Dance in New York: Critics' picks

In this free SummerStage show, Wendy Whelan—the great former New York City Ballet étoile and current Associate Artistic Director—performs an excerpt from Carnival of the Animals, a piece she has been developing with spoken-word artist and playwright Marc Bamuthi Joseph (/peh-LO-tah/). Bookending this piece are solo poems by Joseph and a screening of the 2016 documentary Restless Creature, which chronicles Whelan's struggles as a dancer in her late 40s.

Rockaway Beach's annual outdoor dance festival returns with more free, sandy offerings. In lieu of performances, this year's edition focuses on pay-what-you-wish 90-minute outdoor dance classes in styles including house, vogue and Gaga/people. Think of it as a movement-heavy beach party, and come prepared to sweat.

Fadi J. Khoury and his company conclude their monthly Black Box series. The final edition features a repertory performance followed by a talkback.

Dances for Solidarity, a program that aims to give prisoners in solitary confinement a sense of connection to the world through shared choreography, presents a piece created in a Texas prison by Dushaan Gillum and performed by six people who have a history of incarceration in New York. Sarah Dahnke directs.