In his first two seasons as artistic director of the Vail International Dance Festival, Damian Woetzel has reinvigorated and expanded the two-week event, bringing it more national attention than ever.
This summer’s edition, which concluded Aug. 9, set records for number of offerings and total attendance. The 11 performances, nearly twice as many as 2005, drew 13,853 people, and Woetzel envisions even more growth.
In a Denver Post interview, the artistic director talked about the summer, his plans for the festival and his development as a budding administrator. His comments have been edited and compiled.
Q: How did you feel the 2008 season went?
A: I am very happy. I felt like there was a lot of growth, and so many different new companies and visiting people who had already become familiar to Vail. There were so many things that were exciting, and the “Dance for $20.08” was such a huge success that we’re going to repeat it. It’ll now be “$20.09” and onward and onward. We really packed the house, and it was a big variety of different types of things, and it was great fun for everybody.
Q: Are you going to be doing more of these mixed programs, which are becoming increasingly popular in the dance world?
A: The answer is probably yes and no. For something like a “Dance for $20.08,” I really thought that’s the way to go. You want to show variety because the idea is you’re opening the house to people who maybe don’t normally come and aren’t that familiar with the festival.
That said, I’m a big believer in focus, and I try and balance all that with things like the “Up Close: Jerome Robbins” program. So I guess the answer is a balance.
Q: What lessons have you learned as a novice artistic director?
A: Trust is a big one. One of the things, coming into it, I wasn’t entirely sure about how everything would work in a schedule and how it would play out during the festival. There’s a great line from the movie, “Shakespeare in Love”: “How does it happen? It’s magic.” It is, in a sense. You put great artists in a beautiful place like Vail, and it takes on a certain life of its own, which is so wonderful to see and, in some sense, a relief. It just goes.
Q: Isn’t the festival in a three-year contract with Christopher Wheeldon and his company, “Morphoses”?
A: I would actually have to say that’s open-ended at this point. We’ll just see where it goes. It’s very loose, how many shows and how much we do with Chris. So for instance, for next year, it’s open season in some sense about how he wants to focus and how I feel we should make this festival work best for each other.
Q: Do you see Morphoses being a midterm, if not a long-term, part of the festival?
A: Absolutely, yeah. I really believe in having long-term strategies, of companies and people you believe in. That’s why I had Pacific Northwest (Ballet) back again, and I’m sure I’ll have them back again. Nothing is clear about next year yet, but at some point. . . .
There is a consistency building here with people like that, and we’ve seen it over the years with particular artists — someone like Wendy Whelan who has danced in Vail so many times and has developed a following, and also has shown so many different sides of herself in the same place. I think that is really valuable.
So, I am looking at long- term strategies in addition to special events, if you will. One of the things about “$20.08,” which is so great as a mixed bill, is that it introduces people to the various companies and, then, perhaps they’ll come back for their own full evenings at some point.
Q: Is there anything you can say about next season at this point?
A: Well, I’m talking to Savion (Glover of “Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk” fame), I can tell you that. I think it looks good that Savion will be back for at least one performance.
Q: What about involving Colorado dance companies or dancers?
A: I would very much like to do more. That’s one of the steps going forward, absolutely. There’s a limited time to this festival, and that’s a huge challenge — that you don’t have all summer. Not only are there limitations about space, there’s also limitations about weather.
And we’re constricted to some extent — happily — with Bravo! (Vail Valley Music Festival) because they have this fantastic situation going in July. As I move forward, I want to have more and more collaborations with Bravo! and that leads to longer time frames and more inclusion.
Q: On a personal level, you retired recently from the New York City Ballet. What has the aftermath been like for you?
A: I looked at this time period as appropriate some time ago, when I decided: June 18. There’s a moment when you say, “OK, that’s the day.” And it has felt right ever since. So, it feels good.
The festival’s 2009 season is tentatively set for Aug. 2-15, with the possibility of additional performances during the week of July 19. For updated information, call 888-920-2787 or visit .
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
