Fire Island Dance Festival returns this summer, bringing together captivating performances, breathtaking waterfront views and a passionate community dedicated to making a difference.
Set on an awe-inspiring waterfront stage overlooking the Great South Bay, the festival transforms its Fire Island Pines environs into a living theater where movement, community and nature combine.
Audiences gather for performances that are as intimate as they are euphoric, pairing the artistry of leading dance companies with the electric energy of the island, all in support of Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Each performance features the same lineup. The initial performers set for this year’s festival include:
Broadway and film’s Chris Jarosz opening the festival with a high-voltage world premiere, brought to life by a powerhouse lineup of Broadway dancers.
Miami City Ballet presenting an excerpt from Roses from the South: Three Waltzes for Toby, a stirring work by Alexei Ratmansky, one of the world’s preeminent ballet choreographers. The performance marks Ratmansky’s Fire Island Dance Festival debut.
Broadway favorite Ricky Ubeda, who also won So You Think You Can Dance, sharing a world premiere shaped by his signature, zeitgeist-savvy sensibility and electric style.
Jake Vincent, previously of Paul Taylor Dance Company, bringing a world premiere pulsing with bold energy, where sweeping movement and quiet intimacy converge.
Additional artists will be announced soon. Performers are subject to change.
Beginning May 23, tickets also will be available in person on weekends in the Fire Island Pines harbor.
To kick off the harbor sales, special pop-up performances will transform the Pines dock into a stage as the ferry arrives at 5:15 pm, 6:15 pm and 7:15 pm on Saturday, May 23. The free, 10-minute performances, choreographed by Pines resident and Broadway powerhouse Jōvan Dansberry and set to the music of George Michael, will provide a taste of the dance festival creativity still to come.
Leadership Supporters elevate their festival experience with an exclusive performance and intimate evening on Friday, July 17, at Whyte Hall. Access to the Leadership performance is extremely limited. Leadership Supporters also enjoy their choice of the sought-after sunset performance on Saturday or priority seating at either 5 pm performance, along with recognition on printed materials throughout the harbor and the Pines.
Slip away to Fire Island Dance Festival with an effortless, all-inclusive day trip, featuring round-trip transportation from New York City, a champagne luncheon and tickets to the 5 pm performance on Sunday, July 19. A Sunday VIP option is also available and includes the champagne luncheon and tickets to the Sunday performance. Get daytrip or VIP tickets.
Since its debut in 1995, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $10 million to help provide lifesaving medication, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance to those in need in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
Fire Island Dance Festival is generously supported by corporate sponsors The New York Times and United, the official airline of Broadway Cares.
If you can’t attend but would like to support Fire Island Dance Festival, donate now.
Mark Fortier & Jay Pagano • Hal H. Hayes • Nicole LaFountaine • Christopher Mai & Matthew Markoff • PJ McAteer • Stacey Newton • Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas • Robert Schaffer • Peter Schamel • Martin Wechsler • JD Winston & Michael Walsh
2026 Host Committee
Christine Ambrose Ward Auerbach & Andy Baker Steven Battaglia Duni Bauta Boys of Fire Island Robert Bracken & George Applegate Gray Coleman & Brian Theis Hernando Cortez Jr. Ronald Marc Feinstein Edrie Ferdun Chris Fraley Chris Guimarin Ronald Heller Roger Hirsch & Drew Souza Lisa Jaffe Don Jodrey Dr. Rob Levy Jane Newman Lubart Tara Moira McBride Steve McGee Brian McGuiness & Steven Younes Dave Minear & Dan Lawlor Virun Rampersad & David Pavese Janet Rollé Eric Sawyer Vernon Scott Ellen Sirot & Peter Pucci George Slowik Jr. & Brian T. Callaway Matthew Woolf & Steven Filenbaum Ron Wulf
Leadership Supporters
Major Sponsors
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation in memory of Diana King Karen & Walter Boss Richard Feldman – The SHS Foundation Mary D. Fisher James Pepper Stephen Kroll Reidy Rockefeller Brothers Fund Peter Schwartz & Rick Weber
Legacy
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation in memory of Diana King Christopher T. Coad, MD / Kevin Kowalski / Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology Richard Feldman – The SHS Foundation Marta Heflin Foundation Durrell Parrish & Albert Lepage Stephen Kroll Reidy Rockefeller Brothers Fund Christian Zimmermann & Jim Coakley
Titanium
Ward Auerbach & Andy Baker Mark Bergamini & Christopher Oates Mark Fortier & Jay Pagano Stacey Newton & Steven Lewis The Omomuki Foundation Henry Robin & Bob McGarity Andrew Tobias
Platinum
Robert N. Alfandre Family Sully Bonnelly & Robert Littman Robert Michel in Memory of Clark Green Robert N. Alfandre Family Kevin Roon & Simon Yates
Party Sponsors
Jōvan Dansberry & Norman C. Simon Steven Filenbaum & Matthew Woolf The Guimarin Family PJ McAteer Padma Ooi Meland, Eng Kian Ooi & Marius Meland Peter Schwartz & Rick Weber
Gold
Torrence Boone Alan Bouchard & Peter King Thomas Cott & Shayne De Lima Randolph Dreyer Russell & Helene Ellison Robert Faust & Roger Kluge Jane Groveman & Cathy Tanelli Hal H. Hayes, Richard Parsakian, David Sloan & Steve Norring Dr. Jaime Huertas & Mr. Kenneth A. O’Brien Adam Sean Hickey Dr. Rob Levy Scott Martin & Elijah Vielma Mark McGuire & Craig Wilson James Pepper Richard Pittelli & Gino Chiapparelli Virun Rampersad & David Pavese Robert Schaffer
Silver
Matt Boethin Gary Clinton, Don Millinger & Julian Kosma Neil Cohn & John Brown Rob Delgado & Bruce Bunnell Daniel Feinstein & Diego Robles Molina David Hansell & Rob Cimino Tami Hausman & James Crispino Brad Ingalls & Emrah Akyildiz Arthur M. Kaplan & R. Duane Perry Anthony Lamattina & John Bossidy David Nickle & Hal Rubenstein Jerry & Myron Pavlon-Blum Anibal Soto & Mark Pasetsky Steven Clay Art Appraisal Anthony V. Thompson Andres Wydler & Dan Veatch
Bronze
Christopher Arruda Mark Atkinson & Alex Huber Jeffrey Blair & Ivor Clark James Cassaro Win Chesson & Audie McRae Jōvan Dansberry & Norman C. Simon The Feinsteins – Karen, Patty and Ron Randy Fields & Rob Geer Darrell M. W. George & Scott Turner Joe Hickey & Jim McConnell Carl Johnson Marc Juris & Luis Barraza Ian Klein & Ben Reininga Karl Krumholz & Dick Limoges Christopher Leary Craig Linden MD, Grady & John Paul Lorenzo López & Matthew Mayer Tara Moira McBride Jim McKenna & Marco Aguiar Philippe Meyersohn Kurt Miller Nora Mongardi Robert Ollis & Richard Gibbons Matt Pisanelli Zac Pollinger & Richard Cote Dave Rimple & Paul Teixeira Richard Sadovsky Russell Saray & Stephen Foster Ellen Sirot & Peter Pucci Lee Testa Michael Tully & Daniel Smith Richard & Josef Upton Matther Vitale & Eric Hofmann, Fred Howard, Mike O’Dell, Peter Bedevian Carol Walbye Chester White Raymund Yong & Ryan Knowles Elisa Zinberg & Dr. Sue Morter