Movement at
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Dance access for all

We were thrilled to bring the art of dance to thousands of guests at a free or reduced price in 2025 through the Community Arts Access Program, distributing 642 free tickets and 2,065 discounted tickets throughout the Vail Dance Festival. Through a new lottery system, community members were able to apply directly for free tickets to Festival performances for the first time, further expanding the reach of the program.

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Surpassing revenue goals

This year’s Festival exceeded expectations and surpassed our goal with nearly $965,000 in ticket sales — a new record. A driving force behind this success was the International Evenings of Dance, which showcased exceptional artistry with three unique performances on the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater stage. The success reflects both the extraordinary quality of programming and the community’s deep appreciation for world-class dance in our mountain setting.

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Unlikely collaborations

Following her scheduled performance at the Vilar Performing Arts Center, we invited Grammy-winning folk artist Rhiannon Giddens to stay in the mountains and join the International Evenings of Dance for her first Festival performance. She collaborated with choreographer Rachel Lockhart, bass-baritone Davóne Tines, composer Caroline Shaw, and a cast of 21 dancers and nine musicians to create a piece so extraordinary that dancers from all genres were clamoring to participate. What began as an unexpected pairing evolved into a magnificent melding of diverse artists who never would have otherwise performed together, showcasing that the Vail Dance Festival is where unlikely collaborations turn into some of the most beautiful art imaginable.

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2025 BY THE NUMBERS

James Whiteside and Catherine Hurlin in Spring Waters during International Evenings of Dance I on August 1, 2025 at Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

14

Performances, including 1 free performance in Avon
14,273

Festival attendees
94%

Came to Vail specifically for the Festival

Roman Mejia performs on Opening Night at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

$4.1M

Estimated economic impact generated for Town of Vail
$964,683

Ticket revenue generated
3,118

Room nights booked in Vail

Festival attendees at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Chris Kendig.

278

Free or discounted tickets given to locals
364

Children 12 & under received free lawn admission
446

Discounted lawn tickets sold to students & faculty
1,619

Reduced-price tickets sold to "Dance for $20.25"
94

Children participated in the free Celebrate the Beat Pop Hop Camp

Festival highlights

World premieres debut

A record 7,516 livestream viewers joined the live audience at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater to watch dancers and choreographers showcase brand-new works in NOW: Premieres, including Artist-In-Residence Melissa Toogood, Justin Peck, My’Kal Stromile, Robert Battle, Michelle Dorrance, and many others.

BalletX performs "A Score for Reconstruction" by JA Collective in NOW: Premieres at the 2025 Vail Dance Festival. Photo by Christopher Duggan

Community in motion

The second annual Rhapsody surpassed participation numbers from its inaugural year. KEIGWIN + COMPANY returned to lead everyday citizens from the Eagle River Valley and beyond in performing the world premiere of Rhapsody: Ride Like the Wind, creating an inclusive opportunity for all to perform on the Amphitheater stage.

Dancers performing "Rhapsody: Ride Like the Wind" at Up Close: Song and Dance 7.27.25 at Vail Dance Festival 2025. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

25 years of Celebrate the Beat

Pop Hop Camp returned to the Festival as part of Celebrate the Beat's 25th anniversary. The free, week-long youth program has fostered teamwork, creativity, and joy through dance at the Festival since 2007. The camp culminated in a performance at International Evenings of Dance I, where young dancers shared the stage with world-class artists.

Dancers in Celebrate the Beat in International Evenings of Dance I on August 1, 2025 at the Vail Dance Festival 2025. Photo by Christopher Duggan.

Paul Taylor Birthday Tribute

Paul Taylor Dance Company returned to the Vail Dance Festival to honor their late namesake founder on what would have been his 95th birthday. They presented a tribute program to the legendary choreographer featuring iconic works from Taylor's repertoire, celebrating the enduring legacy of one of America's most groundbreaking dance icons.

Paul Taylor Dance Company at Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on July 29, 2025 Photos by Christopher Duggan

Fresh Festival Faces

An exciting array of artists made their Vail Dance Festival debuts, including American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Chloe Misseldine and Royal Danish Ballet principal dancer Ryan Tomash. Dominika Afanasenkov, Daniel Guzman, Elija Geolina, and Naomi Corti also made their Festival debuts, exemplifying the Festival's commitment to fostering emerging talent.

Brooks Landegger and Chloe Misseldine in "Tschakovsky Pas De Duex" choreography by George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust at IE1 8.1.25 at Vail Dance Festival 2025. Photo By Christopher Duggan.

DEL Movement Sentence Choir

An exciting collaboration of Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) and Paul Taylor Dance Company emerged at the 2025 Festival: DEL's Movement Sentence Choir workshop combined educational techniques to create a complete dance in mere hours, demonstrating the Festival's commitment to artistic innovation and learning.

Learning from Legends

Festival artists received coaching and master classes from legends including Festival Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts, Artist-In-Residence Melissa Toogood, Royal Danish Ballet's Nikolaj Hubbe and Margaret Tracey of Canada's National Ballet School. These mentorship moments nurtured artistry at the highest level.

Festival Artists rehearse at the 2025 vail Dance Festival Photo by Chris Kendig