Critic’s Picks : Dance

With no large-scale ballet or world dance heading in our direction for a while, autumn belongs to the moderns, ranging from icons already in the history books to artists testing the boundaries between dance and theater, athletics and processes of nature.

Arguably the greatest living choreographer, Paul Taylor sends his spectacularly versatile company to the Alex Theatre in Glendale to dance “Brandenburgs” (to Bach), “Eventide” (Vaughan Williams) and “Offenbach Overtures” (guess) on Oct. 19.

A dependably controversial, hell-for-leather British ensemble, DV8 Physical Theatre gives its West Coast debut performances in Lloyd Newson’s “Enter Achilles” at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse Oct. 30-Nov. 2. Intended for mature audiences.

Originally performed on an actual outdoor waterway, Eiko and Koma’s environmental “River” comes indoors for the first time with live music by the Kronos Quartet. Nov. 14 at L.A.’s Japan America Theatre.

Choreography by the disarming Susan Marshall turns up three times this season: in Philip Glass’ “Les Enfants Terribles: Children of the Game” at the Wiltern Theatre Oct. 24 and 25; in the program by the Lyon Opera Ballet at the same venue Oct. 31-Nov. 1; plus in the repertory of Montreal Danse at the Luckman Theatre, Cal State L.A., on Nov. 22.