Festival in New York 2026

From the opening night, choreographic heritage meets contemporary creation. The Lyon Opera Ballet performs Merce Cunningham’s Biped (1999) followed by Mycelium (2023) from Greek choreographer Christos Papadopoulos. The Festival continues with Age of Content (2023) by (LA)HORDE – Ballet national de Marseille, a piece illustrating how modernity converses with choreographic and musical references. In the meantime, the Guggenheim New York Rotunda transforms into the stage for Lucinda Childs’ Early Works series. Benjamin Millepied and L.A. Dance Project will present two pieces drawing from the repertoire. Reflections: a triptych, born from a 2012 dialogue between Van Cleef & Arpels and Millepied, channels the spirit of Jewels (1967), itself inspired by the meeting of George Balanchine and Claude Arpels. Meanwhile, Romeo & Juliet suite (2019) reinterprets Shakespeare’s famous love story. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Robert Rauschenberg’s birth, two works bearing the mark of this renowned visual artist are revisited: Set and Reset (1983) by Trisha Brown and Travelogue by Merce Cunningham (1977). In Save the Last Dance for Me (2019), Alessandro Sciarroni revives a traditional dance from Bologna, Italy called the polka chinata. In We wear our wheels with pride... (2021), Robyn Orlin pays homage to Zulu rickshaw drivers from her childhood in South Africa. Finally, Jan Martens looks back on his own work with THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER 2.0, a recreation of a 2014 piece.

In addition to these cross-generational themes, the Festival highlights a variety of choreographic languages. An essential figure in the contemporary scene, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker continues her work on walking in EXIT ABOVE – after the tempest (2023) accompanied by the young composer Meskerem Mees. La Nuée (2024), a transfixing minimalist dance by Nacera Belaza, mixes trance with rhythm. With Maldonne (2023), Leïla Ka gives voice to diverse facets of femininity through gesture and breath. Following his 2023 appearance, Noé Soulier returns this time with The Waves (2018), a piece centered on the interplay between movement and action. In Sol Invictus (2023) and g r oo v e (2022), respectively, Hervé Koubi and Soa Ratsifandrihana find their expression through distinct musical references. On a dedicated evening, The Choreographic Ensemble of the Paris Conservatoire presents two pieces bequeathed to its students: You’re the one we love (2020) by Leïla Ka; and Robyn Orlin’s and when we change the landscape….

Beyond the joy of unveiling this program to the people of New York—whom we are especially delighted to see again—this event offers a new opportunity to celebrate the richness and diversity of contemporary dance. We hope that this second Dance Reflections Festival fosters dialogue between these diverse influences and will inspire the articulation of new choreographic languages in the days to come.

SERGE LAURENT

Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Programs