PHILADANCO! Returns to The Joyce Theater

Published by New Jersey Stage
07/17/2026

(NEW YORK, NY) -- For more than fifty-six years, PHILADANCO! (The Philadelphia Dance Company) has stood among the most influential forces in American concert dance, shaping generations of extraordinary artists while preserving and advancing the traditions of what was then called Black dance. From July 29 through August 2, 2026, the internationally celebrated company returns to The Joyce Theater after a successful three-week European tour with a powerful program that honors its historic legacy while embracing the future through four innervating and compelling choreographic voices.

The engagement features two New York premieres by Thang Dao and Tommie-Waheed Evans, a major new creation by Rennie Harris, and by popular demand the 25th anniversary revival of one of PHILADANCO!’s defining masterworks by Christopher Huggins, offering audiences a portrait of the company that continues to set the standard for technical brilliance, artistic excellence, and cultural impact.

Founded in 1970 by the iconic Joan Myers Brown, PHILADANCO! transformed the landscape of American dance by creating opportunities for well-trained Black dancers at the highest professional level. Today, the company remains one of the country’s most respected cultural institutions, renowned for producing dancers of extraordinary versatility while championing choreographers whose work expands the possibilities of contemporary dance.

“This season reflects exactly what PHILADANCO! has always been,” said Kim Y. Bears-Bailey, Co-Artistic Director. “We honor where we’ve come from while continuing to invest in artists who are shaping the future of dance. Each work on this program offers a distinct artistic voice, yet together they reveal the depth, versatility, and extraordinary power of our dancers.”

The program opens with the New York premiere of Without Witness by acclaimed Vietnamese choreographer Thang Dao. Quietly mesmerizing and philosophically rich, the work traces a journey from inherited constraint toward embodied freedom. Through breath, rhythm, and deeply attentive physicality, Dao creates a meditation on liberation that invites audiences into movement as an act of listening rather than declaration.

The program also features the world premiere of TO PHILLY…LOVE, RENNIE by internationally celebrated Philadelphia choreographer Rennie Harris, now one of the most influential voices in street dance and hip-hop theater. Inspired by The Sound of Philadelphia and the enduring music of Kenneth Gamble, Thom Bell, and Leon Huff, the work celebrates the city’s neighborhoods, resilience, history, and people through Harris’ signature theatrical language. Blending Philadelphia street dance traditions with jazz, soul, funk, and contemporary movement, the work becomes both a love letter to the city and an affirmation of the communities that continue to define it.

The New York premiere of Promise Me You Won’t Call by Tommie-Waheed Evans offers an intimate exploration of love, memory, and longing. Set to the unforgettable voice of Patti LaBelle, including "If Only You Knew" and "Love, Need and Want You," with immersive sound design by Uwazi Zamani, Evans creates an emotionally charged landscape where vulnerability and virtuosity exist side by side. The work reveals the quiet heartbreak and profound beauty found in human connection, separation, and renewal.

Completing the program by popular demand is the 25th anniversary of Enemy Behind the Gates, Christopher Huggins’ landmark work created for PHILADANCO! in 2001. Set to the driving score of Steve Reich, the celebrated work emerged in response to the aftermath of September 11 and remains strikingly relevant today. With blistering athleticism, razor-sharp precision, and relentless momentum, Huggins examines fear, conflict, and resilience through a physical language that has become one of PHILADANCO!’s defining repertory aesthetic.

Together, these four works demonstrate the extraordinary breadth of PHILADANCO!‘s artistic vision. From contemporary abstraction to deeply personal storytelling, from Philadelphia’s cultural legacy to questions of identity, history, and liberation, the program affirms the company’s unique place at the forefront of American dance.

For decades, PHILADANCO! has launched the careers of many of today’s leading dancers while remaining steadfast in its commitment to artistic excellence, innovation, and the preservation of Black dance traditions. Its return to The Joyce Theater continues a longstanding relationship between two institutions dedicated to presenting world-class dance and introduces New York audiences to a company and choreographers whose influence extends far beyond the stage.

Founded in 1970 by Joan Myers Brown, PHILADANCO! (The Philadelphia Dance Company) is internationally recognized for its artistic excellence, technical brilliance, and unwavering commitment to preserving and advancing the traditions of Black American concert dance. For more than five decades, the company has presented groundbreaking works by many of the world’s leading choreographers while serving as one of the nation’s premier incubators for exceptional dance artists. Through performance, education, and community engagement, PHILADANCO! continues to shape the future of American dance while honoring the cultural legacy upon which it was built.