L’Alliance New York announces the New York premiere of Lenio Kaklea’s The Birds co-presented with PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance as part of the 2026 Crossing The Line Festival on Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19 at 7:30PM at 2980 Route 66, Chatham, NY 12037. Tickets are available at four price points, with $30 as the standard ticket price. For more information and to reserve tickets, visit https://ps21chatham.org/event/lenio-kaklea/.

Returning to Crossing The Line after Αγρίμι / Fauve in 2024, choreographer Lenio Kaklea continues her exploration of ecology through dance. In The Birds, she takes inspiration from the ways in which birds structure their behavior through dance and song, from mating rituals to hunting patterns. In recreating these behaviors, Kaklea reflects on the desire to be seen and heard, which is shared across species, from birds to humans. Birds also represent a powerful figure of control, in the form of the looming birds of prey. Bright colors, acrobatics and energetic movements contrast with the threat of being watched, as Kaklea questions the precarious equilibrium between freedom and subjugation.

Lenio Kaklea is a dancer, choreographer, director, and artist born in Athens and based in Paris. She trained at the National Conservatory of Contemporary Dance in Athens, where she studied classical ballet alongside American modern techniques and repertories, including those of Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and José Limón. In 2005, she was awarded the Pratsika Foundation Prize and relocated to France, joining the CNDC in Angers under the direction of Emmanuelle Huynh. After her graduation, she collaborated with prominent figures of the European dance scene, including Alexandra Bachzetsis, Boris Charmatz, Claudia Triozzi, François Chaignaud, and Cecilia Bengolea. In 2011, she completed the SPEAP program at Sciences Po Paris, a master in experimentation in arts and politics led by the philosopher Bruno Latour.