Dance

Dance in the Park

This year, City in Motion will hold the 26th annual Dance in the Park. Along with dance performances, the Roanoke Park event will also include local vendors, lawn games and activities for all ages, including mini dance classes for those so inclined. 

Be sure to bring your picnic blankets and lawn chairs for the main event. Starting at 6:30 pm, youth dance groups from across the metro will perform, followed by performances from a variety of adult troupes, including City in Motion.

September 6. 5:30 pm. Roanoke Park.

Terra Luna 

Immerse yourself in the Overland Park Arboretum via a guided multimedia experience curated by none other than Quixotic Entertainment. The half-mile walk takes you through the gardens and features live music, light displays and dancers in avant-garde costuming. Take time before you enter the magic of this futuristic event to enjoy food and beverage trucks at the Visitor Center. 

September 11–13 & 18–20. 7 pm. Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

New Dance Partners 

The Midwest Trust Center partners with four dance companies and four choreographers to present New Dance Partners. Highlighting local contemporary and modern dance performers, the evening features the Kansas City Ballet, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Störling Dance Theater and Regina Klenjoski Dance Company. Each performance showcases original works by choreographers Caroline Dahm, Caili Quan, Dolly Sfeir and Jessi Stegall, working with each company, respectively. 

September 19–20. 7:30 pm. Midwest Trust Center.

Swan Lake

The iconic ballet Swan Lake—originally composed by Pytor I. Tchaikovsky in 1875—returns this fall to the Kansas City Ballet. The classic performance of tragedy, passion, love and betrayal takes flight at the Kauffman Center this October. 

Tchaikovsky’s music is performed by the Kansas City Symphony, and the ballet is choreographed by KC Ballet’s artistic director Devon Carney, who is modeling the choreography after Russian ballet masters and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. 

All ticketholders have access to a free pre-show talk given by Carney to hear how the magic is created. Arrive an hour before curtain for this rare behind-the-scenes look at the show. 

October 17–19 & 23–26. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theater.

Cirque Mechanics’ ‘Tilt!’

This iconic, innovative and modern take on circus performance comes to KC in November. Founded in 2004, Cirque Mechanics prides itself on the inspiration that it draws from “American ingenuity” and traditional circus acts. In “Tilt!,” audience members are taken through a cast of characters traditionally found in a theme park. Their acrobatics take place on the backdrop of their unique mechanical ingenuity to bring the story to the stage. 

November 7. 7:30 pm. Midwest Trust Center.

Collage Dance Collective’s Rise and Their Eyes Were Watching God

This Southern dance company brings two neoclassical ballet arrangements to the Midwestern stage in one night at Yardley Hall. Rise is choreographed by Kevin Thomas and brings Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final speech to a musical arrangement made specifically for a dramatic ballet performance. Their Eyes Were Watching God is a neoclassical arrangement of the 1937 novel by Zora Neale Hurston featuring period-inspired costuming. 

These pieces highlight the growth and diversity of ballet while illuminating the modern human experience. Themes of freedom, love and overcoming adversity are explored through the Collage Dance Collective’s performance. 

November 14. 7:30 pm. Yardley Hall.

The Nutcracker

It wouldn’t be a proper Fall Arts Preview if we didn’t mention Kansas City Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker, with Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky’s music being performed by the Kansas City Symphony. Watch the Sugar Plum Fairy prance and the battles of the Mouse King in this classic magical Christmas story. Whether you make it a point to see The Nutcracker every year or are looking for a new winter tradition, this ballet is the perfect way to celebrate the season. 

This year’s residency features a sensory-friendly performance on December 4 for adults and children who are neurodivergent. There will be specially-trained staff to accommodate audience members, as well as relaxed rules allowing for patrons to move from their seats during the performance. Music and sound will be at a lower volume, and lights will remain half-lit for the duration. 

November 29–December 24. Times vary. Muriel Kauffman Theatre.

“A Very Irish Christmas”

For proud Irish-Americans or lovers of the culture, the Harriman-Jewell Series presents the Trinity Irish Dance Company’s “A Very Irish Christmas.” The Chicago-based company has modernized traditional step dancing with a focus on female empowerment, grace and passion. With festive performances highlighting classic holiday tunes and traditional instrumentation, audience members can clap along to this energetic and modern take on Christmas and Irish dance. 

December 12. 7 pm. Folly Theater.

The post Dance appeared first on Kansas City Magazine.