Vail Dance Festival announces public events for 2022 season

The Vail Dance Festival officially announced its additional public events to round out the full schedule of interactive programming for its 34th season. In addition to the 12 world-class dance performances scheduled to take place in Vail, Avon and Beaver Creek, the 2022 festival will also feature a stellar Master Class Series, the Conversations on Dance live podcast recordings, free Dancing in the Park in Avon, free Dancing in the Street performances in Vail and more.

Tickets for the festival vents go on sale May 20, and performance tickets are already on sale now at VailDance.org.

The 2022 Vail Dance Festival events include:

Free events

Dancing in the Streets (July 28 and 31, Aug. 7, Vail Village)

Audiences, dancers and enthusiasts of all levels and abilities are invited to celebrate the joy of dance with festival artists in the heart of Vail Village for these interactive pop-up performances. The schedule includes Robbie Fairchild and Caili Quan on Thursday, July 28 at 6 p.m. at Solaris Plaza located at 141 East Meadow Drive. Additional performances include the Limón Dance Company on Sunday, July 31, and a special Vail Dance jam with Ephrat Asherie, Dario Natarelli and other festival artists on Sunday, Aug. 7, both of which will be at noon at the intersection of Bridge Street and Gore Creek Drive in Vail Village.

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Dancing in the Park (Aug. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Harry A. Nottingham Park)

Dancing in the Park returns to the neighboring township of Avon at Nottingham Park for a one-of-a-kind and participatory performance for dance fans of all ages. Free and open to all, the program includes the hip-hop and breaking styles of Ephrat Asherie and dancers, ballroom stars Denys Drozdyuk and Antonina Skobina, along with appearances by DanceAspen. YouthPower365’s Celebrate the Beat alumni will also be performing on this fun evening of dance! This performance is underwritten by the town of Avon and Slifer Smith & Frampton.

Educational Events

Master Classes (July 28 to Aug. 9, Vail Mountain School, tickets are $30 to dance and $15 to observe)

Advanced level dancers are invited to join a stellar roster of classes taught by artists from Limón Dance Co., New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Broadway, and much more. Each class is an intimate opportunity to train with some of the biggest names in dance in a variety of styles ranging from ballet, tap and modern technique. Up to two 80-minute classes are offered each morning starting at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

The 2022 Master Class offerings include ballet with India Bradley, Patricia Delgado, Sara Mearns, Roman Mejia, Tiler Peck, Unity Phelan, Calvin Royal III, Claudia Schreier and Margaret Tracey. Additional classes also include Broadway with Robbie Fairchild, contemporary ballet and repertory with Caili Quan, tap with Dario Natarelli, jookin with Lil Buck, repertory with Lauren Lovette, hip hop with Byron Tittle, Cunningham technique with Melissa Toogood, a Mindful Movement adaptive class with Viki Psihoyos, and repertory and technique with the Limón Dance Co. All classes will be taught at an advanced level and are intended for pre-professional students. Space is limited and advance purchase is highly encouraged.

Conversations on Dance (July 30-Aug. 1, Aug. 3-9, Manor Vail Lodge Piney Ballroom, tickets are $25)

The popular podcast series Conversations on Dance returns for its annual Vail Dance Festival residency with lively, in-depth discussions recorded live with a small audience. The ticket price includes light snacks and drinks. The series is underwritten by the town of Vail.

The Conversations on Dance schedule is as follows:

• July 30 – New York City Ballet MOVES: Justin Peck
• July 31 – Artists-in-Residence: Caili Quan and Roman Mejia
• Aug. 1 – Limón Dance Co.: Dante Puleio
• Aug. 3 – Exploration Through New Work: Sara Mearns and Pam Tanowitz
• Aug. 4 – Now Premieres Preview: Jodi Melnick
• Aug. 5 – Music at the Festival: Caroline Shaw, Kurt Crowley, and Justin Peck
• Aug. 6 – DanceAspen: Laurel Winton
• Aug. 7 – Claudia Schreier and Lauren Lovette in Conversation
• Aug. 8 – Ballet & Street Dance: Lil Buck and KJ Takahashi
• Aug. 9 – First Year at the Festival: Jovani Furlan

Watching Dance with Heather Watts (Aug. 2, 11 a.m. to noon, Vail Mountain School Theater, tickets are $25)

Legendary Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts shares an interactive exploration of dance repertory through video footage and live demonstrations with festival artists. Event proceeds will benefit the Vail Valley Foundation’s free YouthPower365 Celebrate the Beat after-school dance and music program.

Open House with Caili Quan (Aug. 7, 1:30-2:30 p.m., Golden Peak Studio Tent, tickets are $25)

Join artist-in-residence Caili Quan as she curates a look at elements of the 2022 festival, including her own new work to debut on NOW: Premieres. Featuring Festival artists in the rehearsal tent at Golden Peak.

Event for Kids

Tiny Dancer Tea Party, (July 30, 10-11:15 a.m., Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Social Courtyard, tickets are $50)

An event for the littlest dancers with the biggest dreams. Boys and girls ages 4-7 years old are invited to join festival artists at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Social Courtyard for a special meet and greet event with crown and tiara decorating, a dance session, snacks and fun. The ticket price covers admission for one adult and one child, plus one children’s size festival T-shirt.

Ticketed festival events go on sale to the public on Friday, May 20 at 11 a.m. online at VailDance.org or through the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Box Office located at 530 S. Frontage Road E in Vail. The box office hours are 11 a.m. through 5 p.m. daily. Tickets may also be purchased by phone at 970.845.TIXS (8497). Festival performance tickets are currently on sale.