10 spring performances our dance critic is most excited for

Philadelphia has a good amount of top-notch dance coming to our stages this spring. There is no one standout this time, but lots of great options.

Want something new? Check out BalletX, Rennie Harris, or Koresh.

A classic or modern classic? Philadelphia Ballet has two programs of favorites and MOMIX is bringing a selection of its quirky works from over the years.

A jukebox evening? What the world needs now is Mark Morris’ tribute to the music of Burt Bacharach.

Philadelphia Ballet’s March program features the work of three influential choreographers: Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe, and Twyla Tharp. Ailey’s The River is set to music by Duke Ellington and speaks to birth, life, and rebirth. Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is a contemporary masterpiece that Rudolf Nureyev commissioned for the Paris Opera Ballet. Tharp set In the Upper Room to music by Philip Glass, and it has been performed by companies all around the country.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. Tickets start at $25. 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

Mantua native Iquail Shaheed is bringing his company back to Philadelphia for the first time in years with a program of three world premieres, including his own work and pieces by Christian von Howard and Maleek Washington. The company says its mission is to use “the art of dance as a conduit for combating issues of social injustice primarily experienced by the disadvantaged.”

Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. Tickets are $33. brownpapertickets.com/event/6190775

Rennie Harris is one of the finest choreographers in Philadelphia, but his work is only on stage once or twice a year, and sometimes not at all. So it’s worth seeing any time you can catch it. His company, Puremovement, marked its 30th anniversary last year, but the celebration continues with a retrospective of his work, as well as some newer pieces. Harris’ street dance takes on topics such as gun violence and gangs in a deeply moving way.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. Tickets start at $29. 215-898-3900 or pennlivearts.org

In Philadanco’s 50-plus years, it has commissioned many works, including a handful that founder and executive artistic adviser Joan Myers Brown considers to be masterpieces created by “African American choreographic geniuses.” This spring, Brown chose to highlight four: Christopher L. Huggins’ Blue, Ronald K. Brown’s Gate Keepers, Talley Beatty’s Pretty Is Skin Deep, Ugly to the Bone, and Harold Pierson’s Roots & Reflections.

Perelman Theater, 240 S. Broad St. Tickets start at $29. 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

MOMIX’s work is breathtaking, bizarre (in the best possible way), inventive, and trippy. Moses Pendleton’s company comes to the Annenberg every year or so, and it’s always worth seeing what sort of magic is up his sleeve. This program is called “Back to MOMIX” and it includes excerpts of some of the company’s greatest hits.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. Tickets start at $29. 215-898-3900 or pennlivearts.org

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers’ home season addresses dealing with grief on a personal and global level. The program includes four pieces: the world premiere of Lin’s Breath Into Air, an excerpt from his 2011 Mandala Project, Evalina Carbonell’s Koyl from 2016, and Weiwei Ma’s 2023 Dragon.

FringeArts, 140 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd. Tickets start at $25. kyld.org/2024

Roni Koresh premieres his latest work, Hollow Apple, an evening-length piece, which the company says is “inspired by the endless desire to be liked and loved by strangers, only to reveal our fears and unworthiness.” It will be set to original music by Sage DeAgro-Ruopp and poetry by Karl Mullen.

Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. Tickets start at $20. https://myptc.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org/events/88396

Ballet under the stars is something special, and BalletX is bringing it back this spring at the Mann, this time with live music. The program includes a world premiere by Natasha Adorlee, with live music by singer Jac Ross; the Philadelphia premiere of Takehiro Ueyama’s Heroes, with live music by composer Kato Hideki; and Jamar Roberts Eros & Psyche, set to music by Philip Glass, performed by ensemble132. There will be dance and live music before the main show begins, and visitors are welcome to bring along their picnic baskets.

TD Pavilion at the Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave. $15. 215-225-5389 x250. balletx.org

Philadelphia Ballet wraps up its season with a two-part performance: Frederick Ashton’s The Dream and Balanchine’s Prodigal Son. The Dream is Ashton’s condensed version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but it gets in all the comedic highlights: the lovers, the comedy of errors, fairies, and the donkey. Prodigal Son, on the other hand, is one of Balanchine’s iconic pieces, a dramatic story of sin and redemption.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. Tickets start at $25. 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

The spring dance season wraps up with Mark Morris’ tribute to the music of Burt Bacharach. The Look of Love is a joyful piece set to songs such as “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Walk on By,” and “Always Something There to Remind Me.” Mark Morris Dance Group is one of the top companies that visits Philadelphia most years and is always worth seeing.

Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut St. Tickets start at $29. 215-898-3900 or pennlivearts.org