8 Dance Performances to See in NYC This Weekend

JUILLIARD DANCE at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center (March 21-23, 7:30 p.m., through March 24). For their seasonal showcase, the wunderkinds of this prestigious school present two works from the 1970s by American dance giants and a newer work from an astute contemporary voice. “Spring Dances,” as the program is called, includes Twyla Tharp’s 1973 genre-busting gem “Deuce Coupe” to the music of the Beach Boys, Merce Cunningham’s rigorous 1975 “Sounddance” to music by David Tudor, and Crystal Pite’s 2012 “Grace Engine,” which sets her forceful, fluid movement against a moody electronic score by Owen Belton.
NICK MAUSS at the Whitney Museum of American Art (through May 14). In recent years, art museums have taken note of contemporary dance, curating and commissioning work for their galleries. Ballet has largely been excluded, which the visual and performance artist Nick Mauss attempts to rectify with his exhibition “Transmissions.” It comprises ballet scores, scenic designs and a modernist ballet conceived by Mr. Mauss, and weaves in explorations of gender, history and ballet’s relationship to other art forms. Pieces from the Whitney’s collection and other institutions, like the New York Public Library and the Kinsey.
NEW YORK THEATER BALLET at the 92nd Street Y (March 16, 8 p.m.; March 17, 4 and 8 p.m.). This year marks the centenary of the birth of Jerome Rabinowitz, better known as Jerome Robbins, one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century, from Broadway (“Fiddler on the Roof,” “West Side Story”) to ballet. To honor his contribution to the latter, New York Theater Ballet presents a trio of some of his lesser-known, more intimate works as part of the Harkness Dance Festival. “Rondo,” “Septet” and “Concertino” are all from the early 1980s; the second two were part of Robbins’s “Four Chamber Works” to music by Igor Stravinsky.
STEPHEN PETRONIO COMPANY at the Joyce Theater (March 20-21, 7:30 p.m., through March 25). In 2015, the choreographer Stephen Petronio introduced the “Bloodlines” project to honor the artists who influenced him. For its fourth iteration, his company performs Merce Cunningham’s 1970 work “Signals,” which features an unpredictable live score. Mr. Petronio also presents a new work of his own called “Hardness 10,” inspired by the multiple facets of diamonds, for which Nico Muhly contributes an original score and the designer Patricia Field provides the costumes. “Wild Wild World,” an excerpt from Mr. Petronio’s 2003 work “Underland” with music by Nick Cave, rounds out the evening.