Dance in New York: Critics' picks

The Italian Dance Connection gives New York the boot in a three-day festival that comprises 16 live dance works (including 10 premieres) and a dozen films. The offerings are divided into four distinct programs.

David Parsons and his company return to the Joyce with a mixed bill that features three pieces by Parsons—Round My World, Nascimento and company favorite Caught—as well as the late Paul Taylor's Runes (1975) and the New York premiere of Trey McIntyre's Eight Women, set to music by Aretha Franklin. (At matinee performances, Parsons's Hand Dance replaces the Taylor piece.)

La MaMa's annual festival runs riot with dance. Witness Relocation's Surveys the Prairie of Your Room (May 18, 19), created and performed by Dan Safer and Ae Andreas, features music by Heather Christian and text by Kate Scelsa. Other participating artists include Italy's Gruppo Nanou (Apr 26–28), Colleen Thomas (May 3–5), Mia Habin (May 3–5), Yin Mei Dance (May 9, 10), Hari Krishnan/inDance (May 11, 12), Bobbi Jene Smith (May 16–19), Jesca Prudencio (May 23, 34) and Sin Cha Hong (May 25, 26). 

The 42nd annual edition of the African-diaspora cultural festival focuses on the history and culture of Rwanda in a program created by artistic director Abdel R. Salaam. The Rwandan company Inganzo Ngari is joined onstage by actor-poet Malaika Uwamahoro and the BAM/Restoration Dance Youth Ensemble. In addition to performances, the festival includes community events, readings, film screenings and a visual-art exhibition.

NYCB returns to Lincoln Center with a six-week slate that includes multiple collections of dances by company founder George Balanchine. Among the many other offerings in the varied season are premieres by Pam Tanowitz and resident choreographer Justin Peck; two mixed bills of work by 21st-century choreographers; and, for the final week, Balanchine's full-length forest romp A Midsummer Night's Dream (May 28–June 2).

Having already presented opulent, adults-only burlesque takes on the previously child-oriented Snow White, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and Ferdinand the Bull, director-choreographer Austin McCormick and his fancy-naughty troupe set their sights on Lewis Carroll's oft-plundered Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Expect to go down all sorts of rabbit holes.

The venerable company—including dancers Stella Abrera, Roberto Bolle, Isabella Boylston, Misty Copeland, Herman Cornejo, David Hallberg, Sarah Lane, Hee Seo, Christine Shevchenko, Daniil Simkin, Cory Stearns, Devon Teuscher and James Whiteside—returns to the Met for eight weeks. The run includes three ballets by artist in residence Alexei Ratmansky—Harlequinade (May 13–18), Whipped Cream (May 24–29) and The Sleeping Beauty (July 1–6)—as well as a collection of three shorter Ratmasnky dances (May 21–23). Other offerings include a trio of works by Twyla Tharp (May 30–June 3), the company premiere of Cathy Marston's Jane Eyre (June 4–10) and the full-length ballets Le Corsaire (June 11 –15), Manon (June 17–22) and Swan Lake (June 24–29).