How Kate Skarpetowska created striking dances of her own

Buoyant, vivid movement; sensual partnering; and relatable themes have made Parsons Dance a New York staple since 1985. With his stable of sexy, muscular dancers, founder David Parsons has crafted 50 trademark works, often including of-the-moment elements like contemporary rock music. Through January 22nd at the Joyce Theater, audiences can catch both Parsons’ work (including the premiere of his Round My World), as well as the choreography of a former company member, Kate Skarpetowska. “To be able to produce young artists is a complete joy,” Parsons says. “For me, it’s a part of dance.”

In the haunting and aptly titled A Stray’s Lullably (pictured above), Skarpetowska explores the world of the underdog. As car horns and street noise drift in and out, four dancers torque and twist in rounded phrases, hands reaching out and eyes focused down. They move in unison and then writhe separately, melting into hunched positions in slow motion as if floating in sea water. The two solos and duet tell the stories of four downtrodden pedestrians, each with yearning gestures and space-gobbling phrases.

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Chunky Move changes the rules of dance

There’s a massive paper net hanging over the floor. It’s suspended in the air by dozens of strings, and when they move, the net springs to life, undulating like a wave or swinging like a pendulum.

And then there are dancers. They move beneath the sculpture and beside it, creating elegant shapes with their paper partner. It’s an eerie, beautiful effect, and it makes Connected, the latest show from the Australian dance company Chunky Move, a striking part of the Joyce Theater’s fall season.

“[The sculpture] is mesmeric and organic,” says Gideon Obarzanek, the company’s founder and artistic director. “When it first moves, the audience gasps, giggling in awe. It’s very gratifying.”

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The dancer liberates flamenco from conventional wisdom

Editor’s note: After our recent story on flamenco dancer Israel Galvan’s performance at The Joyce, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to continue the conversation with Soledad Barrio, who’s stirring flamenco program is the Joyce’s next offering. We’d love to hear your thoughts on flamenco and how it speaks to you. Leave a comment here or at our Facebook page, or tweet us @TDFNYC

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Onstage, flamenco artist Soledad Barrio is earthy and magnetic. She translates soulful songs into twisting wrists, swirling skirt swooshes, and defiant stomps alongside her troupe of musicians. Her movement, full of angst and passion, is energized with an adoration of flamenco tradition. In some moments, she juts a hip to the side, eyes flashing in vehement response to the singer’s wailing. From September 27 to October 2, New York audiences can get a taste of this exotic, vibrant performance when Barrio brings her troupe, Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca, to the Joyce Theater.

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Jun Kuribayashi thrives with Pilobolus

Even if you’ve never seen Pilobolus perform on stage, you’ve probably seen their blend of acrobatics, shadow shaping, and dance: perhaps in the Ford “Human Car” commercial, where the company’s dancers swirl into the shape of a sedan, or maybe on Conan O’Brien’s show, where they morphed into the talk show host’s recognizable face.

Now is the time to fully experience their work: Pilobolus is onstage at the Joyce Theater through August 6th.

Jun Kuribayashi, company veteran and dance captain, is central in executing the troupe’s trademark shapes with electricity, strength and elegance. In Psuedopodia by Jonathan Wolken, he completes a series of continuous somersaults before elegantly shifting into a one-legged, crouched pose, his arms waving elegantly in horizontal lines like the tentacles of a jellyfish. After completing another series of backward rolls—without ever putting his hands on the ground—he gently tips back into a folded table top, his back undulating again. Though the series is physically unforgiving, Kuribayashi’s face remains serene and focused, and his presence is regal.

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Playwrights Horizons launches an innovative program for parents

It’s a common conundrum: Parents in the tri-state area want to experience the city’s theatre scene, but they struggle with the compound cost of tickets, babysitting, and travel. When they can’t solve this riddle, once-avid theatre supporters often throw up their hands in exasperation and stay home.

The staff at Playwrights Horizons thought this situation was unfortunate, intolerable—and fixable. Thanks to its new Playtime series , the company is making it possible for the entire family to spend an afternoon at the theatre.

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