EMERGE125 NYC Season 2025

Get ready for an unforgettable evening of dance as EMERGE125 makes its exciting move to El Museo del Barrio for our NYC Season 2025! This thrilling 90-minute performance on May 29 and 30 at 7:30pm (with a special family matinee on May 31) will leave you breathless. Featuring an exhilarating mix of reimagined masterpieces, timeless company classics, and two thrilling world premieres, this is a must-see event for dance lovers.

If you’re interested in becoming a vital part of this landmark season .

The eight captivating company dancers push the limits of physicality, performing works that explore the depths of the human experience through intricate choreography and breathtaking athleticism. Each piece showcases the company’s commitment to pushing boundaries and creating powerful moments on stage:

• Pre-Show Jitters (World Premiere 2025) – This raw, emotional exploration delves into the intensity that dancers feel in the moments before stepping onto the stage. It’s the battleground of adrenaline, self-doubt, and pure will as performers prepare to face the spotlight. Featuring critically acclaimed performer Jo Lampert, who also wrote the text, the piece pulls back the curtain on the vulnerability and courage required to perform. New costumes by Rachel Dozier-Ezell and lighting design by Christopher Brusberg heighten the drama and intensity of this moving work.

• 1:3:4:1 – Originally created over a decade ago for an all-male-identifying cast, this mesmerizing piece explores the physicality of a visual artist at work. Set to a layered score by Paul Ukena, with sounds of brushstrokes and scraping, the work mirrors the creative process. This season, EMERGE125 breathes new life into the piece with both an all-female-identifying cast and a mixed-gender cast, each bringing their own rhythm and interpretation to the movement while staying true to its original essence.

• For Joy – A reimagined classic, For Joy explores resilience and the radical choice to embrace joy in a world that constantly challenges us. Set to an original score by Fred Kennedy, this piece dives deep into the human experience of finding grounding and resistance through joy—not as a superficial act, but as an essential form of power. With new costumes by Rachel Dozier-Ezell, the work is a celebration of strength, vulnerability, and the transformative power of holding on to joy amidst adversity.

• I Want You – This deeply personal solo, first introduced in the 2024 season, is an intimate homage to the vulnerability and strength found in love—particularly when it’s not reciprocated. I Want You explores the raw emotional terrain of loving something or someone without the guarantee of it loving you back. It’s about standing in your truth, harnessing that feeling, and transforming it into a source of power and self-determination. This piece will captivate you with its emotional depth and heart-stirring performance.

• Untitled (World Premiere 2025) – This full-company premiere is an exploration of unity, tension, and release. Featuring eight dancers in strict unison, this work pushes the limits of physicality, connection, and support through intricate partnering. At its core, Untitled is built around a duet, where two dancers break away from the collective, only to be drawn back in. The piece invites audiences to question what it means to hold space for intimacy within a group, and how tension can build, release, and keep an audience on the edge of their seats. With new costumes by Rachel Dozier-Ezell and lighting by Christopher Brusberg, this world premiere is sure to leave a lasting impression.

• Heart of Glass – A long-time favorite in the EMERGE125 repertory, Heart of Glass is an emotionally charged finale that will leave you on the edge of your seat. In past seasons, this piece weaved together excerpts from various works, but this year, it is reimagined to allow the audience to experience the depth of each solo, duet, and trio before culminating in a stunning crescendo of energy. The result is a layered journey through vulnerability, strength, and connection, building toward a breathtaking, exhilarating finish that will resonate long after the final note.

This season promises to be one of the most thrilling yet, with intricate partnering, powerful performances, and dynamic choreography that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don’t miss out on this high-energy, awe-inspiring event—your seat awaits for a truly extraordinary experience.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

El Museo del Barrio, 1230 5th Avenue, New York, United States