While some dancers are slowly beginning to return to the studio, large-scale dance events and performances are still off the table for the foreseeable future. Luckily, a number of summer dance festivals opted to go virtual. Here are eight that made the transition, allowing you to access their innovative offerings—from classes and performances to seminars and educational courses—no matter where you've found yourself #SocialDisDancing this summer.
Oklahoma International Dance Festival (July 26—August 9)
In what would've been the Oklahoma International Dance Festival's inaugural year, OIDF founder Austin Hartel wanted to create a space for dancers to learn from international choreographers in an intimate setting. Though they've since decided to take their intensive online, they still plan to limit their class sizes to 14 dancers each to allow for individualized feedback. Technique and repertoire classes will be led by renowned choreographers, including Larry Keigwin and Brian Brooks.
Jacob's Pillow (July 7—August 29)
The iconic national dance festival replaced its outdoor summer event with virtual content on its website. In addition to livestreamed events, Virtual Pillow offers videos, games, podcasts, essays, and access to the archives. Consider it the perfect opportunity to brush up on your dance history.
Vail Dance Festival (July 31—August 7)
The Vail Dance Festival will be hosting a digital festival of past performances, online forums and educational content from influential figures in the dance and music industries.
American Dance Festival (Ongoing)
From pre-professional dance intensives to professional workshops for educators and creators, the American Dance Festival is offering all of its courses online. The Movies by Movers Festival takes place virtually every Sunday afternoon, and features discussions with the films' artists.
Dance on Camera Festival (July 17—July 20)
The annual New York event will be held virtually this year. Many programs will be offered online for free, and $35 student tickets can be reserved in advance for full access. Among the films being showcased this year are Uprooted - The Journey of Jazz Dance, and Land of the Sweets, the Burlesque Nutcracker.
Brighton Dance Festival (August 3—8)
The 11th annual Brighton Dance Festival will include Zoom classes and livestreamed performances from BDF guest artists, past and present. BDF will also be hosting online discussions covering a variety of industry topics, from career navigation to mental health for artists.
Boston Contemporary Dance Festival (August 15)
The one-day dance festival produced by Urbanity Dance is hosting two virtual showcases. The earlier showcase will include excerpts of past work, while the later showcase will feature new works choreographed, performed, and filmed in non-traditional spaces during quarantine.
Fire Island Dance Festival (July 17)
The annual fundraising festival for Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA) will now be held virtually for free (donations encouraged) with advance registration. The virtual festival will feature world premieres from Ayodele Casel, Larry Keigwin, and Stephen Petronio. It will also include past Fire Island performances choreographed by Kyle Abraham, Al Blackstone, and Garrett Smith.