By: Lauren Berlin Jeanne Ruddy has long occupied a singular place in Philadelphia’s dance landscape as a former principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, where she performed internationally for a decade, and later as the founder of Jeanne Ruddy Dance and co-founder of Performance Garage, a leading center for contemporary dance performance and rehearsal in Philadelphia. Ruddy’s curatorial approach prioritizes formally rigorous dance work presented in an intimate s

By Lauren Berlin Photo by Quinn Wharton, Courtesy of ABT Some theaters carry history in the air, and the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center is one of them. On opening night, the house was packed, patrons dressed in their finest. I paused for a moment to take in the scene. This is hallowed ground for ballet, a stage that carries the echoes of generations of dancers and bold artistic risks. Early in the evening, Artistic Director Susan Jaffe announced the establishment of

VAULTA, under the visionary direction of Tori Vincent, unveiled its inaugural work, Blue Écrevisse, at Philadelphia’s Neighborhood House from November 21–23, 2025—a performance as rare and striking as the blue crawfish that inspired it. From the outset, it is clear that Vincent and her ensemble are not content to inhabit a single mode of dance. Street, modern, and classical technique converge with bold extensions, precise lines, and intricate partner work, all rendered with a