5 DANCE COMPANIES TO VISIT SAN DIEGO

A season featuring the local debut of modern dance legend Merce Cunningham and four other internationally acclaimed dance companies was announced Friday by the San Diego Foundation for the Performing Arts, formerly the San Diego Arts Foundation.

Board of Trustees President Danah Fayman also explained the reason for a new name that “more accurately reflects our activities.” The name change, Fayman said, would reduce confusion should the foundation consider sponsoring other performing arts groups in the future.

The modern dance and ballet companies presented this season will perform in the Spreckels and Civic theaters. The Martha Graham Dance Company will open the season with its second San Diego appearance at the Civic Theatre Nov. 6 and 7, with a series of modern dance concerts.

Belgium’s Bejart Ballet brings its fiery modern romanticism to the Spreckels Feb. 2 to 5.

Mikhail Baryshnikov’s American Ballet Theatre will return to the ivic Theatre March 24 to 29 with a program including dances from the classical 19th-Century repertoire and work by modern choreographers.

Contemporary dance maverick Merce Cunningham will splash his adventurous choreography across the Spreckels Theater stage April 17 and 18.

The season will close with a series of concerts May 20 to 24 at the Civic Theatre by the Joffrey Ballet.

The foundation was formed four years ago “for the express purpose of reestablishing San Diego as a touring destination” for top-flight dance companies. More than 36,000 attended foundation dance performances at the Civic Theatre last season, the foundation said.

Among the companies that have appeared under the foundation’s auspices are Dance Theatre of Harlem, Twyla Tharp, Alvin Ailey, the San Francisco Ballet, Paul Taylor and the Feld Ballet.