Harkness Dance Center announces “Home: Departure and Return” for 2026/27 Mainstage Season
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The announcement of Harkness Dance Center’s “Home: Departure and Return” for the 2026/27 season at the 92nd Street Y is more than just another calendar entry for dance enthusiasts; it’s a powerful statement about the evolving landscape of contemporary performance and its relevance to our increasingly globalized world. It’s exciting to see institutions like the 92nd Street Y prioritizing themes of displacement, belonging, and rebuilding, especially given the current climate. We've seen similar explorations of tradition and innovation in other spaces, such as the long-standing holiday tradition celebrated by Ballet Etudes celebrates 40 years of holiday tradition with ‘The Nutcracker’, demonstrating the enduring power of revisiting familiar narratives through a fresh lens. And just as L’Alliance New York’s L’Alliance New York’s Crossing The Line Festival challenges boundaries, this Harkness season promises to push the boundaries of what dance can express about our shared human experience. It’s a season that speaks directly to the anxieties and aspirations of our time, and I, for one, am thrilled to see it taking center stage.
The core concept—exploring home in all its complexities—resonates deeply, particularly within the dance world. Dance, at its heart, is about movement, about expressing emotions and stories through the body. To examine the concept of "home" through that lens opens up incredible possibilities. Think about the diasporic communities whose traditions are carried and reshaped through movement – the resilience and beauty of cultural preservation through dance forms shaped by migration is something we should celebrate and support. The description of artists reimagining inherited traditions with "urgency and energy" is particularly compelling. As a dancer myself, I understand the power of honoring the past while simultaneously forging a new path. It’s about taking what has been given to you and making it your own, reflecting your unique experiences and perspectives. This is something I bring to my own practice, whether I'm on a pole, in the gym, or simply moving through my day – finding strength and grace in every moment.
This season’s focus also feels incredibly timely given the broader cultural conversations around identity and belonging. We live in a world where borders are increasingly porous, and where individuals are constantly negotiating their place within multiple communities. Dance, as a non-verbal art form, has a unique ability to communicate these nuanced experiences in a way that transcends language barriers. It’s about feeling, about embodying the struggles and triumphs of those who have left home, returned to it, or created new homes for themselves. And that’s the beauty of it, isn't it? It’s not just about representing these experiences; it’s about creating a space for empathy and understanding. As someone who prioritizes feeling strong and confident in my own body, I truly believe that dance, in all its forms, can be a powerful tool for self-discovery and empowerment. Just like Giordano Dance Chicago, showcasing Giordano Dance Chicago returns to North Shore Center with ‘untamed passion’, this season promises to be filled with raw emotion and visceral movement.
Ultimately, the Harkness Mainstage Series’ “Home: Departure and Return” signals a significant shift in the dance world's priorities. It's a move away from purely aesthetic concerns and towards a deeper engagement with social and political realities. It recognizes that dance isn't just about beautiful steps and graceful lines; it's about telling stories that matter, about sparking conversations that challenge us to think differently, and about creating a more inclusive and compassionate world. My own journey—balancing the demands of motherhood, a career that celebrates sensuality and strength, and a commitment to personal wellness—has taught me the importance of embracing complexity and finding beauty in unexpected places. And I believe this season will do just that, offering audiences a rich and thought-provoking exploration of what it means to call a place "home." What will be the most unexpected, yet resonant, interpretation of “home” that emerges from this season's performances?
The 92nd Street Y, New York announces Home: Departure and Return, the Harkness Mainstage Series 2026/27 season, unfolding at the threshold between home and elsewhere, tradition and change, belonging and becoming. This season’s artists push at the borders of identity, culture, and tradition, asking what it means to leave home, return to it, or build it again. Drawing on dance forms shaped by migration and exchange, they reimagine inherited traditions with urgency and energy.
Performances are in the historic Kaufmann Concert Hall, Buttenwieser Hall at the Arnhold Center, and outside these halls, as new transformed spaces in 92NY’s building become part of the performance. Select programs are also available to stream for a limited time following the performance date.
The season opens with Ballet Hispánico New York performing excerpts from Eduardo Vilaro’s Buscando a Juan (Looking for Juan); Marianela Boán’s Reactor Antígona (Antigone Reactor); and Pedro Ruiz’s Guajira, along with the world premiere of a documentary directed by Nel Shelby. Filmed in Cuba, the documentary captures Pedro Ruiz’s process creating a new work on Malpaso Dance Company. The season closes with 92NY’s inaugural Dance on Film Festival, showcasing a platform that knows no boundaries.
Home also features Christopher Williams, Johnnie Cruise Mercer and FLOCK bringing premieres to the 92NY stage; Doug Varone and Dancers (a longtime Harkness Dance Center resident company) return to celebrate their 40th anniversary; American Repertory Ballet makes their 92NY debut with works by Lar Lubovitch, Ethan Stiefel and a commission by Yue Yin; Ephrat Asherie Dance presents a unique collaboration with animator Mo Willems; Trisha Brown Dance Company takes over multiple 92NY spaces for an evening that includes performance, installation and video; and Bridgman | Packer Dance makes their 92NY debut with Ghost Factory, their latest work.
The 2026/27 season includes two festivals in addition to the new Dance on Film Festival. The Uptown Rhythm Dance Festival returns with a world premiere from former Harkness Artist in Residence Naomi Funaki, followed by two evenings with Art Bath, expanding from its original vision to encompass additional art forms like literature and visual arts. The Future Dance Festival, now in its sixth season, continues to present new talent in performance and on film.
“Home begins with a question that feels both timeless and especially resonant right now: What does it mean to have a home? In a moment when issues of migration, immigration, borders, and belonging are never far from public conversation, the artists in Home respond to the idea of fixed boundaries with movement,” comments Alison Manning, Co-Executive Director, 92NY Harkness Dance Center. “Their work explores how identity, culture, and tradition are carried across geographies and generations, and how home can be preserved, reimagined, or rebuilt when the ground beneath us keeps shifting.”
Manning goes on to note, “This theme feels deeply connected to the history of the 92nd Street Y itself. For more than 90 years, 92NY has been a home for dance artists, including modern dance pioneers and visionary creators who were not always welcomed or supported elsewhere. That legacy of artistic risk, cultural exchange, and creative refuge continues to shape who we are today, as we invite artists and audiences alike to consider how we build, carry, and redefine home.”
Tickets for 92NY’s 2026/2027 season are on sale now and available here.
The post Harkness Dance Center announces “Home: Departure and Return” for 2026/27 Mainstage Season appeared first on Dance Informa Magazine.
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