American Dance Festival
Photo credit: ADF / Sara D. Davis 2009. See Practical information below
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| Country and Region | United States — North Carolina |
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| Type of Festival | Dance |
| Location of Festival | Durham, North Carolina USA |
| Festival Address Information | American Dance Festival |
| Festival Description | Since its founding in 1934 American Dance Festival has encouraged and supported the creation of modern dance by both established and emerging choreographers. ADF enhances public understanding and appreciation of the art form and the cultural and historical significance of dance by building national and international audiences. ADF has presented works by Martha Graham, José Limón, Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, and many others. |
| Festival Dates | June 10 - July 25, 2009 |
| Festival Links | http://www.americandancefestival.org |
Festival Story:
The American Dance Festival began its peripatetic existence traveling between some of the most progressive and prestigious Women’s Colleges in the United States. It was born as The Bennington School of Dance in 1934 amidst the Green Mountains at Bennington College in Vermont to proud parents Martha Graham, Martha Hill and Charles Weidman among other now extraordinarily famous dancer/choreographers. The School of Dance stretched its legs in 1939 and traveled out west for a summer to Mills College in Oakland, California. In 1947, Martha Hill decided to re-establish the school at Connecticut College in New London, CT where it stayed and prospered until 1978 when it traveled to its current home, the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
ADF has always had two focusses: presenting new works by the famous and not so famous, and educating a new generation of dancers. It has become an integral part of the fiber of the modern dance world, and the greater cloth of American culture. Mrs. Betty Ford, who attended the ADF School, is an honorary chairperson, as well as each of her successors.
In the dance community, being able to perform, to train, to intern at ADF is as much of an honour as it was when Jose Limon premiered his work at Bennington College in 1946.
Other Sources:
Want more? Click on a color — travel and explore. 
Podcast Interviews:
- If you like this festival — listen to…
- Jane Hirshberg, managing director and CEO of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange
http://kadmusarts.com/podcasts/?p=922 - Ronald K. Brown, choreographer
http://kadmusarts.com/blog/?p=433
- Jane Hirshberg, managing director and CEO of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange
Articles and Reviews:
- American Dance Festival Announces Fifth NEA Arts Journalism Institute for Dance Criticism (Kansas City InfoZine News, March 17, 2009)
http://kadmusarts.com/festivalnews/?p=9622 - ADF fans voted with their feet. Attendance jumped in a season hopping with hip offerings, by Orla Swift (News Observer, July 24, 2005)
http://www.newsobserver.com/309/story/191905.html - Iraqi dancer endures. With homeland’s heritage and hardship in mind, a performer comes to ADF with a dream, by Samia Serageldin (News Observer, July 22, 2005)
http://www.newsobserver.com/309/story/292966.html - New choreography impresses. New choreography impresses, by Roy C. Dicks, Correspondent (New Observer, July 20, 2005)
http://www.newsobserver.com/309/story/218715.html - Man of the hour. ADF salutes Bill T. Jones, former emerging artist, now ascendant, by Linda Belans (New Observer, July 10, 2005)
http://www.newsobserver.com/309/story/171811.html - Last dance, part two. Our 2003 ADF wrap concludes: The legacy of Stephanie Reinhart and a question about the future of the ADF, by Byron Woods (Independent Weekly, July 30, 2003)
http://www.indyweek.com/durham/2003-07-30/ae.html - Stephanie Reinhart 1944–2002, by Elizabeth Zimmer. (Village Voice, October 2 - 8, 2002)
http://www.villagevoice.com/dance/0240,zimmer,38878,14.html
References:
- American Dance Festival Archives
http://www.upress.virginia.edu/epub/pyatt/durh01.html
Practical Info:
Photo slideshow credits:
- In order of appearance
- Would you please restate your answer in the form of a question?, a site-specific work choreographed by Mark Dendy and commissioned by the ADF, photo by ADF / Sara D. Davis 2009
- Re- Part III, choroegraphed by Shen Weia, an ADF-commissioned World Premiere, photo by ADF / Sara D. Davis 2009
Tickets:
- By Phone (credit card orders only)
(01) 919-684-6402, or (01) 919-684-4444 - By Fax (credit card orders only)
(01) 919-684-5459 - By Mail (check or credit card orders only)
American Dance Festival
Box 90772
Durham, NC 27708-0772 USA - Online (single ticket orders only)
Subscription Order Form can be found on festival website
http://www.tickets.duke.edu
Box Office Information:
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