For many of the dance concerts that go up in NYC, it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of deal. One weekend, three shows, and if you weren’t there, you’re out of luck.  To prevent the inevitable heartbreak that comes with realizing you missed that guest curator at Danspace or that cool new company at the Joyce, check out some of the following events and put one (or two!) on your calendar.  Check back next Wednesday for a new list of my weekend picks.

Steve Paxton and Lisa Nelson perform “Night Stand” at Dia:Chelsea 

Yes, this show is unfortunately sold out, but how fortuitous that the man who inspired the name of this site will be performing this weekend. Night Stand, which Nelson and Paxton developed in 2004, continues for a second (and final) week at Dia:Chelsea. Getting a ticket now might be tricky, but if you’re the type of person who knows somebody who knows somebody (or you’re willing to wait around to see if there are any extra tickets right before showtime), it’s worth a shot to see how the real masters work.

Oct. 17, 18, & 19 at 8:00pm
Dia:Chelsea
535 W. 22nd St., 5th Floor
New York, NY 10011
(212) 989-5566

Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and Rosas in “En Atendant” and “Cesena” at BAM

Highly acclaimed Belgian choreographer de Keersmaeker brings two works to BAM as part of the 2013 Next Wave Festival. The works are a pair, with En Atendant performed at 2:00pm, and Cesena following at 7:30pm. See both or just one; either way, these are the pieces that made me get up early on my first day of school to make sure I bought my tickets as soon as they went on sale.

You might recall hearing about de Keersmaeker in recent years due to her struggle with Beyoncé over the unfair use of her choreography in Beyoncé’s “Countdown” video.  If you haven’t seen the comparison yet, click here.

Oct. 19 & 20, 2:00pm (En Atendant) and 7:30pm (Cesena)
Brooklyn Academy of Music – Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 230-4352

*If you’re a student under age 29, or are over age 65, check out BAM’s excellent Rush Ticket policy here.

INTERMEZZO Dance Company makes its debut at 92Y

The latest project of ABT soloist Craig Salstein, INTERMEZZO is a new ballet company dedicated to presenting new works by choreographers who want to work with dancers trained in the classical ballet technique. This first performance series features works by Lisa de Ribere, Marcelo Gomes, Adam Hendrickson, Gemma Bond, and Raymond Lukens, and will be accompanied by live music, played by the Wyrick Quartet.

If you can’t make it to an evening show, catch the pre-premiere for $5 as part of the 92Y Harkness Dance Center’s beloved Fridays at Noon series.

Oct. 18 & 19 at 8:00pm, Oct. 20 at 3:00pm
92Y, Buttenwieser Hall
Lexington Ave at 92nd St
New York, NY 10128
(212) 415-5500

Dance at MoMA: 20 Dancers for the XX Century

Talk about an art immersion: in this one-of-a-kind exhibition, MoMA invites 20 dancers to wander the galleries and present a “living archive” of the dance solos that time may have forgotten, but shouldn’t have. Some of the most influential and groundbreaking dancers from the 20th century will be in attendance, including one of my favorite dancers, Valda Setterfield.

Come for the dance, stay for the art – MoMA has a number of fascinating temporary exhibits on display this weekend; two on my list are “Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary” and “American Modern: Hopper to O’Keeffe.”

Oct. 18, 19, & 20, 12:00pm-5:00pm
The Museum of Modern Art
11 W. 53rd St.
New York, NY 10019
(212) 708-9400