Forza Dance’s signature Shindig returns November 14, 2026, bringing the company to the Ailey Citigroup Theater for a celebration of its fifth season featuring dynamic contemporary repertory, award-winning musical collaboration and a preview of new work.
Part performance, part gathering, Shindig reimagines the traditional dance experience, inviting audiences to experience Forza both onstage and beyond it. The program traces Founder and Artistic Director Michaella Barron’s choreographic development from early creations through her most recent repertory, offering a layered look at the evolution of both her artistic voice and the company she founded.
Among Barron’s signature works is La Tarantella, her acclaimed evening-length contemporary dance work inspired by the Italian tradition and folklore of tarantism. Created in collaboration with composer Quinton Nennig, the work features an original score that has received six international awards. La Tarantella premiered at Forza Dance’s 2024 Shindig, bringing choreography and original music together in a distinctive dialogue between movement and live composition.
The 2026 program also looks ahead with a preview of Barron’s newest work in progress, slated for development into a full-length premiere in 2027. The work offers audiences an early glimpse of Forza’s next creative chapter.
This year’s setting carries particular personal significance for Barron and few of the Forza dancers. A former Ailey student who later returned as a teacher, Barron now brings the company she founded to the Ailey Citigroup Theater, creating a meaningful full-circle moment in Forza’s journey.
Shindig runs from 7:00–9:00pm, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Act I begins at 7:00 p.m. with a 65-minute repertory performance in the theater, presented with brief pauses and no formal intermission. Act II moves beyond the stage, extending the spirit of the performance into the community that has helped shape Forza. Guests are invited to stay, mingle, and toast the start of the company’s fifth season with bubbles, bites, conversation, and Forza’s signature raffle.
Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 for early-bird tickets through October 14, and $75 for Patron tickets. For tickets and additional information, visit forzadance.org/shindig-2026.
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