At the Joyce, a Rearranged Theater Brings Mystery and Orthodoxy

The “NY Quadrille” format reconfigures the Joyce Theater by turning auditorium and stage inside out. The square stage becomes the theater’s centerpiece: The audience is on both sides, as at a tennis or snooker match.

One side of the stage leads straight to a rising slope of tiered seating, with a proximity the Joyce usually lacks. But the other side ends with a sharp drop. Dancers on that side look as exposed as if on a cliff’s edge, with a gap between them and the seats.

Everything about this is so refreshing that I wish it happened more often. In 2016, when the “NY Quadrille” had its first iteration, four companies appeared in a two-week season. This year, five troupes will contribute over three weeks. The idea came from the choreographer Lar Lubovitch, who has curated both seasons.