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Another look at Petrushka, a visit from Dance Theater of Harlem, and Sacred Earth
The Month of Philly Dance, January 2025
Camille Bacon-Smith
Winter is upon us. Between the early nightfall, the cold, and the news, it is tempting to hide under the covers (or under the bed) and wait for spring to return. Even the dance world is taking a breath after a frantic season of nutcrackers and gingerbread houses. But if these are the darkest days of winter, they are also the beginning of a new year, the return of the light, and if the dance calendar is sparse, it still has some of the brightest lights to get us through the darkest month.
Chris Davis’s One-Man Nutcracker
Continuing through Wednesday, January 5
The Proscenium at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street
We are not quite through with Nutcrackers yet! Chris Davis continues with his one-man show that is part Nutcracker, part satiric commentary on colonialism and the arts, and part journey of a man pushing middle age learning ballet.
BalletX with Ensemble132
January 8 and 9, 7:30pm
Perelman Theater, 300 South Broad Street
In July we saw a sneak peek of Amy Hall Garner’s reimagining of Michel Fokine’s 1910 ballet, Petrushka. Garner has transported the story to a depression-era traveling circus, where a local boy is caught up in the magic of love and a paycheck among the acrobats and the magical puppets. The piece was created in collaboration with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the complete work is a part of an evening of dance and live music with chamber collective Ensemble132.
Dance Theater of Harlem
Friday, January 16, 7:30pm
Saturday, January 17, 2:00pm and 7:30pm
Sunday, January 18, 2:00pm
Zellerbach Theater at the Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street
Dance Theater of Harlem is one of my favorite visiting companies, so I am really looking forward to this one. They are appearing this year as part of Penn Live Arts exploration of America 250 years after the Declaration of Independence: where we have gone in those years, and what we still have to do to fulfill the promise for all of us. The performance will include works by some well-known names to Philadelphians: Jodie Gates, and Geroge Balanchine, and CAPA alum Robert Garland, including his piece Return, which BSR reviewed in 2019.
Ragamala Dance Company: Sacred Earth
Saturday, January 31, 7:30pm
Pfleeger Concert Hall, North Campus Drive, Glassboro, NJ
Ragamala Dance Company presents traditional South Indian Bharatanatyam dance with a contemporary sensibility in Sacred Earth, a reflection on the sacred nature of the earth and our fragile relationship to it. The piece was created by artistic directors (and mother and daughter team) Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy, who were inspired by the ephemeral nature of the rice-flour art of kolam and Warli painting.
Editor’s note: Before you go, did you know that BSR is celebrating 20 years at our Party with the Critics event on January 15? All are welcome! Get your tickets now.
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