The Stones, Two Ways
After more than 40 years, the Rolling Stones are still causing a stir, with the National Ballet of Canada (416.345.9595, www.national.ballet.ca) presenting its company premiere of choreographer Christopher Bruce's Rooster. While ballet and Mick Jagger may seem an unlikely match, the performance weaves together modern dance and early songs--from "Paint It Black" to "Sympathy for the Devil"--infused with the spirit of the '60s. (The performance is presented with Soldiers' Mass and 24 Preludes by Chopin, from March 8
to 16.) In April, Martin Scorsese's documentary Shine a Light (www.shinealightmovie.com) comes to select theaters in the U.S. and Canada.The film captures two intimate 2006 performances by the band.

Exploring Environments
Two big Los Angeles exhibitions opening in March delve into art forms that are grounded in and have inspired elements of events. With "Allan Kaprow--Art as Life," the Museum of Contemporary Art (213.626.6222, www.moca.org) takes a look at the artist's collages, paintings, drawings, and sculpture, but also digs into his happenings, which held that the action in an environment is the art itself. Controversial contemporary artist--and Kaprow's longtime friend--Paul McCarthy will handle reinventions of site-specific happenings. The exhibit runs from March 23 to June 30. With "California Video," the Getty Center (310.440.7300, www.getty.edu) examines the impact of 58 new and established West Coast artists. Look for works by Tony Oursler, Bill Viola, Bruce Nauman--and even from Allan Kaprow. The show runs from March 15 to June 8.

New York's Art Blockbusters
The spring brings two monumental exhibitions to Manhattan. The Whitney Biennial's (800.944.8639, www.whitney.org) vast survey of the state of contemporary art kicks off on March 6, bringing together 81 artists as diverse as performance-art band the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black and filmmaker Spike Lee; the show, which runs through June 1, sprawls beyond the museum, with installations and performances also at the Seventh Regiment Armory. "Take Your Time: Olafur Eliasson" comes to the Museum of Modern Art (212.708.9400, www.moma.org) and its sister museum P.S.1 in Queens from April 20 through June 30 with immersive environments from the Scandinavian artist, who takes a cue from his native landscapes.

Music in Art
Two of America's contributions to the history of music--jazz and hip-hop--make appearances outside of clubs and concert venues this spring. Washington's National Portrait Gallery (202.633.8300, www.npg.si.edu) celebrates rap and hip-hop with "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture," which pulls together David Scheinbaum's concert photos of Public Enemy and De La Soul, as well as Kehinde Wiley's portraits of LL Cool J and Ice-T, which mimic 17th- and 19th- century masterpieces. Poems transcribed on walls and graffi ti murals connect galleries. The exhibit runs through October 26. In Chicago, the jazz-inspired production Carter's Way from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company (312.335.1650, www.steppenwolf.org) tells the tale of Oriole Carter, a saxophonist in 1930s Kansas City; it unfolds amid a backdrop of smoky clubs and shady dealings. Written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker and company member Eric Simonson, the play runs through April 27.