By Matthew Wexler
Culture—and dance, in particular—has become the latest battleground in the Trump administration’s attempt to hegemonize the arts. The Kennedy Center’s takeover, the firing of its dance programming team, and the assault on funding for the National Endowment for the Arts have sent shockwaves among creators, big and small. But New York City Center’s annual Fall For Dance Festival proves that creative expression is unstoppable.
The two weeks of programming include more international companies than ever, a nod to what brings us together rather than what drives us apart. 1 Minute Critic was on hand for a particularly dynamic line-up, showcasing a wide range of classic and contemporary offerings available to attendees at a price ($23-$30 tickets) that encourages risk-taking both on and offstage.
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‘Three Dances,’ Gibney Company
Choreographer Lucinda Childs’ “Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Cage,” premiered earlier this year at The Joyce Theater and returned for an encore performance at New York City Center.
The postmodern, minimalist movement, executed with precision by an ensemble of eight dancers, evokes Childs’ legendary attention to detail. Every meticulously calculated extension, angle, and movement feeds into repeated and evolving sequences.
Does it stir the heart? Not mine. Costumed in grey leotards with loosely tied garments around the waist in a similar hue, the neutrality contrasts Cage’s unconventional piano use in his composition (1944-45), which used everyday items like screws, weather stripping, and nuts and bolts to create new sounds.
‘Le Parc’ and ‘Afternoon of a Faun,’ Hannah O’Neill & Hugo Marchand
Originally scheduled only to perform Jerome Robbins’ “Afternoon of a Faun,” Paris Opera Ballet étoiles (highest-ranking principal dancers) Hannah O’Neill and Hugo Marchand took advantage of their stage time and offered attendees the sensual pas de deux from choreographer Angelin Prelijocaj’s 1994 Le Parc.
No matter where you may fall on the Kinsey Scale, the pair’s unbridled chemistry is palpable. Gone is the traditional ballerina’s tightly bound bun. O’Neill’s unabashed expression extends beyond impeccable technique, flipping her loose hair as she seduces with Prelijocaj’s fluid movement.
Marchand, not to be outdone, stretches catlike on the floor in the opening sequence of Robbins’ work, the pair eventually connecting, only to be further captivated by their own reflections in the fourth wall.
Experiencing O’Neill and Marchand onstage defines the potential of what dance can be: intoxicating, dangerous, and ultimately mesmerizing.
‘The Missing Fruit (Part I),’ Roderick George
Choreographer Roderick George first developed and presented “The Missing Fruit (Part I)” in September 2023. The work, conceptualized in response to Black Lives Matter protests, takes its name from Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit,” which also shed light on racial controversies.
George also appears in the piece, accompanied by an ensemble of eight dancers, exhibiting a guttural, unhinged quality reflective of centuries of oppression. While the exploration of social discrimination and its aftermath intensifies in the piece’s final moments, George’s powerful storytelling through movement propels the work toward its harrowing conclusion.
Fall for Dance runs through September 27 at New York City Center.
