The 18-year-old Vail International Dance Festival already enjoys considerable respect in the field, but Damian Woetzel, its recently named artistic director, wants to ratchet up its visibility.
“I think it has enormous potential to grow,” he said. “I think there is an incredibly willing board of directors, and people are very excited about the possibilities of what more there is to do. I see great things.”
To that end, the well-known New York City Ballet dancer has put together an ambitious 2007 schedule highlighted by a major coup – the world premiere of a much-publicized new company formed by choreographer Christopher Wheeldon.
In a Jan. 8 article, the New York Times described Wheeldon as a “33-year-old wunderkind choreographer” and made no bones about the impact of his new company.
“The settled landscape of ballet in New York – dominated by the Balanchine-Robbins shrine at New York City Ballet and the bouquet of Latin and Slavic stars at American Ballet Theater – has been shaken by a minor earthquake,” it stated.
The festival will offer a preview of the company on Aug. 8, and, then, it will make its official debut on Aug. 10, performing some of Wheeldon’s signature works and glimpses of his latest creations.
“What Chris is doing is very brave and bold,” Woetzel said. “It’s something that is going to be evolving. What I know is that it is going to be of high quality and exciting. I think we’re in for a real treat.”
The new artistic director plans to keep the overall structure of the festival largely the same, but he wants to present more performances by some of the visiting companies.
To that end, the 40-member Pacific Northwest Ballet will present three different programs on July 29, 30 and Aug. 1. Peter Boal, a former principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, took over as the company’s artistic director in July 2005.
“They are a wonderful company that’s a perfect size, and they can do a selection of dances that’s just phenomenal,” Woetzel said.
The festival is probably best known for its International Evenings of Dance, featuring stars from ballet companies worldwide. Woetzel plans to mix in a few small ensembles with the traditional duets but otherwise keep the events the same. This year’s presentations are set for Aug. 3 and 4.
To further Woetzel’s goal of encouraging increased attendance by younger audiences, the festival is introducing a $50 pass for students 18 and younger, admitting them to all amphitheater events.
Woetzel, who was appointed as the festival’s artistic director in October, has appeared many times at the festival as part of the International Evenings of Dance and larger ensembles, such as a 13-member group of New York City Ballet dancers in 2002.
“It’s a place I’m very familiar with and a place I’m very fond of going,” he said.
Woetzel, who recently completed a master of public administration degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, has previous experience in organizing touring groups and gala performances. But he admits he has never taken on anything like running a festival.
“This is actually putting together a cohesive kind of overall vision, and I found the idea of that very appealing,” he said. “To have two theaters to work with – both the (Ford) amphitheater and the Vilar (Center for the Arts) is a really unique opportunity. And it’s a two-week time slot, where you can get a lot done.”
For the immediate future, the 39-year-old dancer will continue to perform with the New York City Ballet, where he has been a principal since 1989, and appear internationally as a guest artist.
When he finally retires as a dancer, Woetzel does not foresee residing in Vail. He plans to be in Colorado for the duration of the festival and other occasions as needed.
“I would argue,” he said, “that it’s in fact better than I’m not there during the year, because I’m here in the epicenter of dance and I’m traveling around the world in my capacity as a dancer and the other things I do, which puts me out there with all the things that are going to be coming to Vail.”
Fine arts critic Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
Where and when
Here are details of the 2007 Vail International Dance Festival July 29-Aug. 11. Performances take place in the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail or Vilar Center for the Arts in Beaver Creek. 888-920-2787 or vaildance.org.
Pacific Northwest Ballet: July 29, American Dance Spectacular; July 30, A Tribute to Balanchine; Aug. 1, Modern Masters
The Break!: July 31
International Evenings of Dance: Aug. 3-4
DanceBrazil: Aug. 6
Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company: Aug. 8, preview; debut performance, Aug. 10.
Ballroom’s Best: Aug. 11
