The April dance calendar is filled with virtual happenings. Start with a yet-to-be-named premiere by Kyle Abraham for New York City Ballet’s 2021 digital season which runs April 8-22. Created after a three-week COVID-compliant residency bubble at the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, featured dancers are India Bradley, Jonathan Fahoury, Christopher Grant, Claire Kretzschmar, Lauren Lovette, Taylor Stanley, KJ Takahashi and Sebastian Villarini-Velez. This is Abraham’s third work for the Company. Abraham collaborated with Ryan Marie Helfant, one of several cinematographers who lensed the visual album “Black is King,” directed by Beyoncé. The work was filmed on the Promenade and stage of the David H. Koch Theater and will be available to view starting April 8. Get access here:
ONGOING + MORE IN APRIL:
March 25 – April 7: Flamenco artist Israel Galvan’s Maestro de Barra is available as part of the Joyce’s streaming series. Get access here: https://www.joyce.org/israel-galvan
March 17 – June 24: Join the Ailey All Access web page and get real-time access to many Ailey classics, favorites and more. Get access here: https://www.alvinailey.org/performances-tickets/ailey-all-access?utm_source=aaadt_eblast_3292021&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=all_access_blues_suite2
April 1-14: Step Afrika! “…the first professional company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, honors the spirit of resistance and activism of their enslaved ancestors in STONO as part of the streaming series at the Joyce.” Get access here: https://www.joyce.org/step-afrika
April 9: Danspace Project’s Conversations Without Walls, a virtual series, brings together choreographer iele paloumpis, and choreographer, founder & artistic lead of Kinetic Light, Alice Sheppard. Get access here: https://danspaceproject.org/calendar
April 10: In a virtual sharing, Nai Ni Chen Dance will present “Awakening” at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. Get access here: https://www.sopacnow.org/events/nai-ni-chen-dance-company/
April 4-18: On Sundays, virtually in April, Kamala Sankaram and Preeti Vasudevan (4/4), Ladies of Hip-Hop: Black Dancing Bodies Project × (4/11), and Jamar Roberts and David Watson (4/18); artists from Intergenerational performing arts series “Works & Process” at the Guggenheim and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts will present newly commissioned video performances developed during bubble residencies at Bethany Arts Community, Catskill Mountain Foundation and Mount Tremper Arts. Get access here: https://www.lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/series/works-and-process-at-lincoln-center
April 8-10: Raja Feather Kelly’s “HYSTERIA” returns to New York Live Arts’ lobby, for another round of his socially distanced outdoor performances. Get access here: https://newyorklivearts.org/event/hysteria-april-2021/
April 8-21: At the Joyce, Ayodele Casel will perform live and audiences can view the world premiere on demand “…inspired by her relationship with tap and the joy she finds in living,” according to the release. Collaborators are director Torya Beard, filmmaker Kurt Csolak, plus music and arrangements from Crystal Monee Hall and Annastasia Victory. Get access here: https://www.joyce.org/ayodele-casel
April 9-25: Virtually for the 92nd Street Y, the Future Dance Festival will present a total of 21 works, with seven shown on each weekend, chosen by panelists Kyle Abraham, Janet Eilber, Jennifer Stahl, Jessica Tong, Victor Quijada, Eduardo Vilaro and Taryn Kaschock Russell, 92Y Harkness Dance Center director. Get access here: https://www.92y.org/event/future-dance-festival
April 15-28: On demand, choreographer Ephrat Asherie’s “Odeon,” a hybrid layering of breaking, hip hop, house, and vogue made with her brother, jazz pianist Ehud Asherie, plus other live musicians and a cast of dancers returns on the Joyce Theatre’s streaming series. Get access here: https://www.joyce.org/ephrat-asherie-dance
April 17: At the Yard, Boston-based hip hop performers/educators/advocates The Wondertwins and others will explore the possibility of engaging with hip hop for social change through discussions, images, music, dance and writing. Get access here:
April 21: Samita Sinha’s virtual monthly “Breathing Room” series where Sinha leads participants in vocal practice, rooted in Indian tradition, continues at Dancespace Project. Space is limited! Get access here – https://danspaceproject.org/calendar
April 23: Also part of Danspace’s virtual happenings, the free works-in-process series DraftWork by curator Ishmael Houston-Jones will feature work by J. Bouey followed by a conversation with Houston-Jones. Get access here: https://danspaceproject.org/calendar