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Writing a New Story

What should ballet look like? From the eight pieces that compose the first program of Misty Copeland’s curation for the Joyce Theater’s annual Ballet Festival, this much is clear: there’s no one single answer.

Performance

Ballet Festival, curated by Misty Copeland

Place

Joyce Theater, New York, NY, August 5, 2026

Words

Rebecca Deczynski

Taylor Stanley in “Show Pony” by Kyle Abraham. Photograph by Steven Pisano

Copeland’s selections are both new and old, devised by choreographers both emerging and iconic. There’s an excerpt of Rudolf Nureyev’s “Romeo & Juliet,” for instance, performed by Paris Opera Ballet étoiles Guillaume Diop and Sae Eun Park, as well as a piece by American Ballet Theatre corps member Aleisha Walker, and two works by more recent dancers-turned-choreographers, Ingrid Silva and Houston Thomas. 

In a post-show talkback with Desmond Richardson, Copeland emphasizes the idea of ballet as storytelling and acknowledges which stories are most often told onstage; as curator, she intended to elevate those by Black, Brown, and queer dance-makers. This program could very well be a sneak preview of what we can expect in Copeland’s new era as an artist, post-retirement from American Ballet Theatre.

“Interactions,” Silva’s 2025 duet for two men—here, Renan Cerdeiro and Elias Re—makes an ambitious, if sometimes uneven opening to the program. The dancers drag folding chairs center stage and sit back-to-back, finding one another with their arms. They dance directly on the classical score by Leondro Albuquerque, landing a turn in a plié attitude just so, occasionally wiggling their head as an accent. The strongest moments of the piece are when the two dancers move smoothly in unison; less focused are the moments when they seem to play-fight over a chair and pause slightly between passages. Still, Silva’s promise as an emerging choreographer is clear, especially given the inventive structure of this work.

Renan Cerdeiro and Elias Re in “Interactions” by Ingrid Silva. Photograph by Steven Pisano

Renan Cerdeiro and Elias Re in “Interactions” by Ingrid Silva. Photograph by Steven Pisano

Thomas’s excerpt of “Young Lovers” (2025) is the other pas de deux in the first act of the program, and it’s infused with far more drama and passion. It’s a hot summer night of a piece, with dancers Aeron Buchanon and Joe González—both artists with Complexions Contemporary Ballet—slow dancing to a composition by Philip Clendeninn that features a pronounced guitar solo. They alternate between hanging off of one another and spinning out into explosions of movement: a step into a penché or a sweeping cambré back. Often, it seems like they propel through the steps by tilting off their centers of gravity, their torsos ever-undulating in expressive waves.

The two pas de deux in the second act match that passion, albeit with different undertones. Dwight Rhoden’s “Ave Maria (1995) brings González back to the stage, this time with the fantastic April Watson, whose neverending extensions are as breathtaking as her controlled balances in more plaintive postures; a long-held grand plié in second en pointe that’s almost spider-like stands out in particular. Both dancers have commanding presence and strike a difficult contrast—they’re machine-like in their exactness, yet maintain total fluidity in the way they uncoil their bodies and supplicate to the abyss.

On the lighter side is the balcony scene from Nureyev’s “Romeo & Juliet,” performed by Diop and Park. The dancers are entirely convincing as lovestruck teenagers, and not just because of the lightness of their movements—breezing through floaty piqué arabesques. Their expressions are effervescent, bordering on euphoric, especially when they sail through partnered sequences. Watching them, it’s hard not to feel pulled into the story, even outside the context of the full-length ballet.

Delaney Washington, Ariana Dickerson, Carly Greene, Madison Brown, and Aleisha Walker in “Rising” by Walker. Photograph by Steven Pisano

Delaney Washington, Ariana Dickerson, Carly Greene, Madison Brown, and Aleisha Walker in “Rising” by Walker. Photograph by Steven Pisano

There are three solos interspersed across the program, with each presenting a unique style of movement. Bob Fosse’s 1978 “Percussion IV” is first, performed exactingly by Hubbart Street Dance artist Shota Miyoshi. In the relatively short piece, his crisp technique offsets more playful embellishments—like a jazzy shimmy—to delicious effect.

New York City Ballet soloist Victor Abreu takes on José Limón’s 1961 “Sonata for Two Cellos,” a work that is demanding in its simplicity. For much of the solo’s first part, Abreu moves with his chin cast slightly down, shifting in different positions, but maintaining a contrapposto twist of the torso. At times, he has more opportunities to expand within the constraints of the choreography.

The standout of the program is “Show Pony,” a 2018 solo by Kyle Abraham performed by New York City Ballet principal Taylor Stanley. It’s a fluid, energetic work that brings together elements of ballet, voguing, and modern dance. On Stanley, the choreography looks so natural it’s as if the dance was made just for them. Wiggling through the piece’s undulations, the dancer is entirely self-possessed, with both grace and attitude to spare. If we get to see Stanley take on more choreography like this after they retire from New York City Ballet next season, we will be very lucky indeed.

Closing the show is the biggest piece, “Rising,” and one by the program’s most nascent choreographer, American Ballet Theatre corps member Aleisha Walker. It’s vibrant ensemble piece, featuring Walker herself and fellow ABT corps dancer Madison Brown, alongside Dance Theatre of Harlem artists Ariana Dickerson, Carly Greene, and Delaney Washington. Energetically, the work seems to have a touch of Justin Peck’s influence; the dancers whip around in chaîne turns, slide across the stage en pointe, and piqué fouetté. All five bring their own stylistic flourishes, and all attack the petit allegro with gusto. It’s clear they’re having fun—and that makes them a joy to watch.

Rebecca Deczynski


Rebecca Deczynski is a New York City-based writer and editor publishes the newsletter Mezzanine Society. Her work has appeared in publications including Inc., Domino, NYLON, and InStyle. She graduated from Barnard College cum laude with a degree in English and a minor in dance.

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