New York City Dance

To see great dance, you can't do better than New York City. For ballet lovers, the American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet are must-sees. If you're looking for something slightly more experimental, try the Parsons Dance Company or the Dance Theatre Workshop. Venues such as City Center and the Joyce Theater showcase dance companies of all styles. If you're itching to cut a rug yourself, check out Midsummer Night Swing at Lincoln Center.

Thalia Spanish Theater, 41-17 Greenpoint Ave. (www.thaliatheatre.org), This theater celebrates las artes in all forms and from all Spanish and Latin American cultures. The only bilingual theater in Queens, this is the place to see authentic folk dance, music, and drama. General Admission $25-30, students and seniors $22-27. Box office open 1hr. before curtain. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center (www.abt.org), Once headed by ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, this company offers the chance to see some of the best dancers in the world perform beloved favorites such as Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Don Quixote. They also perform edgier works by more modern choreographers such as Twyla Tharp and George Balanchine. Tickets $25-110. Box office open M–Sa 10am–8pm, Su noon–6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, 316 E. 63rd St. (www.marthagrahamdance.org), Named after legendary modern dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, the center is home to the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance as well as the Martha Graham Dance Company, which performs at venues all over the city. Classes at a wide range of prices depending on length and type. Single classes from $16 each. Tickets to shows from $10. Open daily 8:30am-6pm.
New York City Ballet, New York State Theater at Lincoln Center (www.nycballet.com), Co-founded by one of the biggest names in 20th-century dance, George Balanchine, the New York City Ballet is the largest dance organization in the United States. The company boasts 90 dancers, and has an active repertory of over 150 works, many choreographed by Balanchine himself. Around Christmas season, crowds flood Lincoln Center to see Balanchine's renowned version of The Nutcracker, complete with dancing candy canes. Tickets $20-125, student rush $12. Box office open M-Sa 10am-7:30pm, Su 11:30am-7:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Midsummer Night Swing, Damrosch Park, Lincoln Center (www.midsummernightswing.org), Put on your dancing shoes and head over to Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park for a night of swingin' sounds and steps. For $17, you can get a group dance lesson at 6:30pm and a spot on the dance floor. The genre of music changes nightly and includes swing, disco, and tango, so check the schedule on the website to find the style that tickles your fancy. Individual tickets (dance lesson and dance floor admission) $17. Late June to mid-July. Group dance lesson 6:30-7:15pm. Music and dancing 7:30-10pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Avery Fisher Hall Box Office until 5pm the day of the event. After 5:30pm, tickets may be purchased in Damrosch Park. Takes credit cards.
Dance Theater Workshop, 219 W. 19th St. (www.dancetheaterworkshop.org), The dance theater workshop is a center of cutting-edge, experimental dance and performance art, featuring around 45 artists and 110 shows every year. The governing organization also sponsors Commissioning and Residency programs that provide artists with resources to create lots more cutting edge, experimental dance and performance art. If in need of wheelchair access, please notify box office. Tickets $10-15. Box office open M-F 5-9pm, Sa-Su noon-8pm. Wheelchair access.
Joyce Theater, 219 W. 19th St., between 7th and 8th Ave. (wwww.joyce.org">www.joyce.org'>wwww.joyce.org), Although the building that now houses the Joyce Theater is no longer a pornographic movie house, you can still come here to get your thrills. As long as you are thrilled by dance of all genres, styles, and nationalities performed by virtuosic performers from all over the world. Call for accessibility information. Tickets $19-59. Box Office open M-Su noon-6pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, 405 W. 55th St. (www.alvinailey.org), Dynamic and original, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater stages modern dance through an African-American cultural lens. The school also offers classes for dancers of all ages. Tickets $20-85. Box office open shortly before curtain. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.
The Parsons Dance Company, 229 W. 42nd St (www.parsonsdance.com), A power team of 10 dancers who strive to engage the public in modern and contemporary American dance through performances, lectures, master classes, discussions, and student programs. Performing primarily at the Joyce Theater, they have also collaborated with artists from different disciplines, such as Dave Matthews and Julie Taymore. General $25, students $18. Joyce Theater box office open noon-6pm. Takes credit cards.
City Center, 130 W. 55th St., between 6th and 7th Ave. (www.nycitycenter.org), With six resident companies (the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and the Manhattan Theatre Club) and a slew of other shows, the New York City Center is focused on bringing performance arts to large audiences. Programming showcases the obscurely new and old alike as well as the shows the public knows and loves. For wheelchair accessible seats call CityTix® at Tickets $25-110. Box office open M-Sa noon-8pm, Su noon-7:30pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.