It may be a trend, a coincidence, or a “moment,” but it would seem that something is brewing with the idea of dance as an element of international outreach. In the last two weeks, two quite different dance companies – American Ballet Theatre and the Battery Dance Company – have been invited to represent the United States in its public, or cultural, diplomacy efforts.

Such diplomacy is the opposite of a bunch of cultural attaches sipping cocktails on embassy verandas. It’s the grass-roots version; it spreads the idea of America to the citizenry of other countries.

Dance troupes have benefited in the past from the government’s urge to send out cultural representatives; ex-staffers of the United States Information Agency remember programming the Martha Graham company in Egypt – and watching her kiss the ground upon arrival. But the USIA, a foreign affairs agency within the executive branch, is no more. And since the end of the Cold War, there has been less of a sense of urgency in getting American ideas to other countries.

Is it too early to add: “until now”? If there is a shift back to USIA-style cultural diplomacy, choreographer Jonathan Hollander, founder of Battery Dance Company, is in a good position to help. Mr. Hollander has defined his career and his company’s mission by making dances and advocating for greater cultural exchange. He has been working with the State Department and various American Embassies to put together a tour of the Middle East, and earlier this month, he received word that that it’s a go. The Battery Dance Company is taking its show on the road to – with the State Department’s help in programming – Jordan, Israel, and Kuwait in late March.

For Mr. Hollander, this is exactly the kind of work that he and his dancers want to be doing. “Dance in New York can become hermetic. You get caught up in what VIPs came to see you and all of the minutiae of survival here,” he said. “But it’s not what I want to be thinking about.”

On his tour of Israel, the company will not be booked into the main dance venues but, rather, in smaller towns. “They’re getting us out into communities that would never see an American dance company,” Mr. Hollander said. “What more could anyone want for in their career? To be able to help on some small scale, to touch someone in traumatically difficult situations.”

For the company’s performances in Kuwait and Jordan, there are cultural sensitivities to consider. Mr. Hollander is considering all-female pieces for an all-female audience and a separate all-male program for an all-male audience. Which means he must reach back into his troupe’s repertory for works that do not put men and women on the stage together – much less in skin-tight body suits.

“We are searching out where the line is, and exploring to remain true to our artistic integrity,” he said. “It’s not frustrating. It’s challenging.”

When Battery Dance heads to Jordan, it won’t be for the first time.The company arrived there last year just days after a messy political situation erupted. “Our program was well received, but the embassy realized that it was somewhat aborted,” he said, adding that the embassy was eager to have the company return.

In Kuwait and Jordan, the 11-member troupe (dancers plus musicians) will stay for five or six days, during which time they will not only perform, but will work within the community to teach and conduct workshops. “We’ll be going to the local ballet school, urban dance centers, and various other kinds of schools,” said Mr. Hollander. “They will make use of every hour of our time. We really can get to a lot of people.”

On a different note, American Ballet Theater has been asked to join an international committee within the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. “This is an advisory committee,” said ABT’s executive director, Rachael Moore.” It helps look at policies. It advocates for projects that would foster cross-cultural fertilization and what sort of ambassadorial role the arts can have.”

Though the company’s presence on the committee does not necessarily mean greater touring opportunities, it does give performing artists a place at the table. “There were 50 NGOs selected, and we’re the only performing arts organization,” Ms. Moore said. “I was pleased by that because when people talk about arts advocacy, they often forget to include the artists. The people who are on the ground, making it happen, have a different understanding of the benefits and challenges.”

Going abroad, for example, is an enormous financial challenge to companies, she said: “The logistics aren’t as easy as they used to be, with all the passports and visas.” The benefits, however, make it all worthwhile. “Sadly, I don’t think Americans are viewed in the best light right now. This is a way for America to show off its best,” Ms. Moore said.

ABT’s appointment to this committee came as a surprise. Ms. Moore believes it was the company’s work with the Greek government a few years ago (anyone remember “All Around Is Light”?) and the State Department that led to the company’s inclusion. In addition, the company bills itself as America’s national ballet company. “We represent American ballet,” she said.

Not only that, ABT has a highly diverse roster of dancers. “ABT is a melting pot. There’s a look and sensibility that we can take abroad,” Ms. Moore said.

There’s a lot of good that both these companies can do. Here’s wishing them the best.

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Now through February 13 the famed modern dancer Carmen de Lavallade is on stage again – in the dramatic play “The House of Bernarda Alba” by Federico Garcia Lorca. Her character doesn’t get much stage time, but what we do get to see of her is immediately impressive. Ms. de Lavallade is a truly magnetic performer – even when she’s playing a batty grandmother who carries a lamb around like a baby.

“The House of Bernarda Alba” is an intense play with an all-female cast – and those females are full of resentment and anger. The widow Alba imposes a severe mourning period on her house, which includes five daughters who are all eager to break free and have some romantic encounters. The Pearl Theatre Company’s performance of it was rather gripping, I found. This little theater is doing a cultural good deed by keeping great plays on stage.

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Sportscasters say the darndest things. On Friday night, I caught part of the United States figure skating championships, which included a coltish young skater named Kimmie Meissner. “She’s so long-limbed, she could be a Balanchine dancer if she wanted to,” said the announcer.

If that’s all it took to be a Balanchine dancer, then so could Nicole Kidman. The petite Miss Meissner certainly has skating talent – on Saturday she landed a triple Axel – and she wears her hair like dancers do. But let’s not get carried away. Those who dance Balanchine the best have a sense of musicality – the ability to feel and express music through dance.

It’s a concept that doesn’t seem too high on the figure skating list of priorities. Sometimes it seems as if any old song could be played over the loudspeaker, and those daredevil routines would look just fine.

But there is a bright side: The announcer must have assumed that enough viewers would know who Balanchine was before he used the reference. That’s nothing to sneeze at.