New York City Center is one of New York’s premier homes for dance and Broadway musical revivals. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Manhattan Theatre Club are in residence. Encores! is a program of Broadway musical revivals, many of which return to Broadway.
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Latin Culture at New York City Center
FEBRUARY 2026
French Contemporary Dance ~ Dance Reflections Festival
Lyon Opera Ballet, the French contemporary dance company, performs two world-renowned choreographies. One is the US Premiere of Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos’ “Mycelium” set to electronic music by Coti K. The other is Merce Cunningham’s seminal masterpiece “Biped” (1999) set to music by Gavin Bryars; at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; on Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 7pm; and Friday-Saturday, February 20-21, 2026 at 7:30pm. From $45. 🇫🇷 🇬🇷 🇺🇸
Papadopoulos, Rose International Dance Prize winner, is inspired by organic nature. Mycelium are the core of a fungus or bacterial colony. We used to think they just absorbed nutrients, but now understand mycelium are communication networks that allow diverse organisms to work together in a biological internet. Mycelium are not so different from our own nervous system. The “Mycelium” dancers move with tiny micromovements, much like mycelium growing and reacting to the environment. The dancers recall the communal movements of a school of fish or a flock of birds.
Merce Cunningham was a leading figure in the transition from modern to contemporary dance. “BIPED” is considered the culmination of his exploration of technology in dance. The dancers interact with computer-generated imagery projected onto a screen at the front of the stage. Digital imagery and artificial intelligence are common now, but this was one of the beginnings of what is now motion capture for dance and film, and computer-choreographed movement. Merce also used chance operations to combine dance, movement, and set in unexpected ways, and it works. It is a very New York City piece because the chance combination of 8.5 million intentions also works.
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Spanish Flamenco Festival
The 25th Flamenco Festival brings the world’s best flamenco dancers direct from Spain to New York City Center, as they open their American tours.
Manuel Liñán’s Gala Flamenca features Eva Yerbabuena, El Farru, and Juan Tomás de la Molía; on Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 7:30pm; on Saturday, February 28 at 7:30pm; and Sunday, March 1 at 2pm. From $45. 🇪🇸
Estévez / Paños y Compañía, the 2019 Spain National Dance Award-winning duo, perform “La Confluencia,” in which five dancers show the versatility of the male flamenco dancer in an exploration of flamenco’s roots; on Friday, February 27, 2026 at 7:30pm. From $45. 🇪🇸
Sara Baras, the Olivier Award winner celebrates Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras’ 25th Anniversary with “Vuela,” a four-act tribute to flamenco guitar legend Paco de Lucía. One hesitates to use the word “best,” but Sara Baras is one of the best and most influential flamenco dancers of our time. It’s at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Thursday-Saturday, March 5-7, 2026, at 7:30pm, with a Sunday, March 8, 2026 matinee at 2pm. There is a pre-show flamenco dance lesson on Friday, March 6, 2026 at 6:30pm. From $45.
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DECEMBER 2025
African American Modern Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the African American dance company that popularized modern dance around the world, starts a new era with new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack. Her inaugural season features world premieres by Fredrick Earl Mosley, Maija García, Matthew Neenan, Jamar Roberts, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in collaboration with Samantha Figgins and Chalvar Monteiro; plus a company premiere of Medhi Walerski’s “Blink of an Eye” and Ailey company classics. It’s for five weeks at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from December 5, 2025 to January 4, 2026. From $45. 🇺🇸
OCTOBER 2025
French Contemporary Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet, the resident dance company at the legendary Paris Opera, performs two-time Olivier Award-winner Hofesh Schechter’s “Red Carpet,” a full-length, contemporary ballet that contrasts the glamourous facade of the Paris Opera with the chaotic reality of being a dancer there. You can also see the ballet as a metaphor for the contrast between France’s elegant past, and the infinitely more complicated reality of being French today. The contrast is refreshing. It’s at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Thursday-Sunday, October 9-12, 2025. From $45.
SEPTEMBER 2025
International Dance Festival
The 22nd Fall for Dance Festival 2025 brings five programs from the world of dance to New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Tuesday-Sunday, September 16-27, 2025. Tickets go on sale on Sunday, August 25, 2025 at 11am. It sells out in hours. $30.
MAY 2025
Latino Contemporary Dance
Ballet Hispánico, America’s premier Latino dance company, dances their signature work, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s CARMEN.maquia; at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Thursday-Sunday, May 29 – June 1, 2025. From $45. nycitycenter.org 🇪🇸
APRIL 2025
African American Ballet
Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 56th Season, the world’s first African American ballet company, features a Jodie Gates world premiere, works by Artistic Director Robert Garland, plus William Forsythe and George Balanchine company premieres; at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Thursday-Sunday, April 10-13, 2025. From $45. nycitycenter.org 🇺🇸
MARCH 2025
Spanish Flamenco
Flamenco Festival New York City Center 2025 features three great and unique flamenco talents: Alfonso Losa & Patricia Guerrero, Compañía Manuel Liñán, and Compañía Eva Yerbabuena; at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from Thursday-Sunday, March 6-9, 2025. From $45. nycitycenter.org 🇪🇸
DECEMBER 2024
African American Modern Dance
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater celebrates “Legacy in Motion” and Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison (1943-2024) with world premieres of “Sacred Songs” by Matthew Rushing, “Finding Free” by Hope Boykin, “Many Angels” by Lar Lubovitch, and “Al-Andalus Blues” by Jamar Roberts; a 25th Anniversary staging of Ronald K. Brown’s “Grace;” a new production of Elisa Monte’s “Treading;” and beloved Ailey classics including his masterpiece “Revelations.” It’s at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from December 4, 2024 to January 5, 2025. From $42. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇫🇷 🇬🇫
PAST ARTISTS
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is the African American dance company that popularized modern dance around the world. 🇺🇸
- Dorrance Dance is one of New York City’s leading tap dance companies. 🇺🇸
- Ayodele Casel is one of todays’ leading tap dancers and choreographers. 🇵🇷
- Ballet Hispánico is one of America’s leading Latino dance organizations. It’s a contemporary dance company. 🇨🇺 🇲🇽 🇵🇷
- Ballet Nacional de España is Spain’s national flamenco ballet. 🇪🇸
- Dance Theatre of Harlem is an African American and Afro-Latin ballet company that spun off from New York City Ballet. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇭🇹 🇮🇹
About
New York City Center is New York’s original performing arts center. It was founded by beloved Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in 1943 to make the performing arts accessible for all New Yorkers. It is still fulfilling that original mission.
City Center has a relationship with Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, another of the world’s leading dance theaters. Many Sadlers Wells productions start their American tours at New York City Center. City Center also has a long history developing contemporary dance in Cuba. 🇨🇺
Artists in Residence
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dances a Holiday Season in December.
Artists at the Center is a heavy-hitter choreographer’s residency.
Manhattan Theatre Club is a major Broadway producer.
Signature Programs
City Center Dance Festival is usually in July, but was not staged in 2023 or 2024.
Fall For Dance Festival brings the world of dance to New York City. It is usually in September and October. Tickets usually go on sale at the end of August. It always sells out in hours.
Flamenco Festival New York City Center brings the best flamenco dancers and musicians direct from Spain in March. It’s the anchor of the Flamenco Festival New York.
Studio 5 gives intimate looks at great dancers’ creative process.
New York City Center Tickets
New York City Center
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(between Sixth & Seventh Ave)
Midtown, Manhattan
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