Vail International Dance Festival tickets now on sale

Tickets for the 2012 Vail International Dance Festival went on sale today at 11a.m. (MST), according to Vail Valley Foundation officials.

Performances will take place July 29 through August 11 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail and the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, while community events will be held in the streets and villages throughout the Vail Valley.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director and former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Damian Woetzel, the 2012 Vail International Dance Festival (VIDF) will host a total of 10 performances. Tickets are priced from $12 to $90 and available online at www.vaildance.org or via phone at 888-920-ARTS(2787). Series and student pricing is also offered.

New York City Ballet MOVES opens the Festival with three completely different programs in Vail. NYCB MOVES will perform works from the company's unparalleled repertory, including masterworks from legendary founding choreographers George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, as well as contemporary works from William Forsythe, Ulysses Dove and NYCB Ballet Master-in-Chief Peter Martins and a new work by 24 year-old NYCB corps de ballet member Justin Peck.

Peck's work will be set to composer Philip Glass' Four Movements for Two Pianos. Performances by NYCB MOVES take place on Sunday, July 29 and Monday, July 30 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail.

In addition, on Tuesday July 31, a special performance entitled UpClose: Stravinsky by Balanchine, will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the New York City Ballet's landmark Stravinsky Festival. This unique event focuses on the groundbreaking ballets created by George Balanchine to the music of Igor Stravinsky, ballets considered to be among the 20th century's most important and enduring works of art.

UpClose: Stravinsky by Balanchine features rehearsal-style excerpts performed by NYCB MOVES and is hosted by Peter Martins and Damian Woetzel at the intimate Vilar Performing Arts Center.

The 2012 Festival also features the highly anticipated International Evenings of Dance on Friday, August 3 and Saturday, August 4 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, with featured performers from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Fang-Yi Sheu & Artists Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet and international guest artists. The evenings also feature musical accompaniment by the acclaimed string quartet Brooklyn Rider.

New work is a mainstay of Festival programming and following up on the sold-out Premieres performance in 2011, this tradition continues at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on Monday, August 6 with NOW, an evening of premieres and recent works by choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, Doug Varone, Matthew Neenan, Jill Johnson, Brian Brooks and the collaboration of Trisha Brown and Jodi Melnick.

“New works are an essential part of how dance remains a vital art form," said Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel. "This year we have a remarkable variety of innovative choreographers represented, and we titled this particular program NOW, recognizing the challenge and need for dance to relate to the present day."

Among the world premieres is a new Lamentation Variation, to be choreographed for the Martha Graham Dance Company by Doug Varone, as part of the company's Lamentation Variation project which brings to the stage new works inspired by Graham's signature solo, Lamentation. Dancers performing in NOW include Fang-Yi Sheu, Wendy Whelan, the Martha Graham Dance Company and Ballet X.

The Festival continues on Tuesday, August 7 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater with its annual popularly-priced evening, this year titled Dance for $20.12, at which every seat is $20.12 and lawn seating is just $12. This crowd-pleaser features a variety of Festival artists thrilling an always sold-out house.

The Martha Graham Dance Company presents a debut full-evening performance in Vail on Thursday, August 9, with classics from the troupe's iconic repertory. Dances to be presented in this debut evening include Appalachian Spring, Embattled Garden and Chronicle.

On Friday, August 10 at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, the internationally-acclaimed ballroom stars Liana Churilova and Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine host a made-for-Vail showcase of ballroom styles with stars and champions from around the world in the exciting Ballroom Spectacular that can only be seen at the Vail International Dance Festival.

The 2012 Festival closes on Saturday, August 11 with the return of Dance TV, celebrating the popularity and success of dance on the small screen. The show features special guests and competitors from the world of television, in what is sure to be a rousing conclusion to the Festival. Performing on this commercial-free program are stars from hit dance shows like “America's Best Dance Crew,” “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With the Stars,” among others.

Throughout the Vail International Dance Festival, there are numerous free in-town performances and interactive events, as well as master classes and educational opportunities including the now year-round Celebrate the Beat dance education program for local students.

The complete lineup for the 2012 Vail International Dance Festival, along with artist information, photos and videos is available online at www.vaildance.org. Beginning today, tickets can be purchased through the website or the Box Office by calling 888.920.ARTS(2787).

Follow the Festival on Twitter @VailDance and on Facebook at Vail International Dance Festival for updates, additions and features. The Vail International Dance Festival is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation and is directed by Damian Woetzel.

2012 Vail International Dance Festival schedule

Opening Night
New York City Ballet MOVES
Program I
Sunday, July 29, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Program I includes the new Glass/Peck ballet, along with Balanchine's Sonatine, Robbins' In the Night, Peter Martins' Zakouskiand Ulysses Dove's Red Angels.

New York City Ballet MOVES
Program II
Monday, July 30, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Program II features Jerome Robbins' Moves, Peter Martins' The Waltz Project and Sinfonia and William Forsythe's Herman Schmerman Pas de Deux.

UpClose: Stravinsky by Balanchine
Featuring New York City Ballet MOVES
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
7:30pm
Vilar Performing Arts Center, Beaver Creek

International Evenings of Dance
Friday, August 3, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

NOW
Premieres and new works hosted by Damian Woetzel
Monday, August 6, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Dance for $20.12
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Martha Graham Dance Company
Thursday, August 9, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Ballroom Spectacular
Friday, August 10, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail

Dance TV
Saturday, August 11, 2012
7:30pm
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail