American Dance Festival

by Dilip Barman

The ninetieth annual American Dance Festival (ADF) promises a summer of 32 performances in a variety of venues at Duke University in Durham, NC. The festival takes place from June 8 – July 22, 2023, and August 22, 2023. Whether you enjoy traditional Indian, classical ballet, any kind of contemporary, or any kind of dance or theatre, there will be many things to delight you this summer.

The season begins with a bang with several troupes backto-back. Opening night is June 8 featuring BODYTRAFFIC, also performing on June 10 with Rennie Harris Puremovement performing on June 9.

Several troupes perform a Saturday 1pm matinee especially for children, who are always welcome at all performances. Of course, contemporary art of all kinds almost by definition pushes the envelope on user experiences so parents may want to review performance descriptions on the ADF website.

The website includes a compelling five-minute video montage of performances.

We are lucky to have here in North Carolina one of the most acclaimed dance festivals, attracting audiences and students from many states and countries. Performances may go beyond what some perceive as “dance” and include a significant theatrical component and ideas to contemplate. Here are a few June dances that I am particularly looking forward to enjoying.

I’ve seen Rennie Harris Puremovement several times and reviewed their shows in Saathee. Rennie Harris will be receiving a lifetime achievement award before the June 9th evening show. Their movement and music derive from classic soul, hip-hop, and Africana, and present a nice grounded but sometimes abstract form that speaks to diverse audiences. Their Nuttin’ But A Word promises to be an invigorating and entertaining performance borrowing from many dance vocabularies.

Pilobolus is one of my favorite dance theater groups and they return June 23 and 24. They have particularly creative pieces where dancers seemingly effortlessly create impossible configurations with their bodies while often including significant humor. Students will kick off their shows with short shadow performances.

I am intellectually drawn to the works of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company though they are often hardhitting and sobering. I fondly remember their homage to President Lincoln several years ago but also have seen pieces that I found difficult. I’m excited to see their June 29 and 30 shows Curriculum II that probes into academic ideas of what makes us human.

One of the exciting things about ADF is how some of the dances are at more intimate spaces. While I miss their shows at the Durham Performing Arts Center, in a sense I am glad that they are this season firmly at Duke with its smaller venues including more audience-immersed von der Heyden Theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center (“the Ruby”) and the Nasher Museum of Art. I am looking forward to staibance’s July 1 and 2 shows at the Ruby where modern dance is used