Young Dancemakers Company Announces Free Summer 2026 NYC Tour

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

The tuition-free ensemble will perform SEASONAL FIRE under artistic director Jessica Gaynor, culminating at Ailey Citigroup Theater.

POPULAR

Young Dancemakers Company returned this summer with a new season of original choreography created and performed by the teens themselves. Under the artistic leadership of Jessica Gaynor and music direction by William Catanzaro, the company's 2026 touring season runs from July 29 to August 6, with performances across New York City culminating in a finale concert at the Ailey Citigroup Theater.

This year's program features a special repertory project with legendary choreographer and Horton master teacher Milton Myers, whose work Seasonal Fire will be performed by the company alongside new student-created works developed during the summer intensive.

Earlier this year, YDC performed a pre-season show on April 25 at the 92NY's 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Dance Education Laboratory, participating in a movement sentence choir created by Ephrat Asherie and performing a duet from the 2025 season. The company will also make a mid-season field trip to the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival to see A.I.M by Kyle Abraham perform in the Ted Shawn Theatre.

Wed, July 29 @ 1:00 pm | Fieldston School, Bronx Thu, July 30 @ 1:00 pm | Mark Morris Dance Center, Brooklyn Fri, July 31 @ 2:00 pm | NY Society for Ethical Culture, Manhattan Mon, August 3 @ 2:00 pm | Flushing Library Auditorium, Queens Tue, August 4 @ 1:00 pm | Lehman College, Bronx Finale Concert: Thu, August 6 @ 7:30 pm | Ailey Citigroup Theater, Manhattan

All performances are free and open to the public. Reservations are required. To reserve tickets, click links above to RSVP to the desired date/location. For group sales, email youngdancemakers@gmail.com .

This season's repertory project welcomes Milton Myers, a former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and one of the foremost teachers of the Lester Horton technique. A leading figure in the dance world for more than four decades, Myers served as Program Director of the Contemporary Program at Jacob's Pillow for nearly 40 years and has taught and inspired generations of dancers around the globe. A former member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and former Director of the Joyce Trisler Danscompany, Myers has set work on major ensembles worldwide and has been recognized by the International Association of Blacks in Dance for his extraordinary teaching and mentorship. He is a longtime instructor with the Ailey School and Philadanco!, and became the first Horton instructor at The Juilliard School in 2008. His additional faculty appointments include the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, North Carolina School of the Arts, NYU Tisch, Brown University, Howard University, and many more institutions across the U.S., Europe, Israel, South America, and Canada.

This season, YDC dancers will learn and perform a new staging of Seasonal Fire, one of Myers' signature works. Premiered in 1994, the piece marks a landmark collaboration between Myers and composer William Catanzaro, who also serves as YDC Music Director.

Supporting the restaging is Charles Scheland, a New York based modern dance artist and certified Ailey Horton Technique instructor. Scheland is a faculty member at The Ailey School, Kanyok Arts Initiative, and the School at Jacob's Pillow, and has served as Myers' demonstrator and assistant since 2019. Together, Myers and Scheland will guide YDC students through a unique version of this powerful work, blending original sections with newer additions developed after the premiere.

The 2026 Choreographer/Composer Project, curated by Catanzaro, pairs students with professional composers including Clifton Anderson, Sidney Marquez Boquiren, Luke Cissell, Matt Evans, Kevin Farrell , Matt Frey , Victor See Yuen, Teodora Stepančić, Kennedy Taylor-Dixon, and Nioka Workman. Additional guest workshops include Guided Drawing with Eva Teirstein Young, West African Dance with YDC alumna Noele Phillips, and Partnering with Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer.

Artistic Director Jessica Gaynor shares: “It is a true honor to lead the Young Dancemakers Company into its 31st season. Every year, I continue to be inspired by the extraordinary community of artists, educators, and collaborators who make this work possible, and by the vision Alice Teirstein set in motion in 1996—a vision that still resonates deeply today: that teenagers have something essential to say to the world, and they can express it through dance.”

YDC Music Director William Catanzaro adds: “The most meaningful part of Young Dancemakers to me is watching young artists grow their talent. This year, working with Master Teacher and Choreographer Milton Myers, our students will be exposed to one of the most generous educators in the dance field today.”

Milton Myers adds: “I'm thrilled to share my work Seasonal Fire with Young Dancemakers Company. I've always staged this piece on young dancers because it celebrates community and the power of the ensemble. Created in collaboration with composer and YDC Music Director William Catanzaro, it offers these young artists a close look at the creative relationship between choreographer and composer.”

Founded in 1996 by the late Alice Teirstein, Young Dancemakers Company provides a professional, tuition-free platform for NYC teens to explore dance as a means of creative expression and public performance. With a commitment to equity and access, the program offers comprehensive training and artistic mentorship, encouraging students to choreograph works that reflect their personal experiences and worldviews.

Over the years, YDC has nurtured countless emerging artists and helped launch notable alumni, including Shamel Pitts , Nerita Macfarlane, Jonathan González, Jessica Danser, Gabriel Speiller, Dorren “Moglii” Smith, Wade Watson , Leah Moses, Carlos Kerr Jr., and B'ili Scott, among others.

Schmigadoon!

Videos

Recommended For You

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Young-Dancemakers-Company-to-Tour-NYC-This-Summer-With-Free-Performances-20260519)._