Speaking in Dance

An exploration of movement and choreography, chosen by The Times’s dance critic, Gia Kourlas.

Highlights

A Star Ballerina Steps Into an Art Gallery
Sara Mearns’s long lines, from her feet to her expressive fingers, come to exquisite life in this duet, choreographed by Jodi Melnick.
CreditMohamed Sadek for The New York Times
Watch Three Dancers Pony Step Into the Sunset
A jaunty trio prances across the stage in Pam Tanowitz’s new work for Little Island.
CreditMohamed Sadek for The New York Times
Watch a Sisterhood of Budding Ballerinas
Five students from the School of American Ballet perform an excerpt from George Balanchine’s classic “Serenade.”
CreditMohamed Sadek for The New York Times
Watch a Tap Dance That Transcends Time
For her improvised solo to Max Roach and Cecil Taylor, Ayodele Casel said “the way in is to honor what you’re hearing.”
CreditFletcher Wolfe for The New York Times

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Alvin Ailey’s Silky Creatures of the Night
Two dancers from the Ailey company perform part of “Night Creature” on the roof of the Whitney Museum, where the choreographer is the subject of a major exhibition.
By Gia Kourlas and Mohamed Sadek
Watch: The Solo of ‘Solitude’
Click through as Joseph Gordon performs a section from Alexei Ratmansky’s new dance for New York City Ballet, a reaction to the horrors of the war in Ukraine.
By Gia Kourlas and Stephan Alessi
Rugged, Physical Work With Durability
In Abby Zbikowski’s “Radioactive Practice,” a dancer says, “You’re seeing survival and community in real time.”
By Gia Kourlas
Telling a Story With Percussive Dance
Watch a portion of “Drumfolk,” the Step Afrika! show now at the New Victory Theater.
By Gia Kourlas
Migrating Across the Waters, Shoulder to Shoulder
Watch a portion of Keone and Mari Madrid’s “Beyond Babel.”
By Gia Kourlas
A Spinning Top in ‘Rodeo’
The New York City Ballet principal Daniel Ulbricht’s solo in this Justin Peck ballet is all about momentum — and clarity.
By Gia Kourlas
Menace Moving Through the Body
John Kelly plays the Devil in “L’Histoire du Soldat,” with choreography by Robert La Fosse.
By Gia Kourlas
Exploding Out of Shapes
Michael Trusnovec dances part of a solo in “Episodes” that George Balanchine made for Paul Taylor.
By Gia Kourlas
Complex Rhythms but No Music
Watch a portion of Melinda Ring’s “Strange Engagements,” created from improvisations.
By Gia Kourlas
In a Meditative Zone
New York City Ballet principals Joseph Gordon and Lauren Lovette dance part of a pas de deux from Balanchine’s “Stravinsky Violin Concerto.”
By Gia Kourlas