Front Row: Dance

Caitlin Corbett Dance Company: "Tom's Wealth: A Dance for the Masses," a new take by veteran choreographer Caitlin Corbett on Mark Twain's beloved rogue Tom Sawyer, features not just Corbett's talented company but 30 non-dancers, both adults and children. The evening-length work plays off Twain's fanciful text about the 16 "treasures" Tom collects in trade for the chance to whitewash a fence. Sept. 19-20, Tsai Performance Center. 617-353-8725, www.caitlincorbettdance.org

Boston Ballet: The company opens its season with a one-two punch, beginning with the gala "Night of Stars" Oct. 10, followed by the return of James Kudelka's colorfully inventive "Cinderella" Oct. 16-26. The gala offers a taste of the company's wide-ranging repertoire, from the virtuosic "Le Corsair" pas de deux to a world premiere by Viktor Plotnikov, and features everyone from favorite soloists to rising dancers and New York City Ballet's Maria Kowroski and Albert Evans as guest stars. The crowd-pleasing "Cinderella" is a contemporary take on the familiar tale, set to Prokofiev's sumptuous score. Wang Theatre. 617-695-6955, www.bostonballet.org

"Celtic Tap: An Evening With James Devine": He's dubbed the "Fastest Dancer in the World" by Guinness World Records, clocking in at 38 taps per second. But the Irishman is not known for speed alone. He melds his homegrown art form with step dance, classic tap, and rhythms of jazz, hip-hop, and punk to create a rush of percussive artistry. Oct. 17-19, Institute of Contemporary Art. 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org

Philadanco: Over 38 years, Joan Myers Brown's Philadelphia troupe has become one of the modern-dance world's most heartening success stories. The company's appealing, often adventurous repertoire combines movement from African-American traditions with ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Its long-overdue Boston debut features local premieres of works by hip-hop master Rennie Harris, Christopher L. Huggins, Milton Myers, and Gene Hill Sagan. Nov. 14-16, ICA, 617-876-4275, www.worldmusic.org

Lar Lubovitch Dance Company: The internationally renowned company celebrates its 40th anniversary season with a tour that brings it to Boston for a rare engagement. Lubovitch's style is virtuosic and musically sophisticated yet accessible, and the program highlight is Lubovitch's brand new "Jangle: Four Hungarian Dances," set to Bartok. The program also includes last year's "Dvorak Serenade" and the classic "Concerto Six Twenty-Two," set to Mozart. Dec. 12-13, Tsai. 617-482-6661, www.celebrityseries.org

KAREN CAMPBELL