[NEW YORK, March 6, 2025]––Juilliard Dance presents its annual Spring Dances with five performances spanning March 26 to 29 at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater. Involving dancers from all four years of Juilliard’s Dance Division, the program features an iconic work by modern dance pioneer José Limón and a special reimagining of a dance by ballet revolutionary William Forsythe alongside a new piece by contemporary choreographer Aszure Barton. Spring Dances highlights Juilliard’s deep connection to Limón, who served on the school’s faculty in the program’s first decades; the importance of alums returning to the school to restage works for a new generation, as seen with the Limón and Forsythe pieces; and the essential nature of bringing today’s dancemakers, like Barton, into the studio to create new work that allows students to push toward new boundaries.
“Spring Dances bridges tradition and innovation, empowering today’s dancers with classic works and fresh perspectives,” said Alicia Graf Mack, dean and director of Juilliard Dance. “It has been especially meaningful to welcome alumni Logan Kruger and Riley Watts as they stage the works of José Limón and William Forsythe, offering current students the privilege of learning from them and showcasing the possibilities of a full-circle career.
The repertoire for Spring Dance 2025 moves chronologically, honoring the rich legacy of dance history and education. It opens with José Limón’s A Choreographic Offering, from 1964, which will be performed by first-year dancers with the Juilliard Orchestra playing Bach’s The Musical Offering. An iconic figure in the history of modern dance, Limón was a founding member of Juilliard’s dance faculty, serving from the division’s inception, in 1951, until his death, in 1972. Juilliard dance students have studied his method for more than seven decades, and they continue to carry on his legacy with this year’s staging. Dance alum Logan Kruger, the associate artistic director of the Limón Dance Company, returns to Juilliard to stage the work, alongside her mentee MJ Edwards, a member of the company and also a former Juilliard student.
Dancers from the classes of 2025–27 will perform Duo (2025, extended), choreographed by William Forsythe. In this work that’s part repertoire and part premiere, dance alum Riley Watts and Brigel Gjoka—both former members of Forsythe’s company—present a new staging of Forsythe’s Duo, here performed in total silence. Watts describes the group of dancers as embodying the concept of music, becoming members of an orchestra through their exhalations and the sounds of their turns and jumps. Forsythe created Duo in 1996 for Ballett Frankfurt on two female dancers; Watts’ and Gjoka’s reimagining expands the cast to 14 dancers, resulting in a striking performance that highlights the longevity and timelessness of the work.
Spring Dances 2025 closes with a world premiere by Aszure Barton, set to new music composed by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and performed by Juilliard jazz and orchestra students. This work, which features 28 dancers from the classes of 2025–27, blends extreme athleticism with dynamic partnering. Barton worked collaboratively with the students, incorporating their choreographic voices while shaping the structure and intent of the piece. This piece marks Barton’s third commission for Juilliard Dance. For the last 22 years, Barton has shaped new generations of dancers with her unique vision and expertise.
Spring Dances performances take place at Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theater March 26–29 at 7:30pm as well as March 29 at 2pm. Tickets are available at the Juilliard box office and at juilliard.edu.
Program Details
Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30pm
Thursday, March 27 at 7:30pm
Friday, March 28 at 7:30pm
Saturday, March 29 at 2 and 7:30pm
Peter Jay Sharp Theater, The Juilliard School, 155 W. 65th St., New York, NY 10023
Juilliard Dance (classes of 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028)
José Limón: A Choreographic Offering
J.S. Bach (arranged by Jon Magnussen)
William Forsythe: Duo (2025, extended)
Aszure Barton and Ambrose Akinmusire: World Premiere
About José Limón
About William Forsythe
About Aszure Barton
Lead digital sponsor: Bloomberg Philanthropies
The Artist in Residence Program is supported by Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre.
About Juilliard Dance
Under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack, Juilliard Dance develops artists of the 21st century trained in ballet, modern, and contemporary dance forms. With the establishment of the dance division in 1951—by then-president William Schuman with the guidance of founding division director Martha Hill—Juilliard became the first major teaching institution to combine equal instruction in both modern and ballet techniques.
In the four-year dance program—leading to a bachelor of fine arts degree—students learn the great traditions of both past and present. Juilliard dancers enjoy unparalleled opportunities to work with today’s leading choreographers and perform both new and existing repertory. In addition to high caliber training and performances, dancers learn about the craft of choreography and immerse themselves in other facets of the field. Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard prepares dancers for all the possibilities that lie ahead.
Juilliard dance alumni include the choreographers and directors Robert Battle, Pina Bausch, Jessica Lang, Lar Lubovitch, Sylvia Waters, Bobbi Jene Smith, Andrea Miller, Ohad Naharin, and Paul Taylor. Juilliard dancers are currently dancing in Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballet BC, Ballets Jazz Montréal, L.A. Dance Project, Limón Dance Company, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Ballett des Saarländisches Staatstheater, Kidd Pivot, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ballet Hispánico, Boston Ballet, Martha Graham Dance Company, Rambert, Gibney Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Batsheva Dance Company, among many others, as well as in several Broadway productions.
The Juilliard Dance Division, proud recipient of the 2015 Capezio Award, was the first educational institution to receive the honor.
About The Juilliard School
Founded in 1905, The Juilliard School is a world leader in performing arts education. The school’s mission is to provide the highest caliber of artistic education for gifted musicians, dancers, and actors, composers, choreographers, and playwrights from around the world so that they may achieve their fullest potential as artists, leaders, and global citizens. Juilliard is led by Damian Woetzel, seventh president of the school, who has prioritized affordability and access to the highest level of artistic education while championing Juilliard’s tradition of excellence.
Located at Lincoln Center in New York City, Juilliard offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, drama (acting and playwriting), and music (classical, jazz, historical performance, and vocal arts). More than 800 artists from 42 states and 50 countries and regions are enrolled in Juilliard’s College Division, where they appear in more than 800 annual performances in the school’s five theaters; at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and David Geffen halls and at Carnegie Hall; as well as at other venues around New York City, the U.S., and the world. The continuum of learning at Juilliard also includes nearly 400 students from elementary through high school enrolled in the Preparatory Division—Pre-College and Music Advancement Program (MAP); MAP serves students from diverse backgrounds often underrepresented in the classical music field. More than 1,200 students are enrolled in Juilliard Extension, the flagship continuing education program taught both in person and remotely by a dedicated faculty of performers, creators, and scholars. Beyond its New York campus, Juilliard is defining new directions in performing arts education for a range of learners and enthusiasts through a global K–12 educational curricula and preparatory and graduate studies at The Tianjin Juilliard School in China.
juilliard.edu @juilliardschool
CONTACTS:
Allegra Thoresen
[email protected]
Photo credit: Juilliard Dance performing Jose Limón’s A Choreographic Offering at Juilliard Celebration 2025.
Photo by: Rachel Papo, courtesy Juilliard.
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