There's something about the word "home" that gets me right in the chest, and the Harkness Dance Center's new season, *Home: Departure and Return*, knows exactly why. The 92nd Street Y is asking us to sit with the messy, beautiful tension between leaving and coming back, between the traditions we inherit and the ones we choose to rebuild. That's not just a dance program, darling. That's a mirror. And honestly, it's the kind of reflection we all need sometimes, especially when the world keeps telling us to pick a side and stay there. This season isn't about choosing. It's about holding both.
What I adore here is the refusal to treat dance as mere entertainment. These artists are pushing at borders, not just on a map but inside themselves, and they're inviting us to do the same. It reminds me of how Seen, Supported, and Strong: Adia Anselmi's NYC Performance Explores Connection zeroes in on the intimacy of being truly seen, or how Martha Graham Dance Company Finds New Home, Inspires in Times Square turned a physical address into a statement of resilience. Dance has always been the language we use when words just won't cut it, and this season feels like a love letter to that truth. When you watch bodies in motion, you're not just watching steps. You're watching someone work through what it means to belong, to yearn, to return.
For our readers, the practical takeaway here is simple: you don't need to be a dancer to feel this. You need to be a person who has ever left a place and wondered if you could ever really go back. That's all of us, isn't it? Whether it's a childhood home, a version of yourself you're still mourning, or a community that welcomed you with open arms, this season is a space to sit with that ache and let it move through you. And let's be honest, in a city like New York, where everyone is from somewhere else, that theme hits different. It's not abstract. It's Tuesday.
Here's what I'd tell a friend who asked if this is worth their time: yes, but go in with an open heart, not a checklist. This isn't about watching perfection. It's about watching humanity. And if you're someone who's been craving a little more depth in your cultural outings, this is your sign. The one thing I'm watching for? How these artists handle the return part. Leaving is easy to romanticize. Coming back, though, that's where the real courage lives, and I want to see how they dance their way through it.
