The Vail International Dance Festival began in 1989, when the Bolshoi Ballet, one of the most renowned ballet companies in the world, was unable to perform for three nights in Houston, Texas, after a summer of successful ballets. Instead, the town of Vail, Colo. became the home to these high-ranking performances. I was able to experience the 26th year of this incredible event over the summer.
For those of you who are familiar with ballet, the line-up was pretty out-of-this-world; stars from several esteemed ballet companies, as well as up-and-coming students and artists, all held a place at the outdoor amphitheater. For all of the non-bun heads reading this, think of it as five of your absolute favorite bands lined up at Lollapalooza, Coachella, EDC, etc., as well as a phenomenal list of openers. Some names may even be recognizable to those who are less in-touch with the dance world. Tiler Peck, who recently gave a tribute to the great dancer Patricia McBride, at the Kennedy Center Honors for her lifelong contribution to American culture, performed every night of the series, demonstrating the artistry and technique that has landed her the role as principal dancer with the New York City Ballet (NYCB). Peck was also recently featured in Martha Stewart: Weddings for her wedding to NYCB’s Robert Fairchild, currently starring in Broadway’s “An American in Paris.”
Another name featured in the festival that has been making headlines not only in the world of dance, but as a social advocate, is Misty Copeland. Copeland performed one of the most beautiful White Swan pas de deux I have ever witnessed. You may have seen her in her newest Under Armour ad, promoting body acceptance as well as spreading positive messages for young African American entrepreneurs and artists.
The purpose of this festival, however, goes beyond giving incredible performing opportunities to these diverse professionals — it also allows young artists to share their gifts with Vail and to learn from those around them who have more experience in the field. A children’s dance school opened the first night of the weekend, and Colorado Ballet corps de ballet dancers were able to dance with two dancers from NYCB in Balanchine’s “Concerto Barocco,” one of the technically hardest ballets to date, developed in the 1940s. Small companies, such as Colorado Ballet, would generally not be able to perform such high-level repertoire, but now these dancers have been given the chance to train with world-renowned coaches while sharing the stage with those who have been performing professionally for years.
While each and every performance was beautiful, strong and awe-inspiring, I had one small issue with the festival. This performance is held for two weekends in Vail, Colo. Vail’s cost of living is almost twice that of the average for the United States. Tourists visit shops offering local goods, as well as local restaurants, small hotels and ticket-booking agencies for activities such as biking, hiking and tubing. While this revenue is great for the Vail, how much of that money could be put toward spreading art? Dance is one of the art forms that truly has the potential to transcend barriers, as art is meant to do. While I absolutely adored the festival, I would love to see it spread to a more accessible location in America.
Dancers are taking heed, however, of the lack of high-caliber art present in areas other than large cities in the U.S., as well as the problem of art merely being targeted to an upper-class, Caucasian majority. Ashley Bouder, a principal of NYCB, recently developed “The Ashley Bouder Project,” a series of performances to bring ballet to small towns on the east coast. Maria Kowroski, another principal with NYCB, taught and danced with disabled children for a dream workshop at the studios of the Lincoln Center. These artists don’t just care about their paychecks and personal roles — they also spread joy and culture.
Overall, I highly enjoyed the International Vail Dance Festival, despite wishing it were more accessible to a larger group of people. These artistic athletes have truly pushed the limit on what one can expect out of a professional performance.