Hello & Goodbye

It will be a springtime of mixed feelings for dance fans. While there’s a lot coming into town – a new production of “Sylvia,” Christopher Wheeldon’s “American in Paris,” and a new Martha Clarke work for the Martha Graham Dance Company – there is a lot leaving, too: This spring will see the farewell performances of New York City Ballet’s Peter Boal and Jock Soto. So, along with the wild applause may come a few tears and sighs.On May 23, American Ballet Theatre returns to the Metropolitan Opera House for an eight-week season. The company will present the U.S. premiere of Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet “Sylvia” in a new production staged by Christopher Newton of the Royal Ballet. With ancient Greece as the setting, “Sylvia” tells the story of a nymph who falls in love with a shepherd, with a little help from Eros. There will be only seven performances of this full-length ballet (June 3, 4, 13, 14 & 15), so don’t procrastinate.Also planned for this season is a celebration of choreographer Michel Fokine. On the all-Fokine bill (June 16 to 22) is: “Les Sylphides,” “Petrouchka,” “Spectre de la Rose,” and “Polovtsian Dances.” This season will see the return of last year’s splashy, full-length “Raymonda,” as well as a comforting classics like “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” “Don Quixote,” and “La Corsaire.”Across the plaza at New York City Ballet, the good news is the premiere of Mr. Wheeldon’s “An American in Paris” (May 4, 7, 8, 10 & 14), an 18-minute ballet set to George Gershwin’s original orchestrated score. Also on tap is the company premiere of Jerome Robbins’s “N.Y. Export: Opus Jazz” (April 29, 30 and May 3, 5 & 7).But the sad news is that the company will bid farewell to two of its major dancers. Peter Boal, who joined the company in 1983, will dance “Opus 19/The Dreamer” for his last hurrah on June 5. Then, on June 19, Jock Soto, who has been with the company since 1981, has chosen ballets by five different choreographers for his farewell. The program will include Mr. Wheeldon’s “Liturgy” in its only performance this season.There is much to look forward to in modern dance, too. The Martha Graham Dance Company will be on stage at City Center from April 6 to 17 with two major revivals – “Primitive Mysteries” (1931) and “Deaths and Entrances” (1943) – and a new, Goya inspired work by choreographer Martha Clarke. Also highly anticipated this season are the new costumes for “Deaths and Entrances” created by couture designer Oscar de la Renta.On April 19, the Mark Morris Dance Group opens its annual engagement at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. On the bill this year are four works, including the New York premiere of Mr. Morris’s “Rock of Ages” set to music by Franz Schubert. BAM is also home to DanceAfrica (May 27 & 28): This year’s celebration of African dance, music, and culture will include performances by Asase Yaa African-American Dance Theater; Jamaica’s L’Acado; Mamadou Dahoue and the Ancestral Messengers Dance Company; and the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble.There’s much to see on the smaller stages, too. At the Joyce Theater, Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson’s company Complexions will present two varied programs (May 3 to 8). Next up will be Momix, the company that’s home to Moses Pendleton’s multimedia extravaganzas (May 10 to 29). Just a few blocks away, Dance Theater Workshop will present its annual Fresh Tracks series (April 22 & 23), which gives emerging choreographers some stage time. And on April 29 and 30, the irrepressible Larry Keigwin will take the stage uptown at Symphony Space with the burlesque fun of Keigwin Kabaret.So get ready to laugh, cry, and (with any luck) love it all.

Hello & Goodbye

Hello & Goodbye

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