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.

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

See Full Fest Schedule

See Professional Showcases

See Dance on Film Schedule

See Youth Edition Schedule

See Master Class Schedule

TICKETS

Master Class Series

Use this link to purchase tickets for Dance on Film, The Professional Dance Showcases, and the Youth Concerts. These events take place at the Rollins Theatre in The Long Center.

Dance on Film, Professional Dance Showcases, Youth Concerts

Use this link to purchase tickets for The Master Class Series. Times and locations vary.

Directions and Parking

Festival Locations: Directions and parking information here.

APPLY

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.