TAO Dance Theater makes the most rigorous work you will see in a New York dance house this month: pieces named only for how many dancers are in them, built from unbroken circular motion that never resolves into a step you could name. Tao Ye's dancers move in a unison so exact it reads as a single organism. If you want the opposite of a holiday spectacle, this six-day run in Chelsea is the antidote.
What to expect
Abstract, non-narrative work performed in restricted light with sparse or drone-based sound, typically in continuous pieces rather than numbers. There is no story to follow and no interval-length break in intensity. Expect a serious dance-world audience and a physical effect that builds slowly rather than arriving in moments.
Good to know
- The Joyce is at Eighth Avenue and 19th Street; A/C/E or L to 14 St-8 Av, or the 1 to 18 St
- This is abstract, non-narrative contemporary dance, not a story ballet
- Lighting is deliberately dim throughout; sit further forward if you want detail
- Better for adults and older teenagers than for young children
- The engagement is short, so weekend performances go first
- The theatre is wheelchair accessible with assistive listening available
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Common questions
Why are the pieces just numbers?
Tao Ye titles works by the number of dancers performing them, to keep interpretation off the audience's mind.
Is there a story?
No. The work is entirely abstract and built on continuous movement rather than narrative or character.
Is it a good first dance show?
It is demanding. If this is your first contemporary dance programme, expect to be challenged rather than charmed.
More this weekend
