for families and its nationally recognized series of free 'do-it-yourself' arts events. According to The Music Center, this extensive group of performances and arts-making opportunities - which includes engagements at all four of its venues and Grand Park - is The Music Center's most comprehensive, diverse season to date.

New York Live Arts announces the 2013 Theater Access Program - a comprehensive rental program that provides performance space and resources to a diverse group of self-producing artists of all disciplines. This year's artists include (in order of appearance) 10 Hairy Legs, Ellen Robbins, NuMoRune Collaborative, Makeda Thomas, Elisa Monte Dance and Jennifer Muller/The Works, Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre and Joseph Mills for Modern American Dance Company.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, beloved as one of the world's most popular dance companies, brings its 21-city U.S. tour to the McCallum Theater in Palm Desert for one performance tonight, April 11 at 8:00pm. Following record-breaking performances in New York City that brought full houses to their feet, Ailey's second season led by Artistic Director Robert Battle is thrilling audiences in major cities across the country. Artistic Director Robert Battle continues to surprise and delight audiences with premieres and new productions that expand his vision for the company, adding dynamic choreographic voices to the repertory that give Ailey's extraordinary artists new ways to inspire.

Jacob's Pillow announces today that Executive and Artistic Director Ella Baff will soon present the seventh annual Jacob's Pillow Dance Award to Michelle Dorrance, an acclaimed tap dancer, choreographer, and Artistic Director of Dorrance Dance. Praised as a "talented choreographer, the most promising one in tap right now" by Brian Seibert of The New York Times, Dorrance is among the most respected tap performers of her generation.

For the first time ever, the world-renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will be joined by rising stars of Ailey II, gifted young dancers from The Ailey School, and talented students from AileyCamp in a spectacular Ailey At The Apollo performance on Tuesday, May 7th at 7pm. Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, the Spring Gala Benefit performance will take place on the world famous Apollo Theater stage. A gala party with festive dress, decor and dancing to music by the famed DJ Kiss will follow the one-night-only performance.