Black Grace

Black Grace is coming to the Zellerbach Theatre at the University of Pennsylvania on February 19 and 20, 2027. It's a New Zealand dance company, and this is their first time back on stage in 12 years after touring audiences around the world. They're known for blending contemporary dance with Samoan dance, and the two pieces they're bringing to Philadelphia are both Philadelphia premieres: abridged versions of If Ever There Was A Time and Paradise Rumour. Both are highly physical works rooted in the storytelling traditions of the South Pacific.

If you're not familiar with the company, the critics give you a good sense of what to expect. The Boston Globe called their work a "carefully constructed form of rigor and sophistication," and The New York Times pointed to their "incredible speed and stamina, and exhilarating, seemingly inexhaustible energy." Between the two, you get the picture: precise, athletic, and high-energy.

The performances are part of the University of Pennsylvania's 26/27 season dance series. There are four shows over the two days, so you've got a few different ways to catch them. On Friday, February 19, there's a 10:30 AM Student Discovery performance and a 7:30 PM evening show. On Saturday, February 20, there's a 2 PM matinee and another 7:30 PM evening show. If you're coming from outside the city, the Zellerbach is on the Penn campus. If you've never seen them before, the Saturday matinee is a good place to start.