American Dance Festival facts for kids
American Dance Festival's Samuel H. Scripps Studios located in Durham, North Carolina
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| Industry | Modern dance |
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| Founded | 1948 |
| Headquarters | Durham, North Carolina |
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Area served
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Research Triangle |
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Key people
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Jodee Nimerichter (director) Gaspard Louis |
The American Dance Festival (ADF) is a famous summer dance program and festival. It offers special dance classes and amazing performances of modern dance. You can find it mainly in Durham, North Carolina, at Duke University and the Durham Performing Arts Center. The festival also hosts dance courses like the Summer Dance Intensive. Jodee Nimerichter is the current director of the festival.
Contents
A Brief History of ADF
Early Beginnings: The Bennington Festival
The story of the American Dance Festival began in 1934. It started as the Bennington Festival at Bennington College. Here, pioneers of modern dance like Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Charles Weidman taught and performed. For one year, in 1939, the program moved to Mills College in California. It returned to Vermont in 1940, but ended in 1942.
The American Dance Festival is Born
In 1948, a new dance program started at Connecticut College. It was based on the Bennington model. This program was first called the New York University – Connecticut College School of Dance / American Dance Festival. In 1969, its director, Charles Reinhart, shortened the name to just the American Dance Festival.
Moving to Durham, North Carolina
After 30 years in Connecticut, the festival moved. In 1978, it found a new home at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Since then, ADF has become a major center for modern dance.
Amazing Dance Premieres and Commissions
Since its start in 1934, the American Dance Festival has been a place for new dance. It has hosted over 640 first-time performances, called premieres. More than 340 new dance pieces have been created just for ADF. These are called commissions. Many famous artists have shown their work here. Some of these include Martha Graham, José Limón, Merce Cunningham, and Alvin Ailey.
Leaders of the Festival
Charles Reinhart led the American Dance Festival for a long time. He was the director from 1969 to 2011. In January 2012, Jodee Nimerichter became the new director. She had worked with Charles as a co-director before.
Famous Dancers at ADF
Many well-known modern dance artists have performed or taught at ADF. These include José Limón, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Alvin Ailey. Even Madonna, who was a dance student at the time, attended ADF in 1978.
New Dance Works and Venues
Many dance works have had their first performances at ADF. Some were even created specifically for the festival. The Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) was partly built to showcase the festival's performances. In 2016, ADF helped create a new dance called Cassandra's Curse.
Special Awards and Recognition
Honoring Choreographers
The American Dance Festival gives out important awards. One is the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award. This award celebrates choreographers who have achieved a lot in dance. It gives $50,000 to one outstanding choreographer each year. Past winners include Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp.
Recognizing Dance Teachers
ADF also honors great dance teachers. This award is called the Balasaraswati/Joy Anne Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching. It recognizes teachers who have made a big impact.
Dance Programs and Learning Opportunities
Year-Round Classes
The American Dance Festival offers dance classes all year long. These classes are held at the Samuel H. Scripps Studio. They are for people of all ages and skill levels. During the summer, the studio is used for the Six Week School.
Summer Dance Programs
Every summer, ADF hosts several intensive dance courses. These include the Summer Dance Intensive and the Pre-Professional Dance Intensive. There are also workshops for dance professionals. These programs help dancers improve their skills.
Internships for Students
ADF offers internships during its summer session. Students can learn about arts administration or production. Interns get to take one dance class each day. They also work in the ADF offices or behind the scenes at performances. These internships include a full scholarship to the Six Week School.
Winter Intensives
In addition to its programs in Durham, ADF also holds Winter Intensives. These are special dance programs in New York City and Pasadena, California. These winter programs are for dancers aged 18 and older.
See Also
- List of Scripps Award recipients
