With three outstanding music and dance festivals in town, the Vail Valley is the perfect place to introduce young ones to arts and culture.
arts Courtesy Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival
Exposing children to the by L.S. Burns For its fairly small size, both in square miles and population, Eagle County has a tremendous amount of culture going on, especially in the summertime when three outstanding festivals come to town. First up, Vail Jazz Foundation events start June 24 and culminates with the Labor Day Weekend Vail Jazz Party Aug. 30 – Sept. 3; Bravo is set for June 25 – Aug. 4; and the Vail International Dance Festival runs from July 29 – Aug. 11. That means there are plenty of options available for parents and grandparents who want to expose children and teenagers to arts and culture. Why is important to pass along a love for the arts, specifically music and dance, to the younger generation? “The arts are the key to creativity, they are an invaluable tool in education, and in making well rounded citizens,” says Damian Woetzel, the artistic director of the Vail International Dance Festival. “When a child draws, or writes
Kids get a taste of the orchestra from the Bravo! Instrument Petting Zoo’s violin.
a poem or story, or composes a short song, they are taking control and making decisions, they are exercising their individual ability to create, think, and to be inspired.” Too often, Woetzel says, children are “focused solely on learning by memory, and learning through the arts is an invaluable addition to the classroom. “We also know from research that children exposed to the arts in childhood tend strongly to remain continued page 36
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