A celebration of U.S.-based dance, featuring performances by 8 companies in a repertory schedule.  Presented by Gotham Arts this new annual event is the centerpiece of an initiative to promote American dance.  FOCUS DANCE is comprised of four programs featuring eight U.S.-based choreographers/companies: Keigwin and Company, zoe | juniper, Abraham.In.Motion, Kate Weare Company, Monica Bill Barnes and Company, Joe Goode Performance Group, Trey McIntyre Project, and Jason Samuels Smith & Company. FOCUS DANCE will run from January 3-8, 2012 at The Joyce Theater, 175 Eighth Avenue, NYC. Tickets are $10-$39 and are available at 212-242-0800 or www.joyce.org.

Program A features zoe | juniper with A Crack in Everything which premiered in 2011 at Jacob’s Pillow, and Keigwin + Company with Triptych (2009), Mattress Suite (2005), and Runaway (2008).

Tuesday, January 3 at 7:30pm; Saturday, January 7 at 8pm

Program B includes works by Kyle Abraham’s company, Abraham.In.Motion, and Kate Weare Company’s Garden, which premiered at the 2011 Gotham Dance Festival at the Joyce Theater.

Wednesday, January 4 at 7:30pm; Sunday, January 8 at 7:30pm

Program C features Monica Bill Barnes & Company presents Mostly Fanfare (2010 Jacob’s Pillow) and Everything is Getting Better All the Time (Gotham Dance Festival 2011) with Joe Goode Performance Group’s The Rambler (2011 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts).

Thursday, January 5 at 8pm; Saturday, January 7 at 2pm

Program D includes Jason Samuels Smith & Company with Anybody Can Get It (2010 Jacob’s Pillow) and excerpts from Chasing the Bird, Charlie’s Angels: a tribute to Charlie Parker that premiered in 2009 at The Kitchen and Trey McIntyre Project with The Sweeter End (2011 New Orleans Ballet Association) and In Dreams (2007 Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts).

Friday, January 6 at 8pm; Sunday, January 8 at 2pm