Summer dance festival. Three little words that conjure up a world of beauty, grace, refinement – and also provocation, wild abandon, and heat. What could be better for a weekend adventure or a glorious week away this summer? We’ve compiled a list of the best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
what are the best ballet and contemporary dance festivals in the world this summer?
With its delicate balance of grace and movement, dance performances manage to harness the same kind of magic as the bright summer sunshine, and there’s no venue better to enjoy them than one of our favorite jam-packed summer festivals. Here’s our list of extraordinary summer dance festivals to help you make the most of summer 2023.
The best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
12 best ballet and contemporary dance festivals in summer 2023
1. Festival TransAmériques
Festival TransAmériques. Montreal, Canada, May 24th – June 8th, 2023. Founded in 1985, FTA is both a theater and dance festival dedicated to contemporary works. Performances are presented in venues and public spaces across the city, and it’s always a memorable week. This year’s program is available online, and includes nine dance performances. Among them, Libya from choreographer Radouan Mriziga, In My Body from choreographer Crazy Smooth, Nehanda from choreographer Nora Chipamuire, and Encantado from choreographer Lia Rodrigues.
The best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
Stay at: Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth. Don’t miss: A performance of Okwui Okpokwasili’s Bronx Gothic, about the budding desires of a young Black girl living in the Bronx. The piece is a combination of dance, theater, and art installation, and is based on an exchange of letters. In this rendition, it will be performed by Wanjiru Kamuyu.
2. spoleto
Spoleto Festival USA, Charleston, South Carolina, May 26th – June 11th, 2023. One of the largest performing arts festivals in the United States, Spoleto was originally founded in 1977. Composer Gian Carlo Menotti launched it as a counterpart to the Italian arts festival of the same name. It features dance, opera, musical theater, jazz, visual art, and more. Included in the tremendous program are three dance performances: The Sacrifice from Dada Masilo, Chasing Magic from Ayodele Casel, and The Crucible from the Scottish Ballet. Three very different works, all of them bound to leave a striking impression.
Our edit of the best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
Stay at: Wentworth Mansion or Belmond Charleston Place. Don’t miss: Dance fans are likely to enjoy Out of Chaos, from Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths. Though not dance, this feat of acrobatics is likely to satisfy the same desire for astounding physical performance.
3. American Dance Festival
American Dance Festival, Durham, North Carolina, June 8th – July 22nd, 2023. The American Dance Festival returns for an extraordinary 90th anniversary season. They’ll feature performances by both established and emerging companies, including BODYTRAFFIC, Rennie Harris Pure Movement American Street Dance Theater, SW!NG Out, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Ballet Hispánico, and many more.
Where to go for the best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
Stay at: 21c Museum Hotel Durham. Don’t miss: The ADF Fête on June 8th, immediately following BODYTRAFFIC’s opening night performance.
4. Hudson River Dance Festival
Hudson River Dance Festival, June 9-10, 2023. Set against the backdrop of a golden Hudson River sunset, this two-day festival brings dance performances to the Hudson River Park’s Pier 63 lawn. This year’s lineup features street dance, tap, ballet and modern dance. Performers include the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. All performances are free and open to the public.
Stay at: The Greenwich Hotel, TriBeCa.
5. Jacob’s Pillow
Jacob’s Pillow, Beckett, Massachusetts, June 28th – August 27th, 2023. The famed dance center returns for an unforgettable nine weeks of programming. As well live performances in the Ted Shawn Theatre, attendees can also expect virtual programming and many special events, such as Pillow Pride Party on July 8th. There are many world-famous groups in attendance this year, including Mark Morris Dance Group, Kyle Marshall Choreography, Te Ao Mana, Sole Defined, Dutch National Ballet, Waheedworks, and more.
Some of the best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
Stay at: Wheatleigh in Lenox Massachusetts. Don’t miss: Prior to the start of the festival, the season’s opening gala on June 24th; as well as a night of magical performances, Misty Copeland will be presented with the 2023 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award.
6. Festival D’avignon
Festival D’avignon, Avignon, France, July 5th – July 25th, 2023, One of the most prominent arts festivals in the world, the Avignon Festival was founded in 1947 by French actor Jean Vilar. We are thrilled to see it return for its 77th year. In addition to dance, attendees can enjoy theater, storytelling, readings, music, visual art, and readings. This year, there are eight exciting dance performances in the program, including Black Lights by Mathilde Monnier, Inventions by Mal Pelo, and The Romeo by Trajal Harrell.
Stay at: The Hotel Crillon le Brave or Hotel La Mirande. Don’t miss: G.R.O.O.V.E. by Bintou Dembélé, which offers an electric three-hour dance experience, subverting the Jean-Philippe Rambeau opera-ballet Les Indes galantes.
7. ImPulsTanz
ImPulsTanz, Vienna, Austria, July 6th – August 6th 2023. Started in 1984, ImPulsTanz is one of the leading international contemporary dance festivals in the world. Hundreds of dance performances, workshops, DJ sets, and research projects fill the city of Vienna, bringing together over 100,000 spectators and performers. For their fortieth anniversary season, they are expecting performances by Akemi Takeya, Anne Teresa De Keersmaker, Meg Stuart, and Trajal Harrell, among others.
The best ballet and modern dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto.
Stay at: Hotel Sacher Wien. Don’t miss: The young choreographer series, which brings the next generation of choreographers to Vienna.
8. nantucket dance festival
The Nantucket Dance Festival, July 6-8, 2023. After 15 years as one of the island’s signature summer events, the Nantucket Dance Festival will be returning this July under the direction a new non-profit: the Nantucket Dance Theater. The season will be chaired by four women – all dancers themselves: Michelle Birmingham, Alison Barone, Lauren Lovette and Lauren King (the latter two will serve as artistic directors). Details on the programming are forthcoming.
Stay at: The Wauwinet.
9. fire island dance festival
Fire Island Dance Festival, Fire Island, New York, July 14th – 16th, 2023. Founded by the group Dancers Responding to AIDS, Fire Island Dance Festival is a beloved annual event. The program is organized by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, and is a fundraiser to support those living with HIV and AIDS. After several years away due to COVID-19, the festival makes its triumphant return this year, and we couldn’t be more excited.
Stay at: The Madison. Don’t miss: The announcement of this year’s performers, choreographers, and host, later this spring.
10. Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga, New York, July 18th – July 22nd, 2023. As well as their annual June jazz festival, Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) also hosts the New York City Ballet for a long weekend every July. This year’s lineup is set to thrill, and includes classics by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins – Swan Lake, Fancy Free, and Firebird – as well as pieces by some of the most influential contemporary choreographers – Gianna Reisen, Kyle Abraham, Christopher Wheeldon, and by New York City Ballet’s resident choreographer Justin Peck .
Stay at: The Saratoga Arms Hotel. Don’t miss: Back by popular demand, “NYCB On and Off the Stage,” which will give audiences a behind-the-scenes peak at the pieces being performed.
11. Lake Tahoe Dance Festival
The Lake Tahoe Dance Festival, July 26-29, 2023. This festival was launched in 2013 to present top tier professional dance and dance instruction in North Lake Tahoe. Performers this year include the Boston Ballet’s Lia Cirio. New York City Ballet’s Indiana Woodward, Stephen Hanna, Joseph Gordon and Ashley Bouder.
Stay at: Basecamp Tahoe City. Don’t Miss: the Opening Night Gala on July 26th.
12. Vail International Dance Festival
Vail Dance Festival, Vail, Colorado, July 28th – August 7th 2023. From their first festival 1989, the Vail Dance festival has included a vibrant mix of dance performances and educational programming. They began their assent to international dance destination when they hosted the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow during that first summer, marking the company’s first tour in the United States in 40 years. In its 35th year, the festival’s program includes one showstopper after another, with appearances by Martha Graham Dance Company, Kyle Abraham, Olivia Bell, BalletX, DanceAspen, L.A. Dance Company, Music from the Sole, and artist-in-residence Adji Cissoko, as well as others.
Stay at: The Four Seasons Resort Vail or Sonnenalp. Don’t miss: An opening night destined to dazzle, with performances from Martha Graham Dance Company, BalletX, Leonardo Sandoval, and L.A. Dance Project.
best ballet and contemporary dance festivals in the summer of 2023
That’s the rundown on some of the best ballet and contemporary dance festivals in the world for summer 2023, including Jacob’s Pillow, Avignon, Vail, Saratoga and Spoleto. What’s at the top of your list, dear reader?
