NEW WORKS AT THE VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL

In 2022, the Vail Dance Festival celebrated over 100 world-premiere dance commissions under Damian Woetzel’s visionary leadership since being named Artistic Director in 2006. From the start of his tenure, Mr. Woetzel prioritized developing new works that foster unique collaborations between artists of various dance genres to push the boundaries of the artform, further cementing Vail as a leading voice for new choreography in the United States. At 10,000ft above sea level, nestled in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, Vail has earned a reputation where “high-profile dancers make their annual trek to the mountains for this collaboration-rich festival” (Dance Magazine)

Beginning with choreographer Christopher Wheeldon as he launched his company Morphoses at the 2007 Festival, dancemakers of various genres have since partnered with Mr. Woetzel in the lab environment that is a signature of the Vail Dance Festival. Creative voices over the years have included Paul Taylor, Michelle Dorrance, Brian Brooks, Pam Tanowitz, Alonzo King, Shantala Shivalingappa, Larry Keigwin, Alexei Ratmansky, Claudia Schreier, Fang-Yi Sheu, Lil Buck, Matthew Neenan, Jodi Melnick, John Heginbotham, Lauren Lovette, Tiler Peck, Jamar Roberts, and Justin Peck. Essential to the collaborative work have been the musical collaborators who have been a part of the Festival, including Philip Glass, Caroline Shaw, Jason Moran, Rhiannon Giddens, Vijay Iyer, Gabriela Lena Frank, and the musicians of Brooklyn Rider among many others. 

“Showing the diversity of dance styles and techniques and juxtaposing dancers from different genres — from ballet to jookin’ to contemporary and Indian dance — has been part of Damian Woetzel’s mission since he became director of the festival.” -The New York Times

Now, fifteen years on, many of the works that have made their world premieres in Vail have been presented in other prestigious venues around the globe including New York City Center, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Joyce Theater, and at companies including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Pam Tanowitz Dance, Dance Heginbotham, Pacific Northwest Ballet, among many others.