Fabled mountain resort on its toes in summer
This year, Vail has been celebrating its 50th anniversary of its creation as an Alpine-inspired ski village at the foot of a mountain covered with Rocky Mountain powder. The ski kept expanding, but Vail at the base of the mountain grew into a real town, and 25 years ago, it took a grand jeté into the world of dance when it welcomed the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow made its Colorado debut at Vail’s Gerald Ford Amphitheater. Dance has become an integral part of summer in Vail.
Over the years, guest artists have included some of the most celebrated principal dancers from such leading companies as the Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, The Boston Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, National Ballet of China, The Royal Ballet and others.
This year, the 25th of summer dance in Vail, dancers from all over the world are convening in what the New York Times has called a “United Nations” for dance, as the Vail International Dance Festival embarks on its 25th anniversary season by once again paying homage to its legacy as a melting pot of nations, traditions and styles, as well as the fusion of iconic classics and new works by both renowned and emerging choreographers. The season starts tonight and runs only through August 10. I hope to see a performance or two before it’s all over.
