Molissa Fenley

For her Joyce Theater engagement, the captivating Molissa Fenley (pictured) shares the stage with an equally treasured dancer, New York City Ballet's Peter Boal, in a new duet rendition of Pola'a. To round out the rest of her program, Fenley--an accomplished solo artitst and the former director for Molissa Fenley and Dancers--presents three group works: Short Stories (in which the finale of her 1983 Hemispheres is linked to a new quartet, Sky Garden). Delta and 331 Steps, Fenley dances in each and cites a simple reason for wanting to be part of the group once again: "I felt a little bit lonely in the studio. I've been working as a soloist since the late '80's, and in that time, I've been making group works for other people to dance, but not for myself. It just seemed like the time to reinvent and rekindle my own personal involvement. It's taken me to another place, and it feels different--really kind of gentle and nice."

The Joyce Theater's annual Altogether Different Festival showcases the work of six companies, and this year's event, from January 3 to 20, will highlight a certain amount of dance history as well, from a 1983 work by Molissa Fenley to the trio Pardigm, which features the collective talent of modern-dance divas Carmen DeLavallade, Gus Solomons jr and Dudley Williams. The 2002 series, which celebrates contemporary dance, is far less experiemental than in past seasons, but the choices are as diverse as ever. David Dorfman and Dan Froot provide their bittersweet vaudeville; Complexions returns with its fusion of Broadway, ballet and contemporary movement; Merian Soto provides an exhilarating twist on salsa; and Jane Comfort offers perhaps the most accomplished work of the group. Her dance-opera, Asphalt, might just break new performance ground.