Single Tickets Now on Sale Dance St. Louis’ 2023/24 season features some of the most talked about touring companies from Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles
NOV 11, 2023: Trinity Irish Dance Company MAR 1 & 2, 2024: Ailey II APR 6, 2024: BODYTRAFFIC MAY 24 & 25, 2024: Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2024
Dance St. Louis, one of the oldest and one of only four nonprofit dance-only presenters in the country, is pleased to announce its 2023/24 season with single tickets ($45-$75) now on sale through MetroTix. Now in its 58th year, Dance St. Louis continues its mission of bringing world-class dance that wouldn’t otherwise be presented to the St. Louis region. Season 58 brings the excitement and exhilaration of some of the most talked about, cutting-edge nationally touring companies. The season lineup includes presentations of Chicago’s Trinity Irish Dance Company (November 11), New York City’s Ailey II (March 1 & 2), Los Angeles’ BODYTRAFFIC (April 6), and the 16th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2024 (May 24 & 25), which brings together top companies and artists from across the country and beyond. All Dance St. Louis presentations take place at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.
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Trinity Irish Dance Company
Direct from Chicago… Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 p.m.Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. Touhill Performing Arts CenterSingle tickets: $45, $59, $69
dancestlouis.org/trinity-irish-dance-company
“[stretches] the limits of what Irish dance can do aesthetically and rhythmically” – Chicago Tribune
It’s everything you expect, but like nothing you’d imagine. Recognized for ushering in “a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune) and hailed as “impossibly complex” (The New York Times), this uniquely Irish American company, founded in 1990 by creative force and renowned choreographer Mark Howard, is the birthplace of progressive Irish dance. Through a blend of percussive power and aerial grace, the company’s repertory has elevated the art form for nearly three decades. A primarily female company, with 18 female dancers and 3 male dancers, Trinity Irish Dance Company also sends a consistent message of female empowerment, celebrating the strength of women through casting, choreography, and intentional costuming.
Trinity Irish Dance Company’s November 11th presentation features a variety of works, ranging from those displaying virtuosic footwork to a hybrid of Irish step and American tap to original, classic pieces by founding artistic director Mark Howard that reflect his unique fusion of vibrant Irish traditions with ever-evolving American innovation. The evening’s presentation includes live music by a band fronted by Killarney-born, New York-based singer/songwriter Brendan O’Shea.
Ailey II Direct from New York City…
Presented by PNC Arts Alive Friday and Saturday, March 1 & 2, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m.Touhill Performing Arts Center Single tickets: $45, $65, $75
“The dancers in Ailey II are spectacular beings” – The New York Times
Back by popular demand, Ailey II brings their “off-the-charts-energy” (The New Yorker) to St. Louis, returning to Touhill where the company sold out months in advance the last time they were presented by Dance St. Louis. Ailey II has flourished into one of the most popular dance companies in the country, combining a rigorous touring schedule with extensive community outreach programs. The company is universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best early-career dance talent with the passion and artistry of today’s most outstanding choreographers.
Founded in 1974, Ailey II embodies Alvin Ailey’s pioneering mission, and under the leadership of Artistic Director Francesca Harper the company continues to thrive. The Los Angeles Times hails the dancers as “indefatigable, virtuosic and relentlessly sexy.” Dance Magazine calls Ailey II “second to none” and The New York Times declares “There’s nothing like an evening spent with Ailey II, the younger version of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.” “Highbrow/Brilliant” says New York Magazine. The renowned ensemble of rising stars will bring St. Louis audiences to their feet on March 1 and 2, performing works by emerging and established choreographers.
BODYTRAFFICDirect from Los Angeles…
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 7:30 p.m.Free “Speaking of Dance” pre-show talk at 6:30 p.m. Touhill Performing Arts CenterSingle tickets: $45, $59, $69
dancestlouis.org/bodytraffic
“… one of the most talked-about young companies, not just in L.A. but nationwide” – Los Angeles Times
Named “the company of the future” by The Joyce Theater Foundation, Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” and “Best of Culture” by the Los Angeles Times, BODYTRAFFIC has surged to the forefront of the contemporary dance world with compelling style that “suggests invention, attitude, and urban edge” (The Boston Globe). Widely acclaimed for its “peerless dancers” who “can do it all from hip-hop to ballet” (LA Dance Chronicle), the world-class contemporary dance company is composed of artists who received their training in some of the finest schools throughout the world. The combination of superb dancers and accomplished choreographers has led the company the forefront.
Led by Artistic Director Tina Finkelman Berkett, BODYTRAFFIC has conquered the contemporary dance world with stunning performers, technical mastery, and a commitment to the most challenging repertoire. The company is deeply committed to producing acclaimed works by distinctive choreographic voices. Surprising, unforgettable and bursting with cutting-edge “vivid theatricality” (The Boston Globe), the company continues to make waves from coast to coast with its universal appeal to new audience members and dance lovers alike.
16th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2024Presented by Whitaker FoundationMemorial Day WeekendFriday and Saturday, May 24 & 25, 2024 Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Lobby performances at 6:30 p.m. Mainstage performances at 7:30 p.m. Touhill Performing Arts CenterSingle Tickets: $10, $20, $25 | 4-Packs: $75 | 6-Packs: $100
dancestlouis.org/emerson-spring-to-dance-festival-2024
“Successful both as a celebration of dance and as an invitation to bask in its artistry.” – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The Midwest region’s most celebrated dance festival returns for its 16th year! Nationally touring professional companies from coast to coast flock to St. Louis to bestow their artistry. It’s an unmatched buffet of dance, featuring two days of nonstop dance from a wide array of companies. As one of the region’s must-see festivals, SPRING TO DANCE offers something for everyone, from modern, ballet and contemporary to tap, aerial, hip hop, flamenco and more, with a distinct, dynamic program each night. Come experience what the Chicago Tribune hails as “arguably the best dance buffet in the Midwest.” ___________
SINGLE TICKETS
Single tickets are $45-$75 and go on sale August 25 via MetroTix at metrotix.com and 314.534.1111. Single tickets ($10-$25) to the 16th Annual Emerson SPRING TO DANCE® Festival 2024 go on sale in January 2024.
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS
2023/24 season ticket packages are also currently on sale and available by phone at 314-534-6622, email at boxoffice@dancestlouis.org or online at https://www.dancestlouis.org/23-24-season-subscriptions. Season subscriptions provide subscribers access to the best seats, deferred payment, most advantageous pricing, no ticket fees, and guaranteed access to this season’s presentations. Season subscriptions include a 4-Show Package ($253, $218), 3-Show Package ($228, $198), and You-Pick-Two Package ($159-$133).
SPONSORS
Dance St. Louis is grateful for sponsor support to continue its mission of bringing world-class dance to St. Louis. Major sponsors of the 2023/24 season include Ameren, Cardinals Care, Edward Jones, Emerson, Employees Community Fund of Boeing, Missouri Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Regional Arts Commission, The Shubert Foundation, McCarthy, and Whitaker Foundation. Bayer Fund is the education outreach title sponsor.
About Dance St. Louis
Founded in 1966, Dance St. Louis has been bringing the greatest dance of the world to St. Louis audiences for more than 57 years. Dance St. Louis is dedicated to the enrichment of the cultural landscape and artistic reputation of St. Louis by presenting world-class dance and educational opportunities that make dance accessible to everyone. Dance St. Louis also conducts a broad range of education programs for the St. Louis community. Each year, the Bayer Fund Education Outreach Program introduces schoolchildren to the magic of dance through in-school residencies and mainstage performances. For more information, please visit https://www.dancestlouis.org.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.