Fall For Dance Festival is Here! Free Shows and Fantastic Dancing – Starts Tonight!

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ALERT: Fall for Dance tickets go on sale this Sunday at 11:00 a.m.; FREE performances in Central Park TONIGHT and tomorrow at 8:00 p.m.! 

It's been eleven years since the New York City Center (above, photo by Scott Beale) launched what has become one of the best cultural deals of the season, the wonderful Fall For Dance Festival. Year after year we snatch up tickets immediately when they go on sale. And yes, you need to snatch because they quickly sell out–not only because of the events growing popularity – but it's the incredibly cheap price of only $15 a seat that cause such a rush. So far, no matter who's been up there on stage over the years, we've never been disappointed. This year the Fall For Dance folks have increased our pleasure with a pair of free shows at the Delacorte Theater tonight and tomorrow!  Find out more. 

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Fall For Dance Festival for Free – Tonight and Tomorrow! 

First, about those free shows, which happen tonight, September 12, and tomorrow, September 13, at 8:00. In a system similar to that of Shakespeare In the Park, tickets to the Fall For Dance Central Park shows are available on the morning of the performances, at the Public's Delacorte Theater box office, on a first-come, first-served basis, two tickets per person. I've never done the line here, so I'm not sure how crazy it gets–for instance, if people show up at six in the morning like they do for the Shakespeare–but it almost certainly fills up each night.  There's also a "virtual line" option, which you can enter online here, and is essentially a lottery. This year's Fall For Dance free show seems especially strong, highlighted by Lil Buck (above), the legendary jooker (here he is with Yo Yo Ma) presenting the world premiere of his piece Bend In the Road: New Orleans. Should be a blast. 

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Fall For Dance 2014 Schedule 

As far as the Fall For Dance Festival proper goes, just about every night seems appealing to me. Especially for only $15 a ticket. When my children were younger, I remember those nights feeling like a special treat, to sit together in the fancy-seeming City Center and see live dance, even though it cost about the same as a movie. Anyway, there's no way of knowing which night will be the "best", but each features four different pieces in four different styles by four different troupes, so you can't really go wrong. But a world premier by the Mark Morris Dance Group–in this case, called "Words"–is always intriguing; the San Francisco Ballet will show us "Variations of Two Couples"; (above); Trisha Brown's "Son of Gone Fishin'" is likely to be lively; everything the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater does is worth your attention, and this year they'll be performing Ohad Naharin's "Minus 16" (below); and Juillard Dance is putting on Brian Brooks' "Torrent", which has energy to spare.         

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Tickets and More Information on Fall For Dance Festival 

The Fall For Dance Festival 2014  will be held at The New York City Center from October 8 through October 19. Tickets for all seats, to all performances, are only $15, and go on sale this Sunday, September 14, at 11:00 a.m. The City Center is located on 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The free Central Park shows are held at the Public's Delacorte Theater, which is just south of the great lawn, at approximately 79th Street. For complete information and to purchase tickets, visit  New York City Center.    

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