Library for the Performing Arts Programs

Register For more than a decade, the Across a Crowded Room incubator program series at the Library for the Performing Arts has created a space for musical theater artists to meet, collaborate, and form connections. Since 2022, the Library for the Performing Arts has allowed program participants to apply for an Across a Crowded Room fellowship, which gives the artists money to develop their 20-minute musical works into 90-minute pieces. Please join us for a reading presentation of one such piece…

Register For more than a decade, the Across a Crowded Room incubator program series at the Library for the Performing Arts has created a space for musical theater artists to meet, collaborate, and form connections. Since 2022, the Library for the Performing Arts has allowed program participants to apply for an Across a Crowded Room fellowship, which gives the artists money to develop their 20-minute musical works into 90-minute pieces. Please join us for a reading presentation of one such piece…

Register Play Club is like a book club, but for plays! Whether you are familiar with the art of reading plays, or looking to expand your appreciation for dramatic literature, this book club is an opportunity to read plays you have been meaning to explore or have never considered reading before. Learn about new works, discover new playwrights, and make friends! This group will read one playscript from the Library for the Performing Arts circulating collection every month, and then come together…

*This tour requires no registration, and is first come, first served. Take a tour of Room to Move: Dance Theater Workshop and Alternative Histories of Downtown Dance, our exhibition about with Library staff to learn how Dance Theater Workshop grew from a need for space into a lasting model of support for artists. Dance Theater Workshop provided not only space to create, but also offered classes and professional development for artists, subsidized video recordings of performances, and gave arti…

Register Lori Belilove, artistic director and founder of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation & Company, has worked to pass on Duncan’s grace, power, and mastery of weight to future generations. Belilove received direct instruction from Duncan’s original troupe of six young dancers, known as her “Isadorables.” The group included Anna Duncan, born Anna Denzler, who was one of the most dedicated of the six—she never studied another dance technique, and was called "a key keeper of the flame." I…

Register Robin Wagner was one of the most inventive and prolific scenic designers on Broadway in the last decades of the 20th century. From the deceptively simple set of A Chorus Line that allowed for the use of Tharon Musser’s first-of-a-kind computerized lighting design, to the boundary pushing automated scenery in Dreamgirls, Wagner helped to bring scenic design into the digital age. In 2023, months before his death, Wagner gave his papers and designs to the Library for the Performing Arts,…

Register Be among the first to experience a new musical comedy, Face to Face. How far would you go to avoid a meeting? When an overworked and undervalued employee turns down a request for a post-mortem, a chain reaction of epic proportions is set in motion, much to her chagrin. Navigating revolution, romance, and a whole lot of red tape, she quickly discovers that the office life she knew before has been changed forever. Face to Face is 90 minutes of absurdist musical comedy that satirizes work…

Register Danspace Project’s Platform series has been a signature program for 15 years. Designed by Danspace Project executive director and chief curator Judy Hussie-Taylor, the Platform series was conceived as “exhibitions that unfold over time” providing context for contemporary dance and performance practices. The Platforms explore curation as a process of collaboration with artists. This conversation, part of Danspace's year-long celebration of their 50th anniversary, features Hussie-Taylor…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. For…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. For…

Register Experience the vibrant energy of Latin Hustle as dancers bring this iconic style to life in a special culmination performance of the Latin Hustle dance residency, directed by Maria Torres. This event features new choreography developed during the residency, as well as a recreation of classic Hustle routines, paying homage to the dance’s rich history. Watch as talented young dancers perform, alongside senior dancers, a dynamic fusion of movement, culture, and collaboration, celebrating…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Jenn…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Jenn…

Register Come join us for this event, featuring Broadway designers from every field of design! The Library for the Performing Arts has partnered with the organization Black Theatre United for their inaugural Black Theatre United Design Expo 2025. The event includes panels, talks, demonstrations on the most up-to-date innovations in design, one-on-one portfolio reviews, and so much more. The Black Theatre United Design Expo 2025 is focused toward up-and-coming and early career designers gaining…

Register Play Club is like a book club, but for plays! Whether you are familiar with the art of reading plays, or looking to expand your appreciation for dramatic literature, this book club is an opportunity to read plays you have been meaning to explore or have never considered reading before. Learn about new works, discover new playwrights, and make friends! This group will read one playscript from the Library for the Performing Arts circulating collection every month, and then come together…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Broa…

*This tour requires no registration, and is first come, first served. Take a tour of the Dance Theatre Workshop exhibition with Libary staff to learn how Dance Theater Workshop grew from a need for space into a lasting model of support for artists. Dance Theater Workshop provided not only space to create, but also offered classes and professional development for artists, subsidized video recordings of performances, and gave artists administrative support. For many individual artists, it was th…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Broa…

Register For this Dance Historian Is In, an accomplished documentary filmmaker joins an expert on the modern flamenco scene to show a sneak preview of an exciting, soon-to-be-released flamenco documentary, and present an overview of contemporary flamenco dance. For more than 10 years, The Dance Historian Is In at the Library for the Performing Arts has highlighted a diverse range of dancers and choreographers across history. This series began when archivist and historian David Vaughan started…

Register Play Club is like a book club, but for plays! Whether you are familiar with the art of reading plays, or looking to expand your appreciation for dramatic literature, this book club is an opportunity to read plays you have been meaning to explore or have never considered reading before. Learn about new works, discover new playwrights, and make friends! This group will read one playscript from the Library for the Performing Arts circulating collection every month, and then come together…

Register Please sign up for only one category even if you are willing to perform multiple roles. Since 2014, The Billy Rose Theatre Division at the Library for the Performing Arts has presented Across a Crowded Room, a free, annual program that provides a space for musical theatre makers to network, create new work together, and develop their skills. In the first meeting participants will get to know each other and form groups of three to work together over the course of the summer. This year…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Arti…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Arti…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Awar…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Awar…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. As p…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. As p…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Kick…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Kick…

Register In addition to published plays and musicals, the Library for the Performing Arts’ archive contains many unproduced and rarely produced works from generations of theater artists. Join us for a reading of one such musical theater piece, curated by the Library’s Billy Rose Theatre Division, and see theater history brought to life! For 60 years, The Library for the Performing Arts has provided a hub for artists, scholars, and lovers of dance, music, theater, and the performing arts at-lar…

From 1945 to 1966, The Palladium Ballroom was the home for the mambo, a social, partner dance. The Palladium is also recognized as the first integrated dance space in Midtown, and it was known to the clubgoers as a place of family, a place of love, and a place of dance. Dance artist and historian Sekou McMiller spent time in a residency at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the Library for the Performing Arts, working with, speaking to, and dancing with elders from the mambo community that spe…

In 1965, the Library for the Performing Arts opened its doors to a vast archive and treasure trove of performing arts history, spanning dance, theater, music, and even film. We celebrate the Library’s 60th anniversary with a Silent Disco party that highlights music from the Library’s archive from each decade of its existence. This evening's exclusive DJ, the legendary producer and owner of the eclectic music label and culture hub Peace Bisquit, Bill Coleman, heats up The Dance Floor. For 60 yea…

This exhibition tour is first come, first serve. In the 1960s, much like today, artists in New York struggled with limited access to resources and space—key elements to make new work. Dancers and choreographers, who need space to move and experiment, felt these limitations perhaps the most. Thinking about how to support artists in a new way, Jeff Duncan, who had worked with Anna Sokolow and Dorothy Humphrey during his early career, opened his living space to other artists to create, rehearse,…

Register The Library for the Performing Arts brings Reading Rhythms Public to Lincoln Center! In the middle of the most iconic performing arts campus in the world, indulge in a unique reading party, fuelled by literature and connection. Bring your favorite book, play, musical score—or borrow one that was especially curated by one of the librarians at the Library for the Performing Arts. Plus, enjoy a one-night only pop-up exhibition of some of the Library’s performing arts treasurers to celebra…

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Library for the Performing Arts, our librarians bring the magic of silent cinema to Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium. The Library will present a silent film from its collection, with live piano accompaniment by Ben Model, one of the classic film world's leading silent film accompanists. For 60 years, The Library for the Performing Arts has provided a hub for artists, scholars, and lovers of dance, music, theater, and the performing arts at-large.…

This exhibition tour is first come, first serve. In the 1960s, much like today, artists in New York struggled with limited access to resources and space—key elements to make new work. Dancers and choreographers, who need space to move and experiment, felt these limitations perhaps the most. Thinking about how to support artists in a new way, Jeff Duncan, who had worked with Anna Sokolow and Dorothy Humphrey during his early career, opened his living space to other artists to create, rehearse,…

Dancer, choreographer, and intermedia artist Elaine Summers was a major pioneer exploring the meeting of dance and film, melding the two into a seamless whole which she referred to as "intermedia." The Jerome Robbins Dance Division at the Library for the Performing Arts preserves Summers’ archive. In honor of the Library’s 60th anniversary, we celebrate Summers during her centennial birth year with a recreation of her 2007 performance, Hidden Forest, which originally premiered at Lincoln Center.…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Fame…

*This tour requires no registration, and is first come, first served. Take a tour of the Dance Theatre Workshop exhibition with Libary staff to learn how Dance Theater Workshop grew from a need for space into a lasting model of support for artists. Dance Theater Workshop provided not only space to create, but also offered classes and professional development for artists, subsidized video recordings of performances, and gave artists administrative support. For many individual artists, it was th…

Presented in collaboration with Lincoln Center as part of the Summer for the City programming. Lincoln Center’s free Storytime programming returns at Summer for the City—and, due to continued popular demand, we have scheduled two readings every Wednesday! Curated by The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year—Storytime events feature a children's book reading accompanied by live music, dance, or theater, engaging kids of all ages. Fame…