Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels runs February 19 through March 21.
Modern dance isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Van Cleef & Arpels but the luxury label has always been eager to expand beyond jewelry into the cultural sphere. And so Dance Reflections was formed in 2022, an initiative that expanded to New York City in 2023. Marking a long-term commitment to contemporary dance in a city that has shaped it for generations, the festival is coming back with expanded partnerships and a program that reflects both choreographic heritage and new creations. Unfolding across some of New York’s most iconic cultural venues, from New York City Center and Brooklyn Academy of Music to The Joyce Theatre, NYU Skirball, the Guggenheim, and Park Avenue Armory between February 19 through March 21, the 16 performances form a collection of different choreographies, spanning generations, locations, and styles. Alongside the stage program, there will also be workshops open to all, so you too can get involved (no matter your skill level!).
Van Cleef & Arpels Dancers
At the heart of Dance Reflections lies the theme of the past and present. This idea is seen from opening night, when the Lyon Opera Ballet performs Merce Cunningham’s Biped, a piece of work that pioneered the relationship between dance and digital technology, followed by Christos Papadopoulos’ Mycelium which is inspired by natural systems and collective movement. In other works, heritage is seen through revivals and reinterpretations, including Trisha Brown’s Set and Reset and Cunningham’s rarely seen Travelogue, both featuring visual designs by Robert Rauschenberg.
Although Dance Reflections honors the past, it also looks at the present. (La)horde’s Age of Content examines the boundaries between physical and virtual in a world shaped by screens and digital production. Jan Martens’ The Dog Days are Over 2.0 revisits decade-old work to question canonization, sustainability, and the ethics of transmission in contemporary performance. The festival also features a number of different styles of choreography, like Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Exit Above – after the tempest, which returns to the act of walking, connecting blues to contemporary pop through movement. Nacera Belaza’s La Nuée puts audiences in a minimalist ritual of rhythm, while Leïla Ka’s Maldonne uses costume, breath, and gesture to showcase the resilience of femininity. In Groove, Soa Ratsifandrihana weaves personal and cultural histories into a solo that moves fluidly between Malagasy tradition and American social dance.
Artists from left: Robert Rauschenberg, LAHORDE, Soa Ratsifandriha, Hervé Koubi
Finally, to round it up, Benjamin Millepied presents both Reflections: A Triptych, which is a decade-long collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels inspired by jewels, and a site-specific reimagining of Romeo & Juliet at Park Avenue Armory, where live video and changing casts challenge traditional narratives of love and gender.
As Dance Reflections returns to New York, it brings together iconic artists and emerging voices, honoring heritage while embracing modernity. The festival offers audiences a rare opportunity: to witness contemporary dance not just as a skill, but as an important language, one that continues to move, question, and inspire. Running from February 19 through March 26, find your tickets here.
Dance Reflections Performances
