Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City has brought diverse audiences together to create a communal experience for several summers. The return of the BAAND Together Dance Festival—a collaboration of New York dance companies Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre (ABT), New York City Ballet (NYCB), and Dance Theatre of Harlem—continues that tradition, says Shanta Thake, Lincoln Center’s Executive Vice President and Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer.

“The BAAND Together Dance Festival is the coming together of five dance companies from across New York City that represent different styles, different audiences, and different art forms, all under a banner of collaboration,” Thake said via email. This summer’s festival (July 29–August 2, David H. Koch Theater) celebrates the best of both classical and contemporary dance as each company programs a work from its vast repertory along with a panel discussion (July 29, David Rubenstein Atrium), relaxed performance (August 2) and free workshop programs—some for children under age 12 and others for all ages—by each company throughout the festival (LeFrak Lobby, David Geffen Hall).

Thake notes that the genesis of BAAND Together was the 2020 COVID pandemic, which effectively shut down live performances for more than a year. “The artistic directors of these five companies, like many of us, came together to really support one another in all ways. At a time when we weren’t allowed to be within six feet of each other came the idea to create dances and support their dancers and their organizations,” she explains. “And I think through that developed this real understanding of both mutual aid, mutual understanding, and a beautiful support network that has lasted beyond the pandemic.”

The company’s artistic directors agree. Robert Garland, who leads the Dance Theatre of Harlem—which will perform an excerpt from Garland’s Nyman String Quartet No. 2 during the festival—said via email that “(BAAND) remains a wonderful example of the beauty of community.” And, according to Jonathan Stafford and Wendy Whelan, artistic leaders of NYCB—which is performing After the Rain (Pas de Deux) by Christopher Wheeldon—“The relationship has absolutely deepened between our organizations, and especially among our dancers. With their demanding schedules, it is rare that the dancers from these different companies get to work together so closely and share space in this way. It is wonderful to see them warming up together, watching each other from the wings, and cheering one another on.”

The other works being performed on the Koch Theater stage during this summer’s iteration of BAAND are Lar Lubovitch’s Many Angels by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Susan Jaffe’s Midnight Pas by ABT, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s House of Mad’moiselle by Ballet Hispánico. Jaffe, ABT’s artistic director, described via email how the program is balanced: “We try to be mindful of making sure that ABT dances more classically based works so the other companies can have more contemporary works (in their festival programming)."

Eduardo Vilaro, who is artistic director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico, noted via email that this unique collaboration of these institutions has a through line: “the magic of dance—and making sure all our New Yorkers have access to some of the best dance that our world has to offer. Thanks to Lincoln Center, who took our call to action early on, a key element from the very first performance continues today: affordable and equitable access to fantastic art!”

Thake is enthusiastic that this successful summer dance community will continue. “It’s been such a gift to really be kind of the honorary sixth member of this group at Lincoln Center, to be able to get a front row seat to this beautiful collaboration (and) also be able to bring this collaboration forward to a very eager public,” she says. “We hope BAAND continues to grow and change but we also hope that the spirit of BAAND moves through not just dance companies, but arts organizations as we think about how collaboration and celebration of one another really makes us all stronger.”

The BAAND Together Dance Festival is made possible by CHANEL.