Beth Leavel to Host Fire Island Dance Festival

One of the world’s preeminent modern dance companies, the first Asian American principal dancer in New York City Ballet history and the co-founder of an affirming online space for Black classical dancers are among the first artists to join this summer’s Fire Island Dance Festival, which will be hosted by Tony Award winner Beth Leavel.

Fire Island Dance Festival returns July 19-21, 2024, to Fire Island Pines, NY, with breathtaking dance on a waterfront stage overlooking the Great South Bay. Beginning this Saturday, May 25, tickets will be available to purchase in person on weekends 10 am - 1 pm in the Fire Island Pines harbor. Tickets also are on sale at dradance.org/fidance.

The annual weekend featuring a diverse range of established and emerging choreographers and companies is produced by and benefitsDancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. 

The Fire Island Dance Festival weekend is composed of an opening performance at 5 pm on Saturday, July 20, a Leadership Supporter sunset performance at 7 pm on Saturday, July 20, and a closing performance at 5 pm on Sunday, July 21. An exclusive Leadership Event opens the festival on Friday, July 19.

This year’s festival will include:

Gilbert Bolden III, a celebrated soloist with New York City Ballet, sharing his world premiere featuring dancers from the company. Dance Magazine lauded Bolden’s work for using dance “to highlight the importance of human connectivity.” The piece will be performed by Bolden,India Bradley, Jules Mabie and the lauded Mira Nadon, who became the first Asian American principal dancer in New York City Ballet history in 2023.
A world premiere from buzzworthy choreographer Keerati Jinakunwiphat, who in 2023 gained the groundbreaking distinction of being the first Asian American woman to be commissioned to choreograph for New York City Ballet. Among the performers is Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Chalvar Monteiro. The work is presented in collaboration with Asbury Park Dance Festival, which is set for August 24.
One of modern dance’s most iconic and beloved companies, Paul Taylor Dance Company, sharing an excerpt from resident choreographer Lauren Lovette’s playful and vulnerable all-male work Echo.
Ingrid Silva, co-founder of Blacks in Ballet - a popular online platform and educational resource for Black classical dancers around the world, sharing a world premiere quartet performed by Jonathan Batista, a principal at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nayara Lopes, a principal at Philadelphia Ballet, and Dylan Santos.

This year’s festival will be hosted by Leavel, whose illustrious Broadway career spans 13 shows. She won the Tony Award for her celebrated turn as Beatrice Stockwell in 2006’s Drowsy Chaperone, and has been taking center stage as legendary leading ladies in Baby It’s You!, Bandstand, Mamma Mia!, The Prom and more. She most recently starred in this season’s Lempicka.

Additional artists will be announced soon. Performers are subject to change.

Leadership Supporters can begin their thrilling weekend experience with Friday night’s Leadership Event at Whyte Hall. The exclusive celebration will include cocktails and a performance by lauded choreographer and festival favorite Caleb Teicher. Teicher will share a new installment of Sw!ng Out, their beloved big-band-swing-dance show celebrating the present-day Lindy Hop community.

Leadership Supporters also enjoy highly coveted tickets to the sunset performance on Saturday or priority seating at either 5 pm performance, as well as recognition on printed materials in the harbor and throughout the Pines.

Leadership tickets start at $395. Individual tickets for the 5 pm performances are $195. Tickets are on sale now at dradance.org/fidance.

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