Fire Island Dance Festival July 19-21 Fire Island Pines, Fire Island, NY
Breathtaking dance set upon a backdrop of endless sky and sea returns when Fire Island Dance Festival, the charitable event of the Fire Island summer, makes its anticipated homecoming July 19-21.
The three-performance celebration of established and emerging dance companies will again bring together the Fire Island Pines community to an awe-inspiring waterfront stage overlooking the Great South Bay. Fire Island Dance Festival (#fidance) is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Fire Island Dance Festival begins with an opening performance at 5 pm on Saturday, July 20, followed by a Leadership Supporter sunset performance at 7 pm, and a closing performance at 5 pm on Sunday, July 21.
Tickets for Fire Island Dance Festival are no longer available online. Tickets for the 5 pm show on Saturday and the 5 pm show on Sunday may be purchased by calling the Festival hotline at 646.965.2388.
More Ticket Info and Festival Schedule
Tickets must be picked up in person. No tickets will be mailed.
Advance ticket pickup is available in the Pines Harbor:
Friday, July 19, from 10 am – 1 pm
Saturday, July 20, from 10 am – 1 pm
Sunday, July 21, from 10 am – 1 pm
For Leadership Supporters, tickets can be picked up at Whyte Hall beginning at 6:30 pm on Friday, July 19.
Tickets can also be picked up 30 minutes prior to your performance at 236 Beach Hill Walk.
Please note performances begin promptly and late seating will be at the discretion of the house manager.
Festival Schedule
Friday – Leadership Event (cocktails at 6:30 pm, performance at 7:30 pm) at Whyte Hall (included with all Leadership level tickets)
Saturday – Opening Performance (cocktails at 4 pm at Whyte Hall, performance at 5 pm)
Saturday – Sunset Performance (cocktails at 4 pm at Whyte Hall, performance at 7 pmSunday – Closing Performance at 5 pm (cocktails follow at Whyte Hall)
The running time for the show is approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
If you are unable to attend the festival and would like to support Dancers Responding to AIDS you can make a tax-deductible donation online.
Among the first performers set for year’s festival are:
Gilbert Bolden III, a celebrated soloist with New York City Ballet, sharing his world premiere featuring dancers from the company. Dance Magazine lauded Bolden’s work for using dance “to highlight the importance of human connectivity.” The piece will be performed by Bolden, India Bradley, Jules Mabie and the lauded Mira Nadon, who became the first Asian American principal dancer in New York City Ballet history in 2023.
Broadway performer and celebrated choreographer Billy Griffin making his Fire Island Dance Festival return with “Get Happy,” performed by Wicked’s Aydin Eyikan.
American Ballet Theatre principal and festival favorite Catherine Hurlin sharing The Dying Swan, a work that has been performed by some of the world’s most legendary ballerinas for more than a century.
A world premiere from buzzworthy choreographer Keerati Jinakunwiphat, who in 2023 gained the groundbreaking distinction of being the first Asian American woman to be commissioned to choreograph for New York City Ballet. The work is presented in collaboration with Asbury Park Dance Festival, which is set for August 24.
Contemporary choreographer Pontus Lidberg presenting a duet featuring two men dancing with a shared glass of water, revealing the trust, vulnerability and playfulness that underpin their connection. The piece will be performed by Lidberg and lauded Kurdish dancer and choreographer Hussein Smko.
One of modern dance’s most iconic and beloved companies, Paul Taylor Dance Company, sharing an excerpt from resident choreographer Lauren Lovette’s playful and vulnerable all-male work Echo.
THE MNTRO PRJCT, led by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Chalvar Monteiro, sharing a world premiere piece, which will be performed by acclaimed Ailey dancers Patrick Coker, Shawn Cusseaux, Ashley Green, Jacquelin Harris and Hannah Richardson
Ingrid Silva, co-founder of Blacks in Ballet – a popular online platform and educational resource for Black classical dancers around the world, sharing a world premiere quartet performed by Jonathan Batista, a principal at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nayara Lopes, a principal at Philadelphia Ballet, and Dylan Santos.
A world premiere piece from acclaimed contemporary choreographer Akira Uchida, who made his festival debut in 2022 with the vibrant And On…
This year’s festival will be hosted by Beth Leavel, whose illustrious Broadway career spans 13 shows. She won the Tony Award for her celebrated turn as Beatrice Stockwell in 2006’s Drowsy Chaperone, and has been taking center stage as legendary leading ladies in Baby It’s You!, Bandstand, Mamma Mia!, The Prom and more. She most recently starred in this season’s Lempicka.
Performers are subject to change.
Leadership Supporters elevate their festival experience with a kickoff performance and intimate evening cocktails on Friday, July 19. Coveted kickoff performance tickets are extremely limited. Leadership Supporters also enjoy their choice of the highly anticipated sunset performance on Saturday or priority seating at either 5 pm performance, as well as recognition on printed materials in the harbor and throughout the Pines.
Take the hustle and hassle out of your Fire Island escape with our day trip package, featuring round-trip transportation from New York City, a champagne luncheon and tickets to the 5 pm performance on Sunday, July 21. A Sunday VIP option, which includes the champagne luncheon and tickets to the Sunday show without transportation, also is available. Get day trip tickets.
If you can’t attend but would like to support Fire Island Dance Festival, donate now.
Since its debut in 1995, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $8.4 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, with additional support from the P. Austin Family Foundation and The Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation in memory of Diana King.
Watch highlights from the 2023 Fire Island Dance Festival
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation in memory of Diana King Mary D. Fisher Karen & Walter Boss John Hadity Peter Schwartz & Rick Weber Jake Tinsley & Matt Kaing of Casa Low Kiki SHS Foundation in memory of Tom Morgan Rockefeller Brothers Fund Stephen Kroll Reidy Jane Groveman & Cathy Tanelli Judy Gluckstern Anonymous
The generosity of these donors help underwrite the costs associated with producing this event so that each dollar raised can help even more people in need in our community.
Leadership Event Sponsor
Paul Austin & Dalip Girdhar
Legacy
The Charles & Lucille King Family Foundation in memory of Diana King Christopher T. Coad MD/Kevin Kowalski/Chelsea Eye Ophthalmology Marta Heflin Foundation Omomuki Foundation Stephen Kroll Reidy Rockefeller Brothers Fund SHS Foundation in memory of Tom Morgan Christian Zimmermann & Jim Coakley
Titanium
Jim Heslin – Secret Villas Roger Hyde & Mark Gibson Durrell Parish & Albert Lepage Mark Fortier & Jay Pagano Padma Ooi Meland, Eng Kian Ooi & Marius Meland Durrell Parrish & Albert Lepage Henry Robin & Bob McGarity
Platinum
Robert N. Alfandre Family Andy Baker & Ward Auerbach Sully Bonnelly & Robert Littman Larry Falconio & Elliott Sernel Macquarie Group James Pepper Rory Pottruck Robert N. Alfandre Family Andrew Tobias
Party Sponsors
Steven Filenbaum & Matthew Woolf Jim Heslin – Secret Villas PJ McAteer Padma Ooi Meland, Eng Kian Ooi & Marius Meland Peter Schwartz & Rick Weber Randy Wilson, John Wood & Michael Crisafulli
Gold
John Alger & Bill Lynch Torrence Boone & Paul Masse Karen & Walter Boss John Clifford & Claude Drolet Christopher Collins Hernando Cortez Jr. & Ed Simonelli Thomas Cott & Shayne De Lima James Dale & David Lam Michael Dion & David Cantor Russell & Helene Ellison Robert Faust & Roger Kluge Fire Island Pines Property Owners’ Association Dr. Michael Giordano and friends at 603 Tuna Walk Jane Groveman & Cathy Tanelli Hal H. Hayes, Richard Parsakian, David Sloan & Steve Norring Bob Howard & Ailton Rodrigues-Howard Dr. Jaime S. Huertas & Kenneth A. O’Brien The LaFountaine Family Foundation Dr. Robert Levy Steve McGee & Dennis Kenney Mark McGuire & Craig Wilson Brian McGuinness & Steven Younes Isaac Namdar & Andrew Mitchell-Namdar Dr. Jon O’Neal Charles Phillips Virun Rampersad & David Pavese Kevin Roon & Simon Yates Ken Ruebush & Jeff Zimman Jim Vandernoth & Mark Ricigliano
Silver
Susan & Crystal Atkins-Weathers Miguel Barrio & Jeff Woods Allan Baum & Frank Liberto Gary Clinton & Don Millinger Neil Cohn & John Brown Randy Fields & Rob Geer James Garrett Jonathan Graf Katherine Grainger David Hansell & Rob Cimino Doug Harris & Bill Van Parys Laura & Mike Hartstein Brad Ingalls & Emrah Akyildiz Arthur M. Kaplan & R. Duane Perry Paul Kelly Alan Klein & Jeffrey Erb John Krawchuk & Vinnie Petrarca Karl Krumholz & Dick Limoges Christopher Mai & Matthew Markoff Scott Martin & Elijah Vielma Stephen Moss & Leland Rechis Nate Pinsley & Peter Kriss Robert Schaffer Vernon Scott Howard Sendrovitz George Slowik & Brian T. Callaway Richard Smith & Dan Vatanaviggun Itai Eithan Shamir & Dominic Paolillo Bruce Stuart Michael Walsh & JD Winston Tim Warmath & Ed Comber Anonymous
Bronze
Jonathan Aronowitz, Bradley Scalise and David Weigand J. Patrick Bailey Jose Barral in loving memory of Peter J. Boffa James Bartholomew Steven Battaglia & Rob Kienzle Alan Bouchard In memory of Mark Bramble Randall Briskin Win Chesson & Audie McRae Joseph Conforti & Douglas Jakubowski Brian Conrad & Leonard Vanella Rob Delgado & Bruce Bunnell Guy Desimini & Salvatore D’Avola Juan Diaz Frank Dix & Eric Cleary David Durst & Drew McGukin Estelle & Craig Ed Falco & Veryl Witmer Peter Farrell Daniel Feinstein & Diego Robles Molina The Feinsteins – Karen, Patty and Ron Stephen Foster & Russell Saray Darrell M. W. George & Scott Turner Mark Greenley Joe Hickey & Jim McConnell Rachel Hyman Michael George Jackoski & Peter Pelusion Lisa Jaffe, Jaffe Events/Fire Island Weddings Judith & Richard Kingman Mona Kreaden Marc Juris & Luis Barraza Beatrice Kahn & Paul Silverstein David Kneuss Christopher Leary Laurence Lopez In memory of Cira Markuson Vestal McIntyre & Tom Stuart Jim McKenna & Marco Aguilar Edward Meehan Bill Melamed & Jamey Lundblad Dean Michaels, The Asteri Group, Ltd. David Nickle & Hal Rubenstein Jerry & Myron Pavlon-Blum Zac Pollinger & Richard Cote Dave Rimple & Paul Teixeira George Smallwood Michael Smith & Steven Clay Anibal Soto Paul Stanwick Lee Testa Brian Thompson Mark Tyner Richard & Josef Upton Lee Vish Elisa Zinberg Lise & Richard Zinn David Zuy Anonymous