Five top dance companies give NY fans a treat at free outdoor festival founded during pandemic

Occasionally, the best things in life really are free — especially if you’re a dance fan this week anywhere near New York, where some of the world’s best dancers are performing at a free festival under the stars.

It was an idea born during the heart of the pandemic, when artistic directors of the five top New York dance companies started talking about how to navigate the unprecedented shutdown and help their dancers thrive. That connection developed into the BAAND Together festival, which premiered in 2021; this year’s festival is the third.

The companies count among the world’s very best by any estimation: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and New York City Ballet. Together they represent a welcome reminder of the diversity and breadth of dance in New York, even as arts institutions are facing huge economic challenges as they emerge from the worst of the pandemic.

Attendance has increased every year, said Shanta Thake, chief artistic officer of Lincoln Center, of the five-night festival whose lead sponsor is Chanel.

“It was our best kept secret the first year, and now people are onto the idea — it’s amazing that you can see these five dance companies coming together on one night, and really get a taste of the best of the city,” she said in an interview.

The opening night program, staged outdoors Tuesday at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, drew a capacity crowd of 2,500. The bill featured one piece from each company, plus a newly commissioned dance from choreographer Pedro Ruiz, a romantic duet inspired by New York’s energy.

The evening began with Ballet Hispanico’s “Linea Recta” (Straight Line), by choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa — a highly…