On May 10, 2014, Parsons Dance and the Allen Toussaint Orchestra premiered Whirlaway. Commissioned by the New Orleans Ballet Association, the work paired David Parsons’ contemporary dance choreography with music by the beloved New Orleans songwriter, pianist and producer Allen Toussaint.

“It was an honor for my dad to do it,” Reginald Toussaint said of his late father’s collaboration with Parsons and his New Yor...