Venue: St Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, New York City

Jin Ju Song-Begin’s evening-length piece Thirst, for her company Da-On Dance, was a strongly-danced interpretation of Dante’s Inferno, though it aped too many contemporary, “serious” dance contrivances – namely, an overwrought emphasis on intensity.Ms Song-Begin was the featured soloist of her own piece, and she was often the highlight.

Vicky Shick’s newest piece, presented at Danspace, was a motley crew of a thing in all aspects: colorful and wildly patterned costumes; dozens of pop-up solos, duets and trios, often occurring simultaneously; multi-generations of dancers; and even two separate “stages” within one space.