The 2015 program highlights include more unique-to-Vail programs than ever before, with a series of mixed bills combining repertory in new arrangements and dancers in new roles and partnerships. Dance House will feature a main performance with artists from the worlds of ballroom, ballet, street dance, and the variety of dance on television, followed by special site-specific performances throughout the house of the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, all creating an immersive, one-night-only “house of dance” with artists ranging from Chicago “Footworker” King Charles to ballerina Tiler Peck.  Ballet Blast brings ballet from around the world with a selection of artists and companies, including the National Ballet of Mexico making its Vail debut, and repertory ranging from contemporary choreography to Balanchine masterpieces to classics from the 19th century. In what has become an awaited yearly performance, NOW: Premieres features world premieres by some of today’s most dynamic choreographers, including John Heginbotham, Pam Tanowitz, Silas Riener & Rashaun Mitchell, Matthew Neenan, and Lil Buck, with dancers from Dance Heginbotham, BalletX, artists from New York City Ballet, and several of the choreographers themselves.

The Festival’s UpClose series of rehearsal-style performances continues for 2015, this year focusing on George Balanchine’s seminal masterpiece Apollo to the music of Igor Stravinsky. This landmark ballet premiered as Apollon Musagète in 1928 as part of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes season, and over the course of his lifetime, Balanchine made changes to the ballet, adjusting and cutting décor, simplifying costumes, and ultimately eliminating the opening scene depicting Apollo’s birth with his 1979 revival. Guided by Festival Director Damian Woetzel, this UpClose performance will examine the ballet from its original incarnation to what Balanchine last staged before his death in 1983.

Apollo will also be featured on the Balanchine Celebration performance later in the season, which will bring together ballet stars from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre to showcase works by the 20th century’s greatest ballet choreographer. This program will feature the debut of Herman Cornejo in Apollo.

The International Evenings of Dance, which have been a cornerstone of the Festival for over 25 years, will again feature stars from around the world joining in unique programs surveying the depth and variety of dance, with this year bringing Festival debuts from artists including New York City Ballet ballerina Sara Mearns.

The season will also include the Festival’s first full-length evening ballet, as Philadelphia’s contemporary ballet powerhouse BalletX performs the critically-acclaimed Sunset, o639 Hours, based on a true story, with original music by award-winning New Zealand composer Rosie Langabeer. The Festival will close with Dance for $20.15; this annual popularly priced performance will feature a selection of Festival stars along with the home state troupe Colorado Ballet, with every seat in the house selling for $20.15. In addition to its theater-based performances, the Festival continues to expand on its numerous in-town, free Dancing in the Streets events, master classes with visiting artists, and the Celebrate the Beat dance and music education program free to local children.

“It is primary for me to bring together a dynamic range of dancers and musicians to Vail to share collaborative performances on our stages,” said Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. “Presenting new works, new role debuts and new partnerships has become the creative essence of the Vail International Dance Festival, and I look forward to what the coming 2015 season will bring. ”

Vail International Dance Festival 2015 Season:
• Monday, July 27  – Savion Glover & the Otherz: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater The Tony Award-winning legend of tap, Savion Glover returns to Vail to kick off the Festival with an electrifying performance, accompanied by his jazz quartet, The Otherz.  “Virtuosity [is] his vehicle — extreme virtuosity.” –The New York Times
• Tuesday, July 28  – Dance House: Ballroom/Dance TV Remix: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater A new take on Vail favorites, Dance TV and Ballroom Spectacular. Featuring a star-filled stage presentation, followed by special performances all around the amphitheater. With artists including World Champion Rhythm dancers Liana Churilova and Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine, ballerina Tiler Peck, Chicago “Footwork” trailblazer King Charles, and Memphis Jookin star Lil Buck.
• Saturday, August 1 – Sunset, o639 Hours with BalletX: 7:30pm; Vilar Performing Arts Center With live musical accompaniment, the Festival’s first full-length evening ballet takes the stage at the Vilar Center. Sunset, o639 Hours is inspired by a true story, and in this acclaimed ballet we discover a world described by The New York Times as “…beautifully elegiac, taking us into the hearts of people who lived decades ago…”
• Sunday, August 2 – Ballet Blast: National Ballet of Mexico, American Ballet Stars, BalletX, BalletCollective and Colorado Ballet: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater The Vail International Dance Festival welcomes the National Ballet of Mexico for the first time, joined by Colorado Ballet, BalletX, a selection of international ballet stars, and another Festival newcomer, New York’s nascent BalletCollective – all brought together for a diverse evening of ballet, from classic to contemporary, with music by the cutting edge string quartet, Brooklyn Rider.
• Tuesday, August 4 – NOW: Premieres: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater A collection of world premieres commissioned by the Festival from celebrated choreographers, with a magnificent cast of artists from ballet, modern, and contemporary dance, all sharing the stage in this signature Festival performance. Choreographers include Pam Tanowitz, Silas Riener & Rashaun Mitchell, Lil Buck, John Heginbotham, and Matthew Neenan.  “A Whirl of Premieres, From Jookin to Jetés.”  –The New York Times
• Wednesday, August 5 – UpClose: Apollo: 6:30pm; Vilar Performing Arts Center The UpClose series of rehearsal-style performances continues for 2015, this year focusing on George Balanchine’s seminal masterpiece Apollo* to the music of Igor Stravinsky. This landmark ballet premiered as Apollon Musagète in 1928 as part of Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes season, and over the course of his lifetime, Balanchine made changes to the ballet, adjusting and cutting décor, simplifying costumes, and ultimately eliminating the opening scene depicting Apollo’s birth with his 1979 revival. Guided by Festival Director Damian Woetzel, this UpClose performance will examine the ballet from its original incarnation to what Balanchine last staged before his death in 1983.   Featuring Festival stars including Carla Körbes, Tiler Peck, Herman Cornejo, and Chase Finlay.                *Choreography by George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust
• Friday, August 7 & Saturday, August 8 – International Evenings of Dance: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater A magnificent cast of stellar dance artists from around the world takes the stage in these signature Festival performances. “…new partnerships and debuts that would please the hearts of fans thousands of miles away.”  –The New York Times
• Sunday, August 9 – Balanchine Celebration: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater Celebrating George Balanchine, one the 20th century’s greatest artists and founder of New York City Ballet, this performance features a selection of the world’s finest dancers in a unique evening of Balanchine ballets, including the debut of American Ballet Theatre superstar Herman Cornejo in Balanchine’s seminal masterpiece, Apollo*.*Choreography by George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust
• Monday, August 10 – Dance for $20.15: 7:30pm; Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater For closing night of Festival 2015, an evening for everyone with specially priced tickets for every seat in the house. Dance for $20.15 features Colorado Ballet and guest artists from the 2015 Festival.
The Vail International Dance Festival performances take place at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail and the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek. Fan Club Pre-Sale ticketing begins Tuesday, March 17, with public tickets going on sale Tuesday, March 24, 2015. For Fan Club information, contact Martha Brassel at [email protected] or 970.777.2015. Visit www.vaildance.org for more information and follow the Festival on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Vail International Dance Festival: The outdoor splendor of the Colorado Rocky Mountains is the perfect backdrop to artistic brilliance, and each summer the unique mountain town of Vail plays host to the world’s finest dancers. Now in its twenty-seventh year, the Vail International Dance Festival has developed into a treasured celebration of dance, renowned for its artistic excellence and unparalleled programming. Nearly twenty thousand people from around the world descend on Vail, a vibrant cultural destination, for the Festival’s two-week residence. The event’s spirited atmosphere transforms the village into a culturally-rich environment that is inviting to dance aficionados and newcomers alike. For more information, visit www.vaildance.org, like us on Facebook: Vail International Dance Festival, follow us on Twitter: @VailDance and Instagram: @VailDanceFest.