The summer arts schedule in Maine is enriched immeasurably by the annual dance festival at Bates College in Lewiston. Since 1983, Bates Dance Festival has been a hotbed of movement creativity, with intensive training programs and performances by artists representing some of the top names in contemporary dance.
Dorrance Dance/Christopher Duggan photo
This year’s line-up features Kate Weare Company (July 29-30) and Doug Varone and Dancers (July 22-23), both modern-dance festival favorites, along with tap innovator Michelle Dorrance and her troupe Dorrance Dance (July 14 and July 16).
The Bates schedule is bookended by two multi-artist showcases, DanceNOW on July 9 and Different Voices on Aug. 4-5. These performances are exciting because of their variety, including a range of genres, presentation styles and national origins diverse enough to please any palate.
Festival Director Laura Faure added DanceNOW to the schedule last year, after observing the consistent popularity of Different Voices over the years.
“People have always loved the smorgasbord of Different Voices,” Faure said.
The festival offers several free events, including Show & Tell lecture demonstrations on Tuesdays, when that week’s artists present a one-hour talk-and-movement introduction to their upcoming performances. Also free is an Aug. 6 adjudicated show featuring more than 20 new works by festival students, and Moving in the Moment on July 27, an evening of dance and music improvisation.
Doug Varone and Dancers/Grant Halverson photo
The festival’s performances are intertwined with its educational component, which includes intensive training programs for young dancers and pre-professionals. Professionals come and go throughout the summer, both teaching and performing, and part of the fun of attending performances is seeing young dancers in the audience who have been training with the inspiring artists on stage.
The festival offers two Dine & Dance options, including a 10 percent audience discount at several Lewiston restaurants and the opportunity to dine for $6 per person at the Bates College Dining Commons, often alongside festival students and performers.
Jennifer Brewer is a writer, dancer, musician and teacher who lives in southern Maine.
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