Vail Dance Festival announces 2025 schedule of performances
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The nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation announced initial programming for the 37th annual Vail Dance Festival scheduled to take place July 25-Aug. 5 throughout the Vail Valley, including Beaver Creek, Avon and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. Led by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, the internationally acclaimed festival will include 14 performances and over 30-plus events throughout the season celebrating excellence and innovation in the world of dance.
Anchoring the season are five acclaimed major companies that will present performances and repertory specially curated for this year’s festival: Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Colorado Ballet, and BalletX.
Acclaimed tap dancer Michelle Dorrance returns to the festival with “The Center Will Not Hold;” a new production created by Dorrance and Ephrat Asherie. Born from “a little room,” a short duet created and performed by Asherie and Dorrance in December 2022, “The Center Will Not Hold” features a company of 11 extraordinary performers and original music composed by Donovan Dorrance and performed live.
The festival will present a one-night-only Balanchine Celebration, featuring dances by George Balanchine, the greatest of ballet choreographers and founder of New York City Ballet. This evening will celebrate Balanchine’s genius with masterpieces including “Concerto Barocco,” which will feature Colorado Ballet with festival stars, the bravura showpiece “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux,” and “Apollo,” with Roman Mejia making his debut in the title role and India Bradley in the role of Terpsichore.
Choreographers making new dances this season will include festival returnees Melissa Toogood, Michelle Dorrance, Larry Keigwin, Justin Peck, and Bobbi Jene Smith. And in their festival debuts, new works will be created by Robert Battle, Gianna Reisen, and My’Kal Stromile. New dances will be featured throughout the festival and on the “NOW: Premieres” program, which focuses on new work exclusively.
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2025 Vail Dance Festival Highlights
- Opening Night – Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet – Saturday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- UpClose: Song & Dance – Sunday, July 27 at 6 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- Balanchine Celebration – Monday, July 28 at 7:30 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- Paul Taylor Dance Company – Tuesday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- Watching Dance with Heather Watts – Wednesday, July 30 at 11 a.m.,Vail Mountain School Theater
- Dorrance Dance presents “The Center Will Not Hold” – Wednesday, July 30 at 6 p.m., The Vilar, Beaver Creek
- Free Dancing in the Park at Nottingham Park in Avon Thursday, July 31 at 5:30 p.m.
- International Evenings of Dance – Friday, Aug. 1 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 2 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- A.I.M by Kyle Abraham, Sunday, Aug. 3 at 6 p.m., Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek
- NOW: Premieres Monday, Aug. 4 at 7:30 p.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
- Dance for $20.25 with BalletX, Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 6 p.m. Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Additional casting and artistic programming to be announced in the months to come. All programs and casting are subject to change. Tickets will go on sale to the public at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 13. For information, visit VailDance.org.
