Vail Dance

VAIL INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, DAMIAN WOETZEL | JULY 30 - AUGUST 13, 2016

Photography by Brent Bingham/Vail Valley Magazine

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 8

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

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COMPANY-IN-RESIDENCE BalletX continues to break new ground.

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ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Isabella Boylston: from Colorado to the world stage.

BALLROOM IS BACK Dancing with the Stars celeb Anna Trebunskaya brings the best of ballroom to Vail.

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DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM The trailblazing company debuts in Vail.

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NOW IS THE TIME TO COLLABORATE New works are an important part of Festival Director Damian Woetzel’s vision.

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DAMIAN WOETZEL’S GREATEST ‘TURN’ The Vail International Dance Festival is more than a series of performances.

VAIL INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL OFFICIAL PROGRAM 27

Opening Night

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BalletX: 2016

MODERN IN THE MOUNTAINS Modern dance thrives at the Vail International Dance Festival.

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Dorrance Dance in Concert

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UpClose: Vail’s Dance Festival

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Dancing in the Park with BalletX

VENUES Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail; Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek; Nottingham Park, Avon.

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International Evenings of Dance I & II

FRINGE EVENTS Nurturing the community’s involvement and appreciation of dance.

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NOW: Premieres

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Dance for $20:16

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Dance Theatre of Harlem

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Paul Taylor Dance Company

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Ballroom Spectacular

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Dance TV

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Underwriters and Donors

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Dance Companies

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Festival Artists

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Thank You

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Vail International Dance Festival. As

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we head into a historic 28th season,

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we need to take a moment to thank you, our audience, our patrons, our supporters and our partners who have

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helped make Vail, Colorado, a nexus of international dance.

This year is also very special for all of us as we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Damian Woetzel as our Artistic Director. As with all milestones, it gives us cause to look back at where we were and what we’ve accomplished. In the case of Damian, his vision, influence and passion over the last 10 years has positioned the Vail International Dance Festival as arguably one of the greatest dance experiences in the world, right here in Vail. We cannot wait to see what the next 10 years will bring.

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We look forward to celebrating with you this summer, great moments from our history, graceful dancers and dance companies who have brought beauty to our stages, and all the many years that this wonderful art form has touched our community. At the heart of it all, bringing the Vail International Dance Festival to a new crescendo, is your enthusiasm for dance.

Thank you,

LED GARDNER

Managing Broker Bridge Street Office

970-376-0223 lgardner@slifer.net • www.ledgardner.com

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Mike Imhof President and CEO Vail Valley Foundation

VAIL DAILY MAGAZINE GROUP GM Susan Ludlow

EDITOR Wren Bova ASSISTANT EDITOR Shelley Woodworth MARKETING GUY Mark Bricklin NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Karen Suing CONTENT & DIRECTION Martha Brassel Duncan Horner Alix Miller

JOIN US FOR WEEKLY PIGNICS THIS SUMMER!

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CONTRIBUTORS Kimberly Nicoletti Kate Penner Susan Reiter Claudia Schreier Sarah Silverblatt-Buser Stephen Lloyd Wood DESIGN Carly Arnold Aaron Tipton CIRCULATION MANAGER David Hakes COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Damian Woetzel by Kyle Froman Lauren Lovette by Patrick Fraser

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#VAILDANCE 9

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

DAMIAN WOETZEL first time, who this year include the tap dance pioneer Michelle Dorrance and the historic Dance Theatre of Harlem. We welcome them, along with all the dancers who join us this year, in what will be our largest Festival to date, both onstage and off.

Photo by Erin Baiano

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elcome! For the past ten years I have had the honor of directing this Festival, and whether you are with us for the first time, or have been a part of it since its beginnings, I am grateful for your enthusiasm and role in our performances. We simply couldn’t do it without you.

It has become an increasingly important part of our mission to foster new works, feature new role debuts and create new partnerships. This sense of the “new” is epitomized by the annual NOW: Premieres program, which presents a selection of debut dances by a range of choreographers in styles ranging from ballet to modern to street dance. But “new” also means companies and dancers joining us for the

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This year marks another new idea for the Festival: from November 3 to 6, we will be presented by New York City Center in a fall season that highlights the work we do in Vail and will feature many of the artists who have become familiar to our audiences. I hope that you will be able to join us for this new adventure.

Vail Dance Festival: ReMix NYC will share what we have created together, featured on the legendary City Center stage: a venue where ballet masterpieces by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins once premiered, and that is now an essential place to see dance in New York City.

I would like to salute all of the artists who have come to Vail over the last decade and brought with them a spirit of adventure befitting our magnificent natural setting.

They have complemented

their presence onstage with appearances on our streets, and with classes for young and old alike. They have brought the arts to life in Vail through their own work and the work they inspire in others. I thank them, and the many people who have made this Festival a vital part of this community: from the staff of the Vail Valley Foundation, to the patrons who have steadfastly supported our efforts, to you, the audience, who embrace all that we do.

I thank you for your commitment, which ensures that Vail is a place where the arts uniquely flourish, and I look forward to seeing you for all of the dancing.

Damian Woetzel

Claggett/Rey Gallery claggettrey.com 970.476.9350 vail village Quang Ho, Mizuna Blue oil 20 x 20 inches

YOURDOLLARS@WORK Donations to the Vail International Dance Festival are tax-deductible and help make it possible for the VVF to provide high-caliber programming.

Ticket sales only cover 33% of the cost to produce the Festival.

MASTER CLASSES Donations to the Festival support a master class series that provides aspiring dance students an opportunity to learn from the best artists in their field. Last year 316 students attended a 15-class series.

Tiler Peck teaches a master class to young students. Photo by Erin Baiano.

WORLD PREMIERES Since Damian Woetzel stepped into the role of artistic director in 2007, the Festival has made the creation of new works a priority.

From 2007 to 2015, Woetzel commissioned 47 new works which carry the name of the Vail International Dance Festival.

Wendy Whelan & Brian Brooks in the world premiere of Brooks’ Fall Falls. Photo by Erin Baiano.

COMMUNITY ARTS ACCESS New in 2016, the Community Arts Access program is working to eliminate socioeconomic barriers to the arts by providing complimentary performance tickets to individuals and families who could not otherwise afford to attend Festival performances.

Join Us In Making It Possible Marge & Phil Odeen with dancers Zachary Catazaro, Joseph Gordon, Misa Kuranaga and Tiler Peck after a performance at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.

“The Dance Festival is one of the highlights of the summer, and it gets better every year!”

- margaret rogers, long-time local and supporter of the festival Margaret Rogers, Betsy Wiegers and Marty Head. Photo by Kent Pettit

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Photo by Brian Maloney

2015 FESTIVAL

BY THE NUMBERS

Festival Support “Supporting the VIDF provides an opportunity to bring incredible talent and culture to the Vail Valley.

Whether we are watching a traditional ballet or a contemporary premiere, the Festival invites attendees to engage with the dancers in the most beautiful of all venues. The Dance Festival is an opportunity for our family to support the arts and contribute to what makes Vail such a special place to live.”

– sarah johnson, gold dress circle member Sarah & Grace Johnson.

Photo by Brian Maloney.

14 Interns 24 Ambassadors 130 Students in Celebrate the Beat Pop Hop Camp 3,120 Hotel Rooms Booked for Artists & Staff

“Working as a coordinator in the volunteer ambassador program for the past three summers has been an amazing experience. I have been able to engage in the behind-the-scenes side of performing and participate in the hard work that goes into producing the Festival, all while getting the unique opportunity to get to know many of the dancers.”

– colby wilson, ambassador coordinator

125 Flights Booked for Artists & Staff Colby Wilson, Megan Plancher, Tina Wilson, Jared Angle, Jill Plancher, Olivia Jones and Carol Storr. Photo by Kent Pettit.

“The Vail International Dance Festival has been a family tradition since Melissa was a young girl. I love the Festival so much that I permanently moved to Colorado!”

– mary wolf, diamond dress circle member

10 Commissioned World Premieres 106 Volunteers 2,556 Volunteer Hours 10 Performances & 4 Community Events 600 million + Marketing & PR Impressions

Melissa & Mary Wolf

“How fortunate for the Vail Valley to have the Vail International Dance Festival which has grown into an enjoyable and important part of the arts culture in our community. I am looking forward to Damian’s 10th year as Artistic Director!”

– joan whittenberg, supporter since 1989 Stephen Waterhouse, Joan Whittenberg and her son Hart.

Photo by Kent Pettit.

“Damian has made the leap from one of ballet’s great dancers to being one of ballet’s great voices. He has articulated and directed the need for ballet to attract new choreographers while respecting past masters, and we in Vail have benefitted from his vision and talent. In his ten years here he has propelled our Festival to the center of the dance world.”

– judy berkowitz, festival committee chairperson Damian Woetzel and Judy Berkowitz. Photo by Kent Pettit.

$3.2 million – Economic Impact on Vail

help make it possible Many opportunities exist to support the Vail International Dance Festival.

Benefits: VIP Parking, Seating, Ticket Services, Invitations to Exclusive Social Events, Access to Closed Rehearsals & more!

Contact Martha Brassel at 970.748.5907 mbrassel@vvf.org. #VAILDANCE 13

BALLETX: COMPANY-INRESIDENCE BalletX Continues to Break New Ground

By Kimberly Nicoletti

BalletX rehearsing in Vail. Photo by Erin Baiano.

F

or over a decade, BalletX has stretched ballet beyond traditional boundaries, into a new movement language which fuses classical and contemporary ballet with everything from jazz to hip hop.

The ten dancers of BalletX all possess a rare combination of impeccable traditional ballet training and technique, intense athleticism, passionate expression and a hunger to perfect ever-changing varieties of guest choreographers’ visions.

“We really challenge the body to move in new and different ways,” says BalletX’s Artistic Director Christine Cox. Now, after three years of surprising, delighting and emotionally stirring audiences at the Vail International Dance Festival, BalletX has the honor of being this season’s Company-InResidence.

“BalletX is an ideal Company-InResidence because they are such a community-minded group of dancers in addition to being simply terrific in their performances on the stage,” says Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. “These dancers are always ready to experiment, trying new challenges, whether in a new ballet or working with a crowd in the streets of Vail. I love their energy.”

The Philadelphia-based company has debuted 58 world premieres and presented the works of 31 renowned

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choreographers since 2005.

“We bring diverse, eclectic choreographers’ voices to the stage with a fun, curated approach,” Cox says. “It’s like going out to dinner where you can pick a really interesting meal because we have a fantastic menu of ballets that represents a worldview of voices through different choreographers.”

“I hope the choreography creates a little tingle inside that surprises them. It really becomes about the people who are watching, and how they interpret the dance, and how we all connect.”- Christine Cox As a result, one evening with BalletX can usher audiences through a full array of emotions. For instance, when Cox watched rehearsals for one of the company’s premieres created for the Festival, “it even had me giggling and tearing up,” she says.

BalletX strives to “tell untold stories in new ways,” Cox says. But despite all of the imaginative experimentation, its dancers remain very grounded — both literally and figuratively.

When Artist-In-Residence Isabella Boylston first worked with BalletX last season in Vail, the choreography challenged her to move from a

lower, more grounded place, she says, as well as more from her core.

In BalletX’s community-minded approach, it’s as if the dancers’ physically grounded movements extend into grassroots efforts — both in their hometown of Philadelphia and Vail — to involve people of all ages and abilities in the freedom of movement.

Last summer, BalletX taught some choreography from audience favorite Slump to the public. Participants found themselves transitioning from wide-legged stances to stepping with one foot while twirling their hips, or walking around slumped over.

“It’s just quirky, relatable material because it evokes everyday silliness and joy and laughter,” Cox says.

BalletX will continue to reach out to the Vail community this season: Cox sees it as building friendships with both the professional dancers from other companies as well as patrons.

“We just want to find our humanity in the art with the audience,” Cox says. “We hope we remind them of something they love about their life, maybe take them back to a past memory or a future vision. I hope the choreography creates a little tingle inside that surprises them. It really becomes about the patrons who are watching, and how they interpret the dance, and how we all connect.”

5 QUESTIONS WITH MICHELLE DORRANCE Q: Why tap?

A: What's better than being a dancer and musician at the same time? As a tap dancer, you are equally responsible for your movement and your music. In most cases, my musical impulse is first; but, the beautiful thing about tap dancing is that "the form follows the function."

(Gene Medler, my mentor, taught me this.)

Q: Heroes?

A: My parents

Q: Other type of dance you most love?

And steal from?

A: House, breaking, and hip hop (which all in turn stole from tap dancing ‌ just saying)

Q: What should the Vail audience expect from Dorrance Dance?

A: "Expect nothing, receive everything" - Avatar Meher Baba

Q: Ready for high altitude?

A: I'll start training for that tomorrow!

Michelle Dorrance and Dorrance Dance appear on Tuesday August 2, at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Photo by Matthew Murphy & Kenn Tam

#VAILDANCE 15

“I love the adventurous and enthusiastic spirit that Isabella brings to everything she does.”

- Damian Woetzel

Photo by Erin Baiano

ISABELLA BOYLSTON: ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE From Colorado to the world stage

F

or Isabella Boylston, performing at the Vail International Dance Festival feels like coming home. It’s not simply that she fell in love with ballet while studying at the Boulder Ballet, or the memory of her husband proposing to her three years ago at the 2013 Festival. It’s about Boylston’s present and future challenges at the Festival, namely collaborating with different dancers and companies as this year’s Artist-In-Residence.

“It’s a huge honor, especially considering the past artists who were Artists-In-Residence,” Boylston says.

“They’re all dancers that I admire so much.”

In this season’s role, “she will dance more than ever, as she will be cast throughout the whole Festival,” says Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. “She will tackle new roles, dance with new partners and have a ballet created with her in the leading role. Off the stage we will have her engage with

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By Kimberly Nicoletti

the community through classes, talks and community events that share her unique gifts with the public beyond the theater environment.”

Last season Boylston sampled the challenges that lie ahead by dancing as a guest artist with BalletX (this season’s Company-In-Residence).

She danced Matthew Neenan’s Show Me, a featured work on the NOW: Premieres program on which she will perform again this year.

While any piece is challenging to learn, stepping out of her role as principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and adapting to BalletX’s bold choreography – which focuses on expanding the vocabulary of classical dance – proved to be quite tricky last summer.

“It’s almost like you’re trying to pick up a new language,” she says. “It’s not something you pick up overnight, but I knew I would learn a lot.”

So, she watched, practiced and

emulated BalletX’s full-bodied, grounded fusion of ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop and other styles.

The live music she danced to in Show Me elevated her performance, as it reminded her of younger days at Boulder Ballet, where she practiced to live piano music, which spurred her fluidity and free spirit within the strict technique of classical ballet.

Throughout her few years at the Festival, Woetzel couldn’t help but be impressed by Boylston’s zealous personality as well as her graceful lines, powerful leaps and ability to master diverse roles.

“I love the adventurous and enthusiastic spirit that Isabella brings to everything she does — that, and she is simply an extraordinary dancer,” Woetzel says. “She is always willing and – more than that – insistent on pushing herself onto new ground, and the ArtistIn-Residence role is all about that.”

Born For Ballet

Boylston always felt “a natural connection to the physical challenge, and the freedom and expression and musicality” of ballet. After training at the Academy of Colorado Ballet in Denver for about four years, she attended the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, as a high school senior and after graduation, joined the ABT Studio Company and continued to move up the ranks.

This year, she achieved one of her ultimate dreams of performing the role of Juliet with ABT, and her next goal involves dancing more Balanchine ballets.

“I just want to keep evolving as a dancer,” she says. “I want to continue to improve technically and artistically and take on as many roles and learn as many styles while I can.

“At the end of the day, I just find ballet so rewarding. I’m the most happy and satisfied when I’m really delving into something in the studio and working my butt off. That’s what makes me tick.”

And those are the exact qualities that make her the perfect Artist-InResidence.

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BALLROOM IS BACK Dancing with the Stars celeb Anna Trebunskaya brings the best of ballroom to Vail

By Kimberly Nicoletti

A

nna Trebunskaya may have grown up in a family of professional ballroom dancers, but outside the studio, her life was far from glamorous. As her native country fell into chaos with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, life became increasingly grueling. So, as a young girl, she found solace in the dance studio.

“It was a tough period in Russia — complete chaos,” she says. “You didn’t know what was right; crime went through the roof. People would not get paid for months. Dancing was not just my passion, but, I guess, my dreamland — a touching of the beautiful. It made me feel there was hope.”

This summer, she and a number of fellow Russians channel the individual roughness they grew up around, into one passionate, intense ballroom evening.

A Russian ‘mood’

Trebunskaya didn’t consciously choose all but two Russians to perform in Vail’s ballroom spectacular.

“It happened naturally,” she says.

“The first thing I thought about (was) each of these dancers are excellent performers.”

She’s the first to admit that Russian dancers aren’t better than any other dancer, technically or expressively. Yet, overall, she does admire how Russians carry “a certain moodiness.”

“There is some heaviness,” she says, “some years and years of struggling, and the heaviness allows you to go deeper in your art.”

This summer, her uniquely curated dancers — Galina Detkina & Mikhail Zarinov; Artem Plakhotnyi & Inna

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Anna Trebunskaya. Photo by TC Franklin.

Berlizyeva; Vard Margaryan & Inga Demetryan; Jenya Shatilova & Vitalii Proskurin; and she and her partner Dmitry Chaplin — will portray the passionate relationships between a man and woman through waltz, rumba, cha-cha, merengue, tango, foxtrot and salsa.

Borrowing from Robert Frost, Trebunskaya describes ballroom dancing as “the vertical expression of horizontal desire.”

That said, the relational portrayals aren’t always sexual.

“It is the chemistry between two

dancers,” she says, “about how they work together and can create that passion, that chemistry, that tenderness.”

While each dancer possesses outstanding technique, for Trebunskaya, technique is merely a tool for portrayal.

“It is what is in between the moves, in between the lines — that chemistry, that charisma, that special energy around them,” she says.

Unlike competitive ballroom dancing, each couple chooses their own music, costumes, choreography

and length of dance based upon what speaks to them. “Because it’s a dance show, you are in control of the story you are going to tell people,� she says. “There is much more expression. You just do what you love, and you share that love with the audience.�

“It is the chemistry between two dancers, about how they work together and can create that passion, that chemistry, that tenderness.�

During the Vail International Dance Festival, Trebunskaya will have one day to orchestrate the couples’ routines they’ve prepared for the evening of ballroom and showcase them in their best light. “It’s about the progression, essentially placement, of each piece,� she says, explaining how she seeks an ebb and flow of various emotions, rather than an onslaught.

And that, once again, is where not only her experience as a professional, but also her Russian sensibilities come

into play. As a child, she lived between the chaos of her broken country and the “couple of hours (dancing, where) you are able to live a dream,� and that balance still empowers her to create a full, emotionally charged show. “All the dancers with a similar background have a constant gratefulness for the opportunity to not only be in this country but also do art and be celebrated for it,� she says. “Their perspective adds a depth of expression — a little something, something...�

FESTIVAL SCHOLAR-IN-RESIDENCE

- Anna Trebunskaya

2014 marked the inaugural year of the Vail International Dance Festival’s Scholar-InResidence program. The program was launched to offer promising young artists the extraordinary opportunity to participate in the Festival through the eyes of a professional dancer. Mentored by the Festival artistic director and Festival artists, the program allows the Scholar-In-Residence to participate in the artistic and cultural life of one of the most unique and renowned dance festivals in the world. The Festival's Scholar-In-Residence program is underwritten

by Argie Ligeros and Patrick Tierney.

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In a sense, the fundamental story ballroom tells is not just of a man and a woman, but also of a leader and follower. It elicits a nostalgic feeling of a man inviting a woman to dance.

And, though the man leads, both sexes are equal, without defaulting to a unisex expression, she says. “Women are encouraged to be feminine, and men, masculine — neither is more important,� she says. “The man invites the lead, and the woman allows the lead. It is a more classical, traditional way of interacting between two sexes.�

Yet, both men and women must be artistically animated and fiercely athletic — attributes often stereotypically assigned to one sex or the other — to make a name for themselves in the competitive world of ballroom.

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%6%29 45%3$!9 .)'(4 2016 Scholar-In-Residence Dario Natarelli, Tap Dance

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Trebunskaya’s take

After moving to the United States with nothing but a suitcase at age 17, Trebunskaya went on to rank sixth in the United States in 2004 and second in the Rising Star Professional Latin UK Championship in 2006, the same year she debuted on Dancing with the Stars.

While competition places athleticism first and artistry second, shows like Dancing with the Stars or Vail’s festival, “it’s all about the artistry; the athleticism supports the artistry,� she says.

Dancing with the Stars capitalizes on that artistry, and even expands choreography beyond ballroom, while still maintaining the basic allure of a romantic relationship. between a man and a woman.

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#VAILDANCE 19

Da’ Von Doane of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Photo by Rachel Neville.

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM The trailblazing company debuts in Vail

By Kate Penner

I

t has been 12 years since Dance Theatre of Harlem’s main touring company – its public face to much of the dance world – was suspended after protracted financial difficulties left them unable to continue daily operations. As suddenly as it had burst onto the scene, the company disappeared from the radar, leaving a hole in the landscape of American dance.

Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) was born of an urgent need in the eyes of its founder, Arthur Mitchell, a Harlem native who rose to prominence as a principal dancer at New York City Ballet in the 1950s.

Seminal roles were created for him

by George Balanchine – Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the pas

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de deux in Agon – which served as an enormous artistic opportunity for any dancer, let alone a black dancer in pre-civil rights America.

“We have a message that ballet belongs to everyone.”

- Jorge Andrés Villarini But it was the tumult of the 60s and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that pushed Mitchell to create his greatest work. Mitchell had experienced firsthand the lack of opportunity offered to young black children to engage in the arts. And in ballet, he saw a historically white classical art form that had altered the trajectory of his life; as a result, he

believed in its ability to open doors and change lives. So at the height of a successful performing career, he stepped away from the stage to build what was to become the first fully integrated classical ballet company of its kind.

Community outreach and arts exposure were central to DTH’s mission from its start, exposing thousands of children and families to ballet who otherwise would not have been able to afford the opportunity.

And, in the broader dance landscape, the company was forcefully refuting the commonly held belief that blacks were unsuitable for ballet.

Onstage, large-scale performance opportunities came one after the next, establishing the company as a force

to be reckoned with. Masterpieces created on the company like Firebird, Creole Giselle, and Dougla garnered critical acclaim and were performed in tandem with Balanchine works Agon and Bugaku, further establishing DTH’s reputation as a formidable neoclassical company.

Ambitious goals and demands made the usually challenging task of keeping a ballet company financially afloat all the more daunting, however.

Financial problems grew in severity until, in late 2004, with no remaining options, the company was dissolved.

While for many audience members outside Harlem, DTH disappeared from view, its ongoing education and arts outreach programs rose in importance as the board of directors worked to prioritize operations and ensure the return of the company. Then, in 2012, after 8 long years, millions in fundraising, and the appointment of Virginia Johnson as artistic director, the new Dance Theatre of Harlem company relaunched.

Beginning with modest touring schedules and a small group of dancers, the company has grown over the past 4 years to a 14-member roster with a New York City Center season, and national and international tours. “[The old company] left a mark and legacy in people’s hearts all over the world,” fourth-year dancer Lindsey Croop notes. “They remember the energy and the fire of the old company [and] the memories have stayed alive.”

Though Johnson has suggested that the nearly decade-long absence may have had broad consequences in inspiring young people of color to enter the art form, DTH continues to forge ahead with their mission to explore diversity in dance in all its forms, most recently featuring a full evening of female-choreographed works at their City Center season.

“Dance Theatre of Harlem encourages people to be expansive in the ways that they think because it continues to break traditional norms. . . It celebrates culture in all ways – not just African-American culture,” asserts Croop. Jorge Andrés Villarini, a second-year company member, agrees. “The most important role that DTH plays in the dance community is far beyond the artistic side of things…

We have a message that ballet belongs to everyone.”

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#VAILDANCE 21

NOW IS THE TIME TO COLLABORATE New works are an important part of Festival Director Damian Woetzel's vision.

By Kimberly Nicoletti

N

OW: Premieres unveils more than just new works by renowned artists. It is a fertile ground, where molecules of creativity combine to form a hybrid of rare movement and form and music.

This season, the festival features new pieces from Lil Buck, Matthew Neenan, Claudia Schreier, Jodie Gates, Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, Shantala Shivalingappa and Jodi Melnick, as they work with dancers ranging from classically trained ballet to hip-hop and contemporary.

Lil Buck: Master Collaborator

When Lil Buck came across jookin, a street dance born in his native Memphis and characterized by gliding and sliding on the balls of the feet, he was hooked. But he never dreamed what, to him, seemed like “floating in midair — gliding across the carpet like nothing” would lead him to perform with the likes of Madonna and Janelle Monáe and to influence the world of ballet.

His vision of infusing spontaneous, freestyling street dance with the precisely choreographed world of ballet began when Katie Smythe, artistic director of New Ballet Ensemble, offered him free ballet training in exchange to teach her ballet dancers hip-hop. He agreed, on the condition he didn’t have to wear tights. And so began his mission to make jookin “essential to the dance world, on the same level as ballet and contemporary dance,” he says.

Since then, he has become a major personality in Vail through his starpower and moves, but there are also his choices. In a typical juxtaposition for Lil Buck, in one Vail season he wowed audiences with his jookin interpretation of Camille Saint-Saëns’ classic, The Swan, in which he blended ballet

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and toe-spinning-gliding footwork, and then switched gears to partner with Shantala Shivalingappa in her rhythmic, South Indian story-telling dance. Now for this season, Lil Buck and Shivalingapa will build upon that piece, blending two styles of dance — both southern, but rooted in opposite ends of the world.

Neenan: Extending Boundaries

As the co-founder of BalletX, a company that strives to stretch the vocabulary of traditional ballet by folding in everything from hip-hop to jazz, Neenan’s most cherished time in Vail revolves around working with and being influenced by some of the best dancers and choreographers in the world for NOW. “It’s a night of wonder,” he says. “It’s usually a quick collaboration of guest artists dancing with companies. It’s also very valuable and precious time, and everyone makes the best of it.”

This year, Neenan is creating a piece based on a trip he took to India in January. In it, he strives to convey everything he “soaked in,” from the chaos of crowded cities to the simple countryside, where farmers washed clothes in buckets.

“The cities are crazy, and yet there’s this symmetry, this beauty with how it all works,” he says, adding that his abstract piece contains “references to how spoiled we are compared to other countries… It starts pretty symmetrical and takes a few different journeys.”

As with all of his choreography, Neenan insists on honest, authentic movement.

“I don’t like when the work looks too choreographed,” he says. “I like the dancers to look like they’re dancing it for the first time — fresh, spontaneous.

For me, you have to put yourself into the dance; it’s important to put your

Lil Buck. Photo by Erin Baiano.

own stamp on a new look rather than what everyone else is doing. It’s much more fun that way.”

He combines Franz Joseph Haydn’s softer, classical music with contemporary music, all to be performed live in Vail by New York’s Catalyst Quartet.

“The music is gorgeous,” Neenan says. “It’s really intense; it’s all over the place.”

Schreier: Music as Muse

Schreier entered Vail’s festival as an intern in 2007.

“I spent each day surrounded by artists of the highest caliber from the furthest reaches of the dance world, sharing their unique voices selflessly and unabashedly,” she says.

That led her to explore and develop her own voice as a choreographer.

“And so, in many ways, having the opportunity to present a new work on the NOW: Premieres program as an emerging choreographer is a surreal, full-circle moment.”

She weaves her classical ballet upbringing with modern and contemporary styles that come naturally to her.

“My movement style is both a representation and idealized extension of myself,” she says. “My work has been described by my dancers as feeling very grounded and fluid, yet with a strong emphasis on maintaining clean lines and form.

“For ballet to continue to thrive as an art form, I believe that it must remain securely rooted in its past in order to branch outward without hesitation.”

䴀礀 氀漀瘀攀 漀昀 搀攀猀椀最渀 愀渀搀 昀愀猀栀椀漀渀 氀攀搀 洀攀 琀漀 氀攀愀瘀攀 琀栀攀 一攀眀 夀漀爀欀 䌀椀琀礀 䈀愀氀氀攀琀 琀漀 昀漀挀甀猀 漀渀 眀栀愀琀 栀愀搀 戀攀攀渀Ⰰ 甀渀琀椀氀 琀栀攀渀Ⰰ 愀 栀漀戀戀礀⸀ 吀栀攀 琀攀渀 礀攀愀爀猀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 猀瀀攀渀琀 愀猀 愀 搀愀渀挀攀爀 栀愀瘀攀 椀渀˻甀攀渀挀攀搀 琀栀攀 愀攀猀琀栀攀琀椀挀 漀昀 洀礀 搀攀猀椀最渀猀⸀ 䤀 戀攀氀椀攀瘀攀 琀栀愀琀 昀攀洀椀渀椀渀椀琀礀 椀猀 琀椀洀攀氀攀猀猀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 琀栀愀琀 戀攀愀甀琀礀 椀猀 昀漀甀渀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 ǻ渀攀猀琀 搀攀琀愀椀氀猀⸀ 䴀礀 愀椀洀 愀猀 愀 搀攀猀椀最渀攀爀 椀猀 琀漀 琀爀愀渀猀氀愀琀攀 琀栀椀猀 昀攀洀椀渀椀渀椀琀礀 愀渀搀 搀攀琀愀椀氀 椀渀琀漀 瀀椀攀挀攀猀 琀栀愀琀 愀爀攀 挀栀椀挀 愀渀搀 爀攀氀攀瘀愀渀琀⸀ 䔀愀挀栀 猀攀愀猀漀渀 琀栀攀 挀漀氀氀攀挀琀椀漀渀 攀瘀漀氀瘀攀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀椀猀 椀渀琀攀渀琀Ⰰ 眀漀爀欀椀渀最 眀椀琀栀 眀栀愀琀 椀猀 挀氀愀猀猀椀挀愀氀氀礀 戀攀愀甀琀椀昀甀氀 愀渀搀 愀爀琀椀挀甀氀愀琀椀渀最 椀琀 眀椀琀栀 愀 猀漀瀀栀椀猀琀椀挀愀琀攀搀 攀搀最攀⸀

ⴀ 䨀愀洀椀攀 圀漀氀昀

䨀 愀 洀 椀 攀 圀漀 氀 昀 ᤠ猀 渀 攀 眀 攀 猀 琀 䌀 漀 氀 氀 攀 挀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 眀 椀 氀 氀 戀 攀 昀 攀 愀 琀 甀 爀攀 搀 愀 琀 吀 栀 攀 匀 焀 甀 愀 猀 栀 䈀 氀 漀 猀 猀 漀 洀 䨀 甀 氀 礀 ㈀ 㤀 琀 栀 爀漀 甀 最 栀 䄀 甀 最 甀 猀 琀 ㄀ 㐀 Ⰰ ㈀ ㄀ 㘀

㄀㤀㠀 䜀漀爀攀 䌀爀攀攀欀 䐀 爀 椀瘀攀 簀 嘀愀椀氀 嘀 椀氀 氀愀最攀 簀 猀焀甀愀猀栀戀氀漀猀猀漀洀⸀挀漀洀 簀 㤀㜀 ⸀㐀㜀㘀⸀㌀㄀㈀㤀

Jodi Melnick. Photo by Stephanie Berger.

Her love of choreography originated from growing up in a home “flooded with classical music at all times,” she says. She began playing piano at age 5, then moved onto violin and ballet. She credits her musical education as an essential influence upon her choreography.

“I gravitate toward music that is rhythmically complex and emotionally expressive, with a cohesive structural arc,” she says. “I aim to create works that exhibit these exact same traits, working in tandem with — but not mirroring — the music.”

Gates: Innovator

After dancing as a principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet, Gates launched a professional degree program for dance performance and choreography through the University of Southern California. American Ballet Theatre has honored her choreographic excellence, with a style critics have described as “visually compelling, powerful, profound and richly textured.”

“I am continually inspired by curiosity, innovation, artistic lineage, and am compelled to further the art form,” she says.

She infuses her pieces with “an organic sense of humanity, musicality, theatricality, intricate circular movement and complex partnering passages,” she says. “Clear intention is key. Of course, being hyper-musical and having a sense of stagecraft is critical, and in my opinion, all choreographers can benefit from an editor or dramaturge.”

Although her style is based in

24 VAILDANCE.ORG

ballet, she blends hip-hop into pieces because she believes the latter form is “the social dance of our nation.

“It informs a ballet dancer in numerous ways, most prolifically with its counter rhythms, grounded movement qualities, bounce, articulation of the spine and unique isolated coordination that is not currently found in the ballet vocabulary.”

As a result, she requires students to train not only in ballet, but also in hiphop and contemporary.

“I have found that we are creating a special hybridity in young dance artists,” she says. “Hip-hop also challenges the hierarchy, which is embedded in ballet, and most importantly, informs community, collaboration and team building, which is imperative in the field.”

As one of the relatively few renowned female ballet choreographers of today, she feels responsible to inspire young women who desire to become choreographers.

“I honestly have always believed that dance is what I am meant to be doing with my life and have a very strong need to share, educate and create,” she says.

This season, she debuts a duet designed for ballerina Carla Körbes and NYCB principal Jared Angle. Her contemporary ballet piece will showcase the distinct coordination skills and qualities of these two exquisite artists. Her aim: to produce “a stylish and collaborative work that looks and feels as good to them as wearing new couture clothing,”

A Host of Inspiration

Other prominent choreographers, covered on page 59 include Shantala Shivalingappa, Jodi Melnick, and Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener.

Shivalingappa has infused the festival with her Southern Indian inspired style of traditional dance, Kuchipudi, a 2,000-year-old marriage of stories set to rhythm. Though one might not expect such an old ritual to meld so naturally with the latest street dance styles like Lil Buck’s Memphis jookin, the two come into sync based upon their common foundation of precision, technique and gestural hand movements.

Melnick, a New York City based choreographer, has collaborated

with a variety of prominent choreographers. Much of her gift in working with other artists comes in the form of paring down extraneous movement, in order to present a clear stage “video.” The New Yorker has likened her work to “water made human” with her flow, ease and depth.

Mitchell and Riener shared their creative approach to dance last summer in Vail. They expand dance’s vocabulary through modalities including interpretive poetry, stories, spatial relationships and artistic installations. This season, they will stretch their own comfort zones by creating choreography for ballet dancers through predetermined music; normally, they “play” with ideas and various genres through their own movements, then add modern dancers into the mix, and only at the end, overlay music for additional texture. They look forward to finding commonality in delving into their own authentic expression — and innovative assemblies — through classically trained ballet dancers.

“NOW is not just a premiere,” Neenan says. “It’s about a whole collaboration between (various) entities and just seeing what happens.”

Though the outer expression of dancers and choreographers may differ, the inner language of dance, music, rhythm and shared energy connects the artists with each other, and the audience, in a very special way.

And so, through a menagerie of choreographic styles, this season’s NOW promises to be a sensory explosion of extraordinarily crafted choreography.

Claudia Schreier in rehearsal.

Photo by Rosalie O’Connor

VAIL INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL 2016 OPENING NIGHT Saturday, July 30 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail BALLETX Sunday, July 31 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail DORRANCE DANCE IN CONCERT Tuesday, August 2 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail UPCLOSE: VAIL’S DANCE FESTIVAL WITH DAMIAN WOETZEL Wednesday, August 3 6:30pm Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek DANCING IN THE PARK WITH BALLETX Thursday, August 4 5:30pm Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park, Avon INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE I Friday, August 5 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE II Saturday, August 6 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail NOW: PREMIERES Monday, August 8 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail DANCE FOR $20.16 Tuesday, August 9 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM Wednesday, August 10 6:30pm Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek PAUL TAYLOR’S AMERICAN MODERN DANCE Thursday, August 11 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail BALLROOM SPECTACULAR Friday, August 12 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail DANCE TV Saturday, August 13 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

26 VAILDANCE.ORG

Matthew Rushing. Photo by Erin Baiano.

TICKETS $20 - $125 BOX OFFICE:

888.920.ARTS(2787) 970.845.TIXS(8497) VailDance.org

FOLLOW US: Vail International Dance Festival @VailDance / #VailDance @VailDanceFest / #VailDance Vail International Dance Festival

OPENING NIGHT Saturday, July 30 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail The 2016 Festival kicks off with an evening featuring an extraordinary range of artists, from the Memphis jookin virtuoso Lil Buck to American Ballet Theatre's exquisite ballerina Isabella Boylston, who leads this year's Festival as Artist-inResidence. This performance launches the 10th anniversary season of Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, whom The New York Times calls “…one of the foremost impresarios of American dance.”

Performance Underwritten by

Jill Tannebaum & Don Brownstein

2016 Artist-In-Residence Isabella Boylston in George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux.

Choreography © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo by Erin Baiano.

#VAILDANCE 27

BALLETX: 2016 COMPANY-IN-RESIDENCE Sunday, July 31 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

BalletX performs Slump. Photo by Erin Baiano.

The Vail International Dance Festival’s 2016 Company-In-Residence is Philadelphia’s acclaimed contemporary ballet company, BalletX. Their uniquely energetic style has thrilled Vail audiences over the past several seasons, presenting world premieres, company repertory and 2015’s full-length work Sunset, o639 Hours. This summer BalletX presents an evening of works both familiar and new, including the hilarious Slump and the 2015 NOW: Premieres centerpiece, Show Me, hailed by The New York Times for its “suspense, vitality, comedy [and] freedom.”

Performance Underwritten by

Peggy Fossett 28 VAILDANCE.ORG

DORRANCE DANCE IN CONCERT Tuesday, August 2 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Tap dance ambassador Michelle Dorrance and her company present an evening of tap dance, live music, original choreography and sonic creation like no other.

A 2015 MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant recipient, Dorrance and her company are leading a revolution in the world of tap dance and now make their first appearance at the Vail International Dance Festival.

Of a recent performance, The New York Times wrote, “The world of tap felt immense and young.”

“...ENTIRELY GLORIOUS.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

Performance Underwritten by

Volvo

Photo by Matthew Murphy & Kenn Tam

#VAILDANCE 29

UPCLOSE: VAIL’S DANCE FESTIVAL HOSTED BY DAMIAN WOETZEL Wednesday, August 3 6:30pm Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek

Robert Fairchild.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

Artistic Director Damian Woetzel celebrates his 10th anniversary leading the Festival with a unique UpClose rehearsal-style performance, focusing on the artists who make Vail their collaborative home every summer. Featuring a range of dancers including former Artists-In-Residence Carla Körbes, Tiler Peck, Lil Buck, Herman Cornejo, Robert Fairchild and 2016’s addition to that growing team, Isabella Boylston. With live music by New York City Ballet and Vail Dance Festival Principal Pianist, Cameron Grant.

The UpClose performance is a fundraising evening where a portion of all tickets sold benefit the Vail International Dance Festival. The performance will be followed by an exclusive artist dinner at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek. Dinner tickets may be purchased through the box office.

Performance Underwritten by

Anonymous 30 VAILDANCE.ORG

DANCING IN THE PARK WITH BALLETX Thursday, August 4 5:30pm Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park, Avon

BalletX at 2015's Dancing in the Park.

Photo by Shelby Seier

In a free performance of the Vail International Dance Festival, Company-In-Residence BalletX presents a variety of dances at Avon’s spectacular outdoor venue.

This event is a family-friendly evening with some of the world’s best dancers. Gates open at 4:30pm; food and drinks will be available.

Performance Underwritten by

Town of Avon

#VAILDANCE 31

INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE I & II Friday, August 5 & Saturday, August 6 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

A magnificent cast of stellar dance artists from around the world takes the stage in these signature Festival performances.

“... NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND DEBUTS THAT WOULD PLEASE THE HEARTS OF FANS THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

Friday’s Performance Underwritten by

Marge & Phil Odeen

Saturday’s Performance Underwritten by

Jill & Kevin Plancher 32 VAILDANCE.ORG

Featured Artists ISABELLA BOYLSTON Artist-in-Residence American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Donna & Donald Baumgartner JARED ANGLE New York City Ballet Underwritten by Dhuanne & Douglas Tansill LIL BUCK Memphis Jooker Underwritten by Leni & Peter May

ANGELICA GENEROSA Pacific Northwest Ballet Underwritten by Karen R. Masano & John M. Arnold JOSEPH GORDON New York City Ballet Underwritten by Mary Sue & Michael Shannon ELENA HEISS Flamenco Underwritten by Kathy & William Hybl CARLA KÖRBES Underwritten by Linda & Stephen Waterhouse

ZACHARY CATAZARO New York City Ballet Underwritten by Sheika & Pepi Gramshammer

NAYARA LOPES Dance Theatre of Harlem Underwritten by Anonymous

JEFFERY CIRIO American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Nancy & Richard Lubin

LAUREN LOVETTE New York City Ballet Underwritten by Malo & John Harrison

HERMAN CORNEJO American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Joan Whittenberg

GABRIEL MISSÉ Argentine Tango Underwritten by Elaine & Art Kelton

LAUREN CUTHBERTSON The Royal Ballet Underwritten by Jane & Skip Netzorg

RASHAUN MITCHELL Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener Underwritten by Genie & Robert Stine

DA’VON DOANE Dance Theatre of Harlem Underwritten by Jean & Tom McDonnell MICHELLE DORRANCE Dorrance Dance Underwritten by Mary Wolf Family CARLA ESPINOSA Argentine Tango Underwritten by Barbara & Robert DeLuca ROBERT FAIRCHILD New York City Ballet Underwritten by Martha & Terry Allen Perl CHASE FINLAY New York City Ballet Underwritten by Senenne & Marc Philippon

MATTHEW RUSHING Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Underwritten by Vicki & Michael Price SHANTALA SHIVALINGAPPA International Dance Artist & Choreographer Underwritten by Lisa & Bruce Goldman DEVON TEUSCHER American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Joanne Posner-Mayer MELISSA TOOGOOD Pam Tanowitz Dance Underwritten by Kay Lawrence ERIC UNDERWOOD The Royal Ballet Underwritten by LaDonna & Gary Wicklund

JOSEPH WALSH San Francisco Ballet Underwritten by Sherri & Robert L. Patton JAMES WHITESIDE American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Martha Head BALLETX Company-In-Residence Underwritten by Priscilla Brewster

Featured Musicians KATE DAVIS CAMERON GRANT JP JOFRE CATALYST QUARTET

RON “PRIME TYME” MYLES Memphis Jooker Underwritten by Marcy & Gerald Spector TILER PECK New York City Ballet Underwritten by Wendy Williams & Ben Kullavanijaya UNITY PHELAN New York City Ballet Underwritten by Carolyn & Gene Mercy SILAS RIENER Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener Underwritten by Rella & Monroe Rifkin CALVIN ROYAL III American Ballet Theatre Underwritten by Janet Pyle & Paul Repetto

Carla Körbes & Herman Cornejo (L) and Tiler Peck (R) performing in Vail.

Photos by Erin Baiano.

#VAILDANCE 33

NOW: PREMIERES Monday, August 8 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

A collection of new works commissioned by the Festival from renowned choreographers and performed by a cast of artists from ballet, modern, contemporary and street dance worlds, all sharing the stage in this signature Festival performance. 2016 choreographers include: Jodie Gates, Lil Buck, Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener, Matthew Neenan, Claudia Schreier, Jodi Melnick, and Shantala Shivalingappa.

Featured dancers include Artist-In-Residence Isabella Boylston and Company-InResidence BalletX.

2016 Featured Choreographers: LIL BUCK

SHANTALA SHIVALINGAPPA

JODIE GATES

MATTHEW NEENAN

RASHAUN MITCHELL + SILAS RIENER

CLAUDIA SCHREIER*

JODI MELNICK

Performance Underwritten by

Pam & Ernie Elsner 34 VAILDANCE.ORG

*Ms. Schreier’s new work is commissioned by the Vail International Dance Festival and made possible by a grant from the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation.

Lil Buck. Photo by Erin Baiano.

DANCE FOR $20.16 Tuesday, August 9 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail An evening for everyone featuring artists from the 2016 Vail International Dance Festival, with specially priced $20.16 reserved seating and $10 lawn tickets in honor of Damian Woetzel’s 10th anniversary as Artistic Director.

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.

Photo by Orsino Lentini.

Performance Underwritten by

Town of Vail

#VAILDANCE 35

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM Wednesday, August 10 6:30pm Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek

Shortly after the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., legendary African-American ballet star Arthur Mitchell was inspired to start a school that would offer children — especially those in his native Harlem — the opportunity to learn about dance and the allied arts. That dream grew into Dance Theatre of Harlem which, four decades later, has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of creative expression and artistic excellence. In their Vail debut, DTH brings new life to ballet with a program of groundbreaking contemporary works.

Program: DANCING ON THE FRONT PORCH OF HEAVEN Choreography by Ulysses Dove Music by Arvo Pärt WHEN LOVE Choreography by Helen Pickett Music by Philip Glass COMING TOGETHER Choreography by Nacho Duato Music by Frederic Rzewski

Performance Underwritten by

Vail Valley Foundation Board of Directors 36 VAILDANCE.ORG

Photo by Rachel Neville.

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY “MR. TAYLOR IS OUR GREATEST LIVING CHOREOGRAPHER...”

Thursday, August 11 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

– THE NEW YORK TIMES

Paul Taylor has been at the forefront of modern dance for more than 60 years. This performance features a full evening of extraordinary dances created by this living legend.

Performance Underwritten by

Priscilla Brewster

Program: POLARIS Music by Donald York (commissioned score) DILLY DILLY Songs by Burl Ives and Promethean FIRE Music by J.S. Bach, orchestrated

by Leopold Stokowski

Photo by Paul B. Goode.

#VAILDANCE 37

BALLROOM SPECTACULAR Friday, August 12 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Ballroom is back! Anna Trebunskaya of Dancing with the Stars fame creates and stars in a unique made-for-Vail showcase with ballroom champions from around the world performing a variety of dances, from the waltz to the rumba, cha-cha, merengue, samba, tango, and foxtrot.

Featured Ballroom Dancers: ANNA TREBUNSKAYA & DMITRY CHAPLIN GALINA DETKINA & MIKHAIL ZARINOV ARTEM PLAKHOTNYI & INNA BERLIZYEVA VARD MARGARYAN & INGA DEMETRYAN JENYA SHATILOVA & VITALII PROSKURIN

Performance Presented in Memory of

Arte Davies 38 VAILDANCE.ORG

Anna Trebunskaya & Dmitry Chaplin. Photo by Erin Baiano

DANCE TV Saturday, August 13 7:30pm Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Dance TV finale.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

The Festival closer brings the thrill of dance on the small screen to life, with spectacular artists from hit shows like Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance and more, joining ArtistIn-Residence Isabella Boylston, Tiler Peck, Lil Buck, Robert Fairchild, and James Whiteside. It’s a celebration of dance on screens large and small.

Performance Underwritten by

EverBank

#VAILDANCE 39

Providing Integrative Medicine, Physical Therapy, Sports Chiropractic and Massage Therapy in Vail, Edwards and Eagle.

Photo by Erin Baiano

vailhealth.com

PRESENTERS CIRCLE

F E S T I VA L PAT R O N S

The Vail Valley Foundation extends its sincere gratitude to our Presenters Circle patrons whose dedication has made it possible for the 2016 Vail International Dance Festival to achieve an extraordinary level of success.

JUDY & HOWARD BERKOWITZ Judy and Howard Berkowitz have been supporters of the Vail Valley Foundation since its inception.

Their love for the art of dance and generous support have enabled the Vail International Dance Festival to grow into the critically acclaimed Festival it is today. They are long-time members of the Friends of Vail program, and Judy serves on the Foundation’s Board of Directors and is Chairperson of the Dance Festival Committee. In New York, Judy serves on the Board of Rockefeller University, The New-York Historical Society, and chairs The Center for Educational Innovation. Howard is the Chairman Emeritus of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, is former Chairman of the Anti-Defamation League, current Chairman of the South Florida Advisory Board and is a Board Member of the New York City Ballet.

Locally, he serves on the Board of the Steadman-Philippon Research Institute.

JEFF & SUSAN CAMPBELL Jeff and Susan Campbell started coming to the Vail Valley from Dallas when their children were first learning to ski. They continued to visit the Vail Valley as they moved to London, San Francisco and, most recently, to the West Village in New York City. Two of their children are now attending college in Colorado, and their Beaver Creek home has become the center of family life. They are avid dance lovers and longtime supporters of the Vail International Dance Festival and the Vilar Performing Arts Center. Susan serves on the Board of the Vail Valley Foundation and is a member of the Dance Festival Committee. In New York, she supports the New York City Ballet’s New Combinations Fund. The Campbells are passionate skiers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts.

OSCAR TANG FAMILY The Tang family has supported the Vail Valley Foundation at a leadership level since its inception. In particular, Oscar was a founding supporter of the Vail International Dance Festival and has continued his support for 28 years. Dividing his time between Vail and New York, Oscar is an Emeritus member of the Vail Valley Foundation Board of Directors and is concurrently on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum and the New York Philharmonic.

Agnes has taught at Brown and Stanford and has served as a cultural policy advisor to UNESCO and the United States Cultural Property Advisory Committee; she is a documentarian of two series on the Discovery and History networks. Agnes serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Opera and the New-York Historical Society. She is also the Co-Chair of Asia Society’s newly created Global Council on Arts and Culture. The Tangs are dedicated to supporting the arts, culture and education. They are members of the Foundation’s Cornerstone Friends program and also support the Foundation’s education initiatives. Most recently, the Tangs supported the documentary “American Ballet Theatre: A History” by the award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns.

BETSY & GEORGE WIEGERS Ardent supporters of the Arts in New York City and Denver, the Wiegers are also extraordinarily generous in the Vail Valley, particularly to the Vail International Dance Festival, Bravo! Vail and the YouthPower365. Betsy serves on the Board of the Vail Valley Foundation, is a long time member of the Dance Festival Committee and is a former trustee of Bravo! Vail.

George is the founder and creator of the University of Colorado Depression Center at the Anschutz Medical Center in Denver and is also a founder of the Deisseroth Laboratory for Brain Research at Stanford University. Their philanthropy in New York includes support of the New York Philharmonic, American Ballet Theatre and the New-York Historical Society. In Denver they support the Denver Art Museum and also contributed to the new Liebeskind wing at the museum.

#VAILDANCE 41

F E S T I VA L PAT R O N S Vail Valley Foundation Board of Directors Andy Arnold John Arnold Hans Berglund Judy Berkowitz Jenn Bruno Susan Campbell Steve Coyer Jack Crosby Andy Daly Ron Davis Bill Esrey Johannes Faessler Tim Finchem Harry Frampton Pete Frechette Steve Friedman John Garnsey Margie Gart Donna Giordano Sheika Gramshammer Martha Head Michael Herman Al Hubbard B. J. Hybl

Mike Imhof Chris Jarnot George Johnson Alexia Jurschak Kent Logan Doug Lovell Peter May Kaia Moritz Brian Nolan Bobby Patton Michael Price Eric Resnick Douglas Rippeto Dick Rothkopf Ken Schanzer Mike Shannon Stanley Shuman Rod Slifer Ann Smead Hap Stein Kristin Tang Fred Tresca Stewart Turley Betsy Wiegers

Directors Emeritus Adam Aron Marlene Boll Bjorn Erik Borgen Berry Craddock John Galvin George Gillett Pepi Gramshammer Steve Haber William Hybl Elaine Kelton Oscar Tang

Dance Festival Committee Members Judy Berkowitz, Chairperson Priscilla Brewster Jenn Bruno Susan Campbell Allie Coppeak Lisa Goldman Sheika Gramshammer Jane Netzorg Senenne Philippon Jill Plancher Stacey Sapp Linda Waterhouse Joan Whittenberg Betsy Wiegers

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2016 VIDF PATRONS It is with the support of our patrons that the Vail International Dance Festival has become one of the greatest in the world. We are deeply appreciative of their generosity and investment in our mission. The list that follows represents patrons who gave a gift between September 1, 2015 and May 23, 2016. For gifts made after this date, please refer to the evening program inserts.

UNDERWRITERS CIRCLE Anonymous Priscilla Brewster Pam & Ernie Elsner Town of Avon Town of Vail Jody & John Arnhold Jody and John Arnhold are supporters of dance in New York City and longtime admirers of VIDF’s Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel. They are proud to support the Vail International Dance Festival. Jody’s most recent project as Executive Producer of the documentary PS Dance! Dance Education in Public Schools has excited educators across the country.

The film has sparked a movement #DanceForEveryChild that seeks to implement quality dance education in public schools nationwide. Join us at psdancenyc.com Donna & Donald Baumgartner For more than 20 years Donna and Donald have enjoyed their mountain home in the Lake Creek Valley. They have been active supporters of both the visual and performing arts in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and have shared their passion locally through their support of the Vail International Dance Festival. As true lovers of the art of dance, they rarely miss a performance during the twoweek Festival.

Lisa Tannebaum & Don Brownstein Lisa Tannebaum and Don Brownstein are longtime supporters of the performing arts in Vail and Connecticut. Lisa has a career as a harpist and Don is the founder of Structured Portfolio Management.

Peggy Fossett Peggy Fossett is a longtime resident of Beaver Creek. Along with her late husband, Steve, she has supported numerous arts, sciences, educational and medical non-profits throughout the Vail Valley. She is a resident of Chicago and also has a home in Carmel, California. She has a background in music and is a retired banker.

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

Jill & Kevin Plancher Jill and Kevin Plancher first enjoyed the Vail International 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 live in Greenwich, Connecticut and have three children. Kevin has a private orthopedic practice in New York City and Greenwich and Jill is a family lawyer with Connecticut Legal Services. They are thrilled to once again support the International Evenings performance. Their daughter Megan was a past member of the Festival Ambassador Program.

Linda & Stephen Waterhouse Linda and Steve Waterhouse are proud to support Damian Woetzel and the Vail International Dance Festival. They believe that only in Vail can one see the finest dancers and choreography in the world, in one venue, over a twoweek period. For Linda and Steve, this Festival is an education for the eye and an opportunity to experience the joy of dance — a beautiful “summer camp” for everyone!

DIAMOND DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous Karen R. Masano & John M. Arnold* Barbara & Robert DeLuca Currents Fine Jewelry Pat & Pete Frechette* Sheika & Pepi Gramshammer Malo & John Harrison Martha Head* Nancy & Richard Lubin Leni & Peter May* Jean & Tom McDonnell Carolyn & Gene Mercy Jane & Skip Netzorg

F E S T I VA L PAT R O N S Sherri & Robert L. Patton, Jr.* Martha & Terry Allen Perl Senenne & Marc Philippon Vikki & Michael Price* Nancy & Don Remey Mary Sue & Michael Shannon* Marcy & Gerald Spector* Dhuanne & Doug Tansill Noel Kullavanijaya & Wendy Williams Mary Wolf Family *VVF Cornerstone Patron

PLATINUM DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous Lisa & Bruce Goldman Marvin Naiman & Margery Goldman Family Foundation Kathy & William Hybl Kay Lawrence Joanne Posner-Mayer Janet Pyle & Paul Repetto Rella & Monroe Rifkin Pixley & Ken Schiciano Susan & Jeffrey Stern Genie & Robert Stine Martin Waldbaum Joan Whittenberg LaDonna & Gary Wicklund

GOLD DRESS CIRCLE

Raydean Acevedo & Walter Jenkins Martin Atkin & Reid Balthaser Dierdre & Ronnie Baker Margo Boyle Diane & Jeff Brundage Ann Smead & Michael Byram Clara Willoughby Cargile Arlene Harris & Martin Cooper Linda & J. Berry Craddock Karen A. Nold & Robert J. Croteau Lois & Stephen Eisen Susan & Harry Frampton Joan Francis Jennifer & Richard Geisman Debra Herz Lorraine & Harley Higbie Cheryl Holman Sarah & Tait Johnson Elaine & Art Kelton Judy & Alan Kosloff Irmgard & Charles Lipcon Philip Livingston Marion & Terence Martin Helen McIntyre Larned A. Waterman & Paul S. Mesard Karen R. Nagel, PhD Joan Nissman & Judith Nissman Taylor The Ogden Family Ronnie & William Potter Michael Ritchie Deana & Gerald Stempler Linda & Stew Turley Brenton VerPloeg Larry Fulton & David Vogel Mindy & Gregory White Tina & David Wilson Ellen & James Wiss

SILVER DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous Brenda & Joe Adeeb Roxanne & Ed Anderson Wendy & Warren Blumenthal Rebecca & Howard Braverman Kaye Summers & Dan Carpenter Margaret & Clayton Chessman Allie Coppeak Maureen & David Cross Renee & Jeffrey Epstein Julie & Bill Esrey Micki & Larry Fletcher Miriam & Morris Futernick Margie & Tom Gart Kelly & Michael Gottlieb Sharon & Tom Haverstock Ami & Scott Hudgins Alexia & Jerry Jurschak Bonnie Lee & Lawrence Kivel Gretchen & Charles Lobitz Marjorie Marks Ferrell & William McClean Deborah Nunez Kathi Renman & Jim Picard Dr. Bill Rodkey Stacey Sapp Marla Steele Carol & Hans Storr Patricia & Jack Sturdivant Vail Friends of the Dance Margaret & Glen Wood

VAIL VALLEY MEMBER

Anonymous (2) Ellen Arnovitz Deborah & David Boillot Erin & Don Chappel Brenda & Thomas Curnin Ines & Fred Distelhorst Diane & Larry Feldman Norma & Morton Funger Elizabeth & Michael Galvin Stephanie & John Hanson Karin & Dean Johnson Lynn & Andrew Kaufman Carey & Tim Romer AK Schleusner Jennifer & Irene Seda Nancy & John Snyder Robin & Tim Thompson In memory of Mrs. Barbara Webb The Webb Family Fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation Karen & John Weslar

COMMUNITY MEMBER

Anonymous Carol Atha Kathlen Denson Sherry & Joe MacKinnon Sandy & Fred Pack Carole Schragen Mark Taylor Patricia & Edward Wahtera Donna Whittington

FAN CLUB

Anonymous Janet & William Adler Lee Altschuler Catherine & Truman Anderson Lily Appelman Toni & Richard Bachmann Beth Barbre & John Mangan Dana Beach Jayne & Paul Becker Elizabeth Benish Kathleen & Jack Blair Wendy Boutin Linda Boyne Diana Bradley Dr. Donna DeSimone & Dr. Stephen Brenman Barbara & Gary Bryson Christine & George Burns Judy & Arthur Canter Dr. Leslie Capin Julie Carr Elizabeth Chambers & Ronald Mooney Jerome Chaves Donae Chramosta Karyn Contino Nancy Davis Chus & Victor de la Lama Nancy & Craig Denton Debra Devereaux Mary & Rogers Dockstader Sherry Dorward Barbara Dubin Carolyn & Don Etter Carole & Peter Feistmann Sarah Fernandez Larry Field David Folkes Carolyn & Reed Ford Lisa & Wayne Goad Sandy & Bill Goss Suzanne Greene Linda & Richard Greene Laurie & Jim Gregg Sharon Gurwitz Janis Hampton Jan Harkins Heather Hay Gloria Heyer Pamela & Richard Hinds Kimberley Hoch A. Jackson Holt Meredith & Roger Hutson Leslie Isom Pamela Jadlos Alberta & Reese Johnson Christian Keesee Caroline Fisher & Bob Knous Katherine & Derek Konopka William Kramer Lara Krawchuk Irene & Gasper Lazzara Cynthia LeBreton Mary Leopold Helena & Peter Leslie Rebecca Lewis & Jerry Johnson Ann & William Lieff Luz Maria Lopez & Eduardo Gomez Navarro #VAILDANCE 43

F E S T I VA L PAT R O N S Elspeth MacHattie Jonna Mackin Maeva Marcus Karen Marisak Stephen Marquart Kevin McAuliffe Nancy & Michael McKeever Paul McLoughlin Janet & John Meck Mary Angela Meyer Leslie & Charles Mishner Robert Moore Catherine Moore Emorene Morris Elizabeth Mullin John Murphy Daniel Murphy Gudrun Lange & Benjamin Natelson Atsuyo & T. David Norman Gordon & JeriLynn Ommen Donald Pinals Stephanie Pulkrabek Barbara Reed, MD Rosalind Reed Nancy Reynolds Kenneth Robinson Suzie & Frank Robinson Paul Rocke Philip Rosenfeld Sue & Michael Rushmore Nancy Pennica & Wayne Ruting Jill Rutledge Nina Saks AK Schleusner Susan Schneider Minna Schrag Carol & Stanley Shapiro Amy Shea Mary Clare & Daniel Silva Jason Silverman Nancy & Stanley Singer Martha Skinner Linda & Timothy Stancliffe Susan Stearns & Frank O'Loughlin Judith & Robert Stiber Judith & Charles Stoopack Michael Tocci Lois & John Van Deusen Victor Vensas Diana & Bryan Watabe Molly Webster Doreen Weisfuse Bella Whelan Bruce Wilson Rosalind & Larry Wolff

SUPPORTING MEMBER

Martha Brassel & Chris Anderson Marilyn Augur Helga & Henry Beck Mary Lynn Cohagan Doris Dewton & Richard Gretz Wendy E. Erb Lillian Edwards Kathy & William Farley Inge Franberg Michelle & Robin Gersten Malin Johnsdotter

Kay Maune Linda McKinney Richard Meister Elissa Stein & Richard Replin Kathryn & Brian Stoffers Jill Tanenbaum Julie Thomas-Telitz & Thomas Telitz Claudie & Richard Williams

CONTRIBUTING MEMBER

Grace & Rick Alessi Sheila & James Amend Sheldon D. Andrew & Jeffrey D. Byrne Donna Baily Susan & Robert Baker Comelia Boylston Michael Brizel Holly Clark Mary & Bill Cotton Christin Crampton-Day Anne Cuny Diane Bradshaw & John Demenkoff Margaret Desmond Dana Diehl Luis Escalante Sherry & Kenneth Fardie Jim Francis Sigrid Freese Lauren Gary Suzanne Greene Susan & Allie Gruber Ronne & Donald Hess Lisa Leach Marcia & Tom McCalden Dominic Meylor Marka Moser Sheila Mossman Pam & Michael Mycoskie Allan Nelkin Nancy & Mauri Nottingham John Osborne Nancy Alexander & David Staat Nancy Winski Barbara Wright

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Community First Foundation Eagle Valley Community Fund El Pomar Foundation Jerome Robbins Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

ARTE DAVIES MEMORIAL FUND Anonymous Katrina Ammer Martha Brassel & Chris Anderson Carrie Benway Juliana Best Maggie & Dr. P.J. Bevan Marlene & John Boll Dionne & Erik Brown Doe Browning Nanci Campbell Calum Clark John Dakin Mark Fenstermacher Ceil & Steve Folz

Julia & Greg Foster Margie & Tom Gart Rose & George Gillett Erin Hall & Eric Blitzstein Montine Hansl Martha Head Cathy Heller Brenda & Alan Himelfarb Jill & Loyal Huddleston Ellen & Michael Imhof Hollie L. Jones Erin Kelly Jessica & Paul Killino Marsha Landesman Gena Buhler & Zach Mahone Jennifer & Jim Mason Johanna McQuaid Alix Miller Charlotte & John Muir Jane & Skip Netzorg Joanne Posner-Mayer Julia & Brian Salerno Mary Sue & Michael Shannon Emily Sessler Trista & Ryan Sutter Oscar Tang Family Dan Wallace Joan Whittenberg Betsy & George Wiegers Noel Kullavanijaya & Wendy Williams Heather Watts & Damian Woetzel Shelley & Mick Woodworth Caitlin Yarger Luann & Stan Zemler

CORNERSTONE

Anonymous Karen R. Masano & John M. Arnold Judy & Howard Berkowitz Kathy & Bjorn Erik Borgen Susan & Jeffrey Campbell LeeAnn & Jeffrey Ettinger Pat & Pete Frechette Donna Giordano Martha Head Karen & Michael Herman Leni & Peter May Sherri & Robert L. Patton, Jr. Molly & Jay Precourt Vikki & Michael Price J. Douglas Rippeto Mary Sue & Michael Shannon Ann Smead & Michael Byram Marcy & Gerald Spector Oscar Tang Family

FRIENDS OF VAIL

Phyllis & Steve Anderson Judy Hart Angelo & John M. Angelo† Patricia & Sergio Arguelles Susan & Dale Benditz Marlene & John Boll Kelly & Sam Bronfman Doe Browning Patsy & Pedro Cerisola Renee & Todd Davison Marijke & Lodewijk DeVink Barbara & Thomas Dooley † Recently deceased

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F E S T I VA L PAT R O N S Julie & Bill Esrey Stephanie & Larry Flinn Susan & Harry Frampton Margie & Tom Gart Georgia & Donald Gogel Lisa & Bruce Goldman Lyn Goldstein Jeanne & James Gustafson Viviana & George Handtmann Rick Hayes Heather & Glenn Hilliard Kathy & Al Hubbard Mr. & Mrs. H. Anthony Ittleson Susu & George Johnson Diane Pitt & Mitchell Karlin Cynnie & Peter Kellogg Ruth & Sidney Lapidus Vicki & Kent Logan Patricia & Frank Lynch Shirley & William S. McIntyre Amanda & Neal Moszkowski Vicki & Trygve Myhren Jean & Raymond Oglethorpe Mary & Steven Read Sara & Eric Resnick Maru & Jorge Rojas June & Paul Rossetti Lisa & Kenneth Schanzer Helen & Charles Schwab Helen & Vincent Sheehy Sydney & Stanley S. Shuman Rupinder Sidhu Sue & Martin Solomon Bill Stolzer Sarah Nash & Michael Sylvester James W. Taylor Denise O’Leary & Kent Thiry Deborah & Fred Tresca Debra & Ken Tuchman Barbara & Richard Wenninger Kristy & Bill Woolfolk

EAGLE PROGRAM

Libby Anschutz Bacca Foundation Ron & Lisa Brill Charitable Trust Angela & Peter Dal Pezzo Georgia & Robert Hatcher Tara & Robert Levine Nicole & Steve Lucido Michele & David Mittelman

Amy & James Regan Margie & Charles Steinmetz

MEDALLION PROGRAM

Anonymous Vicki & Dr. Garry Boxer Lisa Tannebaum & Don Brownstein Dorothy Elizabeth Cronin Peggy Fossett Nancy & Bill Jordan Roberta & Michael Joseph Shelby & J. Scott Key Sarah & Peter Millett Kristen Nostrand Senenne & Marc Philippon William Sterett, M.D. Marjorie A. Swig Linda & Stew Turley Jan & Greg Winchester

CHAMPIONS CIRCLE

Anonymous (3) Holly Adams Sheldon D. Andrew & Jeffrey D. Byrne Ann Newman & Andy Arnold Marilyn Augur Jeanne & Joe Brandmeyer Mary Beth & Phil Canfield Kay & Thomas Clanton Jane & Reed Eberly Trish Fillo Joan Francis Laura & William Frick Elizabeth & Michael Galvin Sheika & Pepi Gramshammer Amy & Patrick Heckethorn Mindy & Andrew Heyer Kiwi & Landon Hilliard Sarah & Christopher Hunt Alexia & Jerry Jurschak Patty & Bill Kleh Marlene & Benjamin Krell Sue & Jim Liken Beth & Larry Mathis Richard McVey Carolyn & Gene Mercy Alejandra & Tomas Milmo Sissel & Richard Pomboy Suzanne & Bernie Scharf Elaine & Steven Schwartzreich Kerri & Steven Siegel

Janis & Ronald Simon Harvey Simpson Beth & Rodney Slifer Nancy & John Snyder Gay & Richard Steadman Brooke & Hap Stein Mark & Becca Stupfel Sally & Gregg Tryhus Laura & Stephen Wehrle Pamela & Steven Wexler Joan Whittenberg Marilyn & Ron Wollard

LEGENDS CIRCLE

Anonymous Marcella & Robert Barry Heidi Beale Jane & Robert Berry Devon & Peter Briger Susan & Graham Burton Norma & Charles Carter Carol & Thomas Corr Andrea Eddy William E. Ford Marshall Gordon Rebecca & Stuart Green Kim Gustafson Deborah Wittman & Rik Heid Kenton Hopkins Heather & Jim Hughes Daney & Lee Klingenstein Judy LaSpada & Michelle Caldwell Stephanie & Rod Linafelter Diane & Louis Loosbrock Gordon Marshall Kathy & Steve McConahey Susan & Thomas Moran Sally & Don O’Neal Polly & Mark Peterson Wendy & Paul Raether Rella & Monroe Rifkin Nancy & Robert Samit Neera & Rajendra Singh Carol & George Solich Kristin Tang & Mike Marston Jon & Nancy Tellor Family Foundation Elizabeth Vincent Lisa & Mark Walsh Cynthia & Chris Ware Margaret & Loyal Wilson Heidi Witherell, M.D.

THE ARTE DAVIES MEMORIAL FUND Arte Davies loved the Vail International Dance Festival and was an integral part of its growth and success over the years. His personal and amiable style of befriending the dancers, choreographers, artistic directors and crew will be fondly remembered forever. From 1994 through 2015, Arte was a permanent fixture at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, always present for countless magical summer performances and events.

It is extremely fitting that Arte's final wish was for friends to make a donation to the Vail International Dance Festival in remembrance of his love for dance.

Arte Davies

Donations to the Arte Davies Memorial Fund can be made at vvf.org or by contacting Martha Brassel (970.748.5907 or mbrassel@vvf.org) #VAILDANCE 45

DANCE COMPANIES

BALLETX

DORRANCE DANCE

2016 Company-In-Residence Christine Cox: Founder, Artistic Director Matthew Neenan: Founder, Choreographer

Michelle Dorrance, Artistic Director

BalletX, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company, unites distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Through the daring vision of its award-winning founders, Christine Cox and Matthew Neenan, BalletX challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. The company is committed to producing new works of the highest quality and integrity that bring the combined visions of choreographers and dancers to life and cultivate in audiences a collective appetite for bold, new dance.

Edgar Anido Chloe Felesina Francesca Forcella Gary W. Jeter II Zachary Kapeluck

Skyler Lubin Daniel Mayo Caili Quan Richard Villaverde Andrea Yorita

Dorrance Dance aims to honor tap dance’s uniquely beautiful history in a new and dynamically compelling context, not by stripping the form of its tradition, but by pushing it: rhythmically, aesthetically and conceptually. Street, club and experimental dance forms–all of which are American dreams–awaken to the sound of furious rhythms and find their boundaries missing. Tap dance, America’s longest standing indigenous jazz vernacular, is here to receive its due. Dorrance Dance’s inaugural performance garnered a Bessie Award for “blasting open our notions of tap.” The company has performed at Danspace Project, the Kennedy Center, The Yard, Symphony Space, Jacob’s Pillow’s Ruth St. Denis Stage, The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Barcelona Tap Festival, DC Tap Festival, North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival, Soul to Sole Festival and Beantown Tap Festival’s “On Tap!” all to rave reviews.

Megan Bartula Christopher Broughton Elizabeth Burke Warren Craft Donovan Dorrance Aaron Marcellus

Claudia Rahardjanoto Gregory Richardson Leonardo Sandoval Caleb Teicher Byron Tittle Nicholas Young

FEATURED MUSICAL ENSEMBLE CATALYST QUARTET Hailed by The New York Times at their Carnegie Hall debut as “invariably energetic and finely burnished … ,” the Catalyst Quartet, prize winners of the Gianni Bergamo Classical Music Award 2012 (Switzerland) is comprised of top Laureates and alumni of the internationally acclaimed Sphinx Competition with the 2015 winner of the Seoul International Music Competition. Known for “rhythmic energy, polyphonic clarity and tight ensemble-playing,” the Quartet has toured domestically and abroad, including sold-out performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, at Chicago’s Harris Theater, Miami’s New World Center, and Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall.

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DANCE COMPANIES

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY

Virginia Johnson, Artistic Director

Paul Taylor, Artistic Director

Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing an international touring ballet company, a training school for ballet and the allied arts and Dancing Through Barriers®, a celebrated arts education and community outreach program. Through these components, DTH uses the arts to enrich the lives of young people and adults in Harlem and around the world.

Paul Taylor is the greatest living pioneer of American modern dance, with 144 dances made since 1954 when he established the Paul Taylor Dance Company. He continues to offer cogent observations on life’s complexities and society’s issues through his dances. A virtuoso dancer for 20 years, Mr. Taylor turned exclusively to choreography in 1974; the dance that followed, Esplanade, was hailed an instant classic. His works are performed by the Taylor Company, Taylor 2 and ballet and modern dance companies the world over. In 2015, he established Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance to bring to Lincoln Center great dances of the past and present by other modern choreographers, and commission the next generation of dance makers to create works on his Company. A Kennedy Center honoree, he is the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary, Dancemaker, and author of the acclaimed autobiography, Private Domain.

47 years ago, Arthur Mitchell and his mentor Karel Shook founded Dance Theatre of Harlem as a beacon of hope for the youth in the underprivileged neighborhood where Mitchell grew up. An acclaimed principal dancer with George Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, Mitchell took the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a call to action. Drawing on his expertise and his prominence as the first African-American to be a permanent member of a major U.S. ballet company, Mitchell’s ground-breaking idea was to transform the lives of young people in Harlem by providing training in classical ballet. In a few short years his response to tragedy became a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim.

Now, the organization’s three-part mission is served through the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company which tours nationally and internationally with an eclectic ballet repertoire; the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, which trains more than 500 students per year in ballet and other dance disciplines during winter and summer sessions; and Dancing Through Barriers, an arts education and community engagement program that uses the arts to inspire and transform lives. Dance Theatre of Harlem is dedicated to reaching new audiences with a powerful message of self-reliance, artistic relevance and individual responsibility, all hallmarks of an organization that plays a key role in the national cultural dialogue.

Michael Trusnovec Robert Kleinendorst James Samson Michelle Fleet Parisa Khobdeh Sean Mahoney Eran Bugge Francisco Graciano

Laura Halzack Jamie Rae Walker Michael Apuzzo Michael Novak Heather McGinley George Smallwood Christina Lynch Markham Madelyn Ho

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FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Isabella Boylston Artist-In-Residence, American Ballet Theatre

Jared Angle New York City Ballet

Lil Buck Memphis Jooker & Choreographer

Zachary Catazaro New York City Ballet

Dmitry Chaplin Dancing With the Stars Professional

Jeffrey Cirio American Ballet Theatre

Herman Cornejo American Ballet Theatre

Lauren Cuthbertson The Royal Ballet

Da'Von Doane Dance Theatre of Harlem

Michelle Dorrance Dorrance Dance

Carla Espinosa Argentine Tangoist

Robert Fairchild New York City Ballet

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FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Chase Finlay New York City Ballet

Jodie Gates Choreographer

Angelica Generosa Pacific Northwest Ballet

Joseph Gordon New York City Ballet

Elena Heiss Alma Flamenca

Carla Körbes

Misa Kuranaga Boston Ballet

Nayara Lopes Dance Theatre of Harlem

Lauren Lovette New York City Ballet

Adi Malcom Dubstep Dancer

Jodi Melnick Dancer & Choreographer

Gabriel Missé Argentine Tangoist

#VAILDANCE 49

FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Rashaun Mitchell Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener & Choreographer

Ron “Prime Tyme” Myles Memphis Jooker

Dario Natarelli Scholar-In-Residence

Matthew Neenan Choreographer

Tiler Peck New York City Ballet

Unity Phelan New York City Ballet

Silas Riener Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener & Choreographer

Calvin Royal III American Ballet Theatre

Matthew Rushing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Claudia Schreier Choreographer

Shantala Shivalingappa International Dance Artist

Devon Teuscher American Ballet Theatre

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FESTIVAL ARTISTS

Melissa Toogood Pam Tanowitz Dance

Anna Trebunskaya Dancing With the Stars Professional

Eric Underwood The Royal Ballet

MUSICIANS

Joseph Walsh San Francisco Ballet

James Whiteside American Ballet Theatre

Sandeep Das Tabla Player

Kate Davis Vocalist

Cameron Grant Principal Pianist

JP Jofre Bandoneon

Nancy McDill Pianist

Cristina Pato Galician Bagpiper #VAILDANCE 51

THANK YOU GOLD SPONSORS Town of Vail Vail Resorts Volvo EverBank

SILVER SPONSORS

Colorado Mountain Express Korbel California Champagne Clos du Bois

COMMUNITY SPONSORS Body Wrappers FirstBank The Gallegos Corporation Vail Integrative Medical Group Vail Valley Pharmacy Eye Pieces of Vail Sierra Sage Squash Blossom Crazy Mountain Brewing Company

LODGING PARTNERS

Sonnenalp Hotel Manor Vail Lodge Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Christiania at Vail Sun Vail Condominiums The Christie Lodge

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Sarah Silverblatt-Buser, FESTIVAL COORDINATOR

Russell Kaiser, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR

Michael Sheridan, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR

Anna Rogovoy, ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATOR

Tricia Toliver, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION

Lisa Leonhardt, PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Betsy Ayer, STAGE MANAGER Bryan Bauer, ASSISTANT STAGE RIGHT MANAGER

Bruno Ingram, ASSISTANT STAGE LEFT MANAGER

Jim Leitner, PRODUCTION LIGHTING DESIGNER

M.L. Geiger, LIGHTING DESIGNER Scott Calder, MASTER ELECTRICIAN Mark Valenzuela,

Timothy Smith, ASSISTANT

OFFICE MANAGER

OFFICE MANAGER

ELECTRICIAN

Jan Hiland, WARDROBE MISTRESS Alexa Larson, WARDROBE ASSISTANT

Bob Ford, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Julia Salerno, LODGING MANAGER Erin Kelly, TRANSPORTATION MANAGER

Berneil Bannon, VOLUNTEER

FRONT OF HOUSE COORDINATOR VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Joanna Kerwin, TRANSPORTATION VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Cathy Heller, CAA COORDINATOR Duncan Horner, VP OF MARKETING Shelley Woodworth, MARKETING & PR

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER

Jennifer Craig-Geisman, PUBLIC RELATIONS

Kate Penner, NEW MEDIA EDITOR Erin Baiano, FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHER

Nel Shelby, FESTIVAL VIDEOGRAPHER

Greg Bloom, SPONSORSHIP SALES DIRECTOR

Jessica Stevens, SPONSORSHIP SALES MANAGER

Sacha Kostick, SPONSORSHIP ACCOUNT MANAGER

Lisa Babb, HOSPITALITY MANAGER Robin Thompson, VP OF DEVELOPMENT & MEMBERSHIP

Mike Imhof, PRESIDENT Damian Woetzel, FESTIVAL

Kristin Morgan, MEMBERSHIP

Martha Brassel, DIRECTOR

Emily Sessler, DEVELOPMENT

Martin Nieves, FESTIVAL MANAGER

Lindsey Breed, MEMBERSHIP &

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DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Lauren Gary, BOX

Alix Miller, MARKETING &

OF DEVELOPMENT

Taylre Derby, EVENTS &

ASSISTANT II

Sean Hamilton, SOUND

Jonathan Katz The Keith Haring Foundation Larkspur LaTour Shelly & Chris Jarnot Town of Avon Tracey Van Curan, Foods of Vail Tricia Swenson UPS Store Vail Friends of the Dance Vail Mountain School Vanessa Thomassie Jamie Wolf

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATOR

SOUND ASSISTANT

Meghan Rose Murphy,

Linda Nielsen, TRANSPORTATION

VVF/VIDF STAFF

Erin Hall, DEVELOPMENT

Helen Gies, ACCOUNTANT Kevin Rowe, IT MANAGER Dionne Drugan-Brown,

SOUND ENGINEER

Blue Moose Brian Maloney Christy Sports Erik Williams Greg Garman Greg Jones Holly Cole, VAIL/BEAVER CREEK MAGAZINE

Lauren Lovette.

Photo by Francisco Estevez

& DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR MANAGER

DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER

VIDF INTERNS

Sarah Barry Alexandra Caffrey Rachel Davidson Olivia Dwyer Lexie Klasing Ben Kulavanijaya Mary Lowman Olivia Maggi Cameron Morgan Shaina Oppenheimer Hollie Reidy Sabrina Rostkowski Justin Ryan Katherine Sayer Cayla Simpson Joseph VanHarn

AMBASSADOR TEAM

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DAMIAN WOETZEL’S GREATEST 'TURN'

THE VAIL INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL IS MORE THAN A SERIES OF PERFORMANCES

BY STEPHEN LLOYD WOOD Damian Woetzel. Photo by Patrick Fraser.

E

ight years ago, when Damian Woetzel, then 41, took the stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for his final performance as a professional, few attendees of the Vail International Dance Festival knew one of the greatest ballet dancers of his generation wasn't retiring at all. Rather, it was just the latest "turn" in a life committed to dance as an art form moving graciously and in perfect balance into another as an advocate for the arts.

The ambitious young man who'd taken the reigns of the festival as artistic director two years prior, has now given a full decade of hard work and dedication to the annual event, elevating its status as one of the world's great international dance festivals while redefining its mission as a vehicle for making the arts more accessible to the masses.

"I can't believe it myself; these 10 years have flown by.

But time marches on, I guess," says Woetzel, now 49, before lauding others, in typical fashion. "I can't believe all the people who've been involved, from dancers to musicians to artists of all types, audiences that have grown in so many

and different ways. When I think of 10 years, I think, wow, we've really had such a wealth of people contributing to dance in the Vail Valley."

'A natural gyroscope'

For Woetzel, son of a successful international law professor and an equally successful UNICEF programs director, however, it's all part of a plan he seems to have had in his mind since he first put on ballet slippers. His first ballet lesson came at 4 years old, the beginnings of a classical education those highbrow parents, and an influential godfather, had intended for him, along with his brother, Jonathon.

"I remember going to a little studio in our town of Auburndale, just outside of Boston. I even remember where it was, in a small storefront, and I remember walking in time to music and clapping," Woetzel recalls. "They had little performances I wasn't really involved in, but I watched them prepare and I got an understanding for what ballet

#VAILDANCE 55

really was."

By the time he was 7, after performing The Nutcracker onstage as a student at the Boston Ballet, Woetzel says, he was in the very early stages of becoming a dancer.

"That was the beginning of what I understood to be life in theater. I remember backstage. I remember the drama of it all and really enjoying it. That alone kept me hooked for several years," he says. "Then, at 11, I just tried a little harder and the results were just different than with anything else I'd done. ...

As soon as I applied a little more effort and interest and time to ballet, it was just clear it was right for me."

Discovering he had a real talent for ballet, at 12, further bolstered his drive.

"First off, I had quite an ability to 'turn.' That means I could do multiple spins without a whole lot of effort; it was something for which I had a natural gyroscope, of sorts," he says, going on to tell the story of when one of the ballet masters at Boston Ballet first identified this gift. "He gave me this step that involved turning. I was able to do two, then three, then four, and that probably was about as far as I got; but he was really quite taken aback by that and he said, 'well, this is quite natural for you — and your attention is good, and focused.'"

'Simply magnificent'

With a mission clearly defined and a true talent identified, Woetzel was inspired more than ever to focus on dancing. While his family continued to pressure him academically — he graduated high school at 15 — instead of heading for college, he moved to New York City, to dance. Even before heading to New York officially, he made his debut there as a young member of the Los Angeles Ballet in a ballet created for him entitled The Young Apollo, drawing praise from some of the keenest eyes at the heart of the American dance world.

Dance critic Jennifer Dunning, for example, wrote in the New York Times: “the ballet is an occasion piece, the occasion being the impressive talents and presence of Damian Woetzel.”

By 18, Woetzel took the opportunity of a lifetime, accepting an invitation to join the New York City Ballet, where for the next 23 years — the final 20 as a principal — he went on to greatness, dancing in roles created especially for him by the most important

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choreographers of his time — Jerome Robbins, Eliot Feld, Twyla Tharp, Susan Stroman and Christopher Wheeldon, to name a few. Accolades rained upon him along the way, including "simply magnificent" from New York Post dance critic Clive Barnes. “(Woetzel) combined explosive pizazz with impeccable style and notable authority,” Barnes wrote.

“He takes his leave at the peak of his form ... that perfect crossover mark between physical possibility and artistic maturity.”

"Without ever seeming to act, he changes that real-life aura from role to role," added Alastair Macaulay of the New York Times. "His trick is he always dances each role as if for the first time. ... When there is a story, he tells it with perfect focus; when there isn't, his presence and focus are such that he makes us see the architecture and atmosphere to this dance."

'Opportunity knocks'

Beyond Woetzel's physical prowess and artistic maturity, meanwhile, there was a wide-ranging intellect pulling off impressive feats behind the scenes — most notably his earning a masters degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, at Cambridge, Mass., near his childhood home — while never missing a performance at the New York City Ballet.

"Being involved in things beyond just dancing started fairly early in my career. I wound up doing my own version of education, reading or other ways to develop myself," Woetzel says, going on to explain how involvement in programs such as the Young Leaders Forum, a diplomatic effort between the governments of the United States and China, led him to do what seemed impossible — earning a masters degree without having a bachelors degree. "Sometimes, opportunity knocks. In this case, I'd always hoped to further my education in some way, but I never really imagined it would happen.

"At Harvard, they told me if I took my tests as well as everyone else, got my recommendations, wrote my essays, who's going to say 'no'? As it happened, it was a year-and-a-half program and the way we worked it out I barely missed anything in New York. I went for a whole fall semester,

twice, and another in the summer," he explains. "Before I knew it, I had a masters degree. It was an incredible opportunity."

Public administration covered the range of knowledge in which he was looking to engage, he adds, everything from political campaigning to business strategy to rhetoric and speechmaking. All that led to many things, including his going on, years later, to co-teach a course on performing arts and the law at Harvard Law School.

"The opportunities were wide and gave me a great range of possibilities.

It was an education first, but it also was a door-opener and a way to expand what I would do when I retired from dancing," Woetzel says. "In a very real sense, I was still on the stage but working on policy as well.... and it's what I'm still doing, even though I am not performing any longer."

So, it's no wonder Macaulay, covering Woetzel's farewell performance in 2008 for the New York Times, observed the presence of a person far more focused, and ready for even loftier ambitions. "(He) brings onto the stage the fullness of having a life off it," Macaulay wrote.

'Vail was different'

It's no wonder, either, that Ceil Folz, then the executive director of the Vail Valley Foundation, promoter of the Vail International Dance Festival, already had courted Woetzel two years earlier as its new artistic director, to replace the outgoing Katherine Kersten. Woetzel, after all — in addition to everything else Woetzel and Tiler Peck rehearse in Vail.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

he was doing — had been accepting invitations to dance at the summer festival off and on since 1993.

"At first, it was a gig, like any other, where you go somewhere and dance.

I remember vividly, however, that Vail was different than any other place in the world. It looked different; it felt different; the Whole atmosphere was incredibly welcoming; and there was a level of excitement that made it stand out from other guesting opportunities around the world," Woetzel recalls.

"Ceil was incredibly warm, welcoming — and forceful — in convincing me it would be something the Foundation would be behind; and that it was important to the community.

“Since bringing Damian Woetzel on as our Artistic Director 10 years ago, there is no doubt that his influence and vision and capacity to take some risk with new works, has catapulted the Vail International Dance Festival into a new realm of success on a world stage,” says Harry Frampton, Vail Valley Foundation’s Chairman of the Board. “As I think back on other visionaries like Damian and risk takers, it is important to note and recognize Vail Valley Foundation’s former President, Bob Knous, former Senior Vice President Lissa Tyler and former Director of Membership and Development, Allie Copeak, all of whom, 28 years ago, envisioned the creation of the Vail International Dance Festival and in a gutsy move, pulled together and launched — with just a couple months of planning — this incredible project that is so beloved today,” adds Frampton.

'What can we do with this?'

Perhaps the crowning achievement on a long and growing list of other awards, recognitions and honors — so far — is his appointment to the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities in 2009, along with other prominent artists in other disciplines, including cellist Yo-Yo Ma, with whom he's continued to work on a variety of projects. Woetzel directed the first performance of the White House Dance Series in the East Room, hosted

by First Lady Michelle Obama, and his since gone on to direct two other educational performances at the White House. "(The committee) came to be in 1981 and had done valuable work — but until 2009 there weren't a tremendous

Woetzel with Misty Copeland and Joseph Gordon in Vail.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

number of artists involved with it. ...

Yo-Yo and I wound up looking at each other asking, 'What can we do with this vehicle?'" Woetzel says. "So, we worked to help create a program called Turnaround Arts, which places the arts as a successful turnaround strategy for failing schools around the country."

Woetzel cites the influence of his wife, the former New York City Ballet ballerina Heather Watts, as key to his work in Vail and elsewhere. Watts, who is now an educator and remains involved in working with the today’s dancers, urged Woetzel in his first season as director to bring to the Festival a public dance and music education element.

Working with the Vail Valley Foundation, Woetzel imported Celebrate the Beat, an affiliate of Jacques d'Amboise's renowned National Dance Institute, which, has now brought high-quality, in-school and after-school dance programs available to the more than 4,000 students in the Vail Valley's public school system, along with counterparts in communities throughout Colorado.

Celebrate the Beat is now is a central part of the Vail Valley Foundation's Making It Possible campaign, as well.

"To be in the nonprofit realm, first of all, you are making a statement.

You're saying this is worth something, so you can't say you just want to put on a great show and entertain. Yes, we want to do that, absolutely; we want to put on performances that are valid, that are groundbreaking. But what else? Primary among those what else’s' is Celebrate the Beat," Woetzel

says. "It's not about creating great artists — though that can happen — it's about using dance and music to learn how to learn.”

'A unique world'

As Woetzel continues to strive to bring the arts to the masses of all demographic persuasions, he continues to impress even the most esteemed aficionados of the arts — as well as the rest of us, some of whom live here in the Vail Valley, home to one of world's finest ski resorts.

Perhaps writer John Heilpern tapped into all this in a piece for Vanity Fair in 2011 entitled "After the Last Dance: New York City Ballet's main man for nearly two decades, Damian Woetzel is trying on other roles."

"Do you miss dancing?" Heilpern asks.

"Perhaps the thing I miss most is that when you're dancing, everyday concerns vanish," Woetzel replies. "It's a unique world."

When asked recently to elaborate, Woetzel still agrees.

"It's true. Dancing is a unique world.

You go onstage and, for that time period, you're in a different place. The time-space differential is completely changed."

Is it like skiing, in which making turns is everything and one's mind is free, at least for that moment, of those everyday concerns?

"That's it, absolutely," he says. "I get that."

#VAILDANCE 57

Rashaun Mitchell & Silas Riener.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

MODERN IN THE

MOUTAINS

BY SARAH SILVERBLATT-BUSER

M

odern dance thrives in the Vail Valley each summer, where fresh forms mingle with classical traditions. The Rockies are a testament to the weathering forces that have sculpted them over the years — and like the mountains, dancing bodies archive the past as present.

American modern dance originated in the late 19th century with Isadora Duncan’s Ancient Greek-inspired “free dances” and the Ancient Egyptian and Indianinspired movements of Ruth St. Denis. Martha Graham later created the first American modern dance technique and company, laying the groundwork for many luminaries to follow. More than merely reacting to ballet, these contemporary artists explored new ways of living in and responding to the world they inhabited.

The Vail International Dance Festival maintains a commitment to both the classical and contemporary.

Choreographers and dancers fluent in their own movement languages are invited to collaborate in unlikely partnerships, nurturing new relationships and perspectives. From Shantala Shivalingappa’s descriptive Kuchipudi — a style of Indian classical dance — to Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener’s boundless explorations into abstraction, the Festival programming encourages similarities to shine by preserving the beauty of difference.

Though not all Festival choreographers and dancers collaborate directly, sharing studio space and programs such as NOW: Premieres offers artists the opportunity to explore where their embodied biographies might overlap.

#VAILDANCE 59

Paul Taylor Dance Company. Photo by Erin Baiano.

The use of the body as an artistic tool cuts across disparate contexts, content and textures — be it Merce Cunningham’s avoidance of narrative and representation, Paul Taylor’s athleticism and meticulous musicality, or Trisha Brown’s attention to pedestrian gestures. Collaboration and juxtaposition enliven these histories, revealing the dance DNA that links the artists both to each other and to their antecedents.

This year, the Festival welcomes back Paul Taylor, who is frequently cited as one of the greatest living choreographers working today.

Taylor has ventured into new artistic ground since 2013, his company’s last appearance in Vail. This past March, the Taylor company performed two commissions by outside choreographers, Doug Elkins and previous Festival choreographer Larry Keigwin, adding new influences to the company’s development. “Mr. Taylor has exemplified modern dance,” says Michael Trusnovec, the most senior

60 VAILDANCE.ORG

member of the company. A true paragon of dance innovation, it is fitting for Mr. Taylor to welcome new choreographic voices.

The company’s comprehensive repertoire, fueled by Mr. Taylor’s encompassing musical interests,

“We are discovering and stretching the meaning of the word ‘modern’ because it continues to evolve.” - Michael Trusnovec has established the troupe as a cornerstone of American modern dance. Such abiding curiosity and creativity have allowed the company to progress in tandem with the shifting dance landscape.

“We are discovering and stretching the meaning of the word ‘Modern’ because it continues to evolve,” Trusnovec explains, noting the sometimes “stuffy” association some have with the term. He suggests that, to combat this, dance not be rigidly

parsed out into various eras and categories. Trusnovec’s love for all iterations of the art form is palpable: “With so much touring, the Vail Festival is definitely a highlight,” he says. “I admire a lot of these other artists.

It’s impressive how intelligent the [programming] choices are. It’s like a laboratory for creation.”

Genre Clashing

Dance alchemy is a defining characteristic of the Festival, where Artistic Director Damian Woetzel’s commissions often result in revealing chemistry. Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener, who first began working together as dancers in the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, are inspired by the challenge of creating work across boundaries. Building upon their 2015 Festival debut, this summer the duo will create work on ballet dancers to a predetermined piece of music. Both elements are unusual for the choreographers.

Typically, the two create on

themselves or with other moderntrained dancers, and only add music as a texture after already establishing movement.

Investigating the clashing of genres, mediums and ideas is integral to their process, explain Mitchell and Riener in between performances at the Museo Jumex, a contemporary art museum in Mexico City. “The tension between the stylistic differences of the ballet and contemporary dancers,” Mitchell says, “will certainly shape the content of what we’re making, which is exciting for us.” Reiner agrees, adding that finding “common ground” among contrasting dance languages is an enlightening experience. Much of the pair’s work focuses on the “deeply honest and really individual self.” Such self-awareness, Reiner explains, relies on the dancers’ access to their own physical and intellectual histories. It is in this abstract realm where unexpected connections can be made.

Another former Cunningham dancer, Melissa Toogood, made her Festival debut last summer as well, dancing alongside Mitchell and Reiner in addition to assisting choreographer Pam Tanowitz.

Toogood will again be joining the duo, adding her bold yet sensitive style to the mix. Toogood was recently named one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” and calls herself an interpreter of all expressions of dance, from the abstract to the theatrical.

When asked how she is able to bridge the many different worlds of her freelance career, Toogood describes Cunningham Technique classes as her anchor. Her consistent connection to a specific method, is crucial for staying grounded while experimenting with new forms.

Shantala Shivalingappa similarly relies on a strong connection to her particular dance language when creating contemporary works. She admires the Festival for its celebration of multiple genres, and is excited to rejoin VIDF’s vibrant and welcoming atmosphere. Shivalingappa has a robust history of collaboration, having worked with artists including the French ballet choreographer Maurice Béjart and the groundbreaking postmodernist Pina Bausch. In 2014, Shivalingappa worked with Lil’ Buck, a Festival regular, and will likely collaborate with the Memphis Jookin’

innovator again this summer.

Shivalingappa’s dance vocabulary of Kuchipudi dates back over 2,000 years and is a marriage between pure rhythmic movement and dramatic narrations. Shivalingappa credits her mastery of Kuchipudi with enabling her to interpret unfamiliar dance and music genres. She is fascinated by the complexities that arise through the deep study of a codified technique, mentioning the similarities between Lil Buck’s incredible precision and her discrete hand movements, or mudras.

“When you come through the language of dance and music and rhythm and shared energy, you realize we can all be connected in some way.”

Shantala Shivalingappa But Shivalingappa is drawn to the humanity of the dancer even more than superb technique. “Something about the inner approach is the same,” she says. “When you come through the language of dance and music and rhythm and shared energy,

you realize we can all be connected in some way.”

Jodi Melnick, whose Festival debut was in 2012, enticingly expresses her own inner world. Melnick is known as a supremely intelligent dancer and possesses an innate ability to synthesize multiple levels of movement knowledge. Also a highly regarded teacher, her classes focus on awakening the body from the inside out by using imagery that draws awareness to each element of the body and how they all connect.

One of Melnick’s most influential collaborators was Trisha Brown, whose work focuses on the sequential nature of movements more than a singular movement or shape.

Melnick’s choreography, while decidedly her own, echoes Brown’s process. She has been described by The New Yorker as mercurial, “like water made human,” simultaneously expressing vulnerability and strength.

While a work of modern dance may not move mountains, it certainly does chisel an artistic landscape. Balancing on the precipice of the past and present, this summer’s contemporary choreographers tenaciously carve space into the future.

Shantala Shivalingappa.

Photo by Erin Baiano.

#VAILDANCE 61

VENUES GERALD R. FORD AMPHITHEATER The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail is a spectacular outdoor venue that seats 1,260 guests in covered seating and an additional 1,300 on its expansive grassy hillside with a breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains.

Gates to the venue open one hour prior to showtime. Lawn seating is available on a first come-first served basis. The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater is fully ADA compliant and provides special accommodations for those with limited mobility. Concessions with

food and alcohol sales are available at the facility. Picnics, legless chairs and commercially sealed nonalcoholic beverages are permitted.

Bike and stroller parking is available.

A complimentary express shuttle is available from the top levels of both Town of Vail parking structures. Limited paid parking is available onsite on a first come-first served basis.

The following are not permitted at the GRFA: • Cameras • Recording Devices • Skateboards • Bicycles

• • • • •

Scooters Firearms Smoking Lawn Chairs Alcohol

VAIL INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE:

VILAR PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Located in the heart of Colorado’s Beaver Creek Resort, the Vilar Performing Arts Center is a 535-seat theater, owned and operated by the Vail Valley Foundation, which presents a variety of year-round performances including Broadway musicals, concerts, family entertainment, comedy, dance, classical music and more. The intimate and inviting performance space of the VPAC was

The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail is an outdoor venue located at 530 South Frontage Road East. The GRFA provides covered reserved seating and open-air general admission seating.

designed to exacting specifications to create perfect acoustics and unobstructed views from every seat.

Paid parking at the Vilar Performing Arts Center is available in Village Hall or Villa Montane in Beaver Creek Village. Free parking is available at the base of Beaver Creek Resort with free performance shuttles running on a regular schedule.

888.920.ARTS(2787) 970.845.TIXS(8497) VailDance.org

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Vail International Dance Festival @VailDance / #VailDance @VailDanceFest / #VailDance Vail International Dance Festival

FESTIVAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Each year, the Vail International Dance Festival engages ambitious undergraduate & graduate students to serve as members of the Festival team, working as interns to support a variety of key areas including artist hospitality, media & communications, education & outreach, venue & rehearsal management, tech, production & development.

The internship lasts three weeks and offers unparalleled behind-the-scenes exposure to some of the world’s greatest dancers and choreographers, and a rare, fast-tracked immersion experience into the world of arts administration.

The Festival provides weekly compensation, lodging and a travel allowance for each intern. The application process for 2017 Festival Internships will begin in November.

The Festival’s Internship Program is underwritten by Jody & John Arnhold.

62 VAILDANCE.ORG

Zipline Tours 6 Different Ziplines For the ‘DANCE’ of a lifetime!

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2016 FESTIVAL FRINGE EVENTS In addition to the performance schedule, the Festival provides numerous Fringe Festival events that engage our performers and nurture the community’s involvement and appreciation of dance.

TUESDAY, JULY 26

8150 Urban Dance Challenge 6:30pm | Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Vail, CO

SUNDAY, JULY 31

Meet & Greet with Stars from American Ballet Theatre 12pm | Vail Farmer’s Market Vail, CO

Lauren Lovette & Zachary Catazaro. Photo by Erin Baiano.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

MONDAY, AUGUST 1

American Ballet Theatre: A History A film by Ric Burns Hosted by Mr. Oscar Tang & Dr. Agnes Hsu-Tang 4:30pm | Cinebistro Vail, CO

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4

Dancing in the Park with BalletX 5:30pm | Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park Avon, CO

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7

Village Vignette: Tap Dance Shim-Sham TBD | Vail Farmer’s Market Vail, CO

Dancing in the Streets: Dance Theatre of Harlem 12pm | Corner of Bridge & Gore Vail, CO

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12

Dancing in the Streets: Memphis Jookin With Lil Buck & Ron “Prime Tyme” Myles 2pm | Mountain Plaza Vail, CO

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

Closing Night Wrap Party presented by Eye Pieces of Vail Following Dance TV Social Courtyard at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Vail, CO

CELEBRATE THE BEAT Celebrate the Beat (CTB) provides the highest quality in-school and after-school dance programs for all children, improving their physical health and well-being, inspiring them to believe in themselves, and establishing a standard of excellence that impacts all aspects of their lives.

The Pop Hop Kids & Ron "Prime Tyme" Myles. Photo by Erin Baiano.

CTB uses dance and music to teach children to “learn how to learn,” and gives them a valuable life lesson: that energy, discipline, hard work, commitment, and focus can lead to success. For many children, CTB is a life-changing event; for all, it is an amazing experience they will never forget.

Each summer, the Vail International Dance Festival hosts a “Pop Hop” summer camp for 120 children, who then perform on stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for the International Evenings of Dance program on Friday, August 5. CTB is directed by Tracy Straus, and is a proud associate of National Dance Institute.

64 VAILDANCE.ORG

Support for the CTB performance generously provided by Nancy & Don Remey.

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