As a special feature on The Winger, performing artists from the Vail International Dance Festival share their insight on traveling to Vail and performing throughout the two-week event. Contributors will include dancers, choreographers, musicians and even Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. Read more about the Festival below, and check back often for posts from now until the end of August.
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
The 21st anniversary season of the Vail International Dance Festival will once again bring many of the world’s best dancers, choreographers and musicians to the stages of the Vail Valley July 27 – August 11, 2009. In his third year as Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel has assembled a spectacular array of artists including Savion Glover , Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, The Bakery, Buckets & Tap Shoes, Miami City Ballet and stars from the world’s great dance companies.
Savion Glover will kick off the 2009 Festival with a heart-pounding, foot tapping extravaganza at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on July 27. Glover will be joined by the Bare Soundz tap band and jazz quartet The Otherz on opening night at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.
The ‘09 Festival welcomes Miami City Ballet for their first Vail appearance on August 1. One of America’s most acclaimed Balanchine-repertory based ballet companies, Miami City Ballet will dedicate one evening to the works of George Balanchine. They also present an UpClose evening dedicated to examining the spectacular career of the company’s Artistic Director and star of New York City Ballet, Edward Villella, on August 3.
Two additional evenings of the popular UpClose series at the Vilar Performing Arts Center are hosted by Damian Woetzel and promise to be highlights of the Festival. Designed for aficionados and for those who want to further understand and appreciate dance, this series includes discussion, demonstration, a question-and-answer forum as well as traditional performances. UpClose: Savion Glover, Tap Dance Genius on July 28 will be an education in the extraordinary as Savion talks about and shows how he makes music with his feet. UpClose: Wendy Whelan, Dancer and Muse celebrates the ongoing brilliant career of American ballerina Wendy Whelan on August 6 with performance by resident company Morphoses starring Whelan herself, and dialogue with evening host and producer Damian Woetzel and Morphoses Director Christopher Wheeldon.
New to the Festival this year is an evening billed as Festival Highlights Spectacular on August 2. While the show may be a first for the Festival, this evening will feature a longtime friend and performer at the Festival, Ethan Stiefel. Stiefel will be accompanied by fellow American Ballet Theater star Gillian Murphy, and joined in this performance by artists from Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, Miami City Ballet, Buckets & Tap Shoes and acclaimed Argentinean tango stars Gabriel Missé and Natalie Hills.
After an enormously successful debut last year, the Dance for $20.08 reduced admission price performance will return as Dance for $20.09 on August 4, and will again offer new audiences an introduction to the world of dance. This year’s performance will feature The Bakery, New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Daniel Ulbricht, swing dance champion Todd Yannacone and more artists to be announced.
Rounding out the Festival at the exquisite Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater will be the ever-popular International Evenings of Dance on August 8 and 9, with leading couples from some of the world’s greatest dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, LAFA Dance Taiwan and Houston Ballet, among others. More fun evenings follow in a salute to world and exhibition ballroom champions in Ballroom’s Best on August 10 and a grand Festival finale on August 11 with the Bud Light Hot Summer Nights of Dance featuring Buckets & Tap Shoes and hip hop dancers in a free performance for the whole family.
The 21st anniversary season will be marked by a series of community events including the third annual Celebrate the Beat in-school workshop and performance for elementary school students, Dancing in the Streets, Village Vignette free performances and Master Classes.
Learn more about the Festival line-up and community events by visiting vaildance.org or calling 888.883.VAIL (8245). The Vail International Dance Festival is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation.
