At Vail鈥檚 Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, there鈥檚 no curtain to lift or draw. That means pre-show warm-up rituals dancers usually conduct in the privacy of that heavy veil are on display.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 so Colorado,鈥� one audience member quipped as she arrived at her seat for the Onstage dancers are practicing wearing fleece jackets over their tutus, just another sign you鈥檙e in the Rocky Mountains.
You can see everything in the curtainless space. Damian Woetzel, Vail International Dance Festival Artistic Director, chatting with dancers as they warm-up. There are plies, releves, tendus, and pirouettes. One dancer is multitasking, pressing the arch of her foot, outfitted with a light pink satin pointe shoe, up and down while she talks on her cellphone.
This highly visible warm-up is a longstanding and unique tradition at the Vail International Dance Festival, now celebrating its silver anniversary through August 10.
The pre-show warm-up onstage was mirrored on the lawn where 11-year-old Brighton Swenson sat stretching. The Denver resident has studied ballet for about a year. 鈥淚 just like being able to move around,鈥� said Swenson attending the festival for the first time with her mother Kristi and younger sister Jude.
The Swenson sisters weren鈥檛 around when, in 1989, President Gerald R. Ford and First Lady Betty Ford took the first steps that would become the festival.
Upon the Ford鈥檚 invitation, a North American satellite of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy was established in Vail by Russian native Sophia Golovkina in 1990. That cultural exchange has morphed into annual festival performances with dancers from around the globe. There鈥檚 development of new work, street dances, classes, as well as community engagement and participation in arts education programs.
鈥淔or this festival, we embrace all that is brilliant in dance,鈥� states the festival welcome letter co-written by Woetzel, , and president Ceil Folz.
Vail has become known within the dance world for pairing dancers from different companies 鈥� often those who have never danced together 鈥� to perform classic pieces. Such was the case at its opening celebration, which included excerpts of Don Quixote. Choreographed by Marius Petipa, the father of classical ballet, and premiered in 1869 at Moscow鈥檚 Bolshoi Theatre, the re-staging for Vail was performed by San Francisco Ballet鈥檚 and of Boston Ballet.
鈥淚n many ways we begin where we began,鈥� Woetzel said in his opening remarks before Sunday鈥檚 sold-out opening night crowd, referencing Vail鈥檚 Russian ballet roots.
The amphitheater, brings the great outdoors right inside the semi-covered space. Instead of an upstage wall you鈥檒l find pine trees, purple hyacinth, ferns and other plants in its place. Given the open nature, a few chirping birds serve as additional musical accompaniment to the live orchestra.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful landscape for a stage,鈥� remarked one patron as she took her seat.
For and , performing at the Ford Amphitheater connects them to their roots.
Windham returned to the stage where he first performed at age 10 in a community production of Annie. 鈥淒ancing in the festival is a dream come true and I can鈥檛 believe it actually happened,鈥� said Windham, now 26 and named one of . He trained at the Vail Valley Academy of Dance and first saw live dance at the festival as a child.
Meanwhile, Riley, perfected a dance style know as Jookin鈥� on the streets of his native Memphis, Tenn. He has since gained props for his YouTube , and is currently a featured performer in Cirque di Soleil鈥檚 Michael Jackson ONE in Las Vegas.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really epic and amazing,鈥� said Riley, remarking on the invitation to perform opening night. A company member of New Styles Krew, Riley is slated to debut a world premiere that he deemed a 鈥渏aw dropper鈥� on Aug. 5.
include four additional world premieres; one by Modern dance legend Paul Taylor, a ballroom dance showcase with performers from around the world, and another with winners and favorites from popular television dance competitions.
Arts District is a collaboration of KUNC, RMPBS, and KUVO.
