Austin Dance Festival

ABOUT

WHAT IS AUSTIN DANCE FESTIVAL?

Founded in 2015 by Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company and held annually in Austin, TX, Austin Dance Festival presents dance showcases, offers master classes with guest artists, screens dance films, and does so much more. It’s a blast! Read on for details...

Professional Showcases highlight local, regional, and national companies and artists working in the broad field of modern dance, post-modern dance, and improvisational dance. Expect diverse, entertaining, moving performances. You’re welcome.

Youth Showcases are non-competitive, professionally-produced concerts that highlight modern dance works by local, regional, and national youth dance companies. See the future right here.

Dance on Film screenings feature cinematic films that combine choreography and the practice of filmmaking. Look for inventive movie-making techniques and a variety of dance forms in these films from around the world. Popcorn included.

Artist Interviews and Directors’ Chats promote dialogue by opening doors to the creative process, personal motivations, and sometimes even to the unknown. Listen up!

Master Classes with Guest Artists for recreational, student, and professional dancers can be found all over town. Take one.

Spring Dance Workshops for Youth give dancers an opportunity to take class from members of Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company, learn choreography by Kathy Dunn Hamrick, and perform in the festival.

Pop-Up Dances are free performances held in outdoor public spaces. Look out.

College Dance Fairs teach dance students and families about college dance departments and career options in the field of dance. Learn more.

SCHEDULE

MEDIA SPONSOR

JUMP TO: THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

THURSDAY, JULY 14

Dance on Film Screening and Director’s Chat

12 short films from the USA, Denmark, and Cuba

7:30pm

Rollins Theater at The Long Center

THURSDAY DANCE ON FILM LINE-UP

Jeff Schick (Pacific Northwest, USA) Fred Aube and Alberto Gutiérrez (San Francisco, USA) Maya Gurantz and Denise Torres (USA) Hannah Garner (USA) Michelle Inciarte & Oddalys Salcido (USA) Nina McNeely (USA) Kevin Chang (USA) Blake Daniels (Houston, USA) Rebecca Aneloski, Alec Lyons (USA) William Armstrong (Denmark) Kate Weare and Jack Flame Sorokin (USA) Alejandro Callejas (Cuba)

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey leads the Director’s Chat in Rollins Theater

FRIDAY, JULY 15

Master Class with Eli Motley

10:30am

Café Dance*

Master Class with Shaun Keylock

12:15pm

Café Dance*

Professional Showcase and Artist Interviews

Jeanne Claire van Ryzin conducts Artist Interviews in Rollins Theater

8:00pm

Rollins Theater

PROFESSIONAL SHOWCASE LINE-UP

Eli Motley (NC) Sea Legs Dance (TX) ZATERO Dance (TX) Shaun Keylock Company (OR) Jessica Boone (UT) Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company (TX)

SATURDAY, JULY 16

Master Class with Stewart/Owen

10:30am

Café Dance*

Professional Showcases and Artist Interviews

5pm and 8pm

Rollins Theater

5PM PROFESSIONAL SHOWCASE LINE-UP

Margot Gelber & Dancers (NY) GGProjects (OH) Leslie Dworkin/Kent De Spain (OH) Amanda McCorkle (TX) Lisa Nicks (TX) Britanie Leland//Virginia Spinks (GA) Bombshell Dance Project (TX) Social Movement Contemporary Dance (TX)

Marlo Harris conducts Artist Interviews in Rollins Theater

8PM PROFESSIONAL SHOWCASE LINE-UP

Stewart/Owen Dance (NC) Keith Johnson/Dancers (CA) Houston Contemporary Dance Company (TX) EBDC (TX) Anna Bauer (TX) Kaley Pruitt Dance (IL) Melissa Sanderson (TX) Jamal Jackson Dance (NY)

Neil Ellis Orts conducts Artist Interviews in Rollins Theater

SUNDAY, JULY 17

Master Class for Youth with Jamal Jackson

10:30am

Parque Zaragoza Rec Center*

College Fair

2pm and 4pm

Rollins Theater Lobby

Youth Edition Concert

3pm

Rollins Theater

Dance on Film and Director’s Chat

Dorothy O’Shea Overbey leads the Director’s Chat in the AT&T Room

5:30

Rollins Theater

SUNDAY YOUTH EDITION LINE-UP

NOLTE ACADEMY (Coralville, IA) BHumn ARTS ENSEMBLE (Austin, TX) PARACOSM DANCE & PARACOSM YA (Austin, TX) DANCE DISCOVERY (Austin, TX) HOUSTON CONTEMPORARY 2 (Houston, TX) HIGH POINT ACADEMY DANCE COMPANY (Fort Worth, TX) ACC DANCE DEPARTMENT (Austin, TX) INERTIA DANCE COMPANY (Houston, TX)

SUNDAY DANCE ON FILM LINE-UP

Early Era Collective (Austin, USA) Dóri Kapitány (Hungary) Nina McNeely (USA) Andy & Dionne Noble (USA) Austen Browne (USA) Kassy Mahea (Los Angeles, USA) David Vincent Smith (Australia) Jean-Marc Abela, Elie-Anne Ross (Canada) Nic Petry/Dancing Camera (USA) Luke Willis (USA) Joan Dwiartanto (USA)

*Learn more about Master Classes on the dojour.us ticketing site. Coming soon!

TICKETS

Tickets and Detailed Information for:

Master Classes

ARE ON SALE!

BUY TICKETS

Tickets to:

Live Performances and Film Screenings

ARE ON SALE!

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APPLY

Choreography Intensive
for Youth

Guidelines

Registration Closed

Professional Artist

Guidelines, FAQs, and Application

YOUTH DANCE

GUIDELINES, FAQS, AND APPLICATION

DANCE ON FILM

The link to submit applications through Film Freeway is HERE!

MEDIA

Artist Interviews

See more artist interviews at vimeo.com/austindancefestival

Dance on Film Trailers

Dance on Film Trailer 2021

Dance on Film Trailer 2020

PRESS

Austin Dance Festival 2021

David Robinson’s Reviews of Austin Dance Festival 2021

CTX Live Theatre, Part 1 of 2

CTX Live Theatre, Part 2 of 2

Austin Dance Festival 2020

David Robinson’s Review of Dance on Film 2020

Art Profiler - Dance on Film (Austin Dance Festival) Review

Austin Dance Festival 2019

David Robinson’s Backstage Perspective

ArtProfiler - Part 1: Read about the Dance on Film showcase

ArtProfiler - Part 2: Read about the Professional showcase

ArtProfiler - Part 3: Read about the Youth Academy showcase

SIGHTLINES

Previews of Dance on Film screening

2019 Archive

2018 Archive

2017 Archive

FAQ

WHAT KIND OF DANCES AM I GOING TO SEE?

Our festival presents contemporary modern works. Since each dance reflects what is important to that particular choreographer, our programming is incredibly diverse. Look for expression, meaning, abstraction, virtuosity, minimalism, humor, gravity, grace, design, experimentation, movement invention, and more.

WHAT IS THE THEATER LIKE? DO I NEED TO BRING MY OPERA GLASSES?

We want our audience members to be close to the action and to enjoy great sightlines, so we present our showcases in small theaters where the seats are on risers so you won’t miss any of the action. Rollins Studio Theater is a 138-seat black box theater in The Long Center. Every seat is a great seat.

CAN I BRING MY FAMILY?

We suggest bringing young children to the Youth Edition Concert to see our pre-professional dance companies. These dances are better suited to young audiences than our professional showcases. Some films in the Dance on Film screening may contain adult content.

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO AT THE FESTIVAL?

Take a master class, listen to artist interviews and the director’s chat, attend the college dance fair. The theater is located downtown near Lady Bird Lake and close to hiking trails, restaurants, shopping, and museums.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS?

Dance artists and companies submit videos of their work to the festival. A diverse group of choreographers, educators, and dance writers from across the country review artist submissions and make recommendations based upon factors such as creativity and innovation, development of ideas, choreographic structure, execution, diversity, and historical, social, and cultural perspectives. The Executive Director uses the recommendations to curate showcases that highlight superior work in the broad field of modern dance, that demonstrate equitable representation, that showcase a variety of local, regional, and national work, and that deepen our understanding of ourselves and each other.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE YOUTH DANCE COMPANIES?

Youth dance company directors submit videos of their company work to the festival.The festival directors strive to represent a wide range of modern dances from local, regional, and national youth dance companies. We look for submissions that are fully-realized pieces of choreography, that are well-rehearsed, and that are executed in a highly-proficient manner. The dances must also meet fundamental guidelines including but not limited to age range and length of dance.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE FILMS?

Filmmakers submit their work exclusively through FilmFreeway. Dance on Film co-directors and guest panelists then view film submissions from around the world. We look for films that combine choreography and inventive elements of cinematography. The panel curates screenings in which dance forms such as tap, hip-hop, jazz, African diasporic dance, modern dance, folk dance, and ballet are central to the film’s narrative or structure.

ADA COMPLIANCE POLICY

Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company will provide reasonable modifications and equal access to communications by request. Please provide two weeks advance notice if you require accommodations. Contact: kathy@kdhdance.com or 512-934-1082.