NEW YORK — Works & Process has announced its Fall 2026 season, unveiling a broad lineup of performances, artist residencies, community events, and touring productions designed to support the development of new performing arts works while expanding public access to dance, opera, theater, and interdisciplinary performance.
The season will take place at Guggenheim New York, Manhattan West, and Free Food Refettorio Harlem, featuring live premieres, interactive dance experiences, artist discussions, and hosted receptions. Alongside its New York programming, the organization will continue its nationwide residency initiative, supporting artists through fully funded creative residencies across seven states and sending five commissioned productions on tour during the fall.
General ticket sales begin on August 11.
New Season Opens With Free Public Dance Series
The Fall 2026 season begins on September 9 with Gather Round: Let’s Dance!, a free outdoor event presented in partnership with Manhattan West. Scheduled every Wednesday throughout September, the series will feature New York City dancers and choreographers leading performances, dance instruction, and open social dance sessions that encourage audience participation.
Among the featured events is the return of SCUFF Queer Country Dancing, which will host a participatory dance party inside the Guggenheim Museum’s iconic rotunda. Presented alongside the museum’s Member Monday program, the event combines gallery access with beginner-friendly line dancing and partner dance instruction.
Performance Series Highlights New Dance, Opera, and Theater Productions
Throughout the fall, the Peter B. Lewis Theater at the Guggenheim will host a series of behind-the-scenes programs spotlighting major artistic collaborations before their world premieres or debut productions.
The lineup includes presentations from the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, The Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota Opera, Washington National Opera, The Santa Fe Opera, and the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, among others.
Audiences will hear directly from choreographers, composers, librettists, directors, and performers while viewing performance excerpts and participating in discussions about the creative process. Each event concludes with a reception, allowing attendees to continue conversations with artists.
The schedule also includes VOX: American Voices Opera Lab, marking the revival of the long-running initiative dedicated to developing new American operas through collaborations among leading arts organizations.
Family Productions and Holiday Performances Close the Season
December programming features two major Works & Process productions.
Peter & the Wolf, narrated and directed by Isaac Mizrahi, will combine Sergei Prokofiev’s classic score with choreography by John Heginbotham and live music performed by Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect under conductor Michael P. Atkinson. Multiple performances are scheduled across five days in December.
The holiday lineup also includes Princess Lockerooo’s The NutWAACKer: A Dance Concert, a contemporary interpretation of the seasonal classic that blends waacking, vogue, hip-hop, house, and other dance styles while exploring themes of identity, community, and resilience.
The season concludes with the annual holiday concert performed by members of The Metropolitan Opera Chorus Artists inside the Guggenheim rotunda.
Harlem Partnership Combines Performance and Community Dining
Works & Process will also expand community engagement through performances at Free Food Refettorio Harlem, New York City’s free community restaurant.
Across four October evenings, guests will receive a gourmet dinner before performances by the MasterZ at Work Dance Family alongside Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington’s commissioned work, The 24/7 Diner.
Blending ballroom culture, street dance, and theatrical storytelling, the production explores chosen family, resilience, and joy while emphasizing food as both physical and symbolic nourishment.
Residency Program Continues National Expansion
Beyond its public performances, Works & Process continues investing in artist development through more than 25 paid creative residencies each year.
The program operates through partnerships across Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Vermont, building on the residency model introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since its launch, the initiative has supported more than 1,000 artists through over 100 residencies, with numerous projects later receiving major awards and touring throughout the United States and internationally.
The residency program provides participating artists with financial support that includes daily creative residency fees, housing, transportation assistance, studio access, health insurance enrollment opportunities, and new administrative stipends for lead artists.
Public engagement remains a central element of the residency model, with artists participating in community events throughout the creative process before presenting finished works in New York City.
Five Commissioned Productions Continue National Tours
Works & Process will also continue expanding the reach of its commissioned productions through national touring engagements this fall.
Featured touring works include Music From the Sole’s House Is Open, Going Dark, Alien of Extraordinary by Sun Kim Dance Theatre, The 24/7 Diner and ALL INCLUSIVE by MasterZ at Work Dance Family with Courtney “Balenciaga” Washington, Music From the Sole’s I Didn’t Come to Stay, and Brokeback Mountain, The Ballet by Pontus Lidberg and David Conte.
The touring schedule includes appearances at festivals and cultural venues including Jamestown Dance Festival, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, George Mason University, and the Hudson Valley Dance Festival.
Season Reflects Ongoing Investment in Creative Development
The Fall 2026 season demonstrates Works & Process’ continued focus on supporting artists from early-stage development through public presentation and national touring. By combining performances, residencies, educational programming, and community engagement, the organization aims to strengthen the creative process while broadening public access to new works across dance, opera, theater, and multidisciplinary performance.
The season spans dozens of performances and events across New York while extending its impact through residencies and touring projects that continue to support artists well beyond the stage.
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