Saint Louis Dance Theatre Closes Love Languages Season With Company Premiere of Kiss by Stephanie Martinez
Dance Magazine “25 to Watch” choreographer brings acclaimed work to St. Louis
For Immediate Release
Dancer: AJ Joehl | Artwork Featured: Van Hoang, After Angela
ST. LOUIS, MO (March 19, 2026) — Saint Louis Dance Theatre (STLDT) closes its Love Languages season with a company premiere of Stephanie Martinez’s Kiss, a work hailed by the Idaho Statesman as “enthralling twists in music and movement,” running May 29-31, 2026, at COCA’s Catherine B. Berges Theatre.
Martinez, named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2022, has created more than 70 works for companies including the Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Hispánico, BalletX and Cincinnati Ballet. A choreographer of Mexican and Native American heritage based in Chicago, she founded PARA.MAR Dance Theatre in 2020 and became the first Chicago woman of color to choreograph for the Joffrey’s main company.
Kiss world premiered in October 2020 on an industrial red carpet laid across a parking lot in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, where nine masked dancers performed for socially distanced audiences seated on camp chairs. Born out of pandemic necessity, the work has since been staged by Cincinnati Ballet, presented at the Carmel Dance Festival and expanded into a full-length collaboration with Ballet Des Moines. STLDT marks the first St. Louis company to perform the work.
Martinez has a history with STLDT, having created Destino, Roto for the company in 2017 as part of Dance St. Louis’ “New Dance Horizons V: Women Who Inspire” at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.
“Stephanie’s work embodies everything we believe about dance at STLDT – that it belongs to everyone, not just the concert hall,” said Erin Warner Prange, STLDT’s executive director. “A work that began in a neighborhood parking lot, offered to the community, now arrives on our stage as part of a season dedicated to human connection. Stephanie and STLDT share a core value: world-class dance should be accessible to everyone. Our Champions for Community initiative which includes our Senior Embrace program, Community Night, Youth Access Program, and Kids Circle programming are prime examples of how we live that out in St. Louis.”
The Spring Series program also features additional repertoire selections, with the full lineup to be announced at stldancetheatre.org.
Performance Schedule:
Program A (May 29-30, 7:30 p.m.):
Kiss by Stephanie Martinez (company premiere)
Walking Mad by Johan Inger
The North Star by Norbert De La Cruz II
Program B (May 31, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.):
Kiss by Stephanie Martinez (company premiere)
Grassville by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Walking Mad by Johan Inger
All performances take place at COCA's Catherine B. Berges Theatre, 6880 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63130.
Tickets start at $25 (student) and are available at stldancetheatre.org.
Special Offers:
Behind the Curtains Showcase & Reception: Mar. 27, 3-5 p.m., COCA. Live rehearsal of Kiss with Q&A and reception. Subscribers and media invited; limited public tickets available. Visit: stldancetheatre.org/btc.
Community Night: May 31, 7:30 p.m., “pay-what-you-wish” pricing. For details, visit: stldancetheatre.org/community-concerts.
Kids Circle: May 31, 2:00 p.m. matinee. Children ages 3–8 enjoy arts activities plus a performance excerpt. $25 per child; sibling discounts available. For details, visit: stldancetheatre.org/kids-circle.
21c Museum Hotel St. Louis: As our season's hospitality partner, 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis offers STLDT patrons discounts on overnight stays, depending on nightly rates. For details, visit: stldancetheatre.org/21c.
About Saint Louis Dance Theatre
Saint Louis Dance Theatre is a premier professional dance company blazing new trails by interweaving the Gateway City's storied legacy into boundary-pushing contemporary performances. Combining world-class artistry with a bold vision, Saint Louis Dance Theatre champions inclusivity, collaboration, and artistic excellence. This fusion of purpose and passion positions Saint Louis Dance Theatre as a beacon for the spirit of St. Louis in every performance. With a grand vision of elevating St. Louis as a nationally recognized arts destination, Saint Louis Dance Theatre aims to deepen connections locally while showcasing the region's pioneering creative force on a national scale. For more information, visit stldancetheatre.org.