Male ballet, experimental opera, and independent film take center stage in New York

NEW YORK — A diverse series of arts events is set to launch across New York City this month, featuring international ballet stars, experimental opera, and a new drama from director Gus Van Sant.

Dancer Daniil Simkin will present his ballet project "Sons of Echo" at the Joyce Theatre from Jan. 14 to 25. The production brings together five renowned male dancers to perform a program of works choreographed by women.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) will also stage a revival of the post-rock opera "What to Wear" from Jan. 15 to 18. Part of the Prototype Festival, the non-narrative production was created by the late experimental theater director Richard Foreman.

In film, Gus Van Sant’s latest drama, "Dead Man’s Wire," is arriving in limited release. Based on a 1977 true story, the film follows a hostage situation stemming from a mortgage dispute.

The movie features a high-profile cast including Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, and Al Pacino. However, early critics have noted that the production lacks a clear perspective.

New York’s current slate of high-concept artistic programming signals a decisive pivot away from mass-market entertainment toward specialized, immersive experiences. These projects represent a sophisticated segment of the cultural economy where institutional experimentation and the disruption of traditional norms are the primary benchmarks of success.

A focal point of this shift is the "Sons of Echo" project, which seeks to dismantle the entrenched gender hierarchies of classical ballet. By commissioning elite female choreographers to lead an all-male ensemble, the initiative effectively subverts the "cavalier" paradigm—a long-standing structural norm where male dancers are relegated to auxiliary, supporting roles for female leads. This maneuver represents a deliberate effort to modernize legacy art forms, ensuring their relevance within contemporary social and political discourse.

The revival of Richard Foreman’s "What to Wear" further underscores the enduring viability of experimental theater. In an era where formulaic, linear narratives dominate the commercial market, Foreman’s non-linear focus on the "depth of the moment" offers a radical alternative. The production serves as a rejection of passive consumption, demanding instead a high degree of intellectual participation from the audience.

Even the critical reception of the film "Dead Man's Wire" highlights the rigorous standards of the city's independent scene. Despite the presence of a marquee director and an A-list cast, the work’s failure to establish a distinct point of view has been met with skepticism. This reinforces a core tenet of the New York avant-garde: creative agency and a singular voice carry significantly more weight than brand equity or star power.

Collectively, these developments illustrate a cultural landscape defined by constant self-interrogation. Across disciplines, the emphasis remains on a restless search for innovation, prioritizing the evolution of the craft over the safety of the status quo.

For Vietnamese Americans in major cultural hubs like New York, these academic and experimental art events offer a sophisticated alternative to the traditional variety shows typically found in Little Saigons. However, despite their niche appeal, these performances have little direct impact on the community’s broader economic or social landscape. They don’t drive collective growth the way the nail salon industry or local phở restaurants do, nor do they carry the life-altering weight of remittances or the complexities of navigating F2B, H-1B, TPS, and EB-5 visa categories.