2024 Vail Dance Festival Magazine

Dancers & Musicians

Performances

Festival Events

� Companies

Dance Theatre of Harlem

DanceAspen

Limón Dance Company

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance

Colorado Ballet

Artists-In-Residence SARA MEARNS JAMAR ROBERTS

307 ROCKLEDGE ROAD

This mountain contemporary single family home offers 6 bedrooms, media room, 14-foot sliding glass doors, and over 2,000 square feet of heated outdoor living space. Enjoy views of the Gore Range, while being steps from the ski slopes and a short walk to Vail Village.

327 ROCKLEDGE ROAD

Take in Gore Range views from this 4 bedroom mountain getaway. Enjoy natural light, an open floor plan, multiple private decks with a hot tub, and easy access to skiing and Vail Village. Includes development plans for a 6 bedroom home.

463 BEAVER DAM ROAD

Located just 50 yards from the ski slope sits Vail’s most technologically advanced home. Offering privacy, convenience and indoor/outdoor living with sliding glass walls. The residence features a gym, theater, Diamond Spa, year-round water feature and an automated platform parking system.

Ron Byrne Shawn Byrne

THE PINNACLE OF VAIL

1326 SPRADDLE CREEK

This spectacular custom home atop Spraddle Creek spans over 6 acres with panoramic Vail Mountain views. It offers 11,000 square feet of living space, 7 bedrooms, an oxygenated primary suite and family room, private office, expansive outdoor areas, a pool, gym, and an 8-car garage.

1058 RIVA GLEN

Perched above Vail Village, this exquisite 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom mountain retreat offers breathtaking Vail Mountain views. Featuring office, media room, 3-car garage, and custom hot tub. Enjoy the privacy and convenience of Spraddle Creek Estates, Vail’s most exclusive gated community.

1031 EAGLES NEST CIRCLE

Newly constructed 5 bedroom single family home in a coveted Vail Golf Course location. Just a short walk to Vail Village, it features a mountain contemporary design with privacy, multiple outdoor living spaces and Gore Range views.

LET’S INSPIRE A GLOBAL MOVEMENT

The Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) is a champion for the Vail Valley that creates life-enriching experiences and opportunities for the entire community and those who visit. With each world-class arts, athletics, education, and community-enhancement program it brings to life, including the Vail Dance Festival, the VVF broadens perspectives, empowers untapped potential, and fills the valley with vibrant possibility today and far into the future.

Learn more about everything the VVF does to empower possibility at vvf.org.

Calvin Royal III and Melissa Toogood perform at the Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

A MOMENT FOR SPONTANEITY

Artful Sol Gallery

Catherine Hurlin, Adji Cissoko, Spencer Lenain, Unity Phelan. Photos taken in Vail by Christopher Duggan.

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide leadership in arts, athletics, and education and address community needs to enhance our Valley as a place to live, work, and visit.

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andy Arnold

John Arnold

Sam Bronfman

Jeffrey Byrne

Susan Campbell

Will Cook

Steve Coyer

Johannes Faessler

Carlos Gardea

Margie Gart

Paul Gordon

Nadia Guerriero

Carrie Besnette Hauser

Beth Howard

Al Hubbard

B.J. Hybl

David Hyde

Mike Imhof

Chris Jarnot

Cheryl Jensen

Alexia Jurschak

Anne-Marie Keane

Mike Krupka

Donna Lynne

Sarah Malloy Millett

Alejandra Cortés de Milmo

Ellen Moritz

Kaia Moritz

Bobby Murphy

Dan Pennington

Jill Plancher

Deborah Quazzo

Chris Romer

David Salvin

Ken Schanzer

Ann Smead

Hap Stein

Kristin Tang

Fred Tresca

Melina Valsecia

Tina Vardaman

Nick Waugh

Gary Woodworth

Kristy Woolfolk

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION LIFE TRUSTEES

Adam Aron

Judy Berkowitz

Marlene Boll

Bjorn Erik Borgen

Andy Daly

Bill Esrey

Tim Finchem

Harry Frampton

John Garnsey

George Gillett

Donna Giordano

Sheika Gramshammer

Steve Haber

Martha Head

Mike Herman

William Hybl

Elaine Kelton

Kent Logan

Peter May

Eric Resnick

Doug Rippeto

Mike Shannon

Stanley Shuman

Rod Slifer

WHAT WE DO

Oscar Tang

Betsy Wiegers

In Memoriam

President Gerald R. Ford

Berry Craddock

Jack Crosby

Pete Frechette

Steve Friedman

John Galvin

Pepi Gramshammer

Stew Turley

Community Supports | Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater | GoPro Mountain Games Vail Dance Festival | Vilar Performing Arts Center | Birds of Prey | YouthPower365

Learn more at vvf.org

MANAGING EDITOR

Shannon Thornburg

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Wren Bova

SALES MANAGERS

Sandie Aveil

Mark Bricklin

CONTENT & DIRECTION

Sierra Adams

Harper Addison

Martha Brassel

Kristen Dudding

Britt Felton

Kate Penner

Damian Woetzel

CONTRIBUTORS

Katie Coakley

Joel Solari

Sarah Silverblatt

FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christopher Duggan

Chris Kendig

Brian Maloney

DESIGN

Shannon Muench, Open Mind Studios

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

David Hakes

NEWSSTAND COVER PHOTO

Sara Mearns photgraphed by Christopher Duggan.

PROGRAM COVER

Illustration by Andrea Selby.

VAIL DAILY PUBLISHER

Mark Wurzer

All programs and artists are subject to change. The Vail Daily is a wholly owned subsidiary of Swift Communications, LLC. 200 Lindbergh Dr, Gypsum, CO 81637 970-328-6333

Copyright ©2024

WELCOME

Welcome to the 36th season of the Vail Dance Festival!

This year, as it has since its beginnings, the Vail Dance Festival is a place where extraordinary dancing is enhanced by its proximity to the natural splendor of the Rocky Mountains. In the years since its first performances, the Festival has grown to be a place where great art is performed and created every summer in a high-altitude artistic lab.

More than 100 dances performed by brilliant dancers have debuted here since 2007, and this summer we will add eight more by todays leading dance makers. The Festival has also become a place of musical excellence, where you can experience a range of extraordinary musicians who drive the dancing forward, whether in classics or brand new creations. And that spirit of collaboration that we see between the great artists onstage in our beautiful theaters is reflected in everything that makes the Festival unique: from our community programs and master classes, to our social events and more.

This year we share thirteen performances on our stages, and a host of ancillary events that will once again bring the vibrancy of dance to our Rocky Mountains. Among this year’s highlights: New York City Ballet’s Sara Mearns and choreographer Jamar Roberts as this season’s Artists-In-Residence; dance companies including Colorado Ballet, DanceAspen, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Limón Dance Company; and dancers from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dorrance Dance, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Danish Ballet, and BalletX join independent artists from all styles to form a Festival ensemble for unique only-in-Vail performances created especially for this season. We invite you to join us to be an integral part of the creativity, as we bring together more than 150 extraordinary dancers, musicians, composers, and choreographers to our celebrated Festival.

You may be a first-time Festival goer or a long-time aficionado, an aspiring dancer or a dedicated patron. No matter who you are, it is your energy, excitement, and support, that allows us to push the boundaries of dance and foster this exceptional gathering of renowned and emerging artists.

Thank you for being a part of this incredible Festival. We look forward to seeing you as the world of dance convenes once again in these beautiful mountains.

Welcome! Damian Woetzel

Artistic Director, Vail Dance Festival

Susan Campbell Committee Chair, Vail Dance Festival

Susan J. Campbell, Chair

Jill Plancher, Vice-Chair

Judy Berkowitz*

Priscilla Brewster

Allie Coppeak

Stacey Gillett

Sara Friedle

Lisa Goldman

Sheika Gramshammer

John Harrison

Sally Hybl

Alexia Jurschak

Jonna Mackin

Jane Netzorg

Senenne Philippon

Fred Tresca

Betsy Wiegers

Damian Woetzel

*Dance Committee Chair 1998-2018

Damian Woetzel at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Photo by Christopher Kendig.

VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

Throughout its 36-year history, the Vail Dance Festival has provided an inspiring environment in which diverse dancers, choreographers, and musicians share creative time & space, fuel each other artistically, and present work that challenges & showcases their talent. None of this would be possible without the support of our dedicated donors.

SUPPORT THE VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL

Ticket sales only cover 26% of our operating expenses and 60% of funding comes from individual donations. There are many ways to support the Festival. Whether you are a current donor or are interested in becoming a donor, our philanthropy team is here to help.

Sierra Adams Vice President, Philanthropy sadams@vvf.org

Martha Brassel Senior Director, Philanthropy mbrassel@vvf.org

Euginnia Seyferth Director, Philanthropy eseyferth@vvf.org

Lee Steele Associate Director, Annual Support lsteele@vvf.org

Miah Wheeler Director, Philanthropy mwheeler@vvf.org

Kendra Powell Associate Director, Donor Engagement kpowell@vvf.org

Stephen Licciardi Director, Philanthropy slicciardi@vvf.org

Peter Barclay Sr Director, Development Strategy & Operations pbarclay@vvf.org

Herman Cornejo, Roman Mejia, Lauren Lovette, Christopher Grant, India Bradley, and Isabella Boylston in Tiler Peck’s Thousandth Orange at the 2019 Vail Dance Festival.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

How to Give:

Check or Online // Make a donation by mailing a check to the Vail Valley Foundation at P.O. Box 6550, Avon, CO, 81620 or online at vaildance.org/support

Money Wire or Stock Transfer // To make a donation via wire transfer, please contact the Vail Valley Foundation at 970.777.2015

More Ways to Give // Employer Matches, Donor Advised Funds (DAF), IRA Charitable Rollover, Appreciated Stock, and Estate Gifts*

*Gifts made through a donor advised fund IRA, qualified charitable distributions, private foundations, charitable trusts or matching gifts may be restricted from receiving benefits. Please contact your tax advisor with questions.

VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL

Preferred Ticket Ordering with Donor Concierge

Invitation to En Pointe Party (paid event at $125/ticket)

Access to Borgen Family Patrons Plaza & May Gallery Patrons Lounge

Parking Pass (Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater)

*Bronze Dress Circle receives two complimentary tickets to Dance for $20.24.

Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina

Christopher Duggan.

Conversations on Dance // ���

Saturday, July 27– Saturday, August 3 10:30am–11:20am | Vail Mountain School

Wednesday, July 31 | 1:00pm–1:50pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Social Courtyard

Conversations on Dance hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden welcome a small audience to enjoy interviews with Festival Artists as part of their popular podcast series.

Generously Underwritten by the Town of Vail.

Dancing in the Park // Free

Thursday, August 1 | 5:30pm Avon Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park

Free and fun for the whole family, Dancing in the Park returns to Nottingham Park in Avon with a special early evening performance featuring Festival artists along an energetic and interactive performance by YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Celebration Team.

Generously Underwritten by the Town of Avon with additional support from Slifer, Smith and Frampton Real Estate.

Dancing in the Streets // Free

Interactive pop-up performances with Festival Artists throughout Vail & Lionshead Villages

Thursday, July 25 | 5:30pm Lionshead Village in front of Garfinkels Sports Bar

Sunday, July 28 | 12:00pm

Intersection of Bridge Street & Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village

Sunday, August 4 | 12:00pm

Intersection of Bridge Street & Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village

Tiler Peck with Festival attendees during a Dancing in the Streets event in Lionshead Village. Photo by Caitlin Kakigi.

Dancing in the Park during the 2023 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Rebecca King Ferraro, Calvin Royal III and Michael Sean Breeden at Conversations on Dance. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Master Classes // ���

Thursday, July 25–Monday, August 5

Vail Mountain School

Advanced-level dance students may take advantage of classes with some of the world’s leading dancers at Vail Mountain School. This summer’s Master Class series offers an array of classes taught by Festival artists in ballet, tap, jazz, repertory, ballroom* and more.

*Adult Ballroom class to be held at 2:00pm, August 3, at Manor Vail Lodge.

Open House with Jamar Roberts // ���

Thursday, August 1 | 1:00pm–2:00pm Golden Peak Studio Tent

Join Artist-In-Residence Jamar Roberts and other Festival artists as Jamar curates a look at elements of the 2024 Festival, including his new work set to premiere at this season’s NOW: Premieres. Limited tickets available.

Tiny Dancer Tea Party // ���

Saturday, July 27 | 10:00am–11:15am Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Social Courtyard

Crown and tiara decorating, a dance session, snacks and fun for children ages 4-7. *Admission is for one child and one adult. Fee includes one children’s size Festival t-shirt.

Sponsored by Skipper & Scout.

Open House with Sara Mearns // ���

Sunday, August 4 | 1:00pm –2: 0 0pm Golden Peak Studio Tent

Join Artist-In-Residence Sara Mearns for an exclusive behind the scenes look at her participation in the 2024 Festival. Limited tickets available.

Melissa Toogood rehearses with Sara Mearns. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Isabella Boylston with Master Class attendees. Photo by Chris Kendig.

India Bradley, Olivia Bell, Jamar Roberts and Adji Cissoko. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Tiny Dancer Tea Party attendees in the Vail Social Courtyard. Photo by Brian Maloney.

Scholar-In-Residence Program

The Scholar-In-Residence designation awards advanced pre-professional dancers representing alternating techniques the opportunity to take part in the Vail Dance Festival. At the Festival, the young dancer-scholars receive mentorship and hone their artistic practice over an immersive two weeks where they participate in company class side-by-side with Festival artists from around the world, attend rehearsals and events, and have opportunities to perform in classic repertory as well as new works. Young artists in this position have represented genres of dance including ballet, flamenco, street dance, and tap.

This year we welcome Juilliard rising 4th year dancer Kayla Mak as our 2024 Scholar-In-Residence.

Generously Underwritten by Susan & Jeff Campbell.

YouthPower���’s Celebrate the Beat Pop Hop Camp

A free dance camp culminating in a performance on International Evenings of Dance I

July 29 – August 2 , 2024

Eagle County youth ages 9-14 have the opportunity to participate in the free, week-long Pop Hop Camp designed to foster teamwork, creativity, and joy of accomplishment through dance. Directed by Tracy Straus, the program was introduced to Eagle County in 2007 by Heather Watts and Damian Woetzel.

Visit youthpower365.org/program/pop-hop to learn more. Generously Underwritten by Jill & Kevin Plancher.

Intern & Ambassador Programs

Engaging the next generation of arts leaders

Intern Program

Every year, the Festival engages ambitious graduate and undergraduate students and young professionals from around the country who serve as members of the Festival intern team. Interns support a variety of areas including artist hospitality, media/communications, education/outreach, venue/rehearsal management, transportation/ logistics, food/beverage, and development. This is a unique opportunity for interns to work behind-the-scenes alongside some of the world’s greatest dancers, choreographers, and artistic leaders, and has launched numerous professional careers in the arts.

Ambassador Program

The Ambassador Program provides a unique, hands-on opportunity for current 8th through 12th graders. Ambassadors work closely with the Festival staff and are able to contribute to many different areas of the Festival’s on-site operations. The program includes a community service component as well as numerous educational offerings. Generously Underwritten by an anonymous donor in memory of Marka Moser.

Community Arts Access (CAA)

Removing socio-economic barriers to the arts to make access for all.

• We partner with local nonprofits and charities to provide free tickets to Festival performances to the communities they serve.

• Children 12 and under receive free access to the lawn with the purchase of an adult ticket.*

• Students and faculty may purchase discounted lawn tickets for $10.*

• Dance for $20.24 is a specially-priced evening devoted to arts access. Reserved pavilion seats are $20.24 each and lawn tickets are $10.24 each.

* For performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Support for ticket subsidies & Community Arts Access provided by The James & Janet Averill Charitable Fund.

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater at the 2023 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Dario Natarelli and YouthPower365 Celebrate the Beat at the 2023 Vail Dance Festival.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Festival Interns. Photo by Chris Kendig.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I buy tickets to the Vail Dance Festival?

ONLINE at vaildance.org

BY PHONE at 970.845.TIXS (8497)

IN-PERSON at one of our box office locations: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail or Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek

Where do the performances take place?

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

503 S Frontage Road East, Vail, CO 81657

The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation and is a spectacular outdoor venue that seats 1,265 guests in covered pavilion seating and an additional 1,235 on its expansive grassy hillside with a breathtaking view of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Seating: Covered pavilion seating is reserved. General Admission lawn seating is available on a first come, first served basis. Legless chairs are permitted on the lawn. Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater provides reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities, including those with limited mobility.

Parking: The closest free parking is at the Vail Village parking structure. Limited paid parking is available at the Ford Park parking lot on a first come, first served basis.

Directions: From the Vail Village parking structure, exit to the east, then walk northeast down the S Frontage Road E sidewalk toward the softball fields until you see the paved walkway into the park on your right. Follow the path down to the venue.

Shuttle: A complimentary express shuttle to Ford Park is also available from the top levels of both Town of Vail parking structures during the Festival.

Venue Policies: Visit grfavail.com/policies

Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) 68 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek, CO 81620

The VPAC in Beaver Creek is a 530-seat theater that is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation and presents a variety of year-round performances including concerts, Broadway, family entertainment, comedy, classical, dance, film and more. The facility features breathtaking architectural design with the highest quality finish work and acoustics available.

Parking: Summer parking is FREE in Beaver Creek on a first come, first served basis. The Villa Montane lot is directly across from the VPAC on Avondale Lane and the Ford Hall lot is located just north of the venue on Village Road.

Directions: Beaver Creek Shuttle from lower lots - Park, walk or ECO bus to the lower Beaver Creek Village lots (Elk and Bear) and hop on the complimentary transportation Beaver Creek Village shuttle. Staying in Beaver Creek? Try the Dial-A-Ride Shuttle Service, a complimentary door-to-door, shared ride transportation within the Beaver Creek and Bachelor Gulch villages. Guests may ask their concierge to arrange transportation anywhere within the resort or download the Village Connect app.

Venue Policies: Visit vilarpac.org/venue-policies

Avon Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park 1 Lake Street, Avon, CO 81620

Located in Avon, the Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park is a year-round cultural and entertainment venue for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, theater performances, educational events, and more.

Seating: Open-air seating is available on an expansive grass-covered lawn and is perfect for audiences of all ages. Limited bleacher seating is provided, however attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, umbrellas, and picnics to make the experience even better! Festival performances will take place rain or shine.

Parking & Restrooms: Public restrooms are located adjacent to the venue in Nottingham Park. Nearby free parking is available.

What should I wear?

Audiences wear anything from mountain casual to semi-formal. It’s totally up to you! Keep in mind that summertime in Vail is beautiful, but it does cool off quickly once the sun goes down. We recommend bringing layers and even a blanket for cooler evenings. Festival performances will take place rain or shine.

QUESTIONS? Visit vaildance.org or contact us at info@vvf.org or 970.777.2015.

Creating Heirlooms

We are offering many different ticket specials for Festival performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and the Vilar Performing Arts Center this summer. Enjoy extraordinary entertainment with extraordinary savings!

Encore Club Pass // ����

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

• One (1) lawn ticket to each performance; nine (9) shows total

• Ability to upgrade to reserved pavilion seating for $25 to select performances (based on availability)

• Three (3) vouchers for discounted guest lawn tickets

• Pass is NOT valid for performances at the VPAC

• Over $50 in savings

Pay Your Age

• Receive the best available seats at a big discount. 18-30 year-olds are invited to ‘Pay Your Age’ for reserved seating at select performances.

• Limited availability

• Pay Your Age tickets must be purchased with valid proof of age ID at one of our box office locations.

• Pay Your Age promotion does not include International Evenings of Dance I, II and III, and Dance for $20.24

PICK � // ��� Off

Pick 2 out of the 3 performances below and enjoy 20% off the best available seating.

• 7/28 UpClose with Damian Woetzel

• 7/29 Myths by Legends

• 7/31 Dorrance Dances

Student & Faculty Lawn Tickets // ���

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

• Students and Faculty may purchase discounted lawn tickets to performances.

• Excludes Dance for $20.24 and performances at the VPAC

Free Lawn Admission for Children

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

• Children 12 and under receive free lawn admission in Vail with the purchase of an adult ticket.

• Excludes performances at the VPAC

*Subject to availability. Subject to change. Prices listed do not include service fees.

Phone: ���.���.TIXS(����)

Email: boxoffice@vvf.org

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

53� S Frontage Road East Vail, CO, ��65�

Vilar Performing Arts Center 6� Avondale Lane Beaver Creek, CO, ��6��

COLOR KEY

● PERFORMANCES

● EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

● DONOR EVENTS

● EVENTS FOR CHILDREN

LOCATION KEY

AMP: Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

AVON: Avon Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park

B&G: Cross streets of Bridge and Gore

BFPP: Borgen Family Patrons Plaza at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

CR: Chasing Rabbits, Solaris, Vail

GPST: Golden Peak Studio Tent

LHV: Lionshead Village

MG: May Gallery Patrons Lounge at the Vilar Performing Arts Center

MVL: Manor Vail Lodge Piney Ballroom

SC: Social Courtyard at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

VMS: Vail Mountain School

VPAC: Vilar Performing Arts Center

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

���� CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

FREE Dancing in the Streets 12:00pm // B&G

En Pointe Party Reception † 5:00pm // BFPP

UpClose: Swerve with Damian Woetzel

6:00pm // AMP

En Pointe Party † Post-performance // CR

�9

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

Pre-Performance Access † 6:30pm // BFPP

Myths by Legends 7:30pm // AMP

3�

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

Pre-PerformanceAccess † 6:30pm // BFPP

Dance for $20.24 7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Reception** Post-performance //  AMP Stage

4

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Master Class

10:30am–11:50am // VMS

Sparkling Brunch †

10:00am–1:00pm // SC

FREE Dancing in the Streets

12:00pm // B&G

Open House with Sara Mearns

1:00pm // GPST

Pre-Performance Access †

5:00pm // MG

Colorado Dances

6:00pm // VPAC

5

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Pre-Performance Access †

6:30pm // BFPP

NOW: Premieres

7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Dance Party** Post-performance // AMP Stage

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

�5 JULY

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

FREE Dancing in the Streets 5:30pm // LHV �6

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Master Class

10:30am–11:50am // VMS

Opening Night Reception †

6:30pm // BFPP

Opening Night 7:30pm // AMP

�7

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

Tiny Dancer Tea Party 10:00am–11:15am // SC

VVF Donor Summer Reception* 6:30pm // BFPP

Dance Theatre of Harlem 7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Reception** Post-performance // BFPP

3�

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Watching Dance with Heather Watts 11:00am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

1:00pm–2:00pm // SC

Pre-Performance Access †

5:00pm // MG

Dorrance Dances

6:00pm // VPAC

� AUGUST

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

Open House with Jamar Roberts 1:00pm // GPST

Donor VIP Tent at Dancing in the Park † 5:00pm // AVON

FREE Dancing in the Park 5:30pm // AVON

Master Class

9:00am–10:20am // VMS Conversations on Dance 10:30am–1:20am // VMS Pre-Performance Reception † 6:30pm // BFPP

International Evenings of Dance I 7:30pm // AMP

3

Master Class 9:00am–10:20am // VMS Conversations on Dance 10:30am–11:20am // VMS

Master Class: Ballroom 2:00pm–3:00pm // MVL

Pre-Performance Access † 4:00pm // BFPP

International Evenings of Dance II

5:00pm // AMP

Pre-Performance Access † 7:00pm // BFPP

International Evenings of Dance III 8:00pm // AMP

SPECIAL DONOR EVENTS KEY

† Reserved for Gold Dress Circle Donors and above and Vail Valley Foundation Leadership Giving Circle.

* Reserved for Gold Dress Circle Donors and above and Vail Valley Foundation Ford Founders level Donors and above.

** Bronze Dress Circle Donors and above are invited to all three Sparkling Receptions. Fan Club Donors are invited to one.

Visit vaildance.org for more information about Conversations on Dance and Master Class program content. Schedule is subject to change.

Originally from Miami, FL, Jamar Roberts is a graduate of the New World School of the Arts and The Ailey School, and was a leading dancer for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He served as Resident Choreographer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2019-2022, making works on the Company, all to critical acclaim.

How did you get started in dance?

I got started in the fifth grade; I had a friend who was in an after-school recreational dance program and they needed guys. I lived right down the street from the school, so I just started staying after school. It was very low brow. We would dance to Mariah Carey and C+C Music Factory, all of the songs that were popular at the time—and I just kept doing it.

A lot of my training from that point on happened within the magnet program in south Florida; I was also doing some supplementary dance training at a dance studio in Miami called The Dance Empire of Miami. Then I graduated from New World School of the Arts and went to Ailey II.

What keeps you moving forward as an artist?

I think it’s the desire to create and bring new things into the world. On a personal level, I enjoy making dances—making dances is a way I can use all of the better parts of myself. On a collective level, it’s the desire to change the world in some way through dance.

You have been to Vail Dance Festival in previous years, what is different for you as Artist-In-Residence versus when you first came to Vail?

When I first came to Vail, I was a dancer with Ailey. That’s one obvious difference: coming as a dancer and coming as a choreographer. On one hand, I know what it is to perform

there and the magic of that. But being on the other side and working with dancers that I really would’ve never dreamed of working with is something that I’m really anticipating being really cool and really special.

How does your experience here shape your goals as an artist and what interests you in accepting the invitation to return to the Festival?

When I think of the Festival, I think of generosity. It has a lot to do with giving back and with sharing, not just with the audience, which is what dancers do all the time, but with one another. It’s a place where we all come together and share in community with each other and it’s done with a lot of positivity and a lot of support.

with the

By Katie Coakley

lot that are within the dance realm—a lot of my artistic heroes are writers. Haruki Murakami: I love his writing because it’s really simple and it has clarity that I’m always trying to bring forth in my dance. His work reminds me to stay clear in my message, no matter what I make.

And then there’s also Toni Morrison who I love because she just creates these worlds, these really beautiful worlds that

Jamar Roberts

You danced for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for many years and later became their resident Choreographer. What was that transition like for you move to the front of the studio?

The transition was very easy because even before I made a work on the company, I was already making dance phrases on my friends who were company members. When it was time to make my first work on that company, the dancers were just very excited and very supportive, wanting me to share that talent with the rest of the world.

As for how my experience at Ailey informed my approach, I can say that it’s made me confident in the front of the room. I think that if you can stand in the front of a room of Ailey dancers, you could probably stand in a room with anyone.

Who is your artistic hero and what about them inspires you?

I have so many, but I actually don’t have a

you can see from reading one sentence. The language that she uses is really decadent; I like to think that my movement language is actually quite…I wouldn’t say it’s decadent, but it is complicated.

What is next for you?

I don’t know. I’ve been wondering that myself. I have been making dances and doing commissions on a large scale for the past five years and I’m starting to feel like that kid in the class that finishes his test before everybody and they’re just kind of noodling around a little bit.

I’m just starting to feel like I need more of a challenge; I would love to have the time and the space to make bigger pieces. I don’t necessarily mean in size--I mean in context, in depth. And in order to do that, I think that just takes time. I just hope that at some point, somebody says to me, here’s a million bucks and here’s five years just plug away and see what you make. I want to dig deeper.

Jamar Roberts rehearsing his new work with BalletX at the 2021 Vail dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Artists-in-Residence

Aprincipal dancer at New York City Ballet, Sara Mearns is “lauded for her musicality, daring and indelible old-school glamour,” writes Gia Kourlas for The New York Times. In the past few years, Mearns has transformed, expanding her range into modern and contemporary dance, and yet she’s still showcasing her classical roots.

How did you get started in dance and what keeps you moving forward as an artist? I grew up in Columbia, SC, and my mom put me in dance when I was three years

thing that I’ll ever do. When I go out there, it’s an emotional experience and I think it connects me to people and it transfers over to other projects and opportunities that come my way. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I think that continually drives me every day.

How does your experience here shape your goals as an artist and what interests you in accepting the invitation to return to the Festival?

Sara Mearns

old. There was no dance or arts in my family or my background—she just decided to put me in ballet class and it snowballed from there. I did everything: tap, jazz, musical theater…everything you can imagine until age 12. Then I stopped all of that, focused on ballet and moved to New York when I was 15 years old.

As far as what keeps me moving, at 38 years old, I’ve done so much in my career that I never thought I’d get to do— experiences and opportunities that came my way because of how hard I work, how I feel about what I do and the performances that I give on stage. I think what keeps me moving forward is continuing to honor my performances as the most important

Damian Woetzel is really open to new things and he always asks, “What do you want to do this time?” Or, “Who do you want to work with?” He’s generous in that way and that’s why I’ve gotten to do things that I would otherwise never get to do. I got to work with Bobbi Jene Smith and Davóne Tines, the amazing opera singer, and dance with artists that I don’t normally dance with. It’s an environment where you get to dance and collaborate with people that

you wouldn’t usually get to because everybody’s everywhere all over the world. They come together in Vail to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In addition to your role as principal dancer with New York City Ballet, you are known for exploring modern and contemporary dance styles that are outside of ballet. The New York Times recently stated how you “apply (your) ballet-trained focus to the question of what there is besides ballet and what (you) might be other than a great ballet dancer.” What fuels this curiosity and exploration?

Early in my New York City Ballet

years, I was in the Balanchine bubble and I didn’t get to work with new choreographers. I took it upon myself, outside of New York City Ballet, to seek out new choreographers because I wasn’t getting picked and I knew I had more in me to explore. Then it snowballed. I put myself out there and showed that I am more than just one thing and people took notice. Once you show up and open yourself up, things start coming your way if they’re meant for you and your journey.

Who is your artistic hero and what about them inspires you?

My artistic hero is Jodi Melnick. She is the first person I worked with outside of New York City Ballet that was not a ballet person, per se. We met in 2014 and she literally opened up everything for me in terms of what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a dancer—not necessarily a ballerina, but a dancer, and a human on stage and being me as Sara on stage, not this persona that you feel like you need to be when you walk out there. She just completely turned my life around as an artist. We still work together—we haven’t stopped.

What is next for you?

What’s next for me? I mean, I think this is a huge turning point in my career. I’ve done so much at New York City Ballet in 21 years—I’ve done almost everything I can possibly do. I am looking for a lot of big opportunities coming up; I’m opening a new chapter, artistically. I feel like I’m in my prime.

Sara’s residency is Generously Underwritten by Jonna Mackin and The James & Janet Averill Charitable Fund Jamar’s residency is Generously Underwritten by Wendy Williams &

ART MAKES OUR WORLD BEAUTIFUL. MAKE YOUR HOME YOUR SANCTUARY.

FIND FINE ART BY THE CREEK IN BEAUTIFUL VAIL VILLAGE.

“NOCTURNE” OIL ON CANVAS LYUDMILA AGRICH

A New Era of Fine Jewelry

Located in the heart of Vail Village, Squash Blossom owners Hilary and Kevin Magner are paying homage to the values instilled in the store since the 1970s, with a modern and re ned approach. The boutique features the nest contemporary jewelers as well as vintage pieces, like the client-favorite turquoise Squash Blossom pieces from the boutique’s original collection.

The store hosts seasonal events, o ers permanent jewelry, ne jewelry piercings and private shopping by appointment.

We all love good stories, especially ones of mythical proportions. It is little wonder then why the ancient myths and legends of inspired heroes, doomed lovers, and cunning villains have stood the test of time. At times rooted in historical events and figures, often exaggerated to make their stories more interesting, the characters and themes of lore have resonated deep in the hearts and psyche of countless generations. With themes of high drama, romanticism, tragedy, and conflict, mythology has long provided inspiration for creating iconic works of theatre, operas, and ballet -many of which were created by legends in their own right.

This world comes to new life in the Vail Dance Festival’s Myths

What LEGENDS are MADE of

The Vail Dance Festival nurtures the next generation of dancers with role debuts in legendary works.

By Joel Solari

by Legends program on Monday, July 31, at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Curated by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel (pictured above in Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun at the Vail Dance Festival 1998), the performance invites audiences to see today’s extraordinary dancers in mythically themed roles both ancient and contemporary, as choreographed by dance legends George Balanchine, José Limón, Marius Petipa, and Jerome Robbins. “This is a unique chance to see storytelling history through dance,” said Woetzel. “It’s also the opportunity to cheer on a new generation of dance stars as they take on these iconic roles and breathe modern life into these legendary works.”

Alexandra Ansanelli and Damian Woetzel in Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun. Photo by Rex Keep.

JOURNEY TO THE UNDERWORLD

Performers will include the celebrated Limón Dance Company, following on it’s Festival debut in 2022. The company will perform Orfeo (1972) choreographed by its founder José Limón and inspired by the classic Greek myth of love and loss wherein the titular character journeys to the underworld to retrieve his dearly departed Euridice. Limón often said, “Every dance is autobiographical whether one intends it, knows it or even likes it.”

The subject was strikingly personal to Limón as his ballet was created as an ode to his late wife, Pauline Lawrence. The work would become one of the last he would ever make since he died later that year, following a long battle with cancer. “After choreographing Orfeo, he never watched the work,” says Limón Company Artistic Director Dante Puleio. “I think that says a lot about the intensity of needing to create in response to what he was feeling and then not being able to see it.”

The legend of Orpheus has been told throughout the centuries in various other adaptations for the stage including most recently the Broadway musical Hadestown. What is it that draws artists to this heartbreaking story time and again? “The arc of love and what we do to chase it, what we do when we mourn it, and what we do when we have it are three very distinct ways we process and deal with that emotion,” says Puleio. “That intensity in the Orpheus story lives in those worlds. It’s this feeling we all know, of loss, of hope and wanting, and this moment of reality that keeps us going forward.”

GOOD VS. EVIL IN A FAIRYTALE WORLD!

Marius Petipa, the great Russian ballet master who brought the world classics including The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, is perhaps best known for creating what may be the ultimate story ballet: Swan Lake. The Myth’s program would not be complete without a nod to this tale of good vs. evil based on a German fairytale and composed by Tchaikovsky, with its choreography by Petipa premiering in 1895. For Vail this summer, audiences will visit the Black Swan pas de deux, a bravura showpiece in which we encounter Odile (the Black Swan) as she entrances Prince Siegfried, working on behalf of the nefarious Von Rothbart to avert the breaking of the spell with which the wizard holds a flock of swans captive awaiting true love to free them. The thrilling duet has been taken on by extraordinary dancers of each generation around the world, and has at its heart the need to bring to the stage both brilliant technical feats and emotional dramatic intensity. Almost 130 years after its premiere, and enhanced by the natural environment of the Ford Amphitheater, Swan Lake will once again bring audiences into its magical world this summer in Vail.

A MYTHICAL ENCOUNTER

In a more contemporary re-imagining of mythical characters, Jerome Robbins’ moving ballet studio encounter Afternoon of a Faun (1953) will also be included in the program, starring Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell of American Ballet Theatre, both making their debuts in these roles in Vail.

The Robbins ballet is derived from a lineage of sources; first, a poem originally written in 1865 by Mallarmé, followed by French composer Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune which was composed between 1892 and 1894, then Vaslav Nijinsky’s famous staging of the work for the legendary Ballets Russes in 1912. The original poem that inspired all of its successors centers around a faun who awakes from an afternoon sleep and describes his encounter with real or imagined nymphs. In Robbins’ modernized version of the story, the mythical characters are embodied by two young ballet dancers in a private moment where they catch sight of each other in the studio mirror, which in the ballet is the audience -- the proverbial fourth wall.

“The languorous afternoon lingers with the two trying a few steps together, fixated the whole time on each other, and themselves, through their gaze in the mirror,” says Heather Watts, a former star of the New York City Ballet who was cast in the role by Robbins when she was in the corps de ballet,

Tamara Karsavina as Odile and Pierre Vladimirov as Prince Siegfried (ca. 1914).

Lauren Twomley performing in Orfeo. Photo by Christopher Jones.

despite it being a role normally given to more established stars at that time. “It’s a beautiful ballet filled with yearning and the stirrings of youthful sexuality, it’s quite romantic and yet narcissistic at the same time,” Watts recalls.

The work is not traditionally in the American Ballet Theatre repertoire and so it makes for an “only in Vail” moment to see two of its brightest young stars take on the roles for the first time at this summer’s Festival. This attention to nurturing and expanding the range of artists in their next steps, and taking on roles they might not otherwise have the opportunity to perform in their home companies, is a core artistic value of the Vail Dance Festival. In doing so, a rich legacy of coaching and mentorship from one generation of ballet stars to the next occurs in Vail like nowhere else, with Watts and Woetzel coaching debuts on the breathtaking outdoor stage of the magnificent Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Other notable ballet figures, including Jeffrey Edwards, Russell Kaiser, Margaret Tracey, and Deborah Wingert have worked alongside Watts and Woetzel to provide invaluable insight, motivation, and technical coaching for young dancers stepping into new roles for the first time. “When in Vail,” noted The New York Times in 2018, “what you see is how artists extend themselves here — tackling new idioms, developing new partnerships, working on choreographic premieres — as nowhere else. You haven’t seen their full range if you’ve missed them here.”

of poetry, mime, and dance. The role is a benchmark moment in any ballet dancer’s career and Vail Dance Festival has been the site of several debuts in the role, including American Ballet Theatre’s Herman Cornejo (2015) and Calvin Royal III (2019).

Mejia will be coached by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, who previously worked with Cornejo and Royal III, and danced the role himself during his own performance career.

Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell can look forward to a personal approach from Watts this summer. “As I coach new dancers in these roles, I feel my job is to illuminate the ideals and try to help whoever is in front of me achieve their personal best,” she says. “It is an ongoing road that never ends for dancers, always trying to get to your personal best year in and year out.”

A NEW STAR FOR APOLLO

Capping off the Myths by Legends evening will be the highly anticipated debut performance of New York City Ballet’s Roman Mejia in Balanchine’s Apollo (1928). The classic work centers on the young Greek god who is ushered into adulthood by the Muses

Of Mejia, Woetzel looks forward to watching him make the god his own: “Roman is an instinctive actor who inhabits roles with a personal intensity and brilliance that will be well suited to the evolution over the course of the ballet, which takes him from being a rough-hewn boy god to a mature force of strength and responsibility.”

When Apollo was revived by Balanchine for Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1979, Heather Watts was cast alongside the ballet superstar as “Terpsichore,” the muse of dance (pictured). She will also coach Mejia and his muses for the upcoming Vail season.

“Do it like yourself, not like someone else,” says Watts of coaching dancers in notable roles in ballet. “That is a hard one for dancers. Hard to get to when you are carrying the mantel of these historic roles.”

“Once after a filming of Agon, I was fussing over the steps and Balanchine came to me to give me some notes. Afterwards I said to him, ‘I wish you had told me before! We just filmed it!’ He said ‘Film?! Who cares! Teach your children.’ After Balanchine died, I felt his words and have always tried to pass on what I know to other dancers. I’m someone who tries to help the dancer find their way through a role, and at the Vail Dance Festival we can teach our children. What an honor to do it!”

In Myths by Legends, and throughout the season, don’t miss an opportunity to witness these incredible moments where legends are born.

Mikhail Baryshnikov and Heather Watts in Apollo. Photo by Steven Caras.

2024—2025

SNEAK PEEK!

FRI | JAN 17

TUE | JAN 21

SAT | FEB 1

WED | FEB 5

WED | FEB 12

SUN | FEB 16

FEB 25 & 26

SUN | MAR 2

THU | MAR 6

Trio Bohémo

SUN | MAR 30

MON | MAR 31

TUE | APR 1

Ballet Hispánico

Jesse Cook

Cirque Kalabanté

Steep Canyon Rangers with Peter Rowan

Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher: COUNTERPOINT

Dear Evan Hansen

Daniel Hope and the Polish Chamber

Orchestra of Sinfonia Varsovia

Michael Feinstein in Because of You:

My Tribute to Tony Bennett featuring the Carnegie Hall Ensemble

Voctave: The Corner of Broadway & Main Street

Quatuor Debussy: A Celebration of Maurice Ravel

CIRCA: Humans 2.0

FRIDAY, JULY ��

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | �:��pm

OPENING NIGHT

Opening Night kicks off the season with a program featuring artists and companies making appearances throughout the Festival, including Dance Theatre of Harlem, Limón Dance Company, Artist-InResidence Sara Mearns, Michelle Dorrance, and ballroom duo Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina. In the second half of the evening, guest stars from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre will join Colorado Ballet in a special performance of George Balanchine’s landmark ballet Serenade, with Tschaikovsky’s score performed live by the National Repertory Orchestra conducted by Michael Stern. See page 17.

Generously Underwritten by Lisa Tannebaum & Don Brownstein, additional support provided by Martin Atkin & Reid Balthaser, special support for Serenade provided by Tina & David Wilson and The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet, support for Michael Stern and the National Repertory Orchestra provided by Jean & Tom McDonnell.

Lovette with Colorado Ballet in Serenade. Choreography by George Balanchine. © The George Balanchine Trust.

Lauren

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

SATURDAY, JULY ��

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | �:��pm

DANCE THEATRE of HARLEM

The company returns to the Festival in a headlining performance with a special program featuring George Balanchine’s thrilling Allegro Brillante, DTH Artistic Director Robert Garland’s recent work Nyman String Quartet #2 which was hailed by the Associated Press as “highly athletic and infectiously joyous,” and William Forsythe’s acclaimed Blake Works IV (The Barre Project).

Generously Underwritten by Susan & Jeff Campbell.

Company Artists Kamala Saara and Derek Brockington. Photo by Nir Arieli.

SUNDAY, JULY ��

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | 6:00pm

UPCLOSE: SWERVE with DAMIAN WOETZEL

Dance as an art form progresses through innovations and changes of direction, both sudden and gradual. Hosted by Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, UpClose features dramatic "swerves" in the history of dance as shown through the works that have led this art form forward. This program features Festival stars in rehearsal and performance mode as they take on groundbreaking choreography from across centuries of dance styles from ballet and modern dance, to street dance, tap, and ballroom.

Generously Underwritten by Jeffrey

See page 17.

Byrne & Rosalind Reed

Roman Mejia with Damian Woetzel. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

MONDAY, JULY ��

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | �:��pm

MYTHS by LEGENDS

In Myths by Legends, stories will come to life with today’s extraordinary dancers performing works themed to myths ancient and contemporary, as choreographed by legends of the dance world George Balanchine, José Limón, Marius Petipa, and Jerome Robbins. The program will include Limón Dance Company in their founder’s classic Orfeo, Marius Petipa’s virtuosic Black Swan pas de deux, Jerome Robbins’ moving ballet studio encounter Afternoon of a Faun with debut performances by American Ballet Theatre’s Catherine Hurlin and Aran Bell, and New York City Ballet’s Roman Mejia making his debut in George Balanchine’s Apollo as the young Greek god.

Generously Underwritten by Priscilla Brewster

Sara Mearns. Photo by Melissa Sherwood.

TUESDAY, JULY ��

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | �:��pm

DANCE FOR $��.��

An evening of dance at special prices, featuring Festival artists and companies and the premiere of Rhapsody by Larry Keigwin, a community work created for a diverse cast of local Vail Valley residents who will share the stage with Festival stars in a moving celebration of humanity and art-making.

See page 17. Generously Underwritten by the Town of Vail.

Support for Larry Keigwin’s Rhapsody provided by Susan & Jeff Campbell. Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Photo by Chris Kendig.

WEDNESDAY, JULY ��

Vail Mountain School Theatre, Vail | 11:��am

WATCHING DANCE with HEATHER WATTS

Legendary Balanchine Ballerina Heather Watts shares an interactive exploration of dance repertory and history through live demonstrations with Festival artists. This lecture/demonstration style performance will take place at the intimate Vail Mountain School Theatre.

Generously Underwritten by Judy & Howard Berkowitz.

Heather Watts rehearsing with Gilbert Bolden III & Philip Duclos. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

WEDNESDAY, JULY ��

Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek | 6:��pm

DORRANCE DANCES

A made-for-Vail tap dance experience, Dorrance Dances: An Evening with Michelle Dorrance and Friends follows the unique journey of this vital American art form in a program created, hosted, and headlined by “MacArthur Genius” Michelle Dorrance, alongside a gathering of some of the most brilliant tap dancers of today. See page 17.

Generously Underwritten in part by

The Marvin Naiman and Margery Goldman Family Foundation. Michelle Dorrance in rehearsal. Photo by Erin Baiano.

THURSDAY, AUGUST �

Avon Performance Pavilion, Avon | �:��pm

DANCING IN THE PARK

Free and fun for the whole family, Dancing in the Park returns to Nottingham Park in Avon with a special early evening performance featuring Festival artists along and energetic and interactive performance by YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Celebration Team.

Generously Underwritten by Town of Avon with additional support from Slifer, Smith and Frampton Real Estate

Dancing in the Park. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

FRIDAY, AUGUST � & SATURDAY, AUGUST �

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Friday �:��pm | Saturday �:��pm & �:��pm

INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE I, II, & III

International Evenings of Dance are legendary for their glittery celebration of artistic collaboration with unique “only in Vail” partnerships and role debuts by a selection of today’s dance stars from around the world.

Friday's performance is Generously Underwritten by Tina & David Wilson and The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet

Saturday's 5pm performance is Generously Underwritten by Marge & Phil Odeen

Saturday's 8pm performance is Generously Underwritten by Jill & Kevin Plancher

Tiler Peck and Chun Wai Chan perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Choreography by George Balanchine. ©The George

Balanchine Trust.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

SUNDAY, AUGUST �

Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek | 6:��pm

COLORADO DANCES

Colorado Dances celebrates the dynamic community of dance in Colorado in a unique program featuring three Rocky Mountain powerhouse dance companies: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Colorado Ballet, and DanceAspen.

Generously Underwritten by Sara Friedle & Michael Towler and Jane & Skip Netzorg

Additional support provided by Denver Ballet Guild

Three Views of a Mountain is generously underwritten by Mary Ellen and David Wright.

DanceAspen

Dancers of

performing Matthew Neenan's Plim Photo by Christopher Duggan.

MONDAY, AUGUST �

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail | �:��pm

NOW:PREMIERES

NOW: Premieres is the Festival‘s annual showcase of commissioned new works, featuring an extraordinary cast of dancers and musicians. Choreographers will include Kyle Abraham, Michelle Dorrance, Lauren Lovette, Justin Peck, Tiler Peck, Pam Tanowitz, and Artist-In-Residence Jamar Roberts.

Generously Underwritten by Oscar Tang & Agnes Hsu-Tang PH.D.

Festival artists perform Justin Peck's A Squiggle Is a Dot That Went for a Dance. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

NEW WORKS at the ���� FESTIVAL

The Vail Dance Festival fosters unique collaborations between artists of various dance genres each year, pushing the boundaries of the art form and further cementing Vail as a major incubator of new choreography and music in the United States. Artists benefit from enhanced creative focus in the Festival’s serene mountain setting, and all testify enthusiastically to the close-knit “laboratory” environment that fosters high-caliber artistic experimentation and crosspollination. This year, the Vail Dance Festival is thrilled to welcome 8 new works, bringing innovation and expansion to the heart of the Festival.

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Kyle Abraham

Generously Underwritten by Ginny Gold, Alexia & Jerry Jurschak, and Vickie Morris.

Michelle Dorrance

Generously Underwritten by Shirley & Jim Cassing and LaDonna & Gary Wicklund

Larry Keigwin

Generously Underwritten by Susan & Jeff Campbell.

Lauren Lovette

Generously Underwritten by Malo & John Harrison.

Justin Peck

Generously Underwritten by The Paul Repetto & Janet Pyle Gift for Collaborative Works.

Tiler Peck

Generously Underwritten by Donna & Donald Baumgartner, co-commissioned by New York City Center Fall for Dance Festival.

Jamar Roberts

Generously Underwritten by Jill & Kevin Plancher and the Vail Dance Festival Artistic Reserve Fund made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Pam Tanowitz

Generously Underwritten by Gina Browning & Joe Illick.

Davóne Tines and Lil Buck performing their new work BY AND BY at the 2023 Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

The Vail Valley Foundation and the Vail Dance Festival extend their sincere gratitude to our patrons. Thank you for your financial support! The list that follows represents patrons who gave from September 1, 2023 through May 15, 2024.

MARQUEE PRESENTER

JODY AND JOHN ARNHOLD � ARNHOLD FOUNDATION

Jody and John Arnhold are major supporters of the arts in New York City and admirers of Vail Dance Festival’s Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. They are proud to support the Vail Dance Festival again this year. John is committed to making a positive impact serving the organizations important to him, including the Mulago Foundation, University of California Santa Barbara, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Conservation International, and WNET. Jody was a New York City public school dance teacher for 25 years. She is an advocate for dance and dance education and her mission, Dance For Every Child. She is Board Chair of the 92nd Street Y New York, Chair Emeritus of Ballet Hispánico, and founded the renowned Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) 92NY. She is the Executive Producer of two documentaries about dance education in public schools: PS Dance! (New York Emmy-nominated) and PS DANCE! The Next Generation. Both are available to stream on public television. Jody has been awarded Honorary Doctorate degrees from The Juilliard School and Hunter College for her contributions to the field of dance education. The Arnhold’s visionary support for dance education has brought opportunities to many through the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program at Hunter College and the Doctorate in Dance Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. The Arnhold Institute for Dance Education Research, Policy & Leadership at Teachers College generates valuable thought leadership for dance education in public policy, ensuring that dance becomes central to the conversation wherever education is discussed. Photo by Arthur Elgort.

PREMIER PRESENTER

SUSAN & JEFF CAMPBELL

Susan and Jeff Campbell started coming to the Vail Valley from Dallas when their children were first learning to ski. They bought a house in Beaver Creek, providing stability for the family as they moved from Dallas to London, San Francisco and the West Village in New York City. They are avid dance lovers and longtime supporters of the Vail Dance Festival and the Vilar Performing Arts Center. Susan serves on the boards of the Vail Valley Foundation and the New York City Ballet, and also chairs the Vail Dance Festival Committee. Jeff retired from his full time job as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of American Express in March and serves on the boards of The Juilliard School, Aon plc and Hexcel Corporation. The Campbells and their three grown children, who now live in Vermont and San Francisco, are avid skiers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts, and the Vail Valley has been the center of family life for many years.

JILL & KEVIN PLANCHER

Jill and Kevin Plancher first enjoyed the Vail Dance Festival in 1993 when Kevin was a fellow at the Steadman Clinic in Vail. They have attended and supported the Festival each and every year since. Jill and Kevin now live in Greenwich, and have three grown children: Brian, Jamie and Megan; daughter in- law Annie Knickman Plancher and son-in-law Cezar Babin; and grandkids Tess and Logan (Brian and Annie). Megan is engaged to Boaz Goldwater and they will be married September 22nd in New York City. Kevin has a private orthopedic practice in New York City and Greenwich. Jill is a recently retired family attorney, she serves on the Vail Valley Foundation Board of Trustees, the Vail Dance Festival Committee, and is on the Advisory Board for the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center in Philadelphia. They are delighted to once again support International Evenings of Dance III. In addition, the Plancher Family generously supports YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat and are underwriting Jamar Roberts’ new work that will premiere on closing night of the Festival.

PAUL REPETTO & JANET PYLE

Paul Repetto & Janet Pyle are enthusiastic supporters of the Vail Dance Festival and the performing arts in general. Paul & Janet were honored at the 2022 Festival for their commitment to the Festival and the arts. Janet was a very involved Board Member of the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder. Paul has served on the Board of the Boulder Ensemble Theater Company and the Colorado Music Festival as the Chairman of that Board. Paul and Janet greatly enjoy traveling and have explored much of Europe and the Pacific together. Paul is co-founder of Horizon Organic Dairy. In 2022 they created the Paul Repetto & Janet Pyle Gift for Collaborative Works to support unique collaborations (like theirs) that mix genres and surprise audiences.

TINA & DAVID WILSON AND THE CAROL F. STORR ENDOWMENT FOR CLASSICAL BALLET

Tina & David Wilson have called the Vail Valley home for 30+ years. Along with their daughters, Colby and Nicole, the Wilsons have embraced the uniqueness of Vail complete with immersion in the arts, culture, and outdoor activities that make Vail so special. In addition, they are active supporters and volunteers for a variety of charitable organizations in the Vail Valley including Vail Health and Vail Valley Charitable Fund. Their support to Vail Health helped fund a new palliative care program, Shaw at Home . This year they launched The Wilson Family Performing Arts Scholarship through YouthPower365 to help a local student pursue their dreams of a degree in the arts. In honor of Tina’s mother, Carol Storr, the Wilson Family created The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet in 2022 to ensure the inclusion of classical ballet in the Vail Dance Festival for generations to come. The Wilson Family is proud to support International Evenings of Dance I on August 2nd and provide special support for Serenade on Opening Night along with classical ballet pieces performed throughout the Festival.

SEASON PRESENTER

PRISCILLA BREWSTER

OSCAR TANG & AGNES HSU-TANG, PH.D.

Oscar has supported the Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) at a leadership level since its inception and is a founding sponsor of the Vail Dance Festival. He is a Life Trustee of the VVF, after having served on the board from 1987 to 2015 and galvanized VVF’s early focus on education in Eagle County. A lifelong New Yorker, Oscar is Co-Chair of the New York Philharmonic and has been a trustee of the Met Museum for 30 years. Agnes has advised UNESCO and President Obama’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee, including two UNESCO World Heritage designations and an international treaty on the prevention of looting and commercialization of looted cultural objects. Agnes is Board Chair of N-YHS, New York’s first museum, and Co-Chair of the Objects Conservation Committee at the Met Museum. They co-founded numerous institutions, including most recently the Hsu-Tang Library at Oxford University.

JONNA MACKIN

Prof. Jonna Mackin taught English at Dartmouth for 15 years. She lives in New Hampshire and since retiring spends much of her time in New York City attending dance. Jonna serves on the Vail Dance Festival Committee and is a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company Board of Directors. She is also proud to sponsor the “NextGen” program of DL/NY (Dance Lab New York) which recruits and mentors young dancers in the New York City public schools and provides apprenticeships in choreography.

BECOME A DONOR!

Donors receive incredible benefits during the festival!

UNDERWRITER CIRCLE

MALO & JOHN HARRISON

WENDY WILLIAMS & NOEL KULLAVANIJAYA

DONNA & DONALD BAUMGARTNER

Donna and Donald Baumgartner have been relishing their mountain retreat in Lake Creek for over 3 decades. They have been ardent patrons of the visual and performing arts in their hometown of Milwaukee, WI, and having attended all but 3 seasons of the Vail Dance Festival since 1990, are enthusiastic supporters of the Festival. Donald is an automobile aficionado, and the couple have spent countless hours refining their driving skills on race tracks across the US, Canada, and Europe. The couple’s passion for arts and adventure has taken them on incredible journeys around the world. They have sailed across the Atlantic on their own 60’ motor yacht Trenora using celestial navigation and a sextant to chart their course. They have sought out the remote jungles of Papua New Guinea to the Congo in search of lowland gorillas. They have swum in the Amazon, raced on ice in the Arctic Circle and gone on safaris in India and multiple countries in Africa. They have had an extraordinary time exploring some of the most awe-inspiring places on the map.

LISA TANNEBAUM & DON BROWNSTEIN

Lisa Tannebaum and Don Brownstein are longtime supporters of the performing arts and education in Vail and Connecticut. Lisa has a career as a harpist. Don is an investor.

JEFFREY D. BYRNE

Jeffrey Byrne has been coming to the Vail Valley from his full-time home in Kansas City, for 21 years as a part-time resident to ski in the winter and enjoy music, dance, and the weather in the summer. Co-Founder + CEO of Byrne Pelofsky + Associates, LLC, Jeffrey provides leadership and counsel to nonprofits across the USA in the areas of capital, endowment and overall fundraising having worked with 500+ nonprofits and raised over $3 Billion. Jeffrey stepped down in 2021 from B&F Farms, Inc., where he was a corporate officer and 4th generation family member in an agricultural farming operation. Jeffrey enjoys volunteering and serves on the David Parsons Dance Company Board of Directors and the Vail Valley Foundation Board of Directors and is one of the founding Board Members of Charitable Communications. Additionally, Jeffrey has served as the National Chair of his professional association, The Giving Institute, and served as a Board Member of the Grammy Award-winning Kansas City Chorale, the Kansas City Camerata, and numerous other arts and nonprofit organizations.

JANE & SKIP

NETZORG

The Netzorg’s have enjoyed their mountain home in Vail for many years. They are active supporters of the performing arts and education in Denver, CO. They are true lovers of dance and Jane serves on the boards of Colorado Ballet and The Denver Ballet Guild and is a member of the Vail Dance Festival Committee. Together they serve on the capital campaign committee for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance. Jane and Skip have loved seeing some of the finest dancers in the world at the Vail Dance Festival each year. They are grateful to Damian Woetzel and Heather Watts for the creativity and excitement they bring to the Vail Valley.

MARGE & PHIL ODEEN

Marge and Phil Odeen have had a home in Vail for more than 40 years. When not in Vail they live in McLean, Virginia, and Naples, Florida. They have supported the Vail Dance Festival for several years and both have been active in numerous cultural and charitable activities in the communities in which they live.

ROSALIND REED

Rosalind Reed is an artist who lives and works in New York City. She previously had a home in Wolcott. She once dreamed that she could have a career as a backup singer/dancer for a series of popular bands but neither skill is in her repertoire. She is on the Board of Directors of the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

SARA FRIEDLE & MICHEAL TOWLER

Originally from the Midwest, Michael Towler and Sara Friedle now call the Eagle Valley their home. They have enthusiastically become involved with many organizations and activities, among them Vail Dance Festival. Along with the performing arts, Michael and Sara enjoy skiing, bicycling and hiking. “We are fortunate to have world class events in our community year-round.” Michael and Sara have seven grown children, four grand children who enjoy sharing their love of our Valley.

RUBY DRESS CIRCLE

JEAN & TOM MCDONNELL

MARTIN ATKIN & REID BALTHASER

Martin & Reid have been visiting the Vail Valley since the mid1990s and have owned a home in Bachelor Gulch for over 20 years. They have learned to love all seasons in Colorado (well…maybe not the mud-season!) and enjoy getting out into all the beauty that surrounds them here by skiing, biking, hiking and wilderness camping. They also have a deep appreciation for the performing arts - discovering the Vail Dance Festival in 2006 since when they have only missed a single year. Martin is the Senior Investment Director at Bernstein Private Wealth Management and Reid is the Principal of his own architectural practice, RTB Design Services. Martin is also a trained chef and Reid sets a great table; so, hosting a dinner or weekend for friends and family is a favorite diversion. When not in New York City, Bachelor Gulch or their other homes in Long Island and the Bahamas, they travel widely.

THE JAMES & JANET AVERILL CHARITABLE FUND

Jim and Janet Averill’s affection for the Vail Valley began with Jim’s many skiing excursions to the area and, in later years, Janet’s (and both of their) admiration for the creativity and beauty that The Vail Dance Festival brings to them—and to so many others. Jim is a former Professor of English Literature and Partner of Wellington Management Company. Janet is a retired university administrator, guidance counselor, and fundraiser. They live outside Philadelphia, where both continue as volunteers and board members for a number of arts, educational, and social service organizations. Janet is the former Chair of Ballet X. Their two children and five grandchildren are enthusiastic skiers and are expected to maintain the Vail connection well into the future.

GINA BROWNING & JOE ILLICK

Gina Browning and Joe Illick are both professional musicians and lovers of the performing arts. Gina started coming to Vail in 1971 and Joe started coming with her in 1979. Gina and Joe’s life in opera has taken them to live and work all over the world. The two of them are avid skiers and hikers, and are passionate parttime residents of the Vail Valley. They want to use their talents to support the Valley with an emphasis on the performing arts and education for children, which they feel are an integral and essential part of a healthy and vibrant community. As lifelong dance lovers, they both feel that the Vail Dance Festival adds important richness to the incredible cultural fabric of Vail, and they are excited to be involved with this wonderful organization.

DIAMOND DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous (3)

Karen & John Arnold*

Bacca Foundation*

Jane & Gary Bomba

Judy & Howard Berkowitz

Ann Smead & Michael Byram

James & Shirley Cassing

Pamela Comfort

Rebecca & Samuel Eden

Margery Goldman

Sheika Gramshammer

Martha Head*

Judith Hoffman

Alexia & Jerry Jurschak

Doe Browning & Jack Hunn*

Michael Krupka*

Anne C. Kubik*

Nancy & Richard Lubin

Mary Lujack and Sarah and Gracie Johnson

Hilary & Kevin Magner

Tamara Miller

Sarah Malloy Millett & Peter Millett*

Lisa & Mark Neporent*

Martha & Terry Allen Perl

Senenne & Marc Philippon

Nancy & Donald Remey

Mary Sue & Michael Shannon*

Marcy & Gerald Spector*

Teresa Tsai*

Martin Waldbaum

LaDonna & Gary Wicklund

Betsy & George Wiegers

Kristy & Bill Woolfolk*

* VVF Cornerstone Patron

PLATINUM DRESS CIRCLE

Hennessey-Allen

Mary Ellen Anderson

Jill Hamilton Anschutz & Christian Anschutz

Christine & John Bakalar

Dierdre & Ronnie Baker

Bendy Bodies

Deborah & David Boillot

Margo & Terry Boyle

Arlene Harris & Martin Cooper

Robert J. Croteau & Karen A. Nold

Dr. Fred Distelhorst

Lois & Stephen Eisen

Pam & Ernie Elsner

Kaye Ferry

Caryl & Ken Field

Susan & Harry Frampton

Mauri Pioppo & Keith Funger

Virginia Gold

Sherry & Michael Guthrie

Jane & Ray Heller

Susan Kasser & Daniel Kah

Dr. Henry & Pam Levine

Philip Livingston

Eugenia Lubell

Elizabeth G. Chambers & Ron Mooney

Victoria Morris

Moving Mountains, LLC

Melanie & Allan Nelkin

Jennifer Smith & Peter Ragauss

Susan & Elihu Rose

Ann & William Sacher

Nancy Sands

Shannon & George Slessman

Dhuanne & Doug Tansill

Joan Nissman and Judith Nissman Taylor

Sunnie & Mark Wang

Heather Watts & Damian Woetzel

GOLD DRESS CIRCLE

Diana Bradley & Claude Accum

Cathy & Bill Bethke

Rebecca & Howard Braverman

Vintage Contessa & Times Past, Rob & Donae Chramosta

Janet & Curtis Clark

Stephanie & Brian Cramer

Brenda & Thomas Curnin

Greg and Keala Dickhens

Holly & William Elliott

Susan & William Fink

Vicky & John Garnsey

Stacey & Foster Gillett

Alex Goldsmith

Mollie & Bill Grojean

Pam & Duke Hartman

Lisa Huertas

Sally & Kyle Hybl

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Raydean Acevedo & Walter Jenkins

Elaine & Art Kelton

Janet & Paul Lewis

Patricia & Michael Marshall

Lynn McGowin

Helen McIntyre

Jill & Dean Mitchell

Lynnette Morrison

Rosie & Roger Oberg

Renée Okubo

Sandy & Fred Pack

Ellen Arnovitz & Michael Plasker

Ronnie Potter

Christopher Quintana

Elise & Jay Rossiter

Marlene & Eugene Shapiro and Nancy Adam

Michael Stein

Kathryn & Brian Stoffers

Leanne Tyler

Joan Whittenberg

Sara Fitzgerald & Bruce Wilson

Ellen & James Wiss

SILVER DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous

Linda Stamper Boyne

Amy & Ken Brown

Steve Brint & Mark Brown

Marty & John Chamberlin

Yvonne Chen

Maggie & Clayton Chessman

Gretchen Corey

Louise Pearson & Grant Couch

Ellen DeHaven

Debra Devereaux

Renee & Jeffrey Epstein

The Fabos Family

Kathy & Bill Farley

Diane & Larry Feldman

Kim & Andrew Fink

Susan Rothschild & Don Freedman

Mikki & Morris Futernick

Margie & Tom Gart

Paul Goodspeed

Roberta Levin & Dr. Gilad Gordon

Lisa Green

Gina Harman

Pamela & Richard Hinds

Ami Hudgins

Donna & Ward Katz

Anne-Marie & John Keane

Young & Stephanie Kim

Bonnie Lee & Lawrence Kivel

Joyce & Paul Krasnow

Laura Leitzinger

Beth & Todd Leonard

Joan & Robert Levine

Terry Lindsay

Gretchen & Charles Lobitz

Karen Marisak & Gerard Lynch

Marcia & Thomas McCalden

Ferrell & William McClean

Pat McFarland

Marka Moser^

Laurian Unnevehr & Jerry Nelson

OOTB Womens Foundation

Jana Edwards & Frederick Poppe

Eileen Friars & Scott Pyle

Etty & Alberto Rimoch

Nellie Rosenberg

Fran Schulman

Charlotte Shifrin

Amy & Leonard Slosky

Jeanne & Terry Startzel

Marla Steele

Martha Tyler

Drs. Jean & Alec Urquhart

Brenton VerPloeg

Elizabeth & James Webb

Alyn Park & Jay Wissot

Luanne & Jim Wright

BRONZE DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous (2)

Janet & Bill Adler

Elizabeth & Cristian Basso

Linda Bernhard & Michelle Walsh

Mary Bird

Kathy & Jack Blair

Christine & George Burns

Julie Carr

Benette Chen

Katherine & Hassan Dayem

Robin Deighan

Ronne & Donald Hess

Lorraine^ and Harley^

Higbie Family

Barbara & Paul Jenkel

Lynn & Andrew Kaufman

Audrey LaFehr

Lesley Larson

Jordan Lausch

Cynthia & Robert LeBreton

Susan & Steven Lipstein

Eleanor & John Lock

Augusta Molnar & Kent Lupberger

Wolfgang Mairhofer

Beth Barbre & John Mangan

DeAnn & Dan Maurer

Amy Kennedy & Steve Miller

Nancy Nottingham

Ruth Malman & Michael Opatowski

Amanda & Adam Quinton

Elissa Stein & Richard Replin

Margaret & Rick Rogers

Stan Shapiro and Lara Shapiro

Andrea & Stuart Shatken

Linda & Tim Stancliffe

Judy & Charles Stoopack

Elizabeth Fowler & Gary Sumers

George Ann & Buzz Victor

Webb Family Fund in memory of Marka Moser

Suzy Black

Lourdes Rosado & Jan Boswinkel

Suzanne & Larry Brazil

Kathe & Morris Brown

Jean Kutner & Robert Brown

Amy Cantor

Marie Chong

Barbara & Mark Cohen

Dr. Cathy Cohn

Joyce Costa

Ama & Chris Couch

Diana & Robert Crew

Tanya Cromey

Maureen Cross

Elizabeth Czaja

Karen Davidson

Alejandra & Chus De La Llama

Nancy & Kenneth DeLine

Marlene & Joseph Dichiacchio

Sharron Dorward

Dawn Doty Vawter

Darlene & Lee Ebert

Beverly Ellis

Kay Maune & David Elmore

Lisa & Alan Engel

Robert Engelman

Wendy Elaine Erb

Leslie & Howard Farkas

Carole Feistmann

Larry and Barbara Field

Robin Fitzpatrick

Peter & Mike Gilbert

Merrily Glosband

Elisabeth & Alvin Goldman

Suzanne Greene

Karlyn Griswold

Leslie Grooters

Elaine Gunnell

Dale & Rebecca Hahs

Douglas Hamilton

Simon Hamui

Jan Harkins

Ashley & Bradley Harkrader

Ann Harris

Chris Heathcott

David Hill

Cathy & Graham Hollis

Loyal & Jill Huddleston

Ann Kiley

Linda Kirscht and Karen Backstein

Robyn Landry

Laine & Merv Lapin

Sarah Lash

Dawn Lesh

Pamela Lichtenthal

Ann & William Lieff

Karen Lindenberg

Leslie & John Manes

Judy Margolis and Joede Schoeberlein

Michelle & John Mason

Sheila McInerney

Nancy McKeever

Anne McKinnon

Sheila Mossman

Helen Moxcey

Daniel Murphy

Jane Nash

Deborah Nunez

Nancy & Sam Osborne

Jane Packard

Eunice Park

Amy Paul

David Portillo Family

Lorraine Prentis

Susan & Kenneth Press

Michelle Prosser

Carlinda & Luis Quintero

Joan & Dennis Robinson

Ken Robinson

Coralie & Bruce Rogers

Nancy & Robert Rosen

Merle & Philip Rosenfeld

Stephanie Rudnick

Sue & Michael Rushmore

Kate Boniface & Kenneth Sauerberg

Carole Schragen

Sherry Schreiber

Jamie Shaak

Barbara Smith

Nancy Smolow

Terry Snyder

Linda & Stephen Sparn

Stephanie & Arthur Strasburger

Karen Sumner

Jill & Alan Tanenbaum

Andrea Eddy

Marjorie & Lawrence Feinberg

Colleen Forrest and Christopher Forrest

Mary Ann Galpin-Plattner

Lucy & Thomas Goldstein

Cari Griggs

Julie Grimm

Rhondda Hartman

Nina & Kenneth Wise

Rosalind & Larry Wolff

FAN CLUB

Anonymous (3)

Anita & Alan Altman

Catherine & Truman Anderson

Carol Atha

Linda & William Aylesworth

Leslie & Stephen Isom

Anne Jacobson

Caylan & Anderson Jarman

Alberta C. Johnson

Pam & Bruce Johnson

Amy & Kevin Jones

Alice Kaderlan

Geneva & David Kerstein

Ellen Keszler

Sandra & Thomas Thomas

Peggy Thompson

Susan & William Tracy

Tom & Sharon Trumble

Bonnie Utley

Lois Van Deusen

Yuka Wakino

Hanna Warren

Linda Wasserman

Roz Reed and Priscilla Brewster. Photo by Brian Maloney.

Cathy Wayand

Deborah Webster

Barbara Weiss

Suzanne Weiss

Jane & Ben West

Lorie Williams

Judith Wyman

Cindy Zelby

Laura Zeller

Helene Zimmer-Loew

Edward Zinbarg

SUPPORTER

Sierra Adams

Marilyn Averill

Lisa & Jeffrey Babb

Erin Hall & Eric Blitzstein

VVF PATRONS

CORNERSTONE FRIENDS

Anonymous

Karen & John Arnold

Bacca Foundation

Martha Head

Doe Browning & Jack Hunn

Michael Krupka

Anne C. Kubik

Sarah Malloy Millett & Peter Millett

Lisa & Mark Neporent

Mary Sue & Michael Shannon

Marcy & Gerald Spector

Teresa Tsai

Kristy & Bill Woolfolk

FRIENDS OF VAIL

Anonymous (2)

Linda Cabot & Edward Anderson

Ellen & Dan Bolen

Kathy & Bjorn Erik Borgen

Devon & Peter Briger

Lisa & Ronald Brill

Kelly & Sam Bronfman

Ann Smead & Michael Byram

Angela Dal Pezzo

Diane & Brad England

Julie & Bill Esrey

Susan & Harry Frampton

Margie & Tom Gart

Mary Kevin & Tom Giller

Donna Giordano

Georgia & Donald Gogel

Lisa & Bruce Goldman

Lyn Goldstein

Catherine Cakir

Connie Carson

Patricia Cook

Lisa Faherty Vance

David Ford

Ingie & Rol Franberg

Lori Frasier

Nancy & Gary Freedman

Alfredo Granai

Lane Greer

Susan & Allie Gruber

Cathy Heller

Jan Hiland

V Michael Holers

Nan Holt

Lawrence LaFevre

Marsha Landesman

Georgia & Robert Hatcher

Karen & Michael Herman

Robert Hernreich

Kathy & Al Hubbard

Susu & George Johnson

Cynnie & Peter Kellogg

Shelby & Scott Key

Ruth & Sidney Lapidus

Shelly & George Lazarus

Case Lynch

Leni & Peter May

Michele Mittelman

Peter Murane

Mary & Steven Read

Amy & Jay Regan

Sara & Eric Resnick

June & Paul Rossetti

Didi & Oscar Schafer

Lisa & Kenneth Schanzer

Susanna Johnson Shannon & Tim Shannon

Stan Shuman

Sallie Smith

Sue & Martin Solomon

Judith & Philip Stupp

Oscar Tang & Agnes Hsu-Tang

James W. Taylor

Denise O’Leary & Kent Thiry

Debbie & Fred Tresca

Debra & Ken Tuchman

Marie & Andy Unanue

Barbara & Richard Wenninger

MEDALLION CIRCLE

Marlene Boll

Jamieson Lehto

Debby Levinson

Michelle & Brian Maloney

Barbara Medoff Cooper

Marlene Michaelson

Michele & Alfonso Natarelli

Lauri Nelson

Nancy Newman

Beth Pinals

Pamela & Daniel Piro

Robert Ripps

Jill Salberg

Larry Schaap

Elizabeth Shavitz

Jenny Shaw

Clay Shubin

Holly & Denny Simonton

Ellen Sirot

Carol & Roger Sperry

Sally Tarbell

Michael Tocci

Lisa & Mark Walsh

Cynthia & Douglas Wax

Betsy Wayne

Melinda Welling

Karen & John Weslar

Calvin Yee

CAROL F. STORR ENDOWMENT FOR CLASSICAL BALLET DONORS

Marge & Phil Odeen

Suzanne Storr

Tina & David Wilson

Jeffrey D. Byrne

Susan & Jeff Campbell

Mary Beth & Philip Canfield

Karen & Gerard Diffley

Holly & Tim Finchem

Cindy & Christopher Galvin

The Gilbert Family Charitable Foundation

Sheika Gramshammer

Judy Hart Angelo

Heather & Glenn Hilliard

Heather & Jim Hughes

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Roberta & Michael Joseph

Amy & Mike Kazma

Sunni & Gary Markowitz

Sophie & Jeffrey Martz

Shirley & William S. McIntyre

Lara & Richard McVey

Kathy Neustadt

New Belgium Brewing

Amy & Harold Novikoff

Sally & Don O’Neal

Senenne & Marc Philippon

Jennifer Smith & Peter Ragauss

Brooke & Hap Stein

Bill Sterett

Michelle & Craig Taylor

George Ann & Buzz Victor

Tina & David Wilson

Jan & Greg Winchester

CHAMPIONS CIRCLE

Anonymous

Patricia & Sergio Arguelles

Ann Newman & Andy Arnold

Dr. John and Kim Callaghan

Kaye Summers & Dan Carpenter

Sidney & Donald Childress

Kay & Thomas Clanton

Nancy & Leo Denault

Trish Fillo

Bryan Fitzgerald

Joan Francis

Elizabeth & Michael Galvin

Gary & Bonnie Goldberg

Lil Buck and Allie Coppeak at the 2023 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Brian Maloney.

FESTIVAL PATRONS

Kristel & William Hybl Jr.

Alexia & Jerry Jurschak

Marlene & Ben Krell

Elaine & Jeffrey Lovell Foundation

Alejandra & Tomas Milmo

Vicki & Trygve Myhren

Ed O’Brien

Jill & Kevin Plancher

Sissel & Richard Pomboy

Vikki & Michael Price

Patrice & Marshall Ringler

Sarah & Nat Robinson

Carlos Rojas

Ann & William Sacher

Elaine & Steven Schwartzreich

Beth & Rod^ Slifer

The Sherrill Family Foundation -

Debbie & Skip Courtney

Harvey Simpson & Sheila Sullivan

Leanne & Richard Tavoso

Vincent Family

Jacqueline & Norman Waite

Joan Whittenberg

LEGENDS CIRCLE

Anonymous (2)

Brian Addy

Madeleine Asplundh

Jayne & Paul Becker

Jane & Robert Berry

Biondi Family

MJ Blythe

Bolwell Family

Margo Brundage

Elaine Byers

Leslie & Blaise Carrig

Betsy & J. Donald Childress

Sally & Kevin Clair

Caryn Clayman

Shirley & Thomas Day

Amy & Jonathan Dobrin

Meg & James Duke

Catherine & Philip Edwards

Holly & William Elliott

Chris Firman

Julia & David Fleischner

Laura & William Frick

Vicky & John Garnsey

Marvin Naiman and Margery

Goldman Family Foundation

Kim & Richie Graham

Julie & Fletcher Groff

Rebeca Lergier Hanrahan & Daniel Hanrahan

Jane & Ray Heller

Mindy & Andrew Heyer

Paige & Michael Hill

Kimberly & John Hoffman

Amy & Bruce Karpas

Susan Kasser & Daniel Kah

Nancy Knowlton

Christine & Richard Lane

McKinley & Matthew Lee

Sheron & Scott Lewis

Janie & Bobby Lipnick

Hilary & Kevin Magner

Laura & Jeffrey Malehorn

Kathy & Steve McConahey

Jennifer Minor Lansing

Patricia Pacey & Charles Neinas

Renée Okubo

Debbie & Gary Packer

Gerry & Edmund Palmer

Ann & Tom Rader

Wendy & Paul Raether

Paul Repetto & Janet Pyle

Nicole & Jason Rosener

Elaine & Barry Sandler

Cynthia & Ted Senko

Stephanie & Harry Simpson

John Stevens

Ann & Mike Stone

Colleen & Frank Trabold

Jenifer Valentine

Leslie & Armando Vidal

Betsy Vincent & Norm LaZar

Susan Lynch & Daniel Virnich

Martin Waldbaum

Gloria Walker

Julia Watson

Allison Krausen & Kyle Webb

Joanne & Morris Wheeler

Mindy & Gregory White

Marilyn & Ron Wollard

Deborah & Stephen Yurco

YOUTHPOWER365’S CELEBRATE THE BEAT DONORS

Anonymous

Allie Coppeak

Margery Goldman

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Renee Okubo

Jill & Kevin Plancher

Elise & Jay Rossiter

^in remembrance

David Wilson, Gail Flesher, David Salvin, and Tina Wilson. Photo by Brian Maloney.

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM

Robert Garland, Artistic Director

Juan Carlos Penuela, Rehearsal Director

A singular presence in the ballet world, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company tours nationally and internationally, presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 18-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate Arthur Mitchell’s belief that ballet belongs to everyone. Through performances, community engagement and arts education, the Company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.

DANCERS:

David Atilley

Derek Brockington

Micah Bullard

Kouadio Davis

Ariana Dickerson

Lindsey Donnell

Keenan English

Carly Greene

Alexandra Hutchinson

Alexandra Jones

Michaela Martin-Mason

Elias Re

Luis Fernando Rego

Kira Robinson

Ingrid Silva

Delaney Washington

Stephanie Williams

David Wright

LIMÓN DANCE COMPANY

Dante Puleio, Artistic Director

Logan Frances Kruger, Associate Artistic Director

The Limón Dance Company (LDC) has been at the vanguard of dance since its inception in 1946. The first dance group to tour internationally under the auspices of the State Department, and first modern dance company to perform at Lincoln Center in New York, it has performed twice at The White House. The José Limón Dance Foundation, with Company and Institute, is the recipient of a 2008 National Medal of the Arts. José Limón has a special place in American culture for a social awareness that transcended distinct groups to address how we all search for commonality. It is with this ethos that we continue to commission works by critically acclaimed and emerging international voices 50 years after Limón’s passing. His works continue to influence the evolution of the art form with their arresting visual clarity, theatricality, and rhythmic and musical life.

DANCERS:

Natalie Clevenger

Joey Columbus

Mj Edwards

Mariah Gravelin

Johnson Guo

Kieran King

DANCEASPEN

Laurel Jenny Winton, Founder & Executive Director

Kaya Wolsey, Director of Operations

Deepa Liegel

Olivia Mozie

Eric Parra

Nicholas Ruscica

Jessica Sgambelluri

Savannah Spratt

Lauren Twomley

DanceAspen was founded as a way to keep dance alive in Aspen after the global pandemic tore through the dance community worldwide. It was established to create space for the artists to continue honing their craft and share their passion with the community. Since the formation of DanceAspen in 2021, the company has made leaps and bounds in becoming an integral part of the arts community in Aspen and the greater dance community abroad. DanceAspen’s repertoire includes works by esteemed choreographers from around the globe including Cayetano Soto, Danielle Rowe, Penny Saunders, Yue Yin, Robyn Mineko Williams and more. The company also provides opportunities for their company artists to grow through choreography and collaboration, fostering the next generation of choreographers and creators.

DANCERS:

Sammy Altenau

Matthew Gilmore

Madeleine Scott

Laurel Jenny Winton

Kaya Wolsey

Jonah Delgado

Meredith Harrill

COLORADO BALLET

Gil Boggs, Artistic Director

Sameed Afghani, Executive Director

Presenting exceptional classical ballet and innovative contemporary dance through performances, training, education and community engagement, Colorado Ballet continues to inspire and grow an increasingly diverse audience base in Denver, CO. Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 64 years of excellence. As a world-class professional company serving over 100,000 national and international patrons, Colorado Ballet presents 58 performances annually to sold-out audiences in the 2,000 seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Company’s 40 professional dancers and 22 studio company dancers come from all over the world. Colorado Ballet’s The Armstrong Center for Dance, a 35,000 square foot building, boasts eight state-of-the-art professional dance studios and amenities for the professional Company. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet performs classical ballet masterpieces, full-length story ballets and its critically acclaimed repertory production Ballet MasterWorks, featuring varied works from neoclassical ballets to world premieres.

DANCERS:

Kenny Allen

Joshua Allenback

Catherine Aoki

Lily Bines

Mylie Buck

Alexandra Gilliom

Jennifer Grace

Sheridan Guerin

Lily Hagan

Emmanuelle

Hendrickson

Liam Hogan

Tiffany Hopkins

Chloe Kinzler

Mario Labrador

Ever Larson

Ariel McCarty

Leah McFadden

Catherine McGregor

Wyatt Mier

Patrick Mihm

Christopher Mitchell

Rheana Montesantos

Christophor Moulton

Sean Omandam

Jonnathan Ramirez

Sonata Ross

Asuka Sasaki

Jeremy Studinski

Mackenzie Dessens

Studinski

Sara Thomas

Kevin Gaël Thomas

Lili Travaglia

Cruz Vining

Alexandra Wilson

CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE

Cleo Parker Robinson, Founder & Artistic Director

Currently celebrating its 54th Anniversary Season, the renowned Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble brings the power, passion, and beauty of modern dance rooted in African-American traditions and legacy. Holding the works of master choreographers of American modern dance in its repertoire, including Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, and Alvin Ailey, the Ensemble’s performances encompass both the iconic and the innovative. Cleo Parker Robinson Dance presents dance as a universal language of movement, transcending boundaries of culture, class and age while honoring diversity and inclusiveness throughout the global community.

DANCERS:

Caeli Blake

Corey Boatner

Gabriela Maduro

Jasmine Francisco

Lamar D. Rogers

Michael Battle

Ralaya S. Goshea

Samiyah Lynnice

Samuel Gaines Jr.

MICHELLE DORRANCE & FRIENDS

Michelle Dorrance, Artistic Director, Choreographer, & Dancer

Tyveze Littlejohn

Winifred R. Harris

Michelle Dorrance and Friends is led by Dorrance and largely drawn from the extraordinary artists of Dorrance Dance, an award-winning tap dance company based in New York City. Founded in 2011 by Artistic Director and 2015 MacArthur Fellow Michelle Dorrance, the company shares the incredibly dynamic range that tap dance has to offer through performance & education. Their goal is to engage with audiences on a musical and emotional level, and to share the complex history and powerful legacy of this American art form throughout the country and the world. They have an unconquerable respect for their art form — its traditions and its possibilities. At its core, tap dance is a subversive form. Rooted in protest and transcendence, improvisation and innovation were paramount to its survival and are innately embedded in its very foundation. They strive to honor this legacy.

Kyle Abraham Artistic Director, A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham Festival Choreographer

Isabella Boylston Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Adji Cissoko Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Alessio Crognale Martha Graham Company

Aran Bell Principal, American Ballet Theatre

India Bradley Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet

Harrison Coll Soloist, New York City Ballet

Patricia Delgado Former Principal, Miami City Ballet

Olivia Bell Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet

Lil Buck Memphis Jooker

Herman Cornejo Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Michelle Dorrance Dorrance Dance Festival Choreographer

Gilbert Bolden III Soloist, New York City Ballet

Chun Wai Chan Principal, New York City Ballet

Derek Crescenti Keigwin + Company

Denys Drozdyuk Ballroom Dancer

Philip Duclos Corps de Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet

Robbie Fairchild Former Principal, New York City Ballet / Broadway Star

Savannah Green BalletX

Catherine Hurlin Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Daisy Jacobson Freelance Dancer

Larry Keigwin Artistic Director, Keigwin + Company Festival Choreographer

Spencer Lenain Freelance Dancer

Andrea Lodico Keigwin + Company

Lauren Lovette Former Principal, New York City Ballet Festival Choreographer

Jerard Palazo BalletX

Kayla Mak 2024 Scholar-In-Residence

Justin Peck New York City Ballet Festival Choreographer

Ben Rudisin Principal, National Ballet of Canada

Frances Samson Freelance Dancer

Sara Mearns Principal, New York City Ballet Artist-In-Residence

Tiler Peck Principal, New York City Ballet Festival Choreographer

Antonina Skobina Ballroom

Roman Mejia Principal, New York City Ballet

Unity Phelan Principal, New York City Ballet

KJ Takahashi Soloist, New York City Ballet

Mayfield Myers Corps de Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet

Jamar Roberts Artist-In-Residence Festival Choreographer

New York City

FESTIVAL COMPOSERS

Mira Nadon Principal,

Ballet

Dancer

Calvin Royal III Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Pam Tanowitz Pam Tanowitz Dance Festival Choreographer

Melissa Toogood Pam Tanowitz Dance

James Whiteside Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Shelbie Rassler Festival Music Director

Generously Underwritten in part by Susan & Elihu Rose

Caroline Shaw Leonard Bernstein Composer-InResidence

Stephanie Terasaki Freelance Dancer

NATIONAL REPERTORY ORCHESTRA

Michael Stern, Music Director

Generously Underwritten

The National Repertory Orchestra is an educational organization based in Breckenridge, Colorado. Each year, 80 talented young musicians are selected to take part in the Summer Music Festival, where they will learn extensive repertoire alongside mentorship and leadership. During the eight-week festival, led by Music Director Michael Stern, the NRO performs as many as 18 orchestral concerts and over 32 free, community, family-friendly concerts. The NRO balances the needs of the participants with the needs of the community to create socially conscious musicians and prepare them for a career in music. Our alumni have taken on leadership roles in major orchestras around the world, including the New York Philharmonic, the Dallas Symphony, and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

QUARTET-IN-RESIDENCE

BROOKLYN RIDER

With their gripping performance style and unquenchable appetite for musical adventure, Brooklyn Rider has carved a singular space in the world of string quartets over their fifteen year history. Defining the string quartet as a medium with deep historic roots and endless possibility for invention, they find equal inspiration in musical languages ranging from late Beethoven to Persian classical music to American roots music to the endlessly varied voices of living composers. Claiming no allegiance to either end of the historical spectrum, Brooklyn Rider most comfortably operates within the long arc of the tradition, seeking to illuminate works of the past with fresh insight while coaxing the malleable genre into the future through an inclusive programming vision, deep-rooted collaborations with a wide range of global tradition bearers, and the creation of thoughtful and relevant frames for commissioning projects. Photo by Shervin Lainez.

MUSICIANS:

Johnny Gandelsman, Violin Colin Jacobsen, Violin

Nicholas Cords, Viola

Michael

Cello

Abdias Armenteros* Saxophonist

Eliza Salem* Drummer

Alex Sopp Flutist

Youba Cissokho Kora

Michael Scales Pianist

Davóne Tines Bass-Baritone

Jayla Chee* Upright Bass

Caroline Shaw Multi-Instrumentalist, Vocalist

Joel Wenhardt* Pianist

Kate Davis Multi-Instrumentalist

Tony Siqi Yun Pianist

Nicolas,

*Juilliard Alumni Jazz Ensemble+

by Susan & Jeff Campbell.

“It is a chance to see worldclass dancers at work, pushing themselves, trying things that may or may not succeed, all the while getting insight into the history of the works themselves.”

—Damian Woetzel

UpClose

By Sarah Silverblatt-Buser

Expanding knowledge - for the public and artists - has always been central to the Vail Dance Festival’s mission.

For almost 20 years, Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, joined by former New York City Ballet principal Heather Watts, have opened doors within Vail’s influential dance lab. From first partnerships to first meetings among genres, the Festival showcases a leading model for artistic alchemy. UpClose is a rare evening of insight into innovation. Star dancers of today take on groundbreaking roles in a rehearsal and discussion setting hosted by Woetzel and Watts. Inspired by Leonard Bernstein’s open rehearsals, UpClose invites audiences behind the scenes

to experience the creative process that defines the Festival.

While previous UpClose evenings have focused on specific pieces or makers, this year’s program highlights the breadth of dance at the Festival. It will dive into the significant “swerves” in Western dance history through the dance works themselves. The evening will include defining moments in ballet, modern, tap, street dance, ballroom, and contemporary dance as well as the musical movements that have often inspired new dance eras. Extraordinary dancers from each of these genres will perform trailblazing works, creating a super-dance that could only be done in Vail with its stars of many forms all in one place together.

Roman Mejia with Damian Woetzel performs Prodigal Son (1929). Choreography by George Balanchine. © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Ballet as an art form in constant development over centuries will be in focus with Woetzel and Watts examining key moments from the first dances en pointe, to story ballets, to the first plotless works. The story will continue as they rehearse “swerves” made by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins in America, as the founding choreographers of NYCB. This will include Balanchine’s Apollo, which Woetzel describes as a “distillation of what ballet could be.” Balanchine’s move towards essentialism at the age of 24 as a response to Stravinsky’s pure score set the foundation for a lifetime of leading dance through abstraction. “He doesn’t know where he’s going to take us,” says Watts, “but he’s completely changing the art form.”

Such imaginative openness and curiosity of the times is a quality that defines many of dance’s changemakers. Robbins had the ability to harness the zeitgeist of the 1960s by creating dances about community during a time of cultural revolution. His Dances at a Gathering changed the structure of ballet, where instead of a single lead couple, there were multiple couples, dancing together as equals. “When I saw Dances,” recalls Watts, “when they stood and looked at us in the audience, and we looked at them… that was a swerve. He and Balanchine were tearing down the artifice and performative elements” that had characterized ballet until then.

This removal of the artifice while responding to cultural and artistic movements was also a marker of American modern choreographers. Artist-in-Residence Sara Mearns will perform pieces by Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham, which were made during waves of feminism. Both choreographers took women out of pointe shoes, with Duncan following intuitive movement while Graham created a powerful technique still practiced today. The evening will celebrate the 60th year anniversary of the first Cunningham “Event” – a specific “experience of dance” given in non-traditional spaces. Former Cunningham dancer Melissa Toogood will guide the audience through the abstract expressionist world of his formalist dances. The evening will also explore Twyla Tharp’s crossover work and specific movement vernacular, which uniquely combined ballet and modern vocabulary. This movement synthesis, in addition to her diverse musical choices from classical to popular, influenced both fields of dance simultaneously.

Other uniquely American dance forms will be explored in their artistic and cultural contexts. Michelle Dorrance, the award-winning tap dancer and choreographer, will take the audience through the layered history of tap dance. Lil Buck, the Memphis Jookin’ innovator, will dive into urban street dance and its co-creation with hip-hop music. Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina will lead the understanding of formalized ballroom dance from European balls to today. The Festival’s Scholar-in-Residence, Kayla Mak, will bring her perspective on the contemporary dance styles she trains in as a student at the Juilliard School.

“The power of furthering people’s interest and helping them understand is a win-win situation,” says Watts. Mutual learning occurs throughout the Festival and especially during the UpClose evening, “in the room where it happens,” says Woetzel. “It is a chance to see world-class dancers at work,” he says, “pushing themselves, trying things that may or may not succeed, all the while getting insight into the history of the works themselves.”

Lauren Lovette, Unity Phelan, and James Whiteside rehearse Serenade Choreography by George Balanchine. © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Heather Watts rehearses Tiler Peck in Theme and Variations Choreography by George Balanchine. © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

DANCE THEATRE of HARLEM RETURNS

The

legendary company will present works by Balanchine, Forsythe, and Garland.

By Joel Solari

For decades the internationally acclaimed Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) has been celebrated for its powerful vision of multi-ethnic diversity for ballet, with a repertory which highlights both classicism and contemporary innovation. The company is the living legacy of Arthur Mitchell (1924–2018), the first Black principal dancer of New York City Ballet who alongside ballet master Karel Shook, founded DTH in 1969 during the height of the civil rights movement. Their vision was to teach classical ballet and create performance opportunities in Mitchell’s native Harlem. Following unprecedented growth from its humble beginnings in a Harlem garage, the company and school have since become a beacon and a haven for diverse artists in dance. In 2013 founding company member Virginia Johnson became Artistic Director and a decade later, DTH’s

Resident Choreographer and School Director Robert Garland took the helm of the company in 2023.

DTH returns to the Festival with a special appearance on Opening Night, July 26, and then again in a headlining performance on July 27th. The company will feature works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, and Garland, showcasing its versatility as a company that embraces its classical roots and embodies contemporary style.

Set to Tschaikovsky's “Piano Concerto No. 3” George Balanchine’s high-spirited Allegro Brillante (1956) was described by the famed choreographer as a concentrated essay in the extended classical vocabulary in which a maximum amount of choreographic development is contained within a restricted area of time and space. He is quoted as saying that the piece is “everything I know about classical ballet in thirteen minutes."

“Dance Theatre of Harlem is thrilled to perform at the Vail Dance Festival this summer,” says Garland, DTH Artistic Director. “The dancers and I look forward to experiencing the unique blend of Vail’s natural beauty and artistic energy, while sharing the stage with beloved colleagues and immersing ourselves in the vibrant community that Vail has to offer.”

The works of Balanchine have a storied past with DTH due to its direct lineage to Mitchell, and Garland fully intends to continue that rich legacy going forward.

“I will never, ever let go of our Balanchine roots,” Garland recently said in a recent New York Times interview. “That is something to me that’s a nonnegotiable in terms of our artistic legacy and cultural background.”

Garland’s Nyman String Quartet No. 2 (2019) which was hailed by the Associated Press as “highly athletic and infectiously joyous” will also be presented. “This work is dedicated to the memory of two men whom I admire,” says Garland. "John Wesley Carlos, former track and field medal winner at the 1968 Summer Olympics, well known for his triumphant salute upon the winners podium that year, and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus, Mr. Arthur Mitchell, whose similar stand for his people, his community, and the arts “has brought us thus far on our way.”

And rounding out the program will be Blake Works IV, a commission for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, which is the latest installment in William Forsythe’s continuously evolving work The Barre Project. The work derives its inspiration from the propulsive and rigorously structured songs of composer James Blake, whose work

appears primarily in the popular music idiom. The Barre series began in 2021 at the height of the pandemic as a filmed dance that was streamed to a global audience facing the restrictions on live performance at the time. The live stage version for Dance Theatre of Harlem features newly choreographed sections that highlight the formidable talents of the ensemble and is a version of the ballet that is unique to this company alone.

“My friend and colleague, the brilliant Damian Woetzel, has taken the Vail Dance Festival to new heights and beyond, and we are honored to take part in this now legendary summer dance experience,” continues Garland. “We hope that each

performance ignites the soul with a fusion of passion, innovation, and the timeless allure of dance.”

Sources for this article include Dance Theatre of Harlem, The George Balanchine Trust, New York City Ballet, and The New York Times.

Derek Brockington and Lindsey Donnell performing Blake Works IV. Photo by Theik Smith.

Stephanie Rae Williams and Choong Hoon Lee performing in their last appearance at the Festival in 2017. Photo by Erin Baiano.

“SCENE” AT THE FESTIVAL

1 9 8 3 5 6

10 7 2 4

A look back at past Festivals!

1. Brandon Stirling Baker and Kyle Abraham during rehearsal. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

2. Stephanie Terasaki in rehearsal at the Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Chris Kendig.

3. Lauren Lovette, Isabella Boylston, Robbie Fairchild, Justin Peck, Caili Quan, and James Whiteside post-rehearsal.

Photo by Chris Kendig.

4. Mayfield Myers, Philip Duclos, and Olivia Bell during the 2023 Dancing in the Park.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

5. Dario Natarelli and Savannah Green at the En Pointe Party. Photo by Brian Maloney.

6. Ben Rudisin, Adji Cissoko, and Damian Woetzel during rehearsal. Photo by Chris Kendig.

7. Youba Cissoko, Joel Wenhardt, and Abdias Armenteros perform in the social courtyard. Photo by Chris Kendig.

8. Aran Bell performs The Leaves are Falling. Photo by Erin Baiano.

9. Tiler Peck and Herman Cornejo rehearsing in New York. Photo by Erin Baiano.

10. Sara Mearns and Robbie Fairchild chatting before morning class. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

THANK YOU

It takes a village to put on the Vail Dance Festival and we could not do it without the hard work and dedication of our sponsors, partners, staff, interns, ambassadors, and volunteers.

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Celsius Discover Vail

Epic Mountain Express

Espolòn Tequila

GMC

La Crema

Manor Vail Lodge

Nature Valley Pacifico

Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate

Sonnenalp Hotel

Squash Blossom

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

Town of Avon

Town of Vail

Vail Mountain

LODGING PARTNERS

Beaver Creek West Condominiums

Christiania at Vail

Manor Vail Lodge

The Pines Lodge, A Rock Resort

The Osprey at Beaver Creek, A Rock Resort

Tivoli

The Christie Lodge

Vail Management Company

Vail Realty

Vail Spa Condominiums

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

New York City Center

Vail Integrative Medical Group

Vail Mountain School

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Alphadyne Foundation

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Jerome Robbins Foundation

Mabel Horrigan Foundation

Virgina B. Toulmin Foundation

ARTISTIC TEAM

Damian Woetzel, Festival Artistic Director

Patricia Delgado & Melissa Toogood, Staging Associates

Russell Kaiser, Artistic Planning & Rehearsal Director

Heather Watts, Creative Associate

Margaret Tracey, Repetiteur and Ballet Mistress

Shelbie Rassler, Music Director

PRODUCTION

Jesse Campbell, Director of Production

Betsy Ayer, Production Stage Manager

Brandon Stirling Baker, Resident Lighting Designer

Roya Abab, Guest Lighting Designer & Lighting Director

Kirk Baltzell, Asst. Stage Manager

Anna Brevetti, Electrician

Miguel Chamberlain, Wardrobe Supervisor

Ash Ditaranto, Wardrobe Assistant

Sabina Fritz, Venue/Rehearsal Manager

Duncan Gallagher, Stage Operations Crew

Marq Gonzalez, Production Electrician

Marlene Hamm, Costume Director

Alayna McCabe, Venue/Rehearsal Manager

Nicole Mommen, Stage Manager

Jamie Montgomery, Electrician

Sarah Newman, Wardrobe Assistant

Elizabeth Nguyen, Stage Operations Lead

Heather Olcott, Asst. Stage Manager

Angelina Pellini, Asst. Stage Manager

Rebecca Roeill, A2

Alberto Ruiz, Production Manager

Miranda Trembley, Asst. Production Electrician

STAFF

Mike Imhof, President & CEO

Sierra Adams, Vice President of Philanthropy

Sara Amberg, Executive Director, YouthPower365

Josh Cloud, Chief Financial Officer

Dave Dressman, Vice President, Sales & Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Kristen Dudding, Sr. Director of Marketing & PR

Heidi Elzinga, Asst. to the President

Sarah Franke, SVP, Operations

Linda Giordano, Sr. Director of HR

Cameron Morgan, Executive Director, VPAC

Harper Addison, Festival & Operations Manager

Donna Arnold, Data Gift Entry & AP Coordinator

Lisa Babb, Senior Operations Manager

Greg Bloom, Sr. Director, Sponsorship Sales

Peter Blosten, Senior Director of Operations, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Tom Boyd, Director of PR & Communications

Martha Brassel, Sr. Director of Philanthropy

Erik Brown, Director of Special Projects

Justin Brown, Director of Operations, VPAC

Maddie Brown, Logistics & Administrative Coordinator

Javier Cendejas, Pianist

Dean Davis, Facilities Manager, VPAC

Dionne Drugan Brown, Office Manager

Christopher Duggan, Festival Photographer

Britt Felton, Marketing Manager

Tim Felton, Senior Operations Manager

Rosi Folmer, Development Events Manager

Elle Friedle, Sr. Manager, Grant Development

Lauren Gary, Director of Ticketing & Asst. Director, VPAC & Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Elizabeth Gihle, Senior Box Office Manager, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Riley Goosen, Lighting Designer, VPAC

Ruthie Hamrick, Director of Marketing, VPAC

Kenneth Howell, Food & Beverage Manager, VPAC

Shane Huebner, Production Manager VPAC & Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Owen Hutchinson, Artistic Director, VPAC

Kate Kalamon, Sr. Manager, Sponsorship & Sales

Chris Kendig, Photographer

Martin Leyes, Senior Operations Manager

Stephen Licciardi, Director of Philanthropy

Devin Lyon, Marketing Coordinator

Cheyenne Mendoza, Technical Director, VPAC & Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Brian Maloney, Photographer

Gail Russell, Accounting & Finance Manager

Morgan Russell, Venue & Events Manager, Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Christine Santucci, Volunteer & Operations Manager

Andrea Selby, Festival Illustrator

Euginnia Seyferth, Director of Philanthropy

Gabe Shalley, Associate Director, DataSystems

Amy Sherman, Assistant Box Office Manager, VPAC

Heather Smith, Payroll & Benefits Manager

Chef Hunter Smith, Big Delicious Catering

Joel Solari, Festival Public Relations Manager

Lee Steele, Associate Director of Annual Support

Jessica Stevens, Sr. Director, Sponsorship Sales

Nel Shelby Productions, Festival Videographer

Michael Sheridan, Asst. to the Artistic Director

Shannon Thornburg, Sr. Marketing Manager

Miah Wheeler, Director of Philanthropy, VPAC

Peggy Wolfe, Sr. Director of Operations

Brad Wuelling, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis

Patrick Zimmerman, High Country Backline

FESTIVAL INTERNS

Anna Johnson, Artist Services Intern

Arjun Kochhar, Marketing Intern

Carissa Campbell, Marketing Intern

Dymond Davis, Donor Relations Intern

Emmie Urquhart, Development Coordinator

Sean McRee, Gore Creek Concessions

Brian Muller, Chief Technical Officer

Bailey Nelson, Admin & Campaign Manager

Kate Penner, Social Media Manager

Marley Poku-Kankam, NYC Rehearsal Coordinator

Kendra Powell, Sr. Manager of Donor Engagement

Tess Reinhold, Programming & Artist Relations Manager , VPAC

Jill Reitzel, Personnel Coordinator

Ella Grace Worraker, Merchandising Intern

Evan Smedley, Logistics & Operations Intern

Kelly Gleason, Donor Relations Intern

Molly Leahy, Artist Services Intern

Sierra Riley, Logistics & Operations Intern

FESTIVAL AMBASSADORS

Avery Begg, Ambassador Co-Coordinator

Avery Moyer, Ambassador

Brooke Bodenhemier, Ambassador

Clarie Coughlin, Ambassador

Fiona Poth, Ambassador

Gracie Johsnon, Ambassador Co-Coordinator

Kylie Kirkham, Ambassador

Mackenzie Messmer, Ambassador

Mikaela Gifford, Ambassador

Olivia Arseneau, Ambassador

Sabrina Magennis, Ambassador

Scarlett Tino, Ambassador

Tatum Prigge, Ambassador

YOUTHPOWER���’S CELEBRATE THE BEAT POP HOP CAMP STAFF

Kris Ashley, YouthPower365 Program Manager

Tracy Straus, Founding Artistic Director

Jonathan Smith, Musical Director

Jacob Lidard, Musical Director Eagle County

Jacob Baxter, CTB Alumni and Teaching Artist

Kimberly Mayorga, CTB Alumni and Teaching Artist

Joslyn Sanchez, CTB Alumni and Teaching Artist

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

The Juilliard School

The Keith Haring Foundation

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Rebecca & Tyler Morse, MCR

SPECIAL PROJECT VOLUNTEERS

Theresa Anders

Shelly Jarnot

Marsha Landesman

On behalf of the Vail Dance Festival and Vail Valley Foundation, thank you to our dedicated team of volunteers!

Photo by Erin Baiano

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