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Penn Live Arts presents Agora de la danse’s Koros
Contemporary dance in virtual reality
Montreal’s Agora de la danse, a venue and incubator for contemporary dance, brought its virtual reality experience, Koros, to Philly for the first time with a weekend of showings at the Annenberg Center. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
BalletX presents its 2025 Winter Series with works by Nicolo Fonte, Caili Quan, and Gregory Dawson
Another victory for the athletes of dance
As Philly celebrates the Eagles, BalletX flexes its own muscles with two world premieres in a dramatic Winter Series. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Rennie Harris Puremovement presents American Street Dancer
Moving feet to the beat
Rennie Harris Puremovement celebrates street dance in the world premiere of American Street Dancer. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers presents Luna (月): Dance, Myth, and Nature
Philadelphia treasures
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers reflected on the moon in Luna (月): Dance, Myth, and Nature, with vibrant repertory works and striking world premieres by Weiwei Ma, Evalina Carbonell, and Kun-Yang Lin. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Dance Up Close ‘25 springs to life with Jumper Cables
An electric leap
Dance Up Close ‘25, a midweek dance series presented by Philadelphia Dance Projects, springs to life with Jumper Cables. Melissa Strong previews.
Previews
3 minute read
The 7 Fingers and Penn Live Arts present Duel Reality
Taking Romeo and Juliet to new heights
The 7 Fingers offers a thrilling acrobatic take on a classic tragedy. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
PHILADANCO! presents Relentless Resident Visions
Two world-premiere dances meet earlier works that resonate today
PHILADANCO! marked its 55th anniversary with world premieres by Tommie-Waheed Evans and Ray Mercer, plus works from the early aughts that are relevant today, including a tribute to Alvin Ailey. Melissa J. Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
The Performance Garage presents Megan Mazarick’s soapbox
Deconstructionist dance winningly asks, “What is your platform?”
Dance artist Megan Mazarick concluded her Performance Garage DanceVisions residency with the world premiere of soapbox, an engaging interdisciplinary dance/theater piece considering digital-age identity. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Second Chance Dance presents The Tapestry of Time: Threads of Time Woven in Motion
Second chance at dance inspires
The Tapestry of Time, a recital and celebration of courage, celebrates dancers of all ages. Melissa Strong previews.
Previews
3 minute read
Philly’s trans and nonbinary artists push the gendered boundaries of dance
Why is the gender binary so entrenched in dance?
Both locally and nationally, dance is benefiting from increased visibility and representation of openly trans and/or nonbinary artists, but dance still clings to stereotypes of gender more than other art forms. Melissa Strong considers.
Features
5 minute read
West Chester Dance Works presents Rachel Harris: One Woman Over the Line
Dancing the way to freedom
A June 22 performance of West Chester Dance Works’s Rachel Harris: One Woman Over the Line at the Performance Garage celebrated Juneteenth with a vibrant, relevant imagining of one real-life woman’s journey to freedom. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
With a new mural, Philly finally gets public art dedicated to abolitionist William Still
Celebrating family, freedom, and Philadelphia history
The dedication of new work from Mural Arts will bring the legacies of William Still, his family, and Philadelphia’s historic 7th Ward into the public eye. Melissa Strong previews.
Previews
3 minute read
A dance critic hits the studio for Philadelphia Dance Day 2025
Dancing well enough … for a writer
Dance critic Melissa Strong observes performances with an expert eye, but she enjoys the challenge of taking dance classes herself alongside hobbyists and professionals alike at the annual Philadelphia Dance Day. Here’s what she learned.
Essays
4 minute read
Philly Fringe 2025: Wolfsmouth Players Company presents Laura Anthony’s Queerano, or a Very Great Mischief
Queer history meets farce
New York-based Wolfsmouth Players Company brings Queerano, a mashup of Cyrano de Bergerac, Twelfth Night, Wildean farce, and queer history, to the Philly Fringe. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Philly Fringe 2025: FringeArts presents nora chipaumire’s Dambudzo
Dambudzo means trouble
nora chipaumire’s “anti-genre” performance installation Dambudzo, part of the curated Fringe Festival, is a postcolonial fever dream. Melissa Strong reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read