So the name may come across a little funny in translation, but French choreographer Pierre Rigal’s piece ERECTION (Érection) arrives highly recommended this fall as part of the Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts—it’s won praise from dance star Mikhail Baryshnikov. Rigal, formerly an athlete in the 400-meter sprint and hurdle events, brings explosive strength to his dancing, and in this solo piece, he dances from recumbent to standing upright in an echo of human evolution. Projections define the limited space within which this strange choreographed transformation takes place, creating a narrow world of saturated color.
Oct. 18-20, students and seniors/$17, general/$22, War Memorial Auditorium, 310 Appleton St., Holyoke, mifafestival.org, (800) 224-6432.