This popular Festival is a dynamic live platform for dancemakers and dancers to showcase their work and powerfully engages audiences around dance in the Coachella Valley. Exciting original dances in various styles are performed by companies from across the nation and abroad with winners announced at the conclusion of each performance. Celebrating dance as an art form, this unique event delivers an exciting variety of new work created by inventive choreographers and performed by extraordinary dancers.

 

Saturday, November 11, 7pm

 

Choreographies by ten finalists performed by professional dancers vie for multiple awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to Helgi Tomasson, artistic director and principal choreographer for San Francisco Ballet from 1985-2022. Tomasson spearheaded a powerful transformation of the company from respected regional troupe to one of the world's great classical ballet companies recognized  for its innovative focus on new and contemporary choreography, ongoing support of emerging choreographers and the next generation of dancers, and deeply held dedication to the classics.

 

Finalists:

 

Arthur Bernard-Bazin & Candelaria Antelo/HURyCAN (Spain)

 

Joy Bollinger/Bruce Wood Dance (Dallas, TX)

 

Christina Ghiardi (Las Vegas, NV)

 

Nicole Haskins (San Francisco, CA)

 

Jessica Liu/Albert Galindo (Germany)

 

Joshua Manculich/Whirlwind Dance Corp (Columbus, OH)

 

Franco Nieto/Open Space Dance (Portland, OR)

 

Maté Szentes (Huntington Beach, CA)

 

Carly Topazio/The Rosin Box Project (San Diego, CA)

 

Allen Xing/Xing Dance Theater (Baltimore, MD)

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Helgi Tomasson

Choreographer/Dancer

 

Sunday, November 12, 4pm

               

Choreographies by thirteen finalists performed by dancers from emerging companies, colleges and studios with multiple awards up for grabs. Local students in East Valley Dance Project exhibit original choreography.

 

Finalists

 

Mark Carlson/International Ballet School (Denver, CO)

 

Simone Gadlin/Simone Knowelle Dance Project (Philadelphia, PA)

 

Charlotte Griffin/Milkleaf (Irvine, CA)

 

Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya/Hawkins School of Performing Arts (Folsom, CA)

 

Keithan Haver/Broadway Dance Theatre (Greenbrook, NJ)

 

Ye Li/Oregon International Ballet Academy (Portland, OR)

 

Gunta Liepina-Miller/Premier Youth Dance Company (Tustin, CA)

 

Rochelle Mapes/Mater Dei Dance Conservatory (Santa Ana, CA)

 

Mary Ann Mayer/Ocean State Ballet (East Providence, RI)

 

Cristina McKeever-Chaney/Palm Springs Dance Academy (Palm Springs, CA)

 

MJ/Innovate Dance Company (New York, NY)

 

Mia Seleno (Los Angeles, CA)

 

Lauren Blair Smith/Lauren Blair Smith Dance Company (San Francisco, CA)

 

 

You Might Also Like

Palm Springs Legends
Mar 20, 2024
Chris Botti
Mar 22 - Mar 23, 2024