2023 Vail Dance Festival Magazine

IMPACT IMPACT Moment� o�

The Vail Dance Festival is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation (VVF).

The VVF Vision is an extraordinary mountain community with quality of life for all, and our Mission is to provide leadership in arts, athletics, and education, and address community needs to enhance our Valley as a place to live, work, and visit.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT AT VVF.ORG .

Bates Wilson

UpClose | Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century

Sunday, July 30 // 6:00pm 30

L.A. Dance Project

Monday, July 31 // 7:30pm 31 Dance for ���.��

Tuesday, August 1 // 7:30pm

From left to right, pages 6–7: Christopher Grant, KJ Takahashi, Caili Quan, Olivia Bell, Mira Nadon, and Roman Mejia & Tiler Peck.

32

Music From The Sole

Wednesday, August 2 // 6:00pm 33

Dancing in the Park

Thursday, August 3 // 5:30pm 34

International Evenings of Dance I, II, & III

Friday, August 4 // 7:30pm

Saturday, August 5 // 5:00pm & 8:00pm

35

BalletX

Sunday, August 6 // 6:00pm 36

NOW: Premieres Closing Night

Monday, August 7 // 7:30pm 37

New Works 10 new works by 10 incredible choreographers

38–44

Festival Patrons

46–49

Festival Companies & Artists

52–54

Moving Towards Discovery

How creative collaboration and new works thrive at the Festival

56

UpClose with Genius Celebrate the masterworks and enduring legacy of George Balanchine

60

“SCENE” at the Festival

62–63

Festival Support & Staff

Photos taken in Vail by Christopher Duggan.

MANAGING EDITOR

Kristen Dudding

SENIOR EDITOR

Joel Solari

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Wren Bova

SALES MANAGERS

Sandie Aveil

Mark Bricklin

CONTENT & DIRECTION

Harper Addison

Martha Brassel

Kate Penner

Damian Woetzel

CONTRIBUTORS

Ross Leonhart

Joel Solari

FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Christopher Duggan

Chris Kendig

Brian Maloney

DESIGN

Shannon Muench, Open Mind Studios

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

David Hakes

NEWSSTAND COVER PHOTO

Adji Cissoko photgraphed by RJ Muna.

PROGRAM COVER ILLUSTRATION

Festival artists in morning class at The Amp. Illustration by Andrea Selby.

VAIL DAILY PUBLISHER

Mark Wurzer

All programs and artists are subject to change.

Copyright ©2023

Welcome to the Vail Dance Festival’s 35th season!

Vail is a place where the arts thrive. Every summer the synergy of dance, music and nature draws artists and audiences alike to the mountains for the opportunity to be a part of a uniquely creative atmosphere.

We always look to celebrate the highest levels of artistic achievement, as we do this year in welcoming back the legendary Martha Graham Dance Company, and in our UpClose performance highlighting the genius of choreographer and ballet master George Balanchine.

At the same time, part of our core mission is to expand the field with new works made especially for the Festival, and this year, we will present a landmark 10 world premieres by dance makers and composers who, whether established or rising, come to Vail to extend their craft and artistic vision. As written in The New York Times: “New work has always been an important element of the Vail Dance Festival,” and the Festival has specialized “...in creating a melting pot of dancers and musicians.”

Each year, we welcome new artists and companies, and we are pleased to have the Brazilian tap dance force Leonardo Sandoval and musician Gregory Richardson bring their vibrant Music From The Sole to our stages for the first time. We also celebrate the development of artists and companies who have a history at the Festival, and we can’t wait to welcome them back to Vail this year. For example, the innovative L.A. Dance Project which is celebrating its 10th anniversary season and has grown into a major global company since last appearing here in 2017. In our continued effort to support local Colorado dance companies, last summer we were a part of the inaugural year of the daring new DanceAspen, and we have been a consistent champion of the phenomenal growth and success of Philadelphia’s BalletX. This year, both cutting-edge companies will be back presenting new work and participating in a range of Festival performances. This continuum is the story of the arts. It is how we build and grow, and Vail’s audiences are a part of this process.

Several years ago, we cheered as Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet first appeared at the Festival, and among that extraordinary company’s dancers was Adji Cissoko. Adji now returns to the Festival this year as our Artist-In-Residence, dancing, choreographing, and leading events in an expanded role that places her in conversation with the Festival as a whole. That conversation is what Vail is all about - what we can do together that we can’t do by ourselves.

The Vail Dance Festival has always been a place where we can join together and build one another up, challenge each other to attain new heights, and explore what the best of all possible futures may hold. And that ethic is a part of everything we do. Whether this is your first experience at our Festival, or part of your annual calendar for many years, we are thankful for your participation as always. We look forward to seeing you at performances and events, and we are very pleased to extend a heartfelt welcome to the 2023 Vail Dance Festival.

Let’s Dance!

Damian Woetzel Artistic Director, Vail Dance Festival

VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL COMMITTEE

Susan Campbell, Chair

Jill Plancher, Vice Chair

Judy Berkowitz*

Priscilla Brewster

Allie Coppeak

Stacey Gillett

Lisa Goldman

Sheika Gramshammer

John Harrison

Sally Hybl

Alexia Jurschak

Jonna Mackin

Jane Netzorg

Senenne Philippon

Fred Tresca

Betsy Wiegers

Damian Woetzel

*Dance Committee Chair

1998-2018

Susan Campbell Committee Chair, Vail Dance Festival

The Vail Dance Festival is a project of the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation.

SUPPORT THE VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL

Throughout its 35-year history, the Vail Dance Festival has provided an inspiring environment in which diverse dancers, choreographers, and musicians share creative time & space, fuel each other artistically, and present work that challenges & showcases their talent. None of this would be possible without the support of our dedicated donors.

Ticket sales only cover 28% of our operating expenses and 51% of funding comes from individual donations. There are many ways to support the Festival. Whether you are a current donor or are interested in becoming a donor, our philanthropy team is here to help.

Sierra Adams Vice President, Philanthropy sadams@vvf.org

Martha Brassel Senior Director, Philanthropy mbrassel@vvf.org

Whitney Harper Director, Philanthropy wharper@vvf.org

Kendra Powell Senior Manager, Donor Engagement kpowell@vvf.org

Euginnia Seyferth Director, Philanthropy eseyferth@vvf.org

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

Kathryn Weller Senior Director, Annual Support kweller@vvf.org

Unity Phelan

Vail. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

All gifts, large and small, contribute to our success! Donor benefits listed below for the 2023 Festival are available to donors who make a gift from September 2022 through the 2023 Festival.

Parking Pass (Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater)

*Bronze Dress Circle receives 2 complimentary tickets to Dance for $20.23.

How to Give:

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

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

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

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

Plancher Family Match for YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat

Celebrate the Beat has been operating as a summer camp and year-round program in the Eagle County School District for over 15 years, serving over 700 students annually. This program, which uses dance, music, movement, and art to help youth learn about themselves, improves physical health and well-being, inspires youth to believe in themselves, and establishes a standard of excellence that impacts their lives. Thanks to a generous donation by Jill & Kevin Plancher, all gifts made to Celebrate the Beat by August 7, 2023 will be matched up to $25,000.

Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet

The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet, Vail Dance Festival’s first named endowment, was established in 2021 by the Wilson Family to ensure the presentation of classical ballet repertoire be enshrined in Festival programming for future generations. If you are interested in making a gift to support this endowment, please contact a member of the Vail Valley Foundation philanthropy team.

Conversations on Dance // ���

Friday, July 29–Monday, August 7 9:30am–10:20am | Manor Vail Piney Ballroom

Join Michael Sean Breeden and Rebecca King Ferraro as they interview a range of Festival artists in an intimate setting, as part of their popular podcast series Conversations on Dance.

Generously Underwritten by the Town of Vail.

Dancing in the Park // Free

Thursday, August 3 | 5:30pm Avon Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park

Free and fun for the whole family, Dancing in the Park returns to Nottingham Park in Avon with a special evening featuring BalletX, DanceAspen, ballroom duo Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina among other Festival stars, along with an energetic performance by YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Celebration Team.

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

Dancing in the Streets // Free

Interactive pop-up performances with Festival Artists throughout Vail Village

Thursday, July 27 | 6:00pm

Solaris Plaza, located at 141 East Meadow Drive in Vail Village

Sunday, July 30 | 12:00pm

Intersection of Bridge Street & Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village

Sunday, August 6 | 12:00pm

Intersection of Bridge Street & Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village

BalletX member Francesca Forcella performs at Dancing in the Streets. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Conversations on Dance with Jamar Roberts, Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Dancing in the Park. Photo by John Ryan Lockman. LEARN MORE & PURCHASE EVENT TICKETS AT VAILDANCE.ORG .

Master Classes // ���

Thursday, July 27–Monday, August 7 Vail Mountain School

Advanced-level dance students may take advantage of up to two classes per day at Vail Mountain School. This summer’s Master Class series offers an array of classes taught by Festival artists in ballet, tap, jazz, repertory, and more. Parents, guardians, or dance instructors may observe for $15 per class.

Open House with Adji Cissoko // ���

Sunday, August 6 | 1:00pm–2:30pm

Golden Peak Studio Tent

Join Artist-In-Residence Adji Cissoko and other Festival artists as Adji curates a look at elements of the 2023 Festival, including her own new work and role debuts taking place in Vail this season.

Tiny Dancer Tea Party // ���

Saturday, July 29 | 10:00am–11:15am

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Social Courtyard

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

Hosted by Laura & Charlotte Parker. Sponsored by Skipper & Scout.

Watching Dance with Heather Watts // ���

Wednesday, August 2 | 11:00am–12:00pm Vail Mountain School

Legendary Balanchine Ballerina, Heather Watts, shares an interactive exploration of dance repertory through live demonstrations with Festival Artists. Proceeds benefit YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Eagle County.

Generously Underwritten by Judy & Howard Berkowitz.

Unity Phelan, Calvin Royal III and Heather Watts. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Isabella Boylston teaches a Master Class. Photo by Erin Baiano.

Adji Cissoko. Photo by Erin Baiano

Tiny Dancer Tea Party. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Scholar-In-Residence Program

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

This year, we are thrilled to welcome Spencer Lenain and Kyle Ikuma as our 2023 Scholars-In-Residence! They are graciously underwritten by Martin Atkin & Reid Balthaser and Allison Krausen & Kyle Webb.

Intern & Ambassador Programs

Engaging the next generation of arts leaders Ambassador Program

The Ambassador Program provides a unique, handson opportunity for current 8th through 12th graders. Ambassadors work closely with the Festival staff and are able to contribute to many different areas of the Festival’s onsite operations. The program includes a community service component as well as numerous educational offerings.

Intern Program

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

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

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

July 3 1 – August 4, 2023

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

Alpine Bank is a proud supporter of YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Eagle County. Visit youthpower365.org/program/pop-hop to learn more.

Community Arts Access

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

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

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

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

• Dance for $20.23 is a specially-priced evening devoted to arts access. Reserved pavilion seats are $20.23 each and lawn tickets are $10.23 each.

* For performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Lil Buck performs with Celebrate the Beat Pop Hop Camp Dancers.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Festival Interns. Photo by Chris Kendig.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do I buy tickets to the Vail Dance Festival?

ONLINE at vaildance.org

BY PHONE at 970.845.TIXS (8497)

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

Where do the performances take place?

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (The Amp)

503 S Frontage Road East, Vail, CO 81657

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

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

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

Getting to The Amp: Walking - From the Vail Village parking structure, exit to the east, then walk northeast down the S Frontage Road E sidewalk toward the softball fields until you see the paved walkway into the park on your right. Follow the path down to The Amp. Shuttle - A complimentary express shuttle to Ford Park is also available from the top levels of both Town of Vail parking structures during the Festival.

Venue Policies: Visit grfavail.com/policies

Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC)

68 Avondale Lane, Beaver Creek, CO 81620

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

Parking: Summer parking is FREE in Beaver Creek on a first come, first served basis. The Villa Montane lot is directly across from the

VPAC on Avondale Lane and the Ford Hall lot is located just north of the venue on Village Road.

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

Venue Policies: Visit vilarpac.org/venue-policies

Avon Performance Pavilion at Nottingham Park

1 Lake Street, Avon, CO 81620

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

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

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

What should I wear?

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

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

Lauren Lovette and Robbie Fairchild. Photo by Chris Kendig.

Use your Alpine Bank ARTS Loyalty Debit Card* and help us raise $2.5 million to support Colorado community causes in 2023, like the Vail Dance Festival. Learn more at alpinebank.com/50YearsYoung.

*Alpine Bank debit cards are available with no annual fee to individuals with an Alpine Bank checking account.

Encore Club Pass // ����

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

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

• Three (3) vouchers for discounted guest lawn tickets

• Pass is NOT valid for performances at the VPAC

• Over $50 in savings

Pay Your Age

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

• Limited availability

• Pay Your Age tickets must be purchased at The Amp or VPAC Box Office with valid proof of age ID.

• Pay Your Age promotion does not include International Evenings of Dance I, II and III, and Dance for $20.23

PICK � // ��� Off

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

• 7/29 Martha Graham Dance Company

• 7/30 UpClose | Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century

• 7/31 L.A. Dance Project

Student & Faculty

Lawn Tickets // ���

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

• Excludes Dance for $20.23 and performances at the VPAC

Free Lawn Admission for Children

• Children 12 and under receive free lawn admission at The Amp with the purchase of an adult ticket.

• Excludes performances at the VPAC

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

COLOR KEY

●  PERFORMANCES

●  EDUCATIONAL EVENTS

●  DONOR EVENTS

●  EVENTS FOR CHILDREN

LOCATION KEY

AVON: Avon Performance

Pavilion at Nottingham Park

B&G: Cross streets of Bridge and Gore

BFPP: Borgen Family

Patrons Plaza at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

AMP: Gerald R. Ford

Amphitheater

LR: Larkspur Restaurant

MG: May Gallery Patrons

Lounge at the Vilar Performing Arts Center

MVL: Manor Vail Lodge

Piney Ballroom

SC: Social Courtyard at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

SP: Solaris Plaza

VMS: Vail Mountain School

GPST: Golden Peak Studio Tent

���� CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Visit

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

FREE Dancing in the Streets

12:00pm // B&G

Pre-Performance Access †

5:00pm // BFPP

UpClose | Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century

6:00pm // AMP

En Pointe Party † Post-performance // LR

�

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

Sparkling Brunch †

10:00am–1:00pm // SC

FREE Dancing in the Streets

12:00pm // B&G

Open House with Adji Cissoko

1:00pm // GPST

Pre-Performance Access †

5:00pm // MG

BalletX

6:00pm // VPAC

��

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

VVF Summer Donor

Reception*

6:00pm // BFPP

L.A. Dance Project

7:30pm // AMP

�

AUGUST

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

Dance for $20.23

7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Reception** Post-performance //

AMP Stage

�

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

Pre-Performance Access †

6:30pm // BFPP

NOW: Premieres

7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Dance Party** Post-performance //

AMP Stage

Master Classes

9:00am–10:20am // VMS

Watching Dance with Heather Watts

11:00am–12:00pm //

VMS

Pre-Performance Access †

5:00pm // MG

Music From The Sole

6:00pm // VPAC

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

FREE Dancing in the Streets

6:00pm // SP

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Opening Night Reception †

6:30pm // BFPP

Opening Night

7:30pm // AMP

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

Tiny Dancer Tea Party

10:00am–11:15am // SC

Pre-Performance Access †

6:30pm // BFPP

Martha Graham

Dance Company

7:30pm // AMP

Sparkling Reception** Post-performance // BFPP

�

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

FREE Dancing in the Park

5:30pm // AVON

SPECIAL DONOR EVENTS KEY

† Reserved for Gold Dress Circle Donors and above.

Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

Pre-Performance Access †

6:30pm // BFPP

International Evenings of Dance I

7:30pm // AMP

� Master Classes

9:00am–11:50am // VMS

Conversations on Dance

9:30am–10:20am // MVL

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

International Evenings of Dance II

5:00pm // AMP

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

International Evenings of Dance III

8:00pm // AMP

* Reserved for Gold Dress Circle Donors and above AND Vail Valley Foundation Alpine Circle Level Donors and above.

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

More information for Conversations on Dance and Master Classes will be available at the end of May. Visit vaildance.org for more information and updates.

*Schedule is subject to change.

10 Questions with ADJI

This year’s Artist-In-Residence uses dance as storytelling.

By Ross Leonhart

Adji Cissoko was born and raised in Munich, Germany, where she trained at the Ballet Academy Munich. After dancing with the National Ballet of Canada and later moving to the United States to join Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Cissoko’s dance career is both extensive and impressive, and it continues to develop now as a choreographer in addition to dancing.

We caught up with Cissoko ahead of the Festival to dive deeper into where she’s been, and where she’s going.

1. You performed at the Vail Dance Festival before (2018, 2019), what memories do you have from your time here?

“I have just really fond memories. It’s always such a good group of dancers, artists and people coming together, I always feel inspired – I’ve watched all of these people that I don’t get to watch dance on a regular basis. And then I feel comfortable to explore and try new things. It’s special and unique. And then you have the outdoors, and it’s such a beautiful feeling dancing on that stage and feeling the wind, feeling the audience. Such fond memories...”

2. What are you looking forward to this year as the Artist-In-Residence?

“My goal is to dig deeper into my roots. My dad is from Senegal and our last name ‘Cissoko’ is very well known there for my family being griots, and griot means ‘storyteller.’ Actually, my cousin is the 22nd generation of kora players, which is a Senegalese string instrument. Back in the day, they would play this instrument for the kings to pass on stories, continue on traditions, so they played a very important role, and to this day this has been in my family and I always thought, ‘I’m not doing that because I’m not playing the kora (even though now I’m learning it).’ I realized a few years ago that what I’m doing with my dance and my movement is exactly the same – I’m also a storyteller in my own way. So it’s kind of full circle – I became what my name already knew I was.”

3. You’ve mentioned in previous interviews that Alonzo King asked you to spell your name through dance to help loosen up –what other tips and tricks have you learned over the years that might help young, aspiring dancers?

“Sometimes it helps me when I just close my eyes and am guided by music. Music has a big impact on me. Sometimes, especially with LINES, we play with so many different music options. Sometimes he’ll be playing African drums, and suddenly my body knows how to react to that. Or I hear the kora and I move in a way that’s like ‘Oh, it’s always in me, but I’m not always moving like that.’ But giving into music is a big one. And what I’ve learned through Alonzo, too, is not trying to be pretty. That’s a big thing because my training was all about looking pretty or having perfect lines. But especially when you build work, that can really prohibit you to go further and go deeper than you just looking at what it looks like. You want to scratch all that and ask ‘What am I trying to say?,’ or ‘What is the message?,’ or ‘What am I experiencing?,’ or ‘Which idea am I playing with?’ And so I’m super inspired of how Alonzo works with that because that works for me – the moment I give up on that, I find new shapes and new movement forms, and I’m not worried about if this is ugly or pretty. It doesn’t matter because it’s so much bigger than that.”

“Don’t think about it as right or wrong. If you think about movement as right and wrong, you’re blocking yourself. You want to kind of allow yourself to just see that what you create, what you build, what you dance – this is it because it’s coming out of you, and it can’t possibly be wrong. It’s so hard to explain, but once you can focus on that then the world suddenly opens up to you. But if you are kind of restricting yourself then it just becomes really hard to build something that’s genuine and pure and meaningful. Focus more on the message rather than the image maybe.”

4. Growing up in Munich, Germany, how did you first discover dance and how did you get on the path of a professional dancer? “It actually started with going to a school doctor. Before you go to elementary school, you see a school doctor who does a few tests just to make sure you’re ready for school. And one of the tests that I had to do was draw a snake and say something at the same time, and I was struggling with that. And so the doctor said to my parents that I was totally ready for school, just that my coordination and spacial awareness can be improved, and he suggested to put me into dance. My parents knew I loved to dance anyways so they just put me in ballet and jazz dance, and that’s how I started dancing. It’s such a crazy story. And of course I had already been dancing around the house all of the time.”

“After my first ballet class, the teacher came up to my mom and told her that I needed to do this professionally – ‘She’s so talented.’ But my parents didn’t want to push me into anything so they told the teacher that it was still just a hobby, no need to do this professionally. But my teacher was so persistent – talking to my parents after every single class. And then eventually they said OK I can audition for the Ballet Academy of Munich, which is a free academy but they’re very selective. And then I auditioned and I got accepted and from then on I just kept passing the exams and moving on from level to level. My parents kept asking me if this was what I really wanted to do because I was missing birthdays and parties for friends, but I loved it. Looking back at it, the Academy was a perfect fit for me because I have the German side of me – that discipline and hard-working side – and that was what it was all about there. And at the same time I have the artistic side from my dad that just loves music and dance, which is also very much what the Academy is about. So I had that perfect balance of truly enjoying to move, and also enjoying the hard work.”

5. Describe your dance style in 1 word, and then just openly describe your dance style: “Personal.”

“I think my style of dance is personal, original and deep. For me, I’m always expressing something. I think that’s where my storytelling comes in. I am dancing like I would imagine a griot to dance ballet. I’m so in it, I feel like my face does things, my hands do things – it’s a full-body experience – and that’s the storyteller in me coming out.”

6. Who are some of the people that you really look up to that you’ve worked with over the years?

“I get asked this question all of the time, but honestly for me, maybe I’m just really lucky that I’ve worked with so many amazing people,

but I actually get most inspired by my colleagues at LINES. It surprises me because it’s been almost 10 years, but if I take the time to watch I’m just so moved because it’s so deep. We are like a family.”

7. You are known for your willingness to try anything – is there anything you still want to try dance-related or non-dance related?

“I think I just really want to play the kora and then see what happens and how I can incorporate dance, poetry and kora playing. Kora playing usually has spoken word and singing, and I really enjoy writing and I have a lot of poetry. So I feel like if I can get to a place where I can basically also create my own music or incorporate that with movement, that would be so cool.”

8. You know quite a few languages, how would you describe the language of dance?

“I think the language of dance is a universal language, and that’s what I find so beautiful about it. I think you don’t have to speak English, German, French or any of this and you can still somehow feel something when dancers express themselves through movement. If I’m improvising, sometimes I feel like suddenly I’m speaking the language of my ancestors somehow -- I don’t recognize it and yet I feel super connected to whatever I’m doing, so I think it must be my ancestors.”

9. When you’re not dancing, what do you like to do?

“I’m currently learning the kora, how to play it. I like writing. I sometimes do these writing courses online or free journaling. But I’m also somebody who loves the sun, so as soon as I’m off I’m looking for a place that has sun. I love food. Just being comfortable and happy.”

10. What’s next for you?

“I have so many things that I could see myself doing. But in general, I just see myself expanding. When I was younger I always said I’d retire from dance at 30. And now I’m 32 and I think ‘Absolutely not.’ I’m just starting to understand movement really. I think I want to keep teaching. I want to keep choreographing. I want to keep dancing. But I also want to start building. I have this dream of building a school in Senegal and bringing ballet to places where it’s not super common. Senegal has a lot of dance – they naturally dance every single day. But I think they’re so hungry for different forms of dance. And down the road maybe have another pickup company that does projects. Who knows!”

Adji’s residency is graciously underwritten by Wendy Williams & Noel Kullavanijaya.

“I feel like if I can get to a place where I can basically also create my own music or incorporate that with movement, that would be so cool.”

—Adji Cissoko

From COAST to COAST

Five cutting-edge dance companies come to Vail this summer

By Joel Solari

From New York to Philadelphia, Aspen to Los Angeles, the companies at this year’s Festival each present diverse expressions of performance and movement representing their own signature style and expansive voice in the American contemporary dance landscape.

“Each of these amazing dance companies offers something unique and essential,” says Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. “With legendary classics and exciting new repertory from incredible dancemakers, including two world premieres made for Vail, seeing these remarkable companies over the course of the Festival provides a thrilling overview of what dance is today.”

A FESTIVAL DEBUT

The New York-based tap and music collective Music From The Sole will make an exciting debut at this year’s Festival. The group

of eight tap dancers and five musicians is led by Brazilian dancer and choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and composer and multiinstrumentalist Gregory Richardson. The pair work as duo Artistic Directors to bring tap dance and live music together to celebrate tap's Afro-diasporic roots. Their work displays the connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, and its lineage to forms like house dance and passinho, also called “Brazilian funk.” From the start, the work between the two lead artists has always been a highly collaborative experience.

“Embracing the fact that tap dance is both movement and music is key for us,” says Sandoval. “There isn't one without the other, and tap is deeply connected to jazz and the entire lineage of Black music, so in that sense they’re not really different genres, more an extension of one another.”

“We always work on creating the music together,” echoes Richardson. “The tap dance is part of the score and the musical

Photo by Titus Ogilvie Laing.

ideas also determine how the movement develops — which tap step Leo will select to produce a particular sound or texture that will work with a melodic idea, for example.”

In addition to appearing on Opening Night on Friday, July 28, at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (The Amp) and throughout the Festival in various events and programs, Music From The Sole will present I Didn’t Come to Stay at the Vilar Performing Arts Center (VPAC) on Wednesday, August 2. The evening-length work was originally commissioned by Guggenheim Works & Process last year and has since been hailed by The New York Times as “one of the best dance performances of 2022.” Created mostly throughout the pandemic, the work was born out of yearning for family and community celebration. “Because there is so much Brazilian influence in the piece, and we were missing being able to have that kind of celebration for so long,” says Sandoval, “we like to describe the piece as a kind of Brazilian Carnaval fever dream. We can’t wait to bring this experience to Vail this summer.”

THE RETURN OF A MODERN ICON

Martha Graham (1894-1991) is universally recognized as one of the 20th century’s greatest artistic voices. Her legacy in dance is not only measured in her body of work but how her dances and the modern form she created contributed to the evolution of art itself and continues to resonate today. From former First Lady Betty Ford to pop-icon Madonna, who both took classes at the Graham School, generations of students, dancers and audiences have been influenced by her legendary performances and influential teachings. The now famous Graham technique changed the landscape forever, ushering in a modern era of dance vocabulary that was less ornamental and upright, into a style more grounded, fluid, and expressive of human nature and temperaments.

Her legacy lives on through the Martha Graham Dance Company (MGDC) which she founded in New York City in 1926. As America’s oldest dance company, the formidable cultural institution is nearing its remarkable centennial as it continues to commission new choreography by some of the leading dancemakers influencing the genre today. Regarded as the first of its kind in many ways, the company is most certainly considered an influential part of the future as well.

This summer, the company returns to Vail with an appearance on Opening Night sharing the stage with other Festival companies and stars of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. The following evening, MGDC will appear in a headlining engagement at The Amp on Saturday, July 29. This special program will include two Graham works, Canticle for the Innocent Comedians (1952, restaged 2022) and Errand into the Maze (1947), as well as CAVE (2022).

Canticle for the Innocent Comedians is a work inspired by the 1938 poem by Ben Belitt celebrating the different elements of nature. The sun and the earth are represented in the piece, along with wind, water, fire, the moon, stars, and even death. However, it is widely considered a “lost work” since very little photographic or video record of it exists, except for a brief video of Graham’s original staging of the “Moon” section. Last year, the work was restaged by choreographer Sonya Tayeh (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) and features sections by a range of other contemporary choreographers and a new score by jazz pianist Jason Moran.

Often drawn to legends and myths, Graham’s other work to be featured on the program, Errand into the Maze, is loosely derived from the Greek mythology of Theseus, a creature who is half-moon and half-beast. These two works, richly layered with themes of nature and drama, will no doubt come to new life in Vail.

The evening will conclude with CAVE, a visceral new work created last year by Hofesh Shechter, an Israeli choreographer based in London who previously danced with the Batsheva Dance Company.

Jacob Larsen and So Young An in Martha Graham’s Moon from Canticle for Innocent Comedians. Photo by Melissa Sherwood.  �

Built on the idea of a nightclub rave, the result as choreographed by Shechter, is a high-energy work that blends the pulsating beats of a techno club with galvanizing contemporary choreography that is immersive and ultimately transcendent.

FROM THE WEST COAST TO AROUND THE WORLD

What began in 2012 as an “experiment” by Artistic Director Benjamin Millepied, L.A. Dance Project (LADP) has since garnered international acclaim for its bold interdisciplinary collaborations in dance, music, and visual art. “We’re pushing boundaries and adding to the richness and synergy of LA's cultural landscape,” says LADP Executive Director Lucinda Lent. “For the past 10 years, the company has contributed to and grown along with LA's emerging dance scene through our commissions with visionary choreographers, both emerging

Swan, LADP has amassed a repertoire of works by Martha Graham, Kyle Abraham, Justin Peck, and William Forsythe, among many other notable dancemakers.

Last fall, the company presented a contemporary program of all-female choreographers to enthusiastic sold-out crowds at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The same program will also be featured in Vail in a special evening at The Amp on Monday, July 31, and includes Quartet for 5 created last year by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, 5 Live Calibrations (2022) by Madeline Hollander, and Everyone Keeps Me (2019) by Pam Tanowitz, originally commissioned by the Royal Ballet in honor of the centennial of Merce Cunningham’s birth.

“We’re thrilled to return to Vail with these works that cover a wide spectrum of movement qualities,” said Lent, speaking about the program. “All of the works are beautifully constructed. Bobbi's work is raw and human, informed by her experience with the Gaga technique, and was made in close collaboration with the dancers; Pam's work is based in formal classical and contemporary structures that she then abstracts; and Madeline's work brings humor while examining the plasticity of the human body and its uncanny ability to transform, adapt, and extend in unimaginable ways when set in motion.” Festival QuartetIn-Residence Brooklyn Rider will perform live musical accompaniment as well which features music by Philip Glass, Ted Hearne, and Yuta Bandoh.

and established, LA-based and international; collaborations with artists across genres; and performances in unconventional settings.”

In its meteoric rise over the last decade, the company has performed to sold-out crowds throughout Los Angeles and in over 100 cities around the world showcasing its impressive repertory of new works and equally impressive dancers. In addition to works by Millepied, a former New York City Ballet dancer who also starred in and choreographed the movie Black

NEW WORKS COCOMMISSIONED WITH FESTIVAL FAVORITES

The Festival will also welcome back two dance companies to present work and collaborate with extraordinary choreographers on new dance commissions.

A local favorite since making its Vail debut in 2012, Philadelphia’s cutting-edge contemporary dance powerhouse BalletX returns to the Festival in a program of innovative new choreography

BalletX performs Justin Peck’s Become a Mountain. Photo by Vikki Sloviter.

L.A. Dance Project in Madeline Hollander’s 5 Live Calibrations Photo by Thomas Amouroux.

“The Festival is truly a special place where the best dance artists from around the world gather to celebrate all that this art form gives us.”

—Lucinda Lent, LADP Executive Director

that defies definition and boundaries. The company will appear throughout the two-weeks of the Festival in a variety of community programs, master classes and performances, including an engagement at the VPAC on Sunday, August 6.

New works created lat year by Caili Quan and Justin Peck will be included in this program. Quan’s Love Letter, originally created as a dance film during the pandemic, is an ode to her native Guam and was recreated for the stage. Also on the program is Justin Peck’s adrenaline pumping Become a Mountain, which seems fitting for a showing in Vail as it depicts the thrilling arc of a mountain climb, with music by Dan Deacon. Additionally, BalletX will present a world-premiere by former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre resident choreographer, Jamar Roberts. This new work co-commissioned with the Festival will premiere at The Amp on Monday, August 7, during NOW: Premieres.

DanceAspen will also make an encore appearance in the Valley, following its Festival debut last summer on the one-year anniversary of its founding. First on Thursday, August 3, the company will perform in the neighboring town of Avon at the free Dancing in the Park performance with ballroom duo Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina and other Festival stars. Then later, on the NOW: Premieres performance that closes the Festival on August 7,

the company will present the world premiere of a new work by Matthew Neenan, as part of the 10 new works co-commissioned by the Festival this year. Neenan, who co-founded BalletX, is the resident choreographer of the Philadelphia Ballet and was praised in The New York Times as “one of the most appealing and singular chorographic voices in ballet today.” (Go to pages 52 to learn about the 10 new works being commissioned at this year’s Festival.)

In reaching coast to coast this year with the presentation of these extraordinary dance companies, Festival audiences can experience a reflection of modern and contemporary voices that is diverse and global in spirit. “The Festival is truly a special place where the best dance artists from around the world gather to celebrate all that this art form gives us,” reflected LADP Executive Director Lucinda Lent. “Plus, it's Vail! What could be more beautiful?”

Anthony Tiedeman of DanceAspen. Photo by Wendy Turner.

“With legendary classics and exciting new repertory from incredible dancemakers, including two world premieres made for Vail, seeing these remarkable companies over the course of the Festival provides a thrilling overview of what dance is today.”

—Damian Woetzel

FRIDAY, JULY ��

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

OPENING NIGHT

A dazzling opening night of spectacular performances from artists and companies featured in the 2023 Vail Dance Festival! Don’t miss Martha Graham Dance Company, L.A. Dance Project, Brazilian tap force Leonardo Sandoval, and BalletX, all making appearances on the same night alongside Festival stars as they kick off the new season.

page 17.

Generously Underwritten by Lisa Tannebaum & Don Brownstein and Jane & Skip Netzorg.

Davóne Tines, Lauren Lovette, and Robbie Fairchild perform Du Bist Die Ruh in 2022.

Photo by Christopher Duggan.

See

SATURDAY, JULY ��

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

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

The legendary Martha Graham Dance Company returns to Vail with a one-night-only program featuring Graham’s classic Errand into the Maze based on the myth of Theseus, and CAVE, a visceral new work created for the company by Hofesh Shechter that blends pulsating musical energy with thrilling contemporary choreography.

Generously Underwritten by Priscilla Brewster. Martha Graham Dance Company performs CAVE Photo by Chris Jones.

SUNDAY, JULY

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

UPCLOSE | MR. B: GEORGE BALANCHINE’S ��TH CENTURY

A celebration of the genius of choreographer George Balanchine, with an all-star cast of dancers assembled for the occasion.

Acclaimed author Jennifer Homans’ new book, Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century, has been hailed as a remarkable biography of the founder of New York City Ballet. This UpClose evening featuring performances of classic Balanchine repertory will be led by Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts, and Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, joined by Homans as a special guest. Book signing with Homans to follow the performance.

Generously Underwritten by Tina & David Wilson and The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet.

Mr.

MONDAY, JULY ��

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

L.A. DANCE PROJECT

Based in Los Angeles with regular seasons internationally, L.A. Dance Project has garnered acclaim for its bold interdisciplinary collaborations in dance, music and visual art. For its 10th anniversary, L.A. Dance Project returns to Vail with a critically celebrated program by cutting edge dance makers of today: Quartet for 5 by Bobbi Jene Smith in collaboration with Or Schraiber, 5 Live Calibrations by Madeline Hollander, and Everyone Keeps Me by Pam Tanowitz.

See page 17.

Dancers of L.A. Dance Project. Photo by Josh S. Rose.

TUESDAY, AUGUST �

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

DANCE FOR $��.��

An annual celebration of dance at special prices! This year’s program includes Brazilian tap dancer Leonardo Sandoval, contemporary ballet troupe BalletX, ballroom stars Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina, and more.

Generously Underwritten by the Town of Vail. Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Photo by Chris Kendig.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST �

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

MUSIC From The SOLE

FESTIVAL DEBUT

Led by award-winning Brazilian dancer/ choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and bassist/ composer Gregory Richardson, tap dance and live music come together in the acclaimed production I Didn’t Come to Stay which joyously celebrates tap’s Afro-diasporic roots and connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music.

See page 17.

Music From The Sole performs I Didn’t Come to Stay Photo by Titus Ogilvie Laing.

THURSDAY, AUGUST �

Avon Performance Pavilion, Avon | �:��pm

DANCING IN THE PARK

Free and fun for the whole family, Dancing in the Park returns to Nottingham Park in Avon with a special evening featuring BalletX, DanceAspen, ballroom duo Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina among other Festival stars, along with an energetic and interactive performance by YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Celebration Team.

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

Dancing in the Park. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

FRIDAY, AUGUST � & SATURDAY, AUGUST �

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Friday �:��pm | Saturday 5:00pm & 8:00pm

INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE I, II, & III

Showcasing a selection of today’s dance stars representing a wide range of styles and genres from ballet and modern to tap and street dance, these annual performances have become legendary in featuring new partnerships, debuts and daring collaborations by extraordinary dancers and musicians from around the world.

On the first International Evenings of Dance, YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat Pop Hop Camp will open the performance!

Friday’s performance is Generously Underwritten in part by Jeffrey D. Byrne.

Saturday’s 5pm performance is Generously Underwritten in part by Marge & Phil Odeen.

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

Johnny Gandelsman and Roman Mejia perform Limón’s Chaconne Photo by Christopher Duggan.

SUNDAY, AUGUST �

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

BalletX

BalletX returns with an evening of thrilling works new to Festival audiences! Programming for this headlining evening includes Caili Quan’s Love Letter, an ode to her native Guam, and Justin Peck’s adrenaline pumping Become a Mountain, depicting the thrilling arc of a mountain climb.

See page 17.

Generously Underwritten by Susan & Jeff Campbell. Andrea Yorita and Shawn Cusseaux perform Honey Photo by Skye Schmidt.

MONDAY, AUGUST �

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

NOW: PREMIERES CLOSING NIGHT

The Festival’s rich, creative environment is the ideal setting for new music and dance collaborations. Performed by an extraordinary lineup of Festival artists and the companies BalletX and DanceAspen, the 2023 NOW: Premieres performance will unveil new works and music created for the Festival by innovative choreographers of today including Kyle Abraham, Matthew Neenan, Justin Peck, Caili Quan, Jamar Roberts, Adji Cissoko, and Melissa Toogood. See page 17.

Generously Underwritten in part by Gina Browning & Joe Illick. Mira Nadon and Christopher Grant perform And So Photo by Christopher Duggan.

NEW WORKS at the ���� FESTIVAL

The Vail Dance Festival fosters unique collaborations between artists of various dance genres each year, pushing the boundaries of the artform and further cementing Vail as a major incubator of new choreography and music in the United States. Artists benefit from enhanced creative focus in the Festival’s serene mountain setting, and all testify enthusiastically to the close-knit “laboratory” environment that fosters high-caliber artistic experimentation and cross-pollination. This year, the Vail Dance Festival is thrilled to welcome 10 new works, bringing innovation and expansion to the heart of the Festival.

CHOREOGRAPHERS

Kyle Abraham

Generously Underwritten by the Vail Dance Festival Artistic Reserve Fund made possible by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional support provided by Ginny Gold, Alexia & Jerry Jurschak, and Vickie Morris.

Lil Buck

Generously Underwritten by Irene Shen.

Adji Cissoko Generously Underwritten by Jonna Mackin.

Larry Keigwin

Generously Underwritten in part by Anonymous.

Matthew Neenan

Co-commissioned with DanceAspen.

Generously Underwritten in part by LaDonna & Gary Wicklund, Shirley & Jim Cassing, and Malo & John Harrison.

Justin Peck

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

Tiler Peck

Generously Underwritten by Donna & Donald Baumgartner.

Caili Quan

Generously Underwritten by Marvin Naiman and Margery Goldman Family Foundation.

Jamar Roberts

Generously Underwritten in part by Malo & John Harrison and Jonna Mackin.

Melissa Toogood

Generously Underwritten by Making Waves Foundation.

Festival artists perform Michelle Dorrance’s New to the Session Photo by Christopher Duggan.

MARQUEE PRESENTER

JODY & JOHN ARNHOLD

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

PREMIER PRESENTER

JILL & KEVIN PLANCHER

Jill and Kevin Plancher first enjoyed the Vail Dance Festival in 1993 when Kevin was a fellow at the Steadman Clinic in Vail. They have attended and supported the Festival each and every year since. Jill and Kevin now live in Greenwich, and have three grown children: Brian, Jamie and Megan; daughterin-law Annie Knickman Plancher and son-in-law Cezar Babin; and granddaughter Tess (Brian and Annie). Kevin has a private orthopedic practice in New York City and Greenwich. Jill is a family lawyer with Connecticut Legal Services. Jill also serves on the Vail Valley Foundation Board of Trustees and Vail Dance Festival Committee. They are delighted to once again support the International Evenings of Dance II. In addition, this year the Plancher Family has generously offered to match every dollar, up to $25,000, raised for Eagle County Celebrate the Beat.

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

Tina & David Wilson have called the Vail Valley home for 30+ years. Along with their daughters, Colby and Nicole, the Wilsons have embraced the uniqueness of Vail complete with immersion in the arts, culture, and outdoor activities that make Vail so special. In addition, they are active supporters and volunteers for a variety of charitable organizations in the Vail Valley. In honor of Tina’s mother, Carol Storr, the Wilson Family created The Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet in 2022 to ensure the inclusion of classical ballet in the Vail Dance Festival for generations to come. The Wilson Family is proud to support UpClose: Mr. B on July 30th this year along with the classical ballet pieces performed at International Evenings of Dance.

The Vail Valley Foundation and the Vail Dance Festival extends its sincere gratitude to our patrons. Thank you for your financial support! The list that follows represents patrons who gave from September 1, 2021 through April 30, 2022.

PAUL REPETTO & JANET PYLE

Paul Repetto & Janet

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

SEASON PRESENTER

PRISCILLA BREWSTER

SUSAN & JEFF CAMPBELL

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

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

Oscar has supported the Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) at a leadership level since its inception and is a founding sponsor of the Vail Dance Festival. He is a Life Trustee of the VVF, after having served on the board from 1987 to 2015 and galvanized VVF’s early focus on education in Eagle County. A lifelong New Yorker, Oscar is Co-Chair of the New York Philharmonic and the longest serving trustee of the Met Museum for almost 30 years.

Agnes has advised UNESCO and President Obama’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee, including two UNESCO World Heritage designations and an international treaty on the prevention of looting and commercialization of looted cultural objects. Agnes is Board Chair of N-YHS, New York’s first museum, and Co-Chair of the Objects Conservation Committee at the Met Museum.

They co-founded numerous institutions, including most recently the Hsu-Tang Library at Oxford University.

UNDERWRITER CIRCLE

MALO & JOHN HARRISON

WENDY WILLIAMS & NOEL KULLAVANIJAYA

DONNA & DONALD BAUMGARTNER

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

LISA TANNEBAUM & DON BROWNSTEIN

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

JEFFREY D. BYRNE

Jeffrey Byrne has been coming to the Vail Valley, from his full-time home in Kansas City, for 20 years as a part-time resident to ski in the winter and enjoy music, dance and the weather in the summer.  Co-Founder + CEO of Byrne Pelofsky + Associates, LLC, Jeffrey provides leadership and counsel to nonprofits across the USA in the areas of capital, endowment and overall fundraising having worked with 500+ nonprofits and raised over $3 Billion.  Jeffrey recently retired from B&F Farms, Inc. where he was a corporate officer and 4th generation family member in an agricultural farming operation.  Jeffrey enjoys volunteering and serves on the David Parsons Dance Company Board of Directors, the Vail Valley Foundation’s Development Committee and is one of the founding Board Members of Charitable Communications.  Additionally, Jeffrey has served as the National Chair of his professional association, The Giving Institute, and served as a Board Member of the Grammy Award winning Kansas City Chorale, the Kansas City Camerata and numerous other arts and nonprofit organizations.

JONNA MACKIN

Jonna Mackin has a PhD in American Literature from the University of Pennsylvania and taught English at Dartmouth for 15 years. She lives in New Hampshire and since retiring spends much of her time in New York City attending dance performances. Jonna serves on the Vail Dance Festival Committee and is a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company Board of Directors.

JANE & SKIP NETZORG

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

MARGE & PHIL ODEEN

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

RUBY DRESS CIRCLE

THE JAMES & JANET AVERILL CHARITABLE FUND

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

GINA BROWNING & JOE ILLICK

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

DIAMOND DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous (3)

Karen & John Arnold*

Bacca Foundation*

Martin Atkin & Reid Balthaser

Judy & Howard Berkowitz

Pamela Comfort

Barbara & Robert De Luca

Rebecca & Samuel Eden

Lisa & Bruce Goldman

Margery Goldman

Sheika Gramshammer

Martha Head*

Judith Hoffman

Doe Browning & Jack Hunn*

Alexia & Jerry Jurschak

Michael Krupka*

Anne C. Kubik*

Nancy & Richard Lubin

Mary Lujack and Sarah and Gracie Johnson

Jean & Tom McDonnell

Sarah Malloy Millett & Peter Millett*

Lisa & Mark Neporent*

Martha & Terry Allen Perl

Senenne & Marc Philippon

Rosalind Reed

Rella & Monroe Rifkin

Mary Sue & Michael Shannon*

Irene Shen

Ann Smead & Michael Byram

Marcy & Gerald Spector*

Teresa Tsai*

Martin Waldbaum

LaDonna & Gary Wicklund

Heather Watts & Damian Woetzel

Kristy & Bill Woolfolk*

*VVF Cornerstone Patron

PLATINUM DRESS CIRCLE

Amy & Charles Allen

Hennessy-Allen

Mary Ellen Anderson

Christine & John Bakalar

Dierdre & Ronnie Baker

Barbara Baldrey

Deborah & David Boillot

Jane & Gary Bomba

Margo & Terry Boyle

James & Shirley Cassing

Pam & Ernie Elsner

Kaye Ferry

Susan & Harry Frampton

Virginia Gold

Jane & Ray Heller

Dr. Henry & Pam Levine

Philip Livingston

Tamara Miller

Elizabeth G. Chambers & Ron Mooney

Victoria Morris

Melanie & Allan Nelkin

Laura Kittredge Parker & Tim Parker

Nancy & Donald Remey

Michael L. Ritchie

Elise & Jay Rossiter

Ann & William Sacher

Nancy Sands

Shannon & George Slessman

Kelley & Brendan Synnott

Dhuanne & Doug Tansill

Joan Nissman and Judith Nissman Taylor

Sara Friedle & Michael Towler

Sunnie & Mark Wang

GOLD DRESS CIRCLE

Diana Bradley & Claude Accum

Patricia Belote

Cathy & Bill Bethke

Lourdes Rosado & Jan Boswinkel

Amy & Ken Brown

Janet & Curtis Clark

Ms. Arlene Harris and Mr. Martin Cooper

Allie Coppeak

Robert J. Croteau & Karen A. Nold

Brenda & Thomas Curnin

Greg & Keala Dickhens

Holly & William Elliott

Lois & Stephen Eisen

Kim & Andrew Fink

Susan & William Fink

Nicole & Leonard Firestone

Mauri Pioppo & Keith Funger

Patti Eylar & Charles Gardner

Vicky & John Garnsey

Stacey & Foster Gillett

Neal Groff

Sherry & Michael Guthrie

Pam & Duke Hartman

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Julia & Donald Johnson III

Susan Kasser & Daniel Kah

Elaine & Arthur Kelton

Janet & Paul Lewis

Eugenia Lubell

Patricia & Michael Marshall

Marcia & Thomas McCalden

Helen McIntyre

Jill & Dean Mitchell

Karen R. Nagel

Renée Okubo

Ellen Arnovitz & Michael Plasker

Carolyn & Steve Pope

Joanne Posner-Mayer

Ronnie Potter

Nicole & Jason Rosener

Nancy Adam and Marlene & Eugene Shapiro

Leanne Tyler

Gail & Thomas Viele

Deborah & Peter Weinberg

Joan Whittenberg

David Williams

Sara Fitzgerald & Bruce Wilson

Ellen & James Wiss

Mary Ellen & Dave Wright

Margaret & Glen Wood

SILVER DRESS CIRCLE

Raydean Acevedo & Walter Jenkins

Martha Brassel & Chris Anderson

OOTB Womens Foundation

Jill Hamilton Anschutz & Christian Anschutz

Wendy & Warren Blumenthal

Linda Boyne

Martha & John Chamberlin

Maggie & Clayton Chessman

Ellen Dehaven

Debra Devereaux

Diane & Larry Feldman

Susan Rothschild & Don Freedman

Mikki & Morris Futernick

Margie & Tom Gart

Paul Goodspeed

Roberta Levin & Dr. Gilad Gordon

Lisa Green

Gina Harman

Lorraine and Harley Higbie Family via The Denver Foundation

Pamela & Richard Hinds

Ami Hudgins

Sally & Kyle Hybl

Kaye Isaacs

Donna & Ward Katz

Bonnie Lee & Lawrence Kivel

Beth & Todd Leonard

Ellen & Harry Levitt

Linda Lighton & Lynn Adkins

Gretchen & Charles Lobitz

Karen Marisak & Gerard Lynch

Ferrell & William McClean

Pat McFarland

Lynn McGowin

Marka Moser

Deborah Nunez

Laurian Unnevehr & Jerry Nelson

Rosie & Roger Oberg

Sandy & Fred Pack

Etty & Alberto Rimoch

Carey & Tim Romer

Nellie Rosenberg

Barbara & Howard Rothenberg

Dr. Fred Distelhorst

Renee & Jeffrey Epstein

The Fabos Family

Stan Shapiro and Laura Shapiro

Charlotte Shifrin

Page & Michael Slevin

Judy Berkowitz and former Vail Dance Festival Committee Member Joan Whittenberg.

Photo by Brian Maloney.

Eileen Friars, Scott Pyle, and Raydean Acevedo. Photo by Brian Maloney.

Amy & Leonard Slosky

Linda & Tim Stancliffe

Jeanne & Terry Startzel

Marla Steele

Aimee & Bart Valls

Brenton VerPloeg

Elizabeth & James Webb

Alyn Park & Jay Wissot

BRONZE DRESS CIRCLE

Anonymous (2)

Janet & Bill Adler

Jannice Alvaney

Elizabeth & Cristian Basso

Linda Bernhard & Michelle Walsh

Mary Bird

Kathy & Jack Blair

Rebecca & Howard Braverman

Steve Brint & Mark Brown

Richard Bross

Christine & George Burns

Julie Carr

T. Ruth Chang

Jennifer & George Coloney

Colleen Forrest & Christopher Forrest

Jim Francis

Nancy & Gary Freedman

Merrily Glosband

Elisabeth & Alvin Goldman

Rhondda Hartman

Sharon & Thomas Haverstock

Ronne & Donald Hess

Christi & Tim Howell

Barbara & Paul Jenkel

Lynn & Andrew Kaufman

Karlin Keller

Audrey LaFehr

Carolyn Landen

Cynthia & Robert LeBreton

Laura Leitzinger

Ann & William Lieff

Susan & Steven Lipstein

Eleanor & John Lock

Augusta Molnar & Kent Lupberger

Hilary & Kevin Magner

Wolfgang Mairhofer

Beth Barbre & John Mangan

Margaret & Rick Rogers

Nancy & Robert Rosen

Merle & Philip Rosenfeld

Carolyn & James Chamness

Mary Lynn Cohagan

Barbara & Mark Cohen

Gretchen Corey

Ama & Chris Couch

Louise Pearson & Grant Couch

Stephanie & Brian Cramer

Katherine & Hassan Dayem

Elizabeth & Warren Dean

Robin Deighan

Andrea Eddy

Caryl & Ken Field

Dr. and Mrs. James P. Fisher

DeAnn & Dan Maurer

Jill & Mark Meyer

Amy Kennedy & Steve Miller

Emorene Morris

Lynnette Morrison

The Nalbantoglu Family

Ruth Malman & Michael Opatowski

Amanda & Adam Quinton

Jane A. Risser

Andrea & Stuart Shatken

Barbara Smith

Nancy Smolow

Linda & Stephen Sparn

Anne Stodghill

Kathryn & Brian Stoffers

Judy & Charles Stoopack

Karen Sumner

Martha Tyler

George Ann & Buzz Victor

Hanna Warren

Doreen & Martin Weisfuse

Rosalind & Larry Wolff

Luanne & James Wright

Judith Wyman

FAN CLUB

Anonymous (2)

Anita Altman

Leisha Andersen

Catherine Anderson

Susan Anderson

ARC School of Ballet

Linda & William Aylesworth

Drs. Steven Brenman & Donna DeSimone

Marc Brombert

Kathe & Morris Brown

Jean Kutner & Robert Brown

Wendy Rudolph & Graeme Bush

Carolyn & Gary Buss

Amy Cantor

Toni Cohig

Dr. Cathy Cohn

Joyce Costa

Diana & Robert Crew

Elizabeth Czaja

Rebecca Darrouzet

Chus De La Llama

Nancy & Craig Denton

Sharron Dorward

Dawn Doty Vawter

Joyce Dulin

Darlene & Lee Ebert

Kay Maune & David Elmore

Mary Anne Fantauzzi

Leslie & Howard Farkas

Carole Feistmann

Larry and Barbara Field

Irmak Fite

Robin Fitzpatrick

Carolyn & Reed Ford

Ingie & Rol Franberg

Mary Ann Galpin-Plattner

Mandeep Garewal

Peter & Mike Gilbert

Vivien & Andrew Greenberg

Suzanne Greene

Karlyn Griswold

Sharon Gurwitz

Dale & Rebecca Hahs

Emy & Michael Halpert

Douglas Hamilton

Jan Harkins

Allie Coppeak and Lissa Tyler. Photo by Brian Maloney.

Gina Browning & Joe Illick. Photo by Brian Maloney.

FESTIVAL PATRONS

Ann Harris

David Hill

Cathy & Graham Hollis

Loyal & Jill Huddleston

Lisa Huertas

Adele & Roy Igersheim

Ali & Paul Peters

Jana Edwards & Frederick Poppe

Kathryn Powers

Lorraine Prentis

Susan & Kenneth Press

Lorie Williams

Helene Zimmer-Loew

SUPPORTER

Jana Andersen

Marilyn Averill

Sally Balthaser

Felicia & Bob Battle

Vineta Berga

Jayne Blewitt

Laurie Brock

William Buffa

Robin Chotin

Patricia Cook

Charles Cross

Lisa Engel

Belina Fruitman

Catherine & Barry Gassman

Raija Gershberg

Michelle & Robin Gersten

Nancy Golaszewski

Christie Greene

Debra Greenfield

Jennifer Haggar

Patrice Halloran

Cathy Heller

Jan Hiland

Brina Larson

April Lassiter

Larry Lee

Jane & Tod Linstroth

Gail & Jay Mahoney

Michelle & Brian Maloney

Michelle Mason

The Maurer Family

Ayse McCracken

Mary Jane Mortimer

Dawn Mucha

Michele & Alfonso Natarelli

Sofia Pilar

Wendy Powell

Jennifer & Stephen Sagner

Andrea Schumacher

Ricki & Steve Sherlin

Lynne & Kenneth Siegel

Holly & Denny Simonton

Carol & Roger Sperry

Jules St. Marie

Michael Stein

Maureen O'Shea-Stone & Daniel Stone

Cynthia & Douglas Wax

Betsy Wayne

Trish Weber

Leslie & Stephen Isom

Alice & Steve Jennison

Alberta Johnson

Pam & Bruce Johnson

Amy & Kevin Jones

Alice Kaderlan

Anne-Marie & John Keane

Geneva & David Kerstein

Linda Kirscht and Karen Backstein

Lawrence LaFevre

Robyn Landry

Laine & Merv Lapin

Sarah Lash

Dawn Lesh

Karen Lindenberg

Elspeth MacHattie

Leslie & John Manes

Judy Margolis and

Joede Schoeberlein

Ann & John Martin

Margaret Mastrianni

Nancy McKeever

Anne McKinnon

Charles Mize

Helen Moxcey

Barbara Mullenger

Nancy & Sam Osborne

Anne Patterson

Dana Query

Joan Robinson

Ken Robinson

Lynn & Randy Rose

Stephanie Rudnick

Sue & Michael Rushmore

Carole Schragen

Terry Snyder

Barry Spector

Gina & Stephen Spessard

Pat Spitzmiller

Maureen & Mark Stevenson

Jane Ellen Stone

Margaret Stroock

Jill & Alan Tanenbaum

Peggy Thompson

Michael Tocci

Susan & William Tracy

Bonnie Utley

Lois Van Deusen

Rosanna D'Orazio & Kent Wagner

Yuka Wakino

Cathy Wayand

Deborah Webster

Shelly Weisbacher

Rachel Weiss

Jane & Ben West

Bella & Dan Whelan

Paige & Michael Hill

Betsy Hoke

V Michael Holers

Paula Wegert

Linda & Dean Wolz

Cindy Zelby

Amy Hughes

Daryl James

Marc Kerman

Ann & Collier Kirkham

Marsha Landesman

CORNERSTONE FRIENDS

Anonymous

Karen & John Arnold

Bacca Foundation

Martha Head

2023 Vail Dance Festival Honorees Noel Kullavanijaya & Wendy Williams.

Photo by Brian Maloney.

Paul & Joyce Krasnow. Photo by Brian Maloney.

FESTIVAL PATRONS

Doe Browning & Jack Hunn

Michael Krupka

Anne C. Kubik

Sarah Malloy Millett & Peter Millett

Lisa & Mark Neporent

Mary Sue & Michael Shannon

Marcy & Gerald Spector

Cynnie & Peter Kellogg

Shelby & Scott Key

Ruth & Sidney Lapidus

Leni & Peter May

Michele Mittelman

Mary & Steven Read

Amy & Jay Regan

Sara & Eric Resnick

Sunni & Gary Markowitz

Sophie & Jeffrey Martz

Shirley & William S. McIntyre

Kathy Neustadt

Amy & Harold Novikoff

Senenne & Marc Philippon

Amanda Precourt

Brooke & Hap Stein

CHAMPIONS CIRCLE

Anonymous

Patricia & Sergio Arguelles

Ann Newman & Andy Arnold

Jeffrey D. Byrne

Dr. John & Kim Callaghan

Sidney & Donald Childress

Kay & Thomas Clanton

Nancy & Leo Denault

Holly & Tim Finchem

Bryan Fitzgerald

Joan Francis

Elizabeth & Michael Galvin

Tom Grojean

Kristel & B.J. Hybl

Alexia & Jerry Jurschak

Stacy & Jim Kleckner

Marlene & Ben Krell

Elaine & Jeffrey Lovell Foundation

Alejandra & Tomas Milmo

Vicki & Trygve Myhren

Ed O’Brien

Sally & Don O'Neal

Jill & Kevin Plancher

Sissel & Richard Pomboy

Vikki & Michael Price

Carlos Rojas

Elaine & Steven Schwartzreich

Harvey Simpson & Sheila Sullivan

Teresa Tsai

Kristy & Bill Woolfolk

FRIENDS OF VAIL

Anonymous (2)

Ellen & Dan Bolen

Kathy & Bjorn Erik Borgen

Devon & Peter Briger

Lisa & Ronald Brill

Kelly & Sam Bronfman

Sallie Smith & Jim Butterworth

Ann Smead & Michael Byram

Angela & Peter Dal Pezzo

Julie & Bill Esrey

Susan & Harry Frampton

Margie & Tom Gart

Mary Kevin & Tom Giller

Donna Giordano

Georgia & Donald Gogel

Lisa & Bruce Goldman

Lyn Goldstein

Georgia & Robert Hatcher

Karen & Michael Herman

Robert Hernreich

Kathy & Al Hubbard

Susu & George Johnson

June & Paul Rossetti

Didi & Oscar Schafer

Lisa & Kenneth Schanzer

Susanna Johnson Shannon & Tim Shannon

Sydney & Stanley S. Shuman

Sue & Martin Solomon

Oscar Tang & Agnes Hsu-Tang

James W. Taylor

Denise O'Leary & Kent Thiry

Debbie & Fred Tresca

Debra & Ken Tuchman

Marie & Andy Unanue

Barbara & Richard Wenninger

MEDALLION CIRCLE

Judy Hart Angelo

Marlene Boll

Jeff & Susan Campbell

Mary Beth & Philip Canfield

Karen & Gerard Diffley

Diane & Brad England

Cindy & Christopher Galvin

Heather & Glenn Hilliard

Roberta & Michael Joseph

Amy & Mike Kazma

Bill Sterett

Michelle & Craig Taylor

Elizabeth & Rodney Slifer

Leanne & Richard Tavoso

Tyler Weady

Tina & David Wilson

Jan & Greg Winchester

Kelly & Robert Veitch

George Ann & Buzz Victor

Vincent Family

Sharon Lewis & Vail Dance Festival Committee Member Lisa Goldman.

Photo by Brian Maloney.

Lynn Adkins, Linda Lighton, Jeffrey Byrne, and Roz Reed. Photo by Brian Maloney.

Jacqueline & Norman Waite

Allison Krausen & Kyle Webb

Joan Whittenberg

LEGENDS CIRCLE

Anonymous (2)

Hennessy-Allen

Christina & Balz Arrigoni

Madeleine Asplundh

Jayne & Paul Becker

Biondi Family

Jeanne & Joe Brandmeyer

Leslie & Blaise Carrig

Betsy & J. Donald Childress

Shirley & Thomas Day

Amy & Jonathan Dobrin

Meg & James Duke

Holly & William Elliott

Trish Fillo

Chris Firman

Julia & David Fleischner

Vicky & John Garnsey

Marvin Naiman and Margery

Goldman Family Foundation

Rebeca Lergier Hanrahan & Daniel Hanrahan

Mindy & Andrew Heyer

Kimberly & John Hoffman

Aimee & Jay Jamison

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Amy & Bruce Karpas

Nancy Knowlton

Deb & Jeff Lamb

McKinley & Matthew Lee

Janie & Bobby Lipnick

Laura & Jeffrey Malehorn

Alison & Tim McAdam

Brenda Moreira

Renée Okubo

Debbie & Gary Packer

Ann & Tom Rader

Paul Repetto & Janet Pyle

Sarah & Nat Robinson

Nicole & Jason Rosener

Ann & William Sacher

Elaine & Barry Sandler

Matthew Sheehy

Katherine Clayborne & Thomas Shoup

Ann & Mike Stone

Kaye Summers & Dan Carpenter

Colleen & Frank Trabold

Jenifer Valentine

Norm & Betsy Vincent

Susan Lynch & Daniel Virnich

Martin Waldbaum

Julia Watson

Elisabeth & Nick Waugh

Marilyn & Ron Wollard

CELEBRATE THE BEAT DONORS

Anonymous (2)

Martha Brassel & Chris Anderson

Jeff & Susan Campbell

Rebecca & Samuel Eden

Margery Goldman

Eugenia Lubell

Renée Okubo

Sandy & Fred Pack

Jill & Kevin Plancher

Gina & Stephen Spessard

Dhuanne & Doug Tansill

Heather Watts & Damian Woetzel

The Vail Dance Festival is a project of the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation.

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mike Krupka

Mike Shannon

Cook

Besnette Hauser

David Hyde

Mike Imhof

Chris Jarnot

Cheryl Jensen

Alexia Jurschak

Anne-Marie Keane

Donna Lynne

Sarah Malloy Millett

Alejandra Cortés de Milmo

Ellen Moritz

Kaia Moritz

Dan Pennington

Jill Plancher

Chris Romer

David Salvin

Ken Schanzer

VAIL VALLEY FOUNDATION LIFE TRUSTEES

Adam Aron

Judy Berkowitz

Marlene Boll

Bjorn Erik Borgen

Andy Daly

Bill Esrey

Tim Finchem

Harry Frampton

John Garnsey

George Gillett

Donna Giordano

Sheika Gramshammer

Steve Haber

Martha Head

Mike Herman

William Hybl

Elaine Kelton

Kent Logan

Peter May

Eric Resnick

Doug Rippeto

Stanley Shuman

Rod Slifer

Oscar Tang

Stew Turley

Betsy Wiegers

Ann Smead

Hap Stein

Kristin Tang

Fred Tresca

Melina Valsecia

Tina Vardaman

Nick Waugh

Gary Woodworth

Kristy Woolfolk

In Memoriam

President Gerald R. Ford

Berry Craddock

Jack Crosby

Pete Frechette

Steve Friedman

John Galvin

Pepi Gramshammer

BALLETX

Christine Cox, Co-Founder, Artistic & Executive Director

Tara Keating, Associate Artistic Director

BalletX is Philadelphia's premier contemporary ballet uniting distinguished choreographers with an outstanding company of world-class dancers to forge new works of athleticism, emotion, and grace. Founded in 2005, the company challenges the boundaries of classical ballet by encouraging formal experimentation while preserving rigorous technique. BalletX 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. The company has amassed an impressive repertoire with 120 world premieres by over 70 internationally renowned artists and dancemakers. Firmly rooted in ballet technique, these contemporary pieces challenge BalletX's dancers with the innovative possibilities of ballet in the 21st century. Photo by Vikki Sloviter.

DANCERS:

Eli Alford

Shawn Cusseaux

Francesca Forcella

Savannah Green

Jared Kelly

DANCEASPEN

Laurel Jenny Winton, Founder, Executive Director

Kaya Wolsey, Company Manager

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

DANCERS:

Matthew Gilmore

L.A. DANCE PROJECT

Benjamin Millepied, Artistic Director & Co-Founder

Lucinda Lent, Executive Director

Founded in 2012 by Artistic Director Benjamin Millepied, L.A. Dance Project presents daring works in traditional venues and unconventional settings across Los Angeles and worldwide. The opening of its own studio and theater space in 2017 has allowed LADP to create and premiere its work in its hometown and cement itself as a destination for world-class dance in Los Angeles. The company’s repertory includes commissions by new and established choreographers, revivals of important historic works, and interdisciplinary collaborations. Photo by Josh S. Rose.

DANCERS:

Lorrin Brubaker

Jeremy Coachman

Courtney Conovan

Daphne Fernberger

David Adrian Freeland Jr.

Mario Gonzalez

Oliver Greene-Cramer

Daisy Jacobson

Payton Johnson

Shu Kinouchi

Nayomi Van Brunt

Sammy Altenau

Blake Krapels

Madeleine Scott Kaya Wolsey

Annika Kuo

Skyler Lubin

Jonathan Montepara Jerard Palazo

Ben Schwarz

Ashley Simpson Andrea Yorita

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

Janet Eilber, Artistic Director

LaRue Allen, Executive Director

The Martha Graham Dance Company has been a world leader in the evolving art form of modern dance since its founding in 1926. Today, the Company is embracing a new programming vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. With programs that offer a rich thematic narrative, the Company creates new platforms for contemporary dance and multiple points of access for audiences. MGDC has received international acclaim from audiences in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden, and the Kennedy Center, as well as at the base of the Great Pyramids in Egypt and in the ancient Herod Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis in Athens. Photo by Chris Jones.

DANCERS:

So Young An

James Anthony

Alessio Crognale

Laurel Dalley Smith

Lloyd Knight

Jacob Larsen

MUSIC FROM THE SOLE

Leonardo Sandoval & Gregory Richardson, Artistic Directors

Marzia Memoli

Lorenzo Pagano

Anne Sounder

Richard Villaverde

Leslie Andrea Williams

Xin Ying

Music From The Sole is a tap dance and live music company that celebrates tap’s Afrodiasporic roots, particularly its connections to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, and its lineage to forms like house dance and passinho (Brazilian funk). Led by Brazilian dancer/ choreographer Leonardo Sandoval and bassist/ composer Gregory Richardson, their work embraces tap’s unique nature as a blend of sound and movement, incorporating influences like samba, Afro-Cuban, jazz, and house. The company appears at both dance and music venues, including recently at Harlem Stage, Lincoln Center, Jacob’s Pillow, and the Guggenheim, and is deeply committed to community engagement through programming that includes frequent partnerships with organizations like the National Dance Institute and Lincoln Center Education.

Photo by Kreshonna Jones.

COMPANY:

Josh Davis

Naomi Funaki

Orlando Hernández

Noé Kains

Roxanne “Roxy” King

Gerson LanzaJosé Carlos

Cruzata Revé

Gregory Richardson

Leonardo Sandoval

Lucas Santana

QUARTET-IN-RESIDENCE

BROOKLYN RIDER

Gisele Silva

Ana Tomioshi

Jennifer Vincent

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

MUSICIANS:

Johnny

Gandelsman, Violin Colin Jacobsen, Violin Nicholas Cords, Viola Michael Nicolas, Cello

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

Lil Buck Memphis Jooker Festival Choreographer

Patricia Delgado Former Principal, Miami City Ballet

Christopher Grant Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet

Olivia Bell Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet

Chun Wai Chan Principal, New York City Ballet

Denys Drozdyuk Ballroom Dancer

Catherine Hurlin Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Isabella Boylston Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Jeffrey Cirio Principal, Boston Ballet

Philip Duclos Corps de Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet

Kyle Ikuma 2023 Scholar-InResidence

India Bradley Corps de Ballet, New York City Ballet

Adji Cissoko Alonzo King LINES Ballet 2023 Artist-In-Residence Festival Choreographer

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

Larry Keigwin Artistic Director, Keigwin + Company Festival Choreographer

Spencer Lenain 2023 Scholar-InResidence

Lauren Lovette Former Principal, New York City Ballet

Sara Mearns Principal, New York City Ballet

Roman Mejia Principal, New York City Ballet

Miriam Miller Soloist, New York City Ballet

Mayfield Myers Corps de Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet

Mira Nadon Principal, New York City Ballet

Dario Natarelli Tap Dancer

FESTIVAL ARTISTS

FESTIVAL MUSICIANS

FESTIVAL COMPOSERS

Antonina Skobina Ballroom Dancer

Devon Teuscher Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Matthew Neenan, BalletX Co-Founder Festival Choreographer

Caili Quan Former Dancer, BalletX Festival Choreographer

Cory Stearns Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Melissa Toogood Pam Tanowitz Dance Festival Choreographer

Justin Peck Resident Choreographer, New York City Ballet Festival Choreographer

Jamar Roberts Festival Choreographer

KJ Takahashi Soloist, New York City Ballet

James Whiteside Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Tiler Peck Principal, New York City Ballet Festival Choreographer

Calvin Royal III Principal, American Ballet Theatre

Stephanie Terasaki Freelance Dancer

Youba Cissokho Kora

Unity Phelan Principal, New York City Ballet

Ben Rudisin Principal, National Ballet of Canada

Cameron Grant Pianist

Michael Scales Pianist

Caroline Shaw Multi-Instrumentalist, Vocalist

Davóne Tines Bass-Baritone

Joel Wenhardt Pianist

Tony Siqi Yun Pianist

Shelbie Rassler Music Director, Conductor, MultiInstrumentalist

Caroline Shaw Leonard Bernstein Composer-InResidence

David K. Israel

Gabriel Kahane

Shelbie Rassler Tyshawn Sorey

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Classical & Dance LINEUP

WINTER 2023-24

CHANTICLEER

Jan. 25, 2024

Alonzo King

LINES BALLET: DEEP RIVER

SUN | JAN 14 | 2024

Presented by Vilar Performing Arts Center and Vail Dance Festival.

Chanticleer

THU | JAN 25 | 2024

Grammy Award-winning classical vocal ensemble.

Momix ALICE

SUN | JAN 28 | 2024

Moses Pendleton’s newest dance work inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Cameron Carpenter

SUN | FEB 4 | 2024

A wondrous pioneer of the organ.

Colorado Symphony

Feat. Conductor Eun Sun Kim and pianist Inon Barnatan

THU | FEB 8 | 2024

Foremost opera conductor and poetic piano soloist join the Colorado Symphony.

Takács Quartet

SUN | FEB 11 | 2024

World-renowned quartet, now in its forty-eighth season.

Ray Chen

TUE | MAR 19 | 2024

Global violinist inspiring a new era of classical audiences.

Bodytraffic BOLERO

by Fernando Hernando Magadan

Commissioned in part by Vilar Performing Arts Center

FRI | MAR 22 | 2024

Delivering performances that inspire audiences simply to love dance.

MOMIX: ALICE

Jan. 28, 2024

COLORADO SYMPHONY

Feat. Conductor

Eun Sun Kim and pianist Inon Barnatan

Feb. 8, 2024

TAKÁCS QUARTET

Feb. 11, 2024

BODYTRAFFIC

Mar. 22, 2024

ALONZO KING LINES BALLET: DEEP RIVER Jan. 14, 2024

CAMERON CARPENTER Feb. 4, 2024

RAY CHEN Mar. 19, 2024

MOVING TOWARDS DISCOVERY

How the Vail Dance Festival established a reputation as a high-altitude creative hotspot for new music and dance

By Joel Solari

There is something about the Vail Valley that sparks the imagination — a place where the surrounding mountains and wilderness beckon us to discover what is possible. There is wonder in what we might discover within nature, and in turn, within ourselves. This sense of discovery is a touchstone of the Vail Dance Festival, a summer gathering of artistic exploration and renewal for dance and music artists across genres and from around the world.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, world-class dancers and musicians are invited to this collaboratively rich environment to explore what is possible in their artistic craft and practice. Over the course of two weeks, studios and stages are buzzing with interdisciplinary creativity, all culminating on closing night in a dazzling performance of new works called NOW:

Premieres, taking place on Monday, August 7. Invigorating the dance world with new works is an essential part of what drives the Festival forward as a major incubator for the arts. And so, at nearly 10,000 feet above sea level and nestled in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, Vail has earned an international reputation as a place where innovative new works in dance and music are born and new partnerships blossom.

“It’s such an inspiring place to be, especially in the mountains and in this quaint town, walking outdoors from studio to studio,” reflected Justin Peck, New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer who will be making his fourth work for the Festival this summer. “What makes making work here so special is the environment that is created and cultivated for new creativity, new ideas, new collaborations and the interactions that cross over between

The cast of Tiler Peck’s Thousandth Orange after rehearsal. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

different genres and styles. That is so much of what dancemaking is all about.”

Beginning with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon as he launched his company Morphoses at the 2007 Festival, dancemakers of various genres at the top of their field have since partnered with Woetzel to step outside their relative comfort zones and experiment in the inspiring locale of the Vail Valley. The Festival has since commissioned over 100 new works, some of which have been presented in prestigious venues around the country including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and New York City Center, while others live on in the repertory of companies like New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.

In addition to 10 new works, audiences this summer will enjoy new music compositions featuring some of the most celebrated contemporary composers working today including Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Bernstein Composer-In-Residence Caroline Shaw. Rising composer and producer Shelbie Rassler will serve as Music Director, working alongside a range of extraordinary musicians including resident string quartet Brooklyn Rider. There will be some familiar faces in the studio choreographing new work this year, as well as a handful of exciting dancemakers making their Festival commission debuts: Kyle Abraham, Melissa Toogood, and 2023 Artist-In-Residence Adji Cissoko.

Cissoko, a critically acclaimed dancer of Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco, has performed here in previous seasons, first in 2018 during a headlining engagement with LINES and then later in 2019 in the world premiere of Alonzo King’s, The Personal Element, a landmark collaboration with dancers from New York City Ballet and LINES, set to a sweeping piano score composed and performed by Jason Moran. The work has gone on to tour internationally with LINES since its debut in Vail. A nascent choreographer in recent years, Cissoko created her first piece for Philadelphia’s BalletX in 2021 and this summer she will be creating a solo work for herself that explores her familial and ancestral heritage.

“The work I am creating will be connected to my griot roots,” says Cissoko. “Griot means storyteller which is something

my family has been known for in West Africa for 22 generations. Traditionally the Cissokos play the kora, a West African string instrument, to tell their stories and pass on tradition, but I’m going to do so through my dance. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, but I’ve been nervous to start,

cross-genre collaboration and partnerships. “I’m an admirer of Ulysses Dove, Trisha Brown, Justin Peck, and Balanchine. I have so many people that I’m inspired by when I am making work, but the practices that I use aren’t necessarily derived from anyone else’s practice.” In fact, his work is wellknown for being exceptionally powerful, driven by the relationships he builds with his collaborators. In a rave review of the solo he choreographed for American Ballet Theatre’s Calvin Royal III, The New York Times stated “how skilled he has become at mingling the ballet vernacular with other forms, from hip-hop to West African movement” and his skill for “finding the person within the dancer and the bodies within a body.”

"It’s just naturally in my DNA in how I approach movement,” says Abraham. “I grew up in social dance and I was a big rave kid but when I started to study dance, I studied all of it. I don’t feel that I need to be holding on to a particular technique or idiom when I make work now. Also, I like to get to know the dancers I’m working with. It’s important to me.” For his first work made for Vail, his cast of dancers will include artists from coast to coast, including dancers from LINES Ballet, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Philadephia Ballet, and independent artists.

so Vail will be the perfect opportunity to make it happen.” (Read more in “10 Questions for Adji Cissoko” on pages 20-21.)

Kyle Abraham has been to Vail before, but only briefly. In 2014, within a span of about 24 hours, he arrived at the Festival to perform his work The Serpent and the Smoke with Wendy Whelan as part of Restless Creature at the Vilar Performing Arts Center. He flew out the next day when his busy schedule carried him on to his next project. “I barely got to see the area,” he shared with a light chuckle, “so I’m looking forward to a longer visit this time around.”

Celebrated for his work that embodies Black culture and history, Abraham’s movement vocabulary is inspired by many sources and styles, which makes him well suited for the Festival and its penchant for

Intrepid modern dancer and Australia native Melissa Toogood is an awardwinning New York and Sydney-based performer with an impressive career that spans a multitude of genres and techniques. She was a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in the last years of Cunningham’s life, and since 2007 has been one of the leading teachers of Cunningham Technique globally. She has also performed in multiple works with tap phenomenon Michelle Dorrance, and has appeared as a guest artist with numerous companies including Kyle Abraham’s, among many others. As a current member of Pam Tanowitz Dance, where she also serves as Rehearsal Director, she has worked closely with the prolific choreographer on staging works around the country.

Toogood first came to Vail in 2015 as a performer and has since danced in numerous works created for the Festival. However, this year will be the first time she will step in front of the studio to lead as choreographer

Kyle Abraham. Photo by Tatiana Wills.

for an entirely new work made specifically for Vail audiences. For the work, Toogood will expand upon a solo that she created during a weeklong residency at Dance Initiative’s Launchpad in Carbondale, Colorado, where she says she balanced the roles of artist and motherhood in an intimate setting.

“I was closed in a small studio for a week with my young son, alone, caring for a small child while trying to work and produce something,” says Toogood. “The space was small, half taken up by blanket forts and puzzles with him climbing on me at times while I was dancing and creating a solo work. Choreographing while preparing snacks, yet also feeling completely cut off from anything else in the world at that moment. Running in place, yet completely present. I want to see if I could expand on this here in Vail, could I add people and we still be alone together?”

With Quartet-In-Residence Brooklyn Rider providing live accompaniment, the work will feature the music of composer David K. Israel with a cast that includes Sara Mearns, Miriam Miller and India Bradley of New York City Ballet dancing along with Toogood.

Reflecting on her experience as a dancer in new works here, Toogood shared: “It has the same kind of energy you brought to basement-made dances with your cousins as kids and then performed for loved ones. This audience feels like family and are that supportive, too, willing to sit in the rain to see what we have to share with them.”

In addition to these three choreographers,

a handful of Festival regulars and returning guest artists will also be busy in the studios this summer, including Lil Buck, Tiler Peck, Caili Quan, Jamar Roberts, Matthew Neenan, Larry Keigwin, and Justin Peck.

On the heels of his successful touring production of Memphis Jookin: The Show, Festival favorite Lil Buck will return to create new work with critically acclaimed bass-baritone singer Davóne Tines, who made his Festival debut last year. Both artists will appear on the stage together, with Lil Buck as the featured solo dancer in his signature Jookin style. And in her fourth choreographic work for the Festival, New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck will create a new pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre principals Cory Stearns and Devon Teuscher. Also, Caili Quan, who was last year’s Artist-InResidence, will return to create her fourth work for the Festival, featuring new music by Gabriel Kahane and dancers Unity Phelan and Calvin Royal III, who continue their made-in-Vail ballet partnership.

Two works this year will be created as co-commissions with two dance companies that are at the forefront of new choreography in contemporary ballet. In a follow-up to his Festival choreographic debut in 2021, former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre resident choreographer Jamar Roberts will create a new work for BalletX. While Matthew Neenan, co-founder of BalletX and current Choreographer-

In-Residence with Philadelphia Ballet (formerly Pennsylvania Ballet), will create a new work for DanceAspen.

Returning after several years, choreographer Larry Keigwin will create a new work that features 2023 ScholarIn-Residence Spencer Lenain, a recent graduate of CalArts and a social media dance influencer with 1.4M TikTok followers. The cast will also include Philip Duclos, a former Vail Scholar-In-Residence himself in 2021, who is now a dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet, and KJ Takahashi, newly promoted soloist at New York City Ballet. And as previously mentioned, celebrated artists Justin Peck and Caroline Shaw who began collaborating in Vail a few years ago, will come together again to make a work with new choreography by Peck, matched with new music by Shaw.

As these ardent voices of creative ingenuity come together this summer to explore within their craft, Festival audiences are integral participants as the first to experience these new works uniquely inspired by the beauty of Vail and what is made possible only at the Vail Dance Festival. “The fact that the Vail Dance Festival provides this space is something that does not exist in most places,” says Justin Peck. “It’s a rare thing and I know it comes from the fact that new work is a priority here. It doesn’t have to be that way, but it is and that speaks volumes.”

Davóne Tines and Sara Mearns perform Bobbi Jene Smith’s Mass Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Melissa Toogood and Herman Cornejo perform Pam Tanowitz’ No Nonsense Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Up Close with GENIUS

Vail Dance Festival Salutes George Balanchine

By Joel Solari

If you have never been to an UpClose program before, you are in for a special treat as these unique performances showcase extraordinary dancing while providing audiences with valuable and entertaining insight into what is being seen on the stage. Each season, UpClose explores a new subject, and 2023 will offer a look at the genius of George Balanchine.

Famously called Mr. B by his dancers and those that knew him best, George Balanchine is widely regarded as history’s most important ballet choreographer, whose influence in America and around the world remains unrivaled. The Georgian-Russian immigrant co-founded the School of American Ballet in 1934 and later the New York City Ballet in 1948, and over the course of his six-decade career, Balanchine created a choreographic legacy of more than 400 ballets. Balanchine’s dances, and the remarkable story of how they came to be, are the subject of this year’s UpClose performance on Sunday, July 30th.

Hosted by Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts, Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, and Jennifer Homans, author of the acclaimed new biography Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century, the evening will feature performance excerpts of major Balanchine works danced by Festival stars, along with interviews and expert commentary.

Special guest Jennifer Homans danced with the Pacific Northwest Ballet before turning her career to the scholarly study of dance, eventually earning several fellowship awards and degrees, including a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University. Her first book Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of the “10 Best Books of 2010” by The New York Times In 2014, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, she founded the Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University to “establish ballet as a serious subject of academic inquiry” and in 2019 she was appointed to the post of dance critic for The New Yorker magazine. This year’s UpClose is co-hosted by Heather Watts, an acclaimed principal dancer at New York City Ballet; Balanchine both created new works for her and cast her in leading roles in his masterpieces Apollo, Serenade, and Agon, among others. In her post-stage career, she has been a pioneering educator about Balanchine’s work, including as an inaugural fellow at Homan’s Center for Ballet and the Arts.

“Jennifer brings a keen historian’s mind and a dancer’s physical knowledge to her unflinching account of Balanchine’s life and genius,” says Watts in praise of Homans latest book. “Mr. B is brilliant -- there is nothing of its kind.”

Tiler Peck performs Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux

Photo by Erin Baiano.

Heather Watts and George Balanchine in rehearsal for Apollo, 1979. Photo by Steve Caras.

Like the famous Balanchine quote “see the music, hear the dance,” audiences at this tribute performance will be invited to see and hear the fascinating behind-the-scenes history and development of some of the most acclaimed Balanchine masterpieces. And in true Vail Dance Festival fashion, they will be treated to first looks at dancers performing new roles, including New York City Ballet principal dancer Roman Mejia taking on Prodigal Son for the first time. “Honoring ballet history through the artists of today is a hallmark of our Festival,” says Woetzel, who himself danced for many years as a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. “In this very special UpClose performance audiences will be invited into the world of Balanchine, whose place in the development of classical ballet is unparalleled and ongoing.”

Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century will be available for purchase (thanks to the Bookworm of Edwards) and a book signing with Homans will take place after the performance. This special UpClose program is supported by Tina & David Wilson and the Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet. If you are interested in preserving classical dance with a gift to the Carol F. Storr Endowment for Classical Ballet, please contact a member of the VVF philanthropy team at (970) 777-2015.

Unity Phelan and Calvin Royal III perform Balanchine’s Agon Photo by Erin Baiano.

Choreography © The George Balanchine Trust.

Get carried away in Vail, where adventure meets luxury. While you’re here, take in our unique dining, shopping and outdoor experiences. And come back to enjoy more events and performances throughout the summer. Relax, unwind and discover why Vail is the place where culture and mountains meet.

DISCOVERVAIL.COM

“SCENE” AT THE FESTIVAL

A look back at past Festivals!

1. Devon Teuscher, Cory Stearns, Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside take a break from rehearsal at the 2021 Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

2. James Whiteside and Isabella Boylston in Black Swan Pas de Deux at the 2021 Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

3. Jeffrey Cirio in George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux at the 2017 Festival. Photo by Erin Baiano.

4. Unity Phelan and Chun Wei Chan backstage during the 2022 Festival.

Photo by Chris Kendig.

5. Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina perform Tea for Two accompanied by Joel Wenhardt at the 2022 Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

6. Justin Peck rehearses Bloom with Herman Cornejo and Tiler Peck at the 2021 Festival. Photo by Erin Baiano.

7. Damian Woetzel, Patricia Delgado, Justin Peck, Chris Thile, KJ Takahashi, India Bradley, Robbie Fairchild, and Byron Tittle backstage at the 2022 Festival.

Photo by Chris Kendig.

8. Lil Buck in a Conversations on Dance episode recording at the 2021 Festival.

Photo by Chris Kendig.

9. Miriam Miller in Vail in 2022. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

10. Catherine Hurlin performs the Act III Pas de Deux from Don Quixote at the 2019 Festival. Photo by Erin Baiano.

THANK YOU

FESTIVAL SPONSORS

Alpine Bank

Celsius

Discover Vail

Epic Mountain Express

GMC

La Crema

Manor Vail Lodge

Nature Valley

Pacifico

Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate

Sonnenalp Hotel

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey

PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS

New York City Center

Vail Integrative Medical Group

Vail Mountain School

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Alphadyne Foundation

Community First Foundation

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Jerome Robbins Foundation

Making Waves Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

Kirk Baltzell, Asst. Stage Manager

Anna Brevetti, Electrician

Ash Ditaranto, Wardrobe Assistant

Shayla French, Stage Operations Crew

Marq Gonzalez, Production Electrician

Marlene Hamm, Costume Director

Alexis Hinman, Venue/Rehearsal Manager

Nicole Mommen, Stage Manager

Elizabeth Nguyen, Crew Chief

Becky Nussbaum, Electrician

Heather Olcott, Asst. Stage Manager

Angelina Pellini, Asst. Stage Manager

Ashley Pennington, Venue/Rehearsal Manager

Heather Pynne, Electrician

Alberto Ruiz , Technical Director

Joe Samala, Production Audio

Chris Sannino, A1

Miranda Trembley, Asst. Production Electrician

STAFF

Mike Imhof, President & CEO

Sierra Adams, Vice President of Philanthropy

Harper Addison, Festival & Operations Manager

Lexa Armstrong, Marketing Coordinator

Lisa Babb, Sr. Manager, Operations

Teremana Tequila

T-Mobile

Town of Avon

Vail Mountain

LODGING PARTNERS

Antlers at Vail

Christiania at Vail

Enzian Lodge, A Destination by Hyatt Residence

Manor Vail Lodge

The Christie Lodge

Tivoli

Vail Management Company

Vail Realty

Vail Spa Condominiums

ARTISTIC TEAM

Damian Woetzel, Festival Artistic Director

Patricia Delgado & Melissa Toogood, Staging Associates

Russell Kaiser, Head of Artistic Planning & Rehearsal Director

Shelbie Rassler, Music Director

Margaret Tracey, Teacher and Repetiteur

Heather Watts, Creative Associate

PRODUCTION

Kyle Grant, Director of Production

Roya Abab, Guest Lighting Designer & Lighting Director

Betsy Ayer, Production Stage Manager

Brandon Stirling Baker, Resident Lighting Designer

Peter Blosten, Director of Operations, The Amp

Tricia Bancker, Controller

Greg Bloom, Sr. Director, Sponsorship Sales

Tom Boyd, Director, PR & Communcations

Martha Brassel, Sr. Director of Philanthropy

Erik Brown, Director of Special Projects & Infrastructure

Javier Cendejas, Pianist

Josh Cloud, Chief Financial Officer

Dean Davis, Facilities Manager, VPAC

Dionne Drugan Brown, Office Manager

Dave Dressman, VP of Sales & The Amp

Kristen Dudding, Sr. Director of Marketing & PR

Christopher Duggan, Festival Photographer

Heidi Elzinga, Asst. to the President

Tim Felton, Sr. Manager, Operations

Sarah Franke, SVP, Operations

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

Elle Friedle, Sr. Manager, Grant Development

Lauren Gary, Director of Ticketing & Asst. Director, VPAC & The Amp

Katie Gervais, Food & Beverage Manager, VPAC

Linda Giordano, Sr. Director of HR

Allison Goldsmith, Database & Gift Entry Administrator

Ian Grask, Finance & Accounting Manager

Ruthie Hamrick, Director of Marketing, VPAC

Whitney Harper, Director of Philanthropy

Shane Huebner, Production Manager & Technical Director, VPAC & The Amp

Owen Hutchinson, Executive Director, VPAC

Kate Kalamon, Sales Coordinator & Account Manager

Chris Kendig, Photographer

Ross Leonhart, Communications & Multimedia Manager

Brian Maloney, Photographer

Sean McRee, Gore Creek Concessions

Cheyenne Mendoza, Production Manager & Technical Director, VPAC & The Amp

Carlos Molina, IT Manager

Cameron Morgan, Festival & Operations Senior Manager

Brian Muller, Chief Technical Officer

Sarah Newman, Wardrobe Assistant

Joel Solari, Festival Public Relations Manager

Lee Steele, Associate Director of Annual Support

Jessica Stevens, Sr. Director, Sponsorship Sales

Nel Shelby Productions, Festival Videographer

Michael Sheridan, Asst. to the Artistic Director

Elizabeth Todd, Box Office Manager, The Amp

Paul Unruh, Sr. Operations Manager

Kathryn Weller, Sr. Director of Annual Support

Peggy Wolfe, Sr. Director of Operations

Brad Wuelling, Director of Financial Planning & Analysis

Patrick Zimmerman, High Country Backline

FESTIVAL INTERNS

Maddie Brown, Merchandise Intern

Chloe Westhoff, VVF Development Intern

Carissa Campbell, Marketing Intern

Brooke Bodenhemier, Junior Ambassador

Lauryn Carr, High School Ambassador

Katelyn Doyle, Ambassador Co-Coordinator

Kai Gomez, High School Ambassador

Gracie Johnson, High School Ambassador

Maya Johnson, High School Ambassador

Zoe Larese, High School Ambassador

Hope Levy, High School Ambassador

Deniz Nalbantoglu, High School Ambassador

Serra Nalbantoglu, High School Ambassador

Scarlett Novak, High School Ambassador

Fiona Poth, High School Ambassador

EllaGrace Worraker, High School Ambassador

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

Kris Ashley, YouthPower365 Sr. Program Manager

Tracy Straus, Artistic Director

Tony Kieraldo, Musical Director

Joslyn Sanchez, YouthPower365 Celebrate the Beat Program Coordinator

Gerald Watson, Teaching Artist

Jacob Lidard, Musical Director Eagle County

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS

The Juilliard School

The Keith Haring Foundation

Shelly & Chris Jarnot

Kate Penner, Social Media Manager

Kendra Powell, Sr. Manager of Donor Engagement

Tess Reinhold, Programming & Artist Relations Coordinator, VPAC

Gail Russell, Accounting & Finance Manager

Morgan Russell, Venue & Events Manager, The Amp

Kate Sebes, Development Coordinator

Andrea Selby, Festival Illustrator

Euginnia Seyferth, Director of Philanthropy

Gabe Shalley, Associate Director, Development Systems

Amy Sherman, Assistant Box Office Manager, VPAC

Chef Hunter Smith, Big Delicious Catering

Micaelina Carter, Artist Services Intern

Lucy Dantz, Artist Services Intern

Libby Dusek, Donor Relations Intern

Paige Kaiser, Marketing Intern

Devin Lyon, Marketing Intern

Ryan Norman, Operations & Logistics Intern

Marley Poku-Kankam, Festival Management Intern

Sierra Riley, Operations & Logistics Intern

Emmie Urquhart, Development Events Intern

FESTIVAL AMBASSADORS

Vivian Anders, Junior Ambassador

Avery Begg, Ambassador Co-Coordinator

Rebecca & Tyler Morse, MCR

SPECIAL PROJECT VOLUNTEERS

Theresa Anders

Shelly Jarnot

Marsha Landesman

Isaac Huerta, Teaching Artist

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

Festival Volunteers and Production Staff. Photos by Christopher Duggan and Chris Kendig.

Photo by Erin Baiano

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