Southern Vermont Dance Festival celebrates it’s fifth season this year. SVDF began 5 years ago as an economic driver for the community, following the fire in a historic downtown hotel and the floods of Tropical Storm Irene What better way to make our community thrive then to bring in the joy of movement! Our Director and son had lost all of their belongings in Tropical storm Irene and thus had intimate knowledge of the loss. SVDF currently seeks sponsors, members, donors and volunteer. Every dollar counts!
The festival boasts faculty and choreographers at the top of their field with a unique ability to serve all levels of dance from the dance enthusiast to the dance professional and everything in between. For the fifth year in a row the festival will host some major players in the dance world. The theme this season is diversity with a social justice community event, a performance about Harriet Tubman at the Latchis, and a strong focus on dance from around the world and different cultures. They are highlighting the beauty in our difference and the strength in celebrating diversity.
New to this seasons festival was a uniquely Vermont Mid Summers Night Picnic and Promenade performance at Scott Farm that brought visitors on a tour from of the farm property to see different dances that belong on proscenium staging in unique settings. Also new this season was a Community dinner, a social justice/resistance performing arts tour downtown and a mini dance film festival. This is in addition to the usual 3 galas, informal concert, closing concert, dozens of community events, visual art exhibits and 113 classes and mid season events designed to reach the community, be an economic driver and make dance more accessible to all.
This year’s festival welcomed back five year veteran and former chair of the Hong Kong Performing Arts Academy and of the UMass Dance Department, Billbob Brown. Billbob returns with a diverse selection of classes and a work that explores “the wall”. In addition returning this season are the Wondertwins, some of their credits include Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel" World Tour, New Kids in the Block "Magic Summer Tour" Choreographers, Apollonia Kotero "I fell for you" World Tour, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Brooklyn Dance Festival, The Yard. In addition to dancing on the stage with legends like, Run Dmc, LL cool Jay, Public Enemy, Mc Lyte and Queen Latifah to name a few. This season they will be teaching and performing.
Some other featured faculty, choreographers and companies include: Ted Thomas, former company member at Paul Taylor Dance, in addition to with Ballet Hispanico, Elisa Monte, and the Murray Louis and Nikolais Company. Mucuy Bolles, former dancer with Alvin Ailey, Feld Ballet, Zvi Dance, Complexions, Elisa Monte Dance, Buglisi/Foreman Dance, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and. Broadway credits include: The Red Shoes, The King and I and The Lion King. Lisa Chow and Desert Dance Theatre, with a completed a trilogy of civil rights productions, “Free At Last,” “Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman,” and “Judgments,” and collaboration with live musicians. Alison Cook Beatty, who’s work has been commissioned by Columbia Ballet Collaborative, Carolina Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet School NYC, Opera Dolce, NYU, The Boston Conservatory at Berkeley, Fort Hamilton High School, and Ballet Next. She has also performed with Paul Taylor Dance Company, Taylor 2 among others. For a complete list of featured faculty, choreographers and companies check out the line up online.
What a wonderful way to support the arts so that they stay alive and well!
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