Kentridge's staging of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte, a production of Belgium's La Monnaie/De Munt, runs April 9-14 at the Howard Gilman Opera House. Piers Maxim conducts the Symphonic Orchestra and Chorus of De Munt/La Monnaie; the cast features Kaiser N'Kosi as Sarastro, Milagros Poblador as the Queen of the Night, Jeremy Ovenden as Tamino, Sophie Karth‹user as Pamina, Stephan Loges as Papageno, C_line Scheen as Papagena and Mario Alves as Monostatos.

Unusually for BAM, the Monnaie Magic Flute is the sole opera on its spring schedule this year.

The Brooklyn Academy's dance events include the Hamburg Ballet's return to BAM after 20 years' absence to perform the U.S. premiere of choreographer John Neumeier's Death in Venice, "a free adaptation" of Thomas Mann's novella. Music is by Johann Sebastian Bach and Richard Wagner; scenic design is by Peter Schmidt, with costume design by Schmidt and Neumeier. The production runs February 7-10.

From February 28 to March 3, the Forsythe Company will give the New York premiere of Three Atmospheric Studies, directed by William Forsythe, which "drives home, in crystalline movement and a rush of startling words, the horror and hypocrisy of war." Music is by David Morrow and Thom Willems, and this dance work includes text by Dana Capersen, Forsythe and Davi Kern.

Other dance highlights include Doug Varone and Dancers, who will celebrate their 20th anniversary season with the New York premiere of Dense Terrain, which features music by film composer Nathan Larson. BAM's 30th DanceAfrica festival features the return of Uganda's Ndere Troupe and Harlem's Forces of Nature, along with appearances by Philadelphia's Kulu Mele African American Dance Ensemble, Bronx-based Bambara Drum and Dance Ensemble, Brooklyn's Sabar Ak Ru Afriq Dance Theatre and the BAM/Restoration DanceAfrica Ensemble.

Director/choreographer Matthew Bourne's reimagining of Tim Burton's 1990 film Edward Scissorhands will receive its New York premiere on March 14. New music and arrangements are by Terry Davies, based on themes from Danny Elfman's film score.

Theater offerings in BAM's spring season include plenty of Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night by director Edward Hall and the British company Propeller, and Cymbeline by the renowned troupe Cheek by Jowl. And BAM will host a special visit next September by director Trevor Nunn and the Royal Shakespeare Company, Ian McKellen starring in King Lear and The Seagull.

BAM's spring season runs from February 7 to May 27; for more information, visit www.bam.org.