Michelson has spent thirty years pulling dance apart to see what it is made of, and this is the rare piece where the seams are the point: you catch her working, not performing a finished object. The atrium is MoMA's most trafficked room, so the piece happens in front of people who did not come for it. The Friday open-room version, hosted rather than performed, has no real equivalent in the city.
What to expect
The soaring double-height atrium off the ground-floor lobby, with Michelson and a rotating group of dancers working in it during museum hours rather than at set curtain times. There is no seating bank and no start bell - visitors watch from the edges and pass through. Fridays flip the room over to the public as an open space.
Good to know
- The work happens in the Marron Family Atrium, off the main lobby, so you walk into it before the ticketed galleries
- It runs during regular museum hours rather than at fixed curtain times - there is no separate performance ticket
- It is on view Saturday through Thursday; Friday is the open-atrium day rather than a dance day
- Museum admission covers it, and MoMA members enter without a reservation
- There is no seating bank - expect to stand at the edges or watch while passing through
- MoMA is on West 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth, closest to the E and M at Fifth Avenue-53rd Street
Planning Sep 18–20, 2026 in NYC?
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Common questions
Which days is the dance actually happening?
nowhere is on view in the Marron Family Atrium Saturday through Thursday for the run of the exhibition. On Fridays, during museum hours, Michelson instead hosts the atrium as an open space for dance makers, arts workers and everyone.
Do I need a separate performance ticket?
No. It is presented as an exhibition in the atrium during regular museum hours and is covered by MoMA admission. Members do not need a reservation.
How long does it run?
September 15 through October 11, 2026, in MoMA's Donald and Catherine Marron Family Atrium at 11 West 53rd Street.
