August is the last, best hope to get the most out of Colorado’s outdoor cultural offerings, and 2016 is a better year than most. There’s plenty to choose from, in the Front Range and points west, and much of it is world-class. Here are some good bets for the coming weeks.
Vail International Dance Festival
The Vail dance fest runs for two weeks but it loosens up quite a bit as it finishes out its annual performances at the open-air Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater on the edge of town. Tis year, the fest welcomes fans who usually get their dance fix from television. Anna Trebunskaya, from the long-running show “Dancing with the Stars,” is behind the “Ballroom Spectacular,” on Friday, August 12, which features a series of highly talented couples doing the foxtrot, cha-cha and rumba. The next night, itap “Dance TV,” with the internet sensations known as Syncopated Ladies making their Vail debut.
Info: 970-845-8497 or valiance.org.
Inuksuit
Classical fans have been waiting all summer to experience composer John Luther Adams’ “Inuksuit” and they’ll get two chances this weekend. “Inuksuit” is rarely performed because it requires dozens of percussionists, all at once, playing various parts as they are spread out across an open space. On Aug. 6, the work is presented by the Bravo! Vail Music Festival at Maloit Park, Minturn, Then, on Aug. 7, the piece comes courtesy of the Aspen Music Festival on the David Karetsky Music Lawn on the fest campus. Both events are no-cost, making this a rare opportunity to experience some adventurous music risk-free. Bring the kids.
Info for Aspen: 970 925 9042 or aspenmusicfestival.com
Info for Vail: 877-812-5700 or bravovail.org.
Colorado Ballet in Arvada
The Colorado Balletap annual “An Evening Under the Stars” is a sampler platter of dance, featuring pieces both classical and contemporary. The event, set this year for Aug. 20, is unusually casual and family-friendly, and features the dancers at ease in front of the outdoor audience. This year, there’s a bit of “Swan Lake” and a recreation of Colorado Balletap successful set of movements to Astor Piazzolla’s tango-based “The Angel of Buenos Aires.” The evening is affordable and a good way to get in the groove with Denver’s biggest dance operation.
Info: 720-898-7200 or arvadacenter.org.
Variety show in Breck
The Breckenridge International Festival of Arts is now an official summer tradition, bringing a variety of top-notch performers to the town for a sprawling show of visual arts, music and movement. Itap a seriously talented line up this year, with dance from the Elizabeth Streb company, a premiere of new music from in-demand composer John Luther Adams and daring moves from the one-man circus, L’Homme Cirque. The fest, which runs Aug. 12 through Aug. 21, is easy to access at various locations around Breck. Check the website for the full lineup.
Info: 970-547-3100 or breckcreate.org.
A rare adventure in Gold Hill
The Black Cube nomadic art gallery heads to the hills this summer for a project that mixes hard-core Colorado history with the work of contemporary artists. Molly Berger, Jennifer Ling Datchuk and Eric Stewart will install site-specific works in locations across Gold Hill, a town sparked by one of the state’s largest mines that is now a National Historic Site. The works, which will be up Aug. 6 through Sept. 5, are free to view and a good excuse to explore an important place in the state’s past.
Info: blackcubeart.org.
