Southern Vermont Dance Festival: Full Schedule

Welcome to the Southern Vermont Dance Festival! Takes place July 14th - July 17th with 100 classes, 3 Gala performances, Informal performances, Dozens of Community Events, Meet and Greets and Receptions and Dinner at Rudyard Kiplings house and much more. Purchase your tickets on Eventbrite and have access to your own Vermont Dance Adventure.

9:15am EDT

Yoga and Dance Lab (4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Thursday Dance Sampler

Yoga+Dance Lab is a technique class which combines vinyasa (flowing) yoga asana (postures) with contemporary dance. This class is suitable for intermediate-advanced level movement practitioners. We start with a 30 minute dynamic vinyasa warm up which moves like a stream of conscious flow with no beginning and no end. Specific postures will be called out one after another by the instructor which are practiced on the mat as a group. Once the sweat is nicely flowing and the blood is adequately pumping, we break quickly to grab some water, remove the mats, and start to take the asanas into traveling sequences through the space. Turns, jumps, balances, and floor work weave together one posture after another with seamless transition, culminating in a sweeping, luscious flow that deeply connects body and mind through breath: a true moving meditation.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nicole Dagesse

Artistic Director, Murmurations Dance

Nicole Dagesse is a Vermont native whose rural upbringing in the forests and fields is a direct inspiration for her movement style and choreographic desires. Combining her training in Modern Dance, Contact Improvisation, and Aerial Dance, Nicole is a Site Choreographer who approaches... Read More →

Thursday July 14, 2016 9:15am - 10:45am EDT
118 Elliot St. 118 Elliot St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet w Yoga-Pilates and Restoration

Level Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Pro Track, Teacher Retreat, Yoga & Fitness

11:30am EDT

Contemporary Technique (3/4)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Thursday Dance Sampler

This course explores extreme dynamics, weight/direction changes and athleticism within movement. Using techniques from modern, ballet, hip hop and jazz, this course explores the idea of using the breath to influence a chain reaction of movement to tell a story.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Melissa Gendreau Teixeira

Founder, Perceptions Dance

Melissa Gendreau Teixeira is a graduate of the Dean College School of Dance, where she received her Bachelors Degree in Dance with a minor in business. In 2015, Melissa received her Masters of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University. Melissa spent many years performing... Read More →

Thursday July 14, 2016 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 3, Level 4
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track

1:45pm EDT

Jazz Styles (3/4)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Thursday Dance Sampler

Lindy, Charleston, and/or dances of the 50’s, 60’s 70’s.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Adrienne Hawkins

Artistic Director, Impulse Dance Company

Adrienne Hawkins holds a BA in Education from Arizona State University and a MFA in Dance from Connecticut College. Ms. Hawkins has been Artistic Director of Impulse Dance Company of Boston for over forty years and Bass-Line Motion for 10 years.Ms. Hawkins has been a guest Artist... Read More →

Thursday July 14, 2016 1:45pm - 3:15pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Jazz-Tap-Hip Hop

Level Level 3, Level 4
Curated Track Musical Theater Training, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

6:30pm EDT

Embody Pilates

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Thursday Dance Sampler

This class combines the core conditioning of Pilates Mat Work with the power and flexibility of Yoga poses and deep relaxation to stretch and strengthen the body. Exercises in experiential anatomy help the student "embody" the work, bringing mindful consciousness to deeper levels of their physical being.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Jane Alison LoMonaco

Pilates/yoga instructor

Jane LoMonaco, certified Yoga and Pilates teacher, has been teaching since 2001 in the Brattleboro area and presently teaches classes at Brattleboro School of Dance and Inner Heat Yoga, as well as working with individual clients. She is available by appointment.

Thursday July 14, 2016 6:30pm - 8:00pm EDT
IBIT @ Headroom Stages 17 Elliot ST. Brattleboro, VT

w Yoga-Pilates and Restoration

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track HS Intensive, Musical Theater Training, Pro Track, Yoga & Fitness

8:00pm EDT

Contact Jam

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Contact Jam Thursday 8pm

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Dorcas Roman

Artistic Director, Dorcas Román Dance Theatre

A dancer and choreographer native to Puerto Rico, Román has been active in dance and theatre for more than 23 years. She currently serves as artistic director of Dorcas Román Dance Theatre (DRDT), a company which has received high praise from national and international press sources... Read More →

Thursday July 14, 2016 8:00pm - 10:00pm EDT
Stone Church 210 Main St. Brattleboro VT

Improvisation

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track Fest/Dance Newbie, HS Intensive, Major Summer, Pro Track, Summer Festy Fun, Teacher Retreat

9:15am EDT

Adv. Ballet (4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Friday Dance Sampler

An Intermediate/Advanced class designed to reinforce the basic concepts, vocabulary and techniques of Ballet. It will concentrate on the appreciation of movement, the physicality and muscle memory which is required to build a larger movement vocabulary and to simplify movement execution in dance performance. Using the ABT National Training Curriculum, which incorporates the elements of the French, Russian, and Italian schools, this fast paced class hones a student’s technique while developing fluidity and artistry, inspiring students to show their love for ballet while working hard.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Ted Thomas

Associate Director, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, New England Academy of Dance & New England Dance Theater

Ted Thomas is a native New Yorker who attended the High School for Performing Arts before receiving his B.F.A. from the State University of New York at Purchase. He went on to earn a Masters degree in dance and higher education from New York University. He danced with Ballet Hispanico... Read More →

Friday July 15, 2016 9:15am - 10:45am EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

11:30am EDT

Advanced Modern Technique (5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Friday Dance Sampler

A Modern class that will introduce the basic concepts, vocabulary and techniques of Modern dance shaped by the performance background of Mr. Thomas which incorporates (Paul Taylor, Alwin Nikolias and Murray Louis, Elisa Monte, Ballet Hispanico and others). It will concentrate on the appreciation of movement, the physicality and muscle memory which is required to build a larger movement vocabulary and to simplify movement execution in dance performance.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Ted Thomas

Associate Director, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, New England Academy of Dance & New England Dance Theater

Friday July 15, 2016 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 5
Curated Track Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

4:00pm EDT

Autobiography and Culture

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Friday Dance Sampler

In this workshop we will use dance explorations to reflect on our individual relationships to place, history and community. Whether we look at how we were raised, or communities and practices we only briefly touch, our bodies are always situated in culture. Through investigating how culture lives in our bodies we can develop greater self awareness and increase our capacity to engage with the unfamiliar. We will begin with a guided warm-up, listening to our bodies and situating ourselves in the space. From this basis of physical self-awareness, we will generate individual material recalling and cultivating experiences of cultural identity, familiarity, and difference in our lives. We will then work with partners, witness each other’s movement, and amplify any points of connection. We will use drawing, short written reflections, and verbal sharing in combination with our movement work.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Safi Harriott

Safi Harriott specializes in dance education and cultural studies. She combines an awareness of her own movement through the world with an evolving understanding of systems of power and their impact on individual bodies. She has served as Visiting Lecturer in Dance at the Excelsior... Read More →

Friday July 15, 2016 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
118 Elliot St. 118 Elliot St. Brattleboro, VT.

Artsy Fartsy

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track Pro Track

8:00am EDT

Extension Essentials: The Psoas

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

Students will study an often overlooked muscle of the core…the psoas. They will discover its far reaching influence on extension, stability, balance, and strength, as well as mood and emotion. Various conditioning exercises will be practiced and discussed. Please bring a towel and a yoga mat if you have one.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Heather Budinscak

Owner/Co-Founder, Position First Pilates & Dance Conditioning

Heather Budinscak is owner of Position First Pilates and Dance Conditioning, LLC, and primarily considers herself a movement educator, taking a special interest in myofascial release and fascial conditioning. She is a fully certified STOTT Pilates Instructor and had the privilege... Read More →

Stephanie Leslie

Co-Founder, Position First Dance Conditioning

Stephanie Leslie studied dance for fifteen years under Patricia Rousseau-Duggan, Lynn Briggs, Jayne Persch and Margot Parsons. She concentrated on ballet and pointe but also studied jazz, tap, modern and lyrical styles. She received a BS in Health Studies and a MS in Physical Therapy... Read More →

Companies

Position First Dance Conditioning

Co-founded by Heather Budinscak and Stephanie Leslie in 2013, Position First is a dance-conditioning organization providing educational seminars on dance conditioning and injury prevention for all styles of dance. We offer interactive workshops for students and professional development... Read More →

Saturday July 16, 2016 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Conditioning and Training Experiential Anatomy

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track

9:15am EDT

Ballet: Traveling Technique (3/4)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

This ballet class, taught by Nicole Buggé, will be rooted in the idea of traveling technique. Beginning at the barre, students will investigate how they can take classical steps and exercises and put them into motion. Utilizing the growth structure at barre, dancers will begin by traveling their upper body in pliés, growing to temps lié in tendus, waltzes by rond de james and integrating it all by grand battement. The skills learned at barre will translate into center, where no combination will stand still. Students are encouraged to move further than they imagine they can, stretching the limbs while still maintaining the correct placement and home base in 5th position.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nicole Buggé

Artistic Director/Choreographer, Buggé Ballet

Nicole Buggé trained at American Repertory Ballet’s Princeton Ballet School. She holds an MFA in Dance from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Nicole has performed with Richmond Ballet in such... Read More →

Saturday July 16, 2016 9:15am - 10:45am EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 3, Level 4
Curated Track HS Intensive, Major Summer, Pro Track

11:30am EDT

Ballet (4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

Faculty

Ted Thomas

Associate Director, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, New England Academy of Dance & New England Dance Theater

Saturday July 16, 2016 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track

1:45pm EDT

Elemental Body Alignment Systems (3/4)

Limited Capacity seats available
To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

Developed by Scott Putman and taught by Nicole Buggé, The Elemental Body Alignment System (EBAS) is a series of exercises designed for structural integrity and supported range of motion. Through anchoring and initiating movements via the pelvis, the body discovers its ability to efficiently articulate movement through experiential anatomy. The work deepens the students understanding of where movement comes from, how to align the body and to build a physical consciousness of open pathways of energy for movement. The system helps the learner to override the central nervous system creating new neuromuscular firings supporting a greater understanding of sensorial technique.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nicole Buggé

Artistic Director/Choreographer, Buggé Ballet

Saturday July 16, 2016 1:45pm - 3:15pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Conditioning and Training Experiential Anatomy Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 3, Level 4
Curated Track HS Intensive, Major Summer, Pro Track

1:45pm EDT

Modern Technique (3/4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

Faculty

Ted Thomas

Associate Director, Thomas/Ortiz Dance, New England Academy of Dance & New England Dance Theater

Saturday July 16, 2016 1:45pm - 3:15pm EDT
Sobo Studio 74 Cotton Mill Hill #346

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 3, Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

4:00pm EDT

Ballet Improvisation (4)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

In today’s changing ballet world, many choreographers desire dancers who are versatile, can think on their feet, and create movement. In this class, taught by Nicole Buggé, students will learn to utilize ballet techniques, styles, and positions to transform those movements and improvise their dance. This class will allow students to feel comfortable with using ballet technique in improvisation and creating their own style. Dancers will move through a series of exercises based on energy, weight, and levels before working together to put their new skills to the test.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nicole Buggé

Artistic Director/Choreographer, Buggé Ballet

Saturday July 16, 2016 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Improvisation Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 3, Level 4
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track

6:00pm EDT

Thai Massage For Dancers

Limited Capacity filling up
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Saturday Dance Sampler

In this beginning level class, we will explore basic Nuad Boran (Thai Massage) principles as related to Contact Improvisation. Using acupressure and passive stretch, we will give and receive energetic bodywork. We will use our body weight, in relationship to gravity, to provide compression and gentle stretching while maintaining safe alignment of our bodies to support our practice. No previous bodywork experience is necessary. Thai Massage is done on a mat, fully clothed. It is often referred to as assisted yoga and the dance of metta (healing touch). It is relevant and beneficial for many dance practices as it deepens our understanding of alignment, movement and touch. Benefits of Thai Massage include increased range of motion, stress reduction, improved circulation, deep relaxation, and illness prevention.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nicole Touzien

Executive Director, Dancewave

Nicole Touzien is a lifelong arts advocate excited to usher Dancewave into its next 25 years of service. For the past ten years, she has worked to advance the mission of renowned NYC nonprofit organizations charged with stewarding open green spaces, promoting youth development and... Read More →

Saturday July 16, 2016 6:00pm - 7:15pm EDT
IBIT @ Headroom Stages 17 Elliot ST. Brattleboro, VT

w Yoga-Pilates and Restoration

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track Pro Track, Summer Festy Fun, Teacher Retreat, Yoga & Fitness

8:00am EDT

Feet To The Pointe

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

Students will learn an overview of foot anatomy and the intricacies of the 26 bones, 30 joints, 19 muscles and approximately 115 ligaments that comprise each foot. Specific conditioning exercises for the feet will be practiced and foot care discussed.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Heather Budinscak

Owner/Co-Founder, Position First Pilates & Dance Conditioning

Stephanie Leslie

Co-Founder, Position First Dance Conditioning

Sunday July 17, 2016 8:00am - 9:00am EDT
IBIT @ Headroom Stages 17 Elliot ST. Brattleboro, VT

Experiential Anatomy

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track Fest/Dance Newbie, HS Intensive, Major Summer, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

9:15am EDT

Ballet Technique (5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Nathan Andary

Assistant Lecturer; Dance

Nathan Andary, CMA, MFA, RSME, Nathan is a Laban/Bartenieff certified movement analyst, experimental artist, and a two-time recipient of the prestigious Merit Award for Choreography from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA). Nathan's dance research: The Threshold between... Read More →

Sunday July 17, 2016 9:15am - 10:45am EDT
Papa Bear @BSD 22 High St. Brattleboro, VT.

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 5
Curated Track Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

9:15am EDT

Global Natives (3/4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

What do you get when you have an Asian folk-dance trained dancer evolve into "western dances?" A global-native class infuses Contemporary techniques into Asian traditional dance/martial arts forms such as Ifugao/Arnis and Silat. Athleticism and artistry with an Asian perspective. To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Filomar Cortezano Tariao

Senior Lecturer, Doctor of Medicine, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts

DrFil, as he is fondly called by his students, has had a professional & versatile career in Dance and the Performing Arts spanning 19 years. From his humble beginnings as a full scholar of Ballet Philippines, his performances and choreographies have taken him through Asia, Europe... Read More →

Sunday July 17, 2016 9:15am - 10:45am EDT
Sobo Studio 74 Cotton Mill Hill #346

World Dance All Levels w Yoga-Pilates and Restoration

Level Level 3, Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Dance Around The World, Pro Track

11:30am EDT

Exploring Proximity: Forays into Contemporary Partnering

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

In this class, dancers will work collaboratively on duet and small group studies. Through developing our capacity for and interest in physical listening, we lay the foundation for increased risk taking and creative discovery. We will begin with guided improvisations that illuminate key working principles for functionality and safety. We will then devote focused time to creating material, elaborating and troubleshooting our discoveries to challenge and surprise ourselves.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Safi Harriott

Sunday July 17, 2016 11:30am - 1:00pm EDT
Latchis Theatre 50 Maine St. Brattleboro, VT

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 4
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

1:45pm EDT

Contemporary Choreography Workshop (4/5)

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

A short solo blending the ballet and modern techniques will be used to explore some elements essential to learning and performing choreography in a professional environment.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Mucuy Bolles

Born: Komchen, Mexico. Ms. Bolles’ career spanned over 26 years during which she performed as a soloist and principal dancer with many companies such as Feld Ballet, Zvi Dance, Complexions, Elisa Monte Dance, Buglisi/Foreman Dance, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, and Alvin Ailey American... Read More →

Sunday July 17, 2016 1:45pm - 3:15pm EDT
Sobo Studio 74 Cotton Mill Hill #346

Modern-Contemporary-Ballet

Level Level 4, Level 5
Curated Track Major Summer, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat

4:00pm EDT

Injury Basics

Limited Capacity seats available
You need a festival pass to add this class. Click here for your: Full Immersion Pass Earliest Bird
Weekend adventure pass
Dance Dabbler
Sunday Dance Sampler

Students are often instructed to rest or stop dancing if an injury occurs. This session will teach students how to care for their bodies after an injury as well as discuss the cross training activities and practice the conditioning exercises they can do. Appropriate re- introduction of dance and technique will also be discussed. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one.

To have access to this class, purchase your ticket now!

Faculty

Heather Budinscak

Owner/Co-Founder, Position First Pilates & Dance Conditioning

Stephanie Leslie

Co-Founder, Position First Dance Conditioning

Sunday July 17, 2016 4:00pm - 5:30pm EDT
Baby Bear @ BSD

Experiential Anatomy

Level Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4, Level 5, Mixed
Curated Track HS Intensive, Major Summer, Pro Track, Teacher Retreat, Yoga & Fitness