Emerson Earnshaw rehearses a segment from a new piece choreographed by David Parsons at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Aug. 19. (News photo — Grace McIntyre)

LAKE PLACID — When the calendar for the Lake Placid Center for the Arts renovation was solidified, it just happened to be around the time Parons Dance was due to come for their recurring residency there. This hatched an idea — the dancers will be the last ones to perform on the stage before the renovations begin, and they will be the first to perform on the new stage.

“It just was such a happy coincidence for us, that we’re able to close that building for renovation with Parsons as final artists, knowing that relationship with Parsons will continue for years to come,” said LPCA Executive Director James Lemons.

Parsons Dance is a New York City-based contemporary dance company that was cofounded in 1985 by David Parsons. Their style is characterized by athleticism and energy, often using new movements that are distinct to their style, and a far-cry from traditional movements in ballet.

Parsons said their approach has always had a high entertainment value, and they take pride in being an accessible dance company with a broad appeal to diverse audiences.

“I would like more people to see art and dance as — we’re just here to groove and have fun together,” said Danielle De Vito, Parsons’ company and stage manager.

Parsons Dance company members rehearse at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Aug. 19. (News photo — Grace McIntyre)

The company has had a relationship with the LPCA since 2021, when they performed here for the first time. The next year, the company reached out to ask if the LPCA would host them for a residency funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. They returned to Lake Placid for numerous residencies since then, including last fall.

Parsons himself and Lake Placid go even farther back. The LPCA has long been a destination for major choreographers. Parsons came to Lake Placid when he was 18 to work with Paul Taylor — one of the artists, along with Martha Graham, who is painted on the walls of the dance studio, literally a part of the building.

“This theater is part of my blood,” Parsons said.

Parsons has worked with numerous dance companies, including some of the most well-known in the industry. The company has traveled the world and performed for audiences with thousands of people. The company performs a variety of works choreographed by Parsons and many other choreographers, often helping launch artists into very successful careers.

This show will include works by a variety of choreographers, set to a diverse range of music. The final piece of the show will be a new piece that has never been performed, Parsons said. It’s set to the second movement of Beethoven’s ninth symphony, a piece that has always stood out to him as an undeniable masterpiece.

Joanne Hwang rehearses with Parsons Dance on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. (News photo — Grace McIntyre)

This dance has been a work in progress for months, and the company will continue honing the specifics of the piece in their rehearsals this week. During rehearsal on Tuesday, Aug. 19, the dancers were clustered in groups, watching the mirror intently as they experimented with different variations in movement. They were finding places to move closer, or vary the heights of their movements, or deciding if they should look at each other at particular moments.

In general, the concept of the piece is to contrast “two eras of movement,” mixing a more lyrical style that appears closer to ballet with sharp movements derived in part from forms like hip-hop. Beethoven’s ninth symphony was composed in 1824, and the Parsons said this piece is a sort of “regurgitation,” where he and the dancers are revisiting movements and structures they’ve used before. This is different from the approach they take on some of their pieces, where they intentionally try to find brand-new movements they’ve never used before.

Now that the broad movements are decided, Parsons and his dancers are trying to figure out what the piece means. It’s an iterative process with plenty of improvisation. As a choreographer, Parsons doesn’t have to micromanage every detail of the piece. It’s a collaborative process with his dancers, where everyone in the room “gives a little something,” he said.

This same piece will be the first performance on the new LPCA stage when it is complete. Right now, the goal is to complete the renovation by late spring 2027, so that the summer’s programming can take place in the new building. Parsons travels all over the world and performs in many special spaces, but he is already excited to return.

“My first favorite theater is going to be this theater when it’s built,” he said.

David Parsons, founder and creative director of Parsons Dance, watches the company rehearse at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Aug. 19. Some of the famed artists Parsons worked with early in his career are painted on the walls of the studio. (News photo — Grace McIntyre)

The last show on the LPCA stage will take place Saturday, Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. They are also hosting numerous free community classes throughout their time here, along with opportunities to see behind-the-scenes at open technical rehearsals.

The community-oriented work that Parsons Dance does is another reason it felt right to have them in Lake Placid for this historical moment, Lemons said. The company really values and understands community involvement. Lemons reiterated that this performance has potential appeal for anyone.

“It’s a really good entry point to understand what dance can be as a genre,” he said. “Part of our mission is to help expand the entry points and really introduce them to things they might not think they like and help them understand that this can be for everyone.”

To learn more about Parsons Dance and to see details about their time in Lake Placid, visit tinyurl.com/4tkawaa2. Tickets can be purchased there or at lakeplacidarts.org, and cost $22 in advance and $27 at the door.