Dance Top 5: October 2023

SITE/less will be the playground for an immersive staging of Merce Cunningham’s “Suite for Five.”/Photo: Padgett & Co.

1
S45
(SITE/less)
Avant-garde legend Merce Cunningham’s “Suite for Five” gets a radical restaging amidst sloping neon sculptures, and provides inspiration for new dances by five choreographers, including event curator and Zephyr Dance artistic director Michelle Kranicke.
October 19-22

2
Frankenstein
(Lyric Opera House)
The Joffrey’s lush staging of Liam Scarlett’s ballet adaptation of the gothic novel heralds changing leaves and grinning jack-o’-lanterns. What could be more (ghastly body-)suited to the season?
October 12-22

3
Ex/Body: strike, vibrate, shatter
(Studio5)
Molly Shanahan and her Mad Shak collaborators are back, this time mining the dark corners of the psyche for revelatory threads of movement gold. 
October 21-22

4
Diwali: Illumination
(Harris Theater)
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts celebrates the Hindu festival of light and the power of the elements with an evening-length work blending contemporary, jazz and South Asian styles.
Oct 12-13

5
Celebration of 5 Seasons
(Visceral Dance Center)
The fluidly powerful, all-women Moonwater Dance Project celebrates their fifth anniversary with mixed rep by female choreographers.
October 27