For over 150 years, the Brooklyn Academy of Music has been attracting the best and brightest in the arts, fostering creative types who think outside the boundaries. Masters and up-and-comers in the film, theater, dance and opera communities (and more) have used BAM as a venue to showcase their craft.

And since 1983, BAM’s Next Wave Festival has brought the best and brightest to the public in venues throughout New York City. Running from September 16 to December 20 this year, the Next Wave Festival injects an undercurrent of cutting-edge art in the city’s vibrant cultural scene.

The performances that run throughout the BAM Next Wave Festival are front and center. See renowned French actress Juliet Binoche in a stunning version of Sophokles’ Antigone. Watch Taiwan’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre perform Rice, an homage to that key food staple of the Asian diet. Check out DJ Kid Koala’s work with production designer K.K. Barrett in the puppetry/filmmaking/musical mashup Nufonia Must Fall.

Want to learn more about the world of the cutting-edge art scene? Be sure to check out the series of talks running throughout the festival. Whether you want to explore themes, form, composition or inspiration, the wide range of speakers will provide answers — as well as leave you with questions to ponder.

Of course, there’s plenty more to do while in New York City. Need a cultural change of pace? Grab a beer at one of the city’s live music venues and just chill out, or hit a dance floor with cocktails and good friends. Find your new favorite dining spot from the hundreds of Manhattan eateries.

And, of course, discover a new favorite hotel when booking through Magellan Luxury Hotels. Magellan can get you into the best four-and five-star Manhattan hotels at the best prices and with exclusive perks.

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