The official blog for Vail Valley Foundation free concerts including Bud Light Street Beat, Bud Light Hot Summer Nights, Mountains of Music and ShowDown Town.
Rehearsals for Celebrate the Beat continue. The children participating in the free program continue to work with Artistic Director Tracy Straus in preparation for their final performance as part of Festival Highlights Spectacular at the Vail International Dance Festival on Sunday. Sunday's final performance will be the first time the CTB program has taken the big stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater as part of an actual VIDF performance.
We wanted to focus a little bit on the music of Celebrate the Beat below. The teachers of Celebrate the Beat are professional dancers, choreographers, musicians and composers, all of whom believe that the arts should be an integral part of every child's education. In the first video below you can see just how talented musicians Tim Ribner and Marc Malcuit are in addition to Tracy Straus. The passion all three convey to the students is truly inspirational.
Bud Light Lime Kayak Freestyle presented by Jackson Kayak Photo (C) 2009 Shane Macomber
Check out some cool footage courtesy of Plum Vail from the 2009 Teva Mountain Games. They put together a nice highlight feature in addition to a sweet profile of Eric Jackson founder of Jackson Kayak.
Mark your calendars for the 2010 Teva Mountain Games, June 3 - 6.
TEVA MOUNTAIN GAMES HIGHLIGHTS: Footage courtesy of Plum Vail
ERIC JACKSON FEATURE: Footage courtesy of Plum Vail
Hot Summer Nights will return to its regular Tuesday evening slot on August 11, with a special free performance by the popular Buckets & Tap Shoes, along with a collection of hip-hop dancers from Minneapolis. Dubbed "Street Beats, the free performance will officially conclude the 2009 Dance Festival.
Tickets for the Dance For $20.09 show are priced at $20.09 for all reserved pavilion seats at the Amphitheater and just $9 for general admission lawn seating. Tickets for all performances of the Vail International Dance Festival are available online at http://www.vaildance.org/ or by phone at either (970) 845-TIXS (8497) or 888-920-ARTS (2787).
Gabriel is one of the great “milongueros” of this generation and is admired for his classical “tanguero” style. This special event will showcase Argentine Tango and “the incredible talent of Tango Colorado” to the international dance community. The Master Class, by special request, will emphasize social tango and will be structured at the intermediate/advance level. Expect the festival crowd to be drawn to the music of Argentine Tango and witness the beauty of this dance as they pass through Vail Square, next to the Arrabelle Hotel in Lionshead Village.
This outdoor venue will be complete with professional dance floor and sound system. Plan a leisurely drive or carpool to Vail, enjoying the beauty of the Colorado mountains, arrive early for lunch and explore the town. Warm-up will begin at 2:30 PM; class from 3 to 4:30 PM and practica from 4:30 to 5:30 PM. Master Class and practica are $10 for Tango Colorado members and $15 for non-members.
Afterward enjoy the "Festival Highlights Spectacular", a live dance concert at 7:30 PM at the Gerald R, Ford Amphitheater in Vail, which will include ballet, tap and a tango performance by Gabriel and Natalia. Lawn seating is $17, reserved seating is $55 and $75. Arrive early and bring a picnic dinner to enjoy before the event! Additional information will be posted as the event draws near.
The annual 4th of July concert that helps Vail Valley residents and guests celebrate America has once again benefited some of the servicemen and women that have been injured defending America as the VVF presented a check for $13,650 to the Vail Veterans Program.
The check was presented June 30 in the name of the late Jack Kemp to Vail Veterans president and chairperson Cheryl Jensen and a group of veterans at the Yarmonoy Creek Lodge near McCoy.
The program, founded just months after the war in Iraq had begun, has hosted over 200 severely wounded U.S. service members and over 100 of their family members. Vail Veterans offers skiing and snowboarding in the winter, along with horseback riding, rafting, fly fishing and shooting in the summer.
The Vail Valley Foundation has been donating the 4th of July concert proceeds to the Vail Veterans Program since 2006.
Photo from Ballroom In the Streets at the 2008 VIDF (C) Erin Baiano.
2009 Vail International Dance Festival's Street Dance Party!
Grab your I-Pod and meet at the Arrabelle at Vail Square (in Lionshead Village, Vail) this Saturday, August 1 at 1pm for the Vail International Dance Festival's inaugural Street Dance Party!
We will have a sound system set up for you to blast your favorite tunes and get your dance on.
Our hope is to have 200 attendees so all ages and abilities are welcome to this fun, FREE event. Bring your kids, your friends, your mom and dad and help us spread the word!
Call Jen Reid at the Vail Valley Foundation if you have any questions: 970.331.9859
Wendy Whelan and Edwaard Liang of Morphoses/ The Wheeldon Company in rehearsal for the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival 0n 7.29.09. Photo (C) 2009 Caitlin Kakigi.
From ClubPointe August Newsletter: On Thursday, August 6th, the Vail International Dance Festival pays tribute to Wendy Whelan, renowned for her work with the New York City Ballet and Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. "UpClose: Celebrating Wendy Whelan, Dancer and Muse," hosted by Damian Woetzel and Christopher Wheeldon, will feature Whelan and the other Morphoses dancers performing works from Whelan's extensive repertoire. Whelan spoke with ClubPointe about her passion for ballet.
Which do you find more fulfilling: developing a new role, or figuring out what unique qualities you can bring to an iconic role? There is a mystery to both that I find interesting. With new choreography, I feel as if I am able to help discover its essence and shape what future generations might think about when performing it--a tremendous honor and a tremendous responsibility. With older pieces, I enjoy diving into the questions of what the collaboration between choreographer and dancer might originally have been "about." I like to spend a lot of time with older works. Often it takes me years of watching and performing an iconic piece to really understand it.
Many people have called you Christopher Wheeldon's muse. What makes your choreographer-dancer relationship work? The idea that people would call me Christopher Wheeldon's muse makes me laugh, because everyone Chris works with truly becomes his muse. He digs into people and brings out the unique qualities in each dancer. But we do enjoy creating ballets together. We are compatible because we deeply trust and understand each other. And I think we bring out each other's strengths without being aware of it.
Looking back on your career to date, of what decisions are you most proud? And what, if anything, would you have done differently? I wouldn't do anything differently. Every mistake taught me an invaluable lesson, and I would never have developed without making those "beautiful" mistakes. I am most proud that I have been true to myself to the best of my ability, and that I showed patience through my difficulties and frustrations. I am also proud that I have surrounded myself with amazing people who inspire me greatly.
The final American National Bank ShowDown Town free concert of the 2009 season is at 6:30 tonight with Grass It Up at Eagle Town Park.
Stuck in the middle, smack dab between traditional and new grass, Grass It Up will roll out bluegrass renditions of songs by Cake, Jimi Hendrix, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Pearl Jam and Willie Nelson, among others, with the trio's own special rock and punk stylings to boot.
As always, ShowDown Town is packed with family activities... Tonight it is family safety day so be sure to check out the Eagle River Fire Protection District in addition to other family activities including face painting and Strider bike demos. You can also register on site or HERE to win the Quark Expeditions Ultimate Antarctic Adventure.
Check out a short video below from Matt Clark Band playing SDT on 7.16.09:
We've posted some great Vail International Dance Festival rehearsal photos of Morphoses/ The Wheeldon Company taken yesterday at Vail Mountain School. The company will be performing for many evenings at the 2009 Festival including:
Along with getting some great dance for a great price, Tuesday's Dance For $20.09 audience will also get a sneak peek at one of the Vail Valley Foundation's newest educational initiatives when a select group of five young El Sistema students from Miami perform on stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater prior to the performance and during intermission.
Based on the El Sistema model, the Foundation's program, dubbed "First Notes", will involve introducing music to second graders by literally putting instruments into their hands as part of a pilot after school program. First Notes is slated to initially be introduced into Avon Elementary School in the fall of 2009, with a goal of serving 150 students.
El Sistema has produced extraordinary results during the last 30 years in Latin America and other parts of the world, particularly with children in economically challenged neighborhoods. It's creator, Venezualan musician and educator Jose Antonio Abreu, has proven how the learning process of music in children not only enriches their spiritual and emotional experiences, but also accelerates their learning capacity in other subjects at school.
Tuesday evening, the five Miami-based El Sistema students, ranging in age from 10 to 14, will entertain the audience with violin and cello music. The Miami El Sistema program is run in conjunction with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and provides opportunities for children throughout the Miami-Dade region.
Tickets for Dance For $20.09 are priced at $20.09 for all reserved pavilion seating and just $9 for general admission lawn seating. Tickets for all Vail International Dance Festival performances are available online at http://www.vaildance.org/ or by phone at either (970) 845-TIXS (8497) or 888-920-ARTS (2787).
Celebrate the Beat is one of the cornerstones of the VIDF's educational programs teaching inspirational music and dance classes which help children discover their potential by motivating them to believe in themselves, value artistic expression and develop a personal standard of excellence.
Their final performance as part of Festival Highlights Spectacular will be the first time that Celebrate the Beat students have been incorporated into an actual Festival performance, and, take the stage at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. The children will be joined on stage by Damian Woetzel and a special guest.
The UpClose series of performances uses a lecture demonstration format mixed with fully staged performances to bring the audience past the proscenium, educating as well as entertaining. There are two remaining UpClose performances at the 2009 Festival:
The four piece British band draws influences from Jimmies McGriff, Smith and Hendrix as well as their most closely-associated mentors, The Meters. They have earned global recognition as a key band in the ‘New Funk’ scene, but purists beware, their unique blend of sounds doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre.
Last night Savion Glover performed with Bare Soundz & The Otherz for Opening Night of the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. The show sold out and the performance was fantastic. Enjoy both performance photos and rehearsal photos below. We will be posting more rehearsal photos from Rex Keep in the next couple weeks.
The summer residency for Celebrate the Beat that takes place alongside the Vail International Dance Festival is underway. Children participating in the program began rehearsing today for their culminating performance on Sunday, at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, as part of Festival Highlights Spectacular. This will be the first time the CTB kids will be performing on the actual stage. Last year their final performance took place just outside the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.
Celebrate The Beat (CTB) teaches inspirational music and dance classes which help children discover their potential by motivating them to believe in themselves, value artistic expression and develop a personal standard of excellence. During school hours, our Teaching Artists serve an entire grade or an entire school by creating a music and dance extravaganza inspired by that year’s educational theme. The teachers are professional dancers, choreographers, musicians and composers, all of whom believe that the arts should be an integral part of every child's education.
Check out video below from the final 2008 summer CTB performance and don't miss the opportunity to see their hard work come to fruition as part of Sunday's , Festival Highlights Spectacular.
While politicians through the ages have forced the dictionary to include a new definition of tap dancing, there will be no distractions or rationalizations tomorrow (July 28) when tap dance wunderkind Savion Glover lets his feet do the talking at a special UpClose evening at 6:30 p.m. at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.
The UpClose Series, which features discussion, demonstration and performance, will provide the perfect setting for the greatest hoofer on the planet to show and explain how he makes music and dance inseparable, manipulating his feet to appear that they have more moveable joints than physically possible.
Glover had redefined tap dancing, speaking to the world with a power and ease that has stunned and captivated millions, reverberating with the rhythm of a unique musical language.
“My style is young,” explains Glover. “Funk. I feel like it’s one of my responsibilities to keep the dance alive, to keep it out there, to keep the style.”
Tickets for the July 28 UpClose evening with Savion Glover are priced at $45 and $55, with a special $30 children’s ticket also available. Tickets for all performances of the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival are available online at http://www.vaildance.org/ or by phone at either (970) 845-TIXS (8497) or 888-920-ARTS (2787).
The feedback from Bud Light Hot Summer Nights last week featuring Queen Nation has been overwhelmingly positive. So much in fact that we had to post the photos below by Zach Mahone.
Stuck in the middle, smack dab between traditional and new grass, Grass It Up will roll out bluegrass renditions of songs by Cake, Jimi Hendrix, K.C. and the Sunshine Band, Pearl Jam and Willie Nelson, among others, with the trio's own special rock and punk stylings to boot.
So pack up the coolers and lawn chairs one last time and head to the park this Thursday for Grass It Up. As always, activities for the kids will complement the free music, all getting underway at 6:30 p.m.
"Imagine early American jazz legends Grant Green and Lou Donaldson having a fight in a Hammond Organ shop while James Brown holds their coats."
This four-piece band, based in Leeds, England, delivers gritty grooves and deep rhythms that leave their audiences intoxicated by the funk. Their live shows are "guaranteed to get audiences up and dancing until last call, when you'll stagger home sweaty and exhausted on a wave of euphoria."
Now how can you turn an experience like that down, especially when it's all free? Get out to the Ford Amphitheater on Tuesday, July 28, and groove to The New Mastersounds. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the Mastersounds hit the stage at 6:30 p.m. You'll be glad you did.
Festival Highlights Spectacular: Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel. Photo: Matt Albani
With so many diverse offerings at the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival, it can be difficult to know which performance is the one for you. Fortunately, Festival Highlights Spectacular on Sunday, August 2, will feature a little bit of everything; from fun and upbeat swing dancing and sultry, passionate tango, to old school tap dancing and traditional classical ballet. Local elementary aged students who participate in the Celebrate the Beat summer residency will kick-off the show, joined by very special guest and Artistic Director, Damian Woetzel.
The evening will also showcase superstars of American Ballet Theatre: Gillian Murphy and Ethan Stiefel, who is also familiar as the star of the movie "Center Stage." This will be the only evening that the couple can be seen performing together. Other appearances will include New York City Ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Tyler Angle performing the pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s Mercurial Maneuvers, as well as Miami City Ballet performing the 3rd movement of Rubies, from Balanchine’s Jewels.
Whether you are new to the dance world or a seasoned balletomane, this is sure to be an enchanting evening for all!
Vail Valley residents, here is your opportunity to possibly honor a member of the community that you feel has made this valley a better place to live and work this year as the Vail Valley Foundation is seeking community nominations for our 2009 Citizen of the Year Award.
All nominations are due by August 31 and the award will be presented December 4 during the annual Black Diamond Ball, held in conjunction with the Birds of Prey World Cup festivities.
The Citizen of the Year Award honors individuals that have truly made a difference in the community through their leadership and good will. Nominations must come from full time residents of Eagle County and may be submitted by fax to (970) 949-9265 or emailed to info@vvf.org. Nominations must include the name and address of the person nominating, the name and address of the nominee, no less than one paragraph and no more than one page describing why the nominee should be selected as Citizen of the Year and why the nominee stands above others in the community in their service and leadership
To be considered for Citizen of the Year, a nominee must have contributed their time and effort to support and enhance community programs, must have demonstrated leadership, good will, passion and a tremendous desire to improve the community, must have significantly contributed to the heritage of the Vail Valley and its future and must have been a resident of Eagle County for at least four years.
Following the close of nominations, the Foundation selection committee will make their decision, with the winner announced by the beginning of October.
Miami City Ballet in Serenade. Choreography by George Balanchine (c) The George Balanchine Trust. Photo: Joe Gato.
Miami City Ballet, one of the top classical ballet companies in the country, will make its Vail debut at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on Saturday, August 1. Artistic Director, Edward Villella, considered “the greatest male ballet dancer ever produced in America” has paired his experience as a professional dancer with New York City Ballet, as well as his unique artistic vision to create this dynamic group of performers.
This evening will consist of works created by the famed choreographer, George Balanchine, and will include the great master's Tarantella, The Four Temperaments and Serenade. Once described as “dance under the moon,” Serenade, was the first ballet created by Balanchine in the United States and was originally performed in 1934 outside, under the night sky, at an estate in New York. It is wonderfully appropriate that on its 75th Anniversary, the ballet will return to an outdoor stage, this time at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. Following Miami City Ballet’s recent debut in New York City, Alastair Macaulay, dance critic for the New York Times, said of Miami City Ballet, “To watch it dance Balanchine is to see aspects of his choreography more clearly than with any other company today.”
Join us for the Vail debut of Miami City Ballet at the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival July 27 - August 11. MIAMI CITY BALLET PREVIEW:
As the greatest living tap dancer on the face of the earth prepares to officially open the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival on Monday, July 27, it’s time to test your knowledge of Savion Glover. Following are five fun facts that we bet you didn’t know about the tap master.
1) Much has been made of Savion’s feet—how fast they move and how he manipulates them to appear as if they have more moveable joints than physically possible—but do you know what size his feet are? Savion Glover wears a size 12 ½ EE tap shoe
2) It’s hard to believe that Savion has ever worn anything but tap shoes to dance in, but do you know what his first set of tap shoes were? Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Savion lived with his mother, two brothers, his grandmother, his aunt and her nephew. At an early age, he started taking classes at the Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan. Because his mother couldn’t afford tap shoes, he wore little brown and beige cowboy boots.
3) Savion has received numerous Tony Awards and nominations for his illustrious work on the Broadway stage. Do you know how old he was when he made his Broadway debut? Savion’s debut on Broadway came as the title character in “The Tap Dance Kid” when he was all of 12 years old.
4) Aside from his appearance on Sesame Street, what else has Savion done for television? He choreographed a popular TV spot for Nike that featured professional and playground legends dribbling a basketball and dancing to an old school beat. An extended version of the spot aired on MTV.
5) It’s clear Savion was born to dance, but if he ever did “lose his job”, does he know what he would do? In high school, he applied for a job at McDonald’s but they never called him back.
Savion Glover will perform two shows at the Vail International Dance Festival, the opening night performance on July 27 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, along with live music courtesy of tap band Bare Soundz and jazz quartet The Otherz, and a special UpClose evening July 28 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek.
Tickets for Savion Glover are priced at $55 and $75 for Reserved Amphitheater pavilion seating, $17 for General Admission lawn seating and $10 for children for the July 27 performance.
Tickets for the July 28 UpClose evening are priced at $45 and $55 at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, with a special $30 children’s ticket also available.
Tickets for all performances of the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival are available online at http://www.vaildance.org/ or by phone at either (970) 845-TIXS (8497) or 888-920-ARTS (2787).
Did you love pianist Yuja Wang in her July 12 Bravo! performance? Then mark your calendar for her February 23 2010 return to the VPAC with the Russian National Orchestra.
There’s little doubt that throughout the course of history, the relationship between China and Russia has, at times, been a stormy one. However, this coming winter, the two nations will join forces to make beautiful music together in Beaver Creek as renowned Chinese pianist Yuja Wang accompanies the Russian National Orchestra for a cultural classic evening on February 23, 2010.
The 22-year-old Wang, who recently enchanted audiences at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival with her performance with the Philadelphia Orchestra, is widely recognized for her “superhuman” command of the piano and charismatic stage presence. Last season, the Washington Post called her Kennedy Center recital debut “jaw-dropping.”
“If you loved Yuja Wang with the Philadelphia Orchestra,” offered Kris Sabel, Executive Director of the Vilar Performing Arts Center, “then you really should consider getting your tickets now for her return with the Russian National Orchestra this winter. We are truly fortunate to be able to welcome her back just seven months from now.”
Born in Beijing, Wang has already performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, New World Symphony, the China Philharmonic and the Nagoya Symphony. In 2006, she made her New York Philharmonic debut at the Bravo! festival, performing with the orchestra the following season under Lorin Maazel, during the orchestra’s visit to Japan and Korea.
In addition to Wang’s return to the Vail Valley in February, the Russian National Orchestra will also celebrate their much anticipated return visit to the Vilar Center, following their thrilling 2008 engagement.
Tickets for the February 23 performance featuring Yuja Wang and the Russian National Orchestra at the Vilar Center are priced at $75 and $90 and are available online at vilarpac.org, by phone at 888.920.ARTS(2787) or in person at the Vilar Center box office in Beaver Creek.
Tickets for all 2009-10 winter Classical and Dance Series tickets are also available.
Queen Nation preserves the image, sound, and stage persona of vintage Queen. You will be amazed at the accuracy of their live retrospective journey through such Queen songs as “We Will Rock You”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “We Are The Champions”, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, “You’re My Best Friend”, “Another One Bites The Dust”, “Under Pressure” and many more.
One of the iconic and powerful groups in rock history, Queen was the king of arena rock, performing for packed stadiums around the globe for over two decades. But you can have all the great hits for free at Bud Light Hot Summer Nights.
Doors to the Amphitheater open at 5:30 p.m. and Queen Nation hits the stage at 6:30.
The evening featured VVF President Ceil Folz sharing with the audience the VVF’s financial position, its successes and challenges in the face of the “new economy,” and her vision for the VVF’s future.
Those of you that have been to ShowDown Town before know the drill. This is the only free concert series the Vail Valley Foundation produces that we allow patrons to bring their own beer and pets to. Yes, that is right. You can bring your own dinner (or purchase food on site from various vendors), drinks and pets. We only request that you are responsible and only bring well mannered dogs.
Blending elements of funk, rock, blues, reggae and R&B, the Matt Clark Band continues to wow audiences with their originality. The contagious energy, great vocals and rhythmic instrumentation is sure to to be a perfect fit for ShowDown town tonight.
ShowDown town is also loaded with activities for the kiddos. Tonight look for face painting, Strider Bike demos and "Stilt Fest" -- stilt walking demos and lessons. You can also register on site or HERE to win the Quark Expeditions Ultimate Antarctic Adventure.
It's looking like tonight will be a perfect evening for a free concert.... show starts at 6:30pm.
Ronnie Milsap’s new album “Then Sings My Soul” has been on the Billboard Top 200 charts since it’s release in March. Milsap will be performing at the Vilar Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, July 22 at 8pm. Tickets and info for that performance can be found HERE.
Milsap waited almost 40 years to deliver a gospel album making Then Sings My Soul no small affair. A double-disc set spanning 24 tracks, Then Sings My Soul is blessed with Milsap's trademark light touch, always sounding friendly and welcoming.
Preview his new album below before catching him at the VPAC...
The Vail International Dance Festival often presents performing artists, companies and programming that can only be seen on the stages of Vail. For example, in 2008, artistic director Damian Woetzel brought together two stars from two very different ballet companies to perform together in the International Evenings of Dance; Misa Kuranaga, principal dancer from Boston Ballet and rising star of New York City Ballet, Daniel Ulbricht.
Until last summer, this partnership didn't exist, but their appearance together in the 2008 International Evenings of Dance had the audience on their feet and critics raving.
Similarly for the 2009 Festival, Sofiane Sylve, star of San Francisco Ballet will be partnered by Simon Ball, star of Houston Ballet. They have occasionally danced together before, but so infrequently that chances are this will be one of the only chances ballet lovers will have to catch these two stars together onstage. Sofiane is an ballerina power house with “extreme extensions” and has been described as a “rare paragon of womanliness in today's ballet world, both sexy and strong.” Meanwhile, critics have called Ball “dashing” and “He-man like,” his dancing compared to a “grand display of balletic fireworks.” There is no question then that Simon and Sofiane’s partnership at the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival will ignite the stage when they perform the pas de deux from William Forsythe’s high energy In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. The “industrial” and visceral music makes for extreme, hard hitting movements and will light up the first International Evening performance on August 8 - and it will be a far cry from the languid, classical style of the ill-fated love story of Giselle which will be performed by Ball & Sylve in the second International Evening performance on August 9.
We had the rare opportunity to chat with Sofiane upon her return from a recent visit to Europe. Sofiane was born in Nice, France and got to enjoy some much deserved time with family and friends in both Paris & Holland. She said some of the most memorable things she did included visiting the Carouseel du Louvres, and the Cathedral of Chartres (located about an hour from Paris). She also enjoyed taking a Bikram Yoga class behind the Pompidou Center as well as walking through the city and shopping at all the new stores along the Palais Royal. Sofiane also mentioned the play she attended called Impressing the Czar at Palais Chaillot, a play about Religion and “all the questions we ought to ask.”
Come see Sofiane Sylve and Simon Ball performing together at the 2009 Vail International Dance Festival on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.
Watch Sofiane in the Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude:
CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM 2008 INTERNATIONAL EVENINGS OF DANCE:
Last night Paul Rodriguez, the Original Latin King of Comedy performed in Beaver Creek at the Vilar Performing Arts Center to a packed house. Paul put on a great performance and his hysterical comedy was a hit.
Check out some photos below from the performance last night. All photos below (C) 2009 Zach Mahone.
You may have seen Ashley Bouder this past Christmas in US Weekly, where she was pictured backstage with Katie Holmes and daughter Suri Cruise at the David H. Koch Theater during the New York City Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Last week, we had a chance to catch up with Ashley in between her demanding rehearsal and performance schedule to find out what she’s been up to (when she’s not making front page news) in preparation for the Vail International Dance Festival.
Ashley has had several big debuts this past spring, including an appearance in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, in which she “approached every movement with ferocity.” Her dancing at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in early July was met with rave reviews: “Ashley Bouder is a dancer whose explosive energy and attack give each of her performances a thrilling immediacy.”
When asked about returning to Vail this summer she said that while she enjoys “browsing the shops in Vail Village and dining at the fantastic restaurants” she is most looking forward to riding the gondola to the top of Vail Mountain. “The view is breathtaking!”
Come see Ashley Bouder on August 8th & 9th for International Evenings of Dance at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater when she will be performing alongside David Hallberg from American Ballet Theater and fellow colleague at New York City Ballet, Robert Fairchild. Rumor has it that Ashley and David will be dancing the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake.
Check out some photos and videos below of Ashley at the 2008 Vail International Dance Festival.
PHOTOS OF ASHLEY BOUDER FROM THE 2008 VIDF:
VIDEO OF ASHLEY BOUDER FROM 2008 VIDF Ashley Bouder and Daniel Ulbricht Rehearse:
Ashley Boulder & Igor Zelensky Perform for International Evenings of Dance:
The band's adept picking, sweet harmonies and citybilly swagger combine with an unpretentious, go-for-it interpretation of bluegrass, sparking interest by folks who don't know Doc Watson from Doc Holliday. Concert starts tonight at 6:30 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheaterin Vail.
The cost? Absolutely nothing -- AND, you could win the Quark Expeditions Ultimate Antarctic Adventure by stopping by the VVF tent or CLICKING HERE.
Carla Korbes in Swan Lake PNB photo by Angela Sterling
Over the past two years, Carla Korbes has become a much loved presence at the Vail International Dance Festival as one of the stars of Pacific Northwest Ballet Company, and now this year Carla will perform with her PNB colleague Seth Orza on the International Evening of Dance performances on August 7 and 8. We are thrilled that Carla will be back, and we checked in with her last week to see what she’s been up to.
Greetings Vail International Dance Festival! How exciting that I get to be a part of your blog for this year’s Festival. I do love dancing in Vail and I hope I have the opportunity to return for years to come! So, what’s new with me… As of June 7, Pacific Northwest Ballet is on summer lay off. As usual, my summer is filled with some exciting dancing and teaching opportunities. I just returned from Brazil, my homeland, last week. I spent 12 days there visiting my family and dancing with my old ballet school in Porto Alegre. My school, Ballet Vera Bublitz, is celebrating its 30th Anniversary and they organized a celebratory Anniversary Gala on June 28. I was invited to participate in the gala and danced excerpts from Swan Lake with Norton Ramos Fantinel, another dancer that trained at Ballet Vera Bublitz. Norton will actually be joining the Washington Ballet as a Soloist next year.
Dancing in the gala was both an emotional and thrilling experience for me as I had not danced in Brazil over 13 years! Not only did I get to dance for my old teachers and ballet friends, but for my entire family and friends from the school where I first learned to dance. The gala was featured on television, in the local newspapers and even broadcasted over the radio. It was an extremely exciting time for both my school and ballet in south Brazil.
Now that I am back in the U.S. I will be teaching at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Summer Intensive Program. I usually teach the daily Variation classes for the students as well as “Glamour Classes” where I teach the students about stage make-up application and proper hair design for performances.
On July 17, I will be traveling to New York City to work with Benjamin Millepied for the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival. This year’s program of the Nantucket Festival comprises a range of ballets that span over a century of ballet history. Under the direction of New York City Ballet principal dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, the Festival continues a tradition of presenting works featuring musical sophistication and choreographic distinction. From the classical precision of Marius Petipa to the hyper-mobile quirkiness of William Forsythe, the works demonstrate the dynamic nature of ballet as an art form. Many of the same dancers performing in Vail who will also appear in the Nantucket Festival include myself, along with Gillian Murphy, Wendy Whelan and David Hallberg. I will dance Who Cares? and Apollo on July 24 and 25th. The Pacific Northwest Ballet Company classes resume on July 27th. We have an amazing season ahead of us; we will start in full force rehearsing Coppelia and Petite Mort by Jiri Kylian. The fall season will kick-off with Romeo et Juliette by French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot. But before the season starts on September 24, I get to go to Vail and dance the pas de deux from Romeo et Juliette and Diamonds with Seth Orza and Apollo with David Hallberg, star of American Ballet Theater.
What I most enjoy about Vail is that I get to share the stage with such amazing artists from all over the world. It is so important for my development as a dancer and an artist to see different styles of dance as well as other dancers. I feel that the Vail International Dance Festival is a little treasure both for audiences and for dancers alike - we are all so lucky to be a part of it! Of course I love the town as well. Last year was the first time I had the opportunity to ride the Gondola and it was such a wonderful experience. This year I hope I have more time to explore the beautiful terrain and take in the sights. Thanks again Vail and I look forward to seeing you in August!
