Dancers Amanda Smith and David Wright with Dance Theatre of Harlem perform a scene from"Allegro Brillante" during a dress rehearsal April 18, 2023 before opening night at the New York City Center. , by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa — a highly physical fusion of the company’s strengths in both ballet and flamenco. A standout was Amanda del Valle in a ruby-red costume with a long, flamenco-style ruffled train.
A huge crowd-pleaser came next, courtesy of Dance Theatre of Harlem, which presented its highly athletic and infectiously joyous "Nyman String Quartet No. 2" by choreographer Robert Garland, a lightning-fast fusion of different styles performed by five male and five female dancers The Ailey troupe, a big draw in New York each winter at New York City Center, performed an excerpt of "Dancing Spirit" — a tribute to that company’s former star dancer and then leader Judith Jamison by choreographer Ronald K. Brown. Set to music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War, the piece features dancers clad in flowing white, a signature look for Jamison.