Star-studded Vail Dance Festival opens on Friday

The Vail Valley Foundation recently issued the following press release on the opening of the Vail Dance Festival on Friday:

The stars will come out to shine as the world-famous Vail Dance Festival officially opens on Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p,m. with a celebratory Opening Night performance under the Colorado night sky at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. The event kicks off the 2025 Festival, where internationally renowned dancers and companies unite for 14 performances and over 40 special events scheduled to take place throughout the Vail Valley through August 5.  

Under the artistic direction of Damian Woetzel, and produced by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, the Vail Dance Festival is critically acclaimed for its world-class artistry that celebrates classical traditions as well as new collaborations and partnerships between artists of various dance styles and genres including ballet, modern, tap, street styles, and more. Modern dance icon Melissa Toogood will be this year’s Artist-In-Residence. 

For a full schedule, visit vaildance.org. Casting and repertory are subject to change.   

Opening Weekend performances from July 25 – 29 include: 

Opening Night | Fri. July 25 at 7:30 p.m. 
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail CO 
 

The Opening Night performance will offer audiences a sampling of styles and performances to come this season, starting off with a jam session between jookin’ street dancer Lil Buckand tap dancers Michelle Dorrance, Emiko Nakagawa, and Dario Natarelli, with Joel Wenhardt on the piano and Youba Cissokho on the kora. The evening will also include Alonzo King’s Feeling Uneasy set to music by Etta James and danced by Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhaasan of LINES Ballet, Merce Cunningham’s Loose Time danced by Artist-In-Residence Melissa Toogood with music composed and performed by Joel Wenhardt, Kayla Mak in an excerpt of O’Clock choreographed by Juliano Nunes set to a score by Philip Glass played by Tony Siqi Yun on the piano, and Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances pas de deux with a cross-company paring of American Ballet Theatre’s Isabella Boylston and New York City Ballet’s Roman Mejia with pianist Cameron Grant playing the Chopin score. Additional performances include Black Swan Pas de Deux excerpts performed by New York City Ballet’s Mira Nadon and Chun Wai Chan, a section from Christopher Weeldon’s The Two of Usperformed by New York City Ballet’s Sara Mearns and Broadway star Robbie Fairchild, and an excerpt of Alonzo King’s Scheherezade featuring LINES Ballet, who will be performing a full evening of King’s celebrated works on Saturday, July 26. 

Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Sat. July 26 at 7:30 p.m. 
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail CO 
 

Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet has been a major creative force in dance since its founding in 1982. Last seen at the Festival in 2019, the beloved company returns to Vail this season with a headlining evening at the Amphitheater featuring two recent works by King: Ode to Alice Coltrane, honoring the legendary spiritual and jazz icon, and Mother Goose, King’s recent collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony that delves into the enchanting world of Ravel’s 1912 suite Ma mère l’Oye (Mother Goose). 

UpClose: Song & Dance | Sun. July 27 at 6:00 p.m.  
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail CO 

The combination of song and dance is timeless, with a rich history that constantly expands. Hosted by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, UpClose features Festival stars taking on classic and contemporary pairings of songs and dances in rehearsal and performance mode, all in a variety of dance styles from ballet and modern dance to street styles, tap, and more. Opening the evening will be a special performance of Larry Keigwin’s 2025 edition of Rhapsodyfeaturing a cast of local Vail Valley community members from all walks of life in a medley of joyful pop and disco songs. The performance will continue with a wide range of excerpts of dances set to songs, including: George Balanchine’s Liebeslieder Walzer and Western Symphony;  By and By with Lil Buck and bass-baritone Davóne Tines; Paul Taylor’s Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Another You from Taylor’s iconic masterpiece Company B; Fancy Meby Caili Quan; Lay All Your Love On Me choreographed by Pam Tanowitz; You’re In My Heart by Tiler Peck; Christopher Wheeldon’s This Bitter Earth; Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story; and recent Tony Award winner’s Patricia Delgado and Justin Peck will demonstrate choreography from their current Broadway hit musical Buena Vista Social Club. The night will also include an exploration of vernacular dances set to songs that will include tap dance, street dance, swing dance, and African dance.  

This unique Vail Dance Festival performance will feature a star-studded lineup of Festival artists. The full casting can be found online at vaildance.org/event/upclose-2025. 

Balanchine Celebration | Mon. July 28 at 7:30 p.m.   
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail CO 

The genius of George Balanchine takes center stage in a program featuring brilliant artists from New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. Classic Balanchine repertory featured will include: Concerto Barocco (1941) featuring Mira Nadon, Dominika Afanasenkov*, and Brooks Landegger*, with artists from the Colorado Ballet; In the Inn (1954) with Naomi Corti* and Robbie Fairchild*; Divertissement Pas De Deux (1962) from Midsummer Night’s Dream with Unity Phelan* and Chun Wai Chan; an excerpt from Square Dance (1957) danced by Joseph Gordon; Agon Pas de Deux (1957) with Unity Phelan and Calvin Royal III; and Pavane (1975) danced by Sara Mearns. The evening concludes with Apollo (1928) featuring Roman Mejia in the title role along with India Bradley* as Terpsichore, Olivia Bell* as Calliope, and Mayfield Myers as Polyhymnia. 

Musicians at this performance will include Cameron Grant, Michael Scales, and Derek Wangon piano, Johnny Gandelsman and Colin Jacobsen on violin, Caroline Shaw on viola, and Michael Nicolas on cello.    

* debut in role 

Paul Taylor Dance Company | Tues. July 29 at 7:30 p.m.    
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail CO 

Since its founding in 1954, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been a groundbreaking force in American modern dance and has been described by The New York Times as “one of the most exciting, innovative and delightful dance companies in the entire world.” Last seen in Vail in 2018, the company returns with a tribute to their founder, the late Paul Taylor, on what would have been his 95th birthday. The program salutes the American dance icon with repertory that includes Company B, a seminal piece of Americana that recalls the turbulent era of the Great Depression through the hit songs of the Andrews Sisters, and a 50th anniversary presentation of Taylor’s masterpiece Esplanade described by The New Yorker as “a mythic dimension on ordinary aspects of our daily lives.” 

This evening would have been Paul Taylor’s 95th birthday, and in celebration, the Vail Dance Festival will present a new Dance Education Laboratory Movement Sentence Choir, choreographed by Larry Keigwin for the occasion and featuring dancers from Paul Taylor Dance Company.  

The Vail Dance Festival season continues through Tuesday, August 5 and includes Watching Dance with Heather Watts (July 30), “The Center Will Not Hold” a Dorrance Dance Production (July 30), the FREE Dancing in the Park in Avon (July 31), the legendaryInternational Evenings of Dance (Aug 1 – 2), the Festival debut of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham(Aug. 3), the Festival’s signature evening of world premieres NOW: Premieres (Aug. 4), the Closing Night celebration of Dance for $20.25 featuring BalletX (Aug. 5), and a host of special events including the Conversations of Dance live podcast series, the FREE Dancing in the Streets pop-up performances, Master Classes, and more.   

For more information visit vaildance.org or reach the Box Office at boxoffice@vvf.org or 970.845.TIXS(8497). 

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About the Vail Dance Festival

Established in 1989, the Vail Dance Festival is an internationally renowned two-week celebration of exceptional artistry in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, featuring performances at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater and other venues throughout the Vail Valley. Led by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel since 2006, the Festival brings a wide range of extraordinary dancers and musicians to Vail and has established the Vail Valley as one of the top summer dance destinations in the world. The Festival features a variety of programming that welcomes everyone to enjoy the spectrum of dance, including commissioned new works of dance and music, adventurous collaborations, education initiatives, free community events, and more. 

For more information, visit vaildance.org.  

About the Vail Valley Foundation 

The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Colorado nonprofit with a mission to provide leadership in arts, athletics, and education, and address community needs to enhance our valley as a place to live, work, and visit. 

The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501(c)(3) Colorado nonprofit corporation which provides programs from early childhood to college and career to help youth reach their full potential and support youth and families every step of the way. The VVF puts on several annual events including the GoPro Mountain Games, Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, Vail Dance Festival, and Bulleit Hot Summer Nights and Town of Eagle ShowDown Town free concert series. The organization manages the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, hosting over 150 events annually. The VVF also operates Eagle River Valley Childcare, a 501(c)(3) Colorado nonprofit corporation focused on enhancing early childhood education and development services across the community. The first initiative in Avon is a partnership with the Town of Avon, with donations eligible for the Colorado Child Care Contribution Tax Credit (CCTC). 

Vail Valley Foundation is grateful for our cornerstone partners: Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GoPro, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS, Diageo, Lifetime Home Remodeling, and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate. 

To learn more, visit vvf.org.