Just Dance!

The days are longer, the air is warmer, and the Rhode Island dance scene is twisting with the turning of the season. RI dance companies are ripe with new offerings this summer; from contemporary ballet to experimental collaborative projects, the Ocean State dance community covers it all.

The first weekend of June offers a double dose of dance: Check out the next generation at Festival Ballet Providence School (FBPS)’s annual end-of-year Culmination performance, a collection of pieces performed by the talented students of RI’s premier professional training ground. The performances, staged by new FBSP director Vilia Putrius, will take place at Rhode Island College’s Sapinsley Hall on Saturday June 1, at 1:30pm and 6pm.

On the first Sunday in June, head downtown to support a good cause; the second annual Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project presents a bold collective of works by emerging female voices. More than 35 dancers will gather from around New England to help nurture the work of 13 developing choreographers. The performances, held Sunday, June 2, at 1pm and 5pm at AS220, feature a vibrant variety of dance works by women choreographers, and 100% of proceeds will benefit the RI Women’s Fund. Win-win.

Take the ferry or a scenic drive to Newport to catch Island Moving Company (IMC)’s popular summer season. The contemporary ballet company will perform Nuit Blanche: Summer Gala at Bellevue House on July 5. The company also will be hosting the Newport Dance Festival July 14-21, a series of performances in which IMC invites another dance company to RI for several performances in exchange for performance time in that company’s home city. Looking for something new all month long? You’re in luck — the performances are different each evening, as the company-in-residence changes from week to week. Grab a blanket and prepare a picnic, because these performances take place in the great outdoors on the lawn at Saint Michael’s Country Day School! Is there any better way to enjoy Rhode Island’s gorgeous summer weather?

Back in downtown Providence, the hypnotic WaterFire events provide yet another perfect opportunity for dancing al fresco. The pre-professional students who gather from around the country to attend Festival Ballet Providence’s esteemed Summer Dance Intensive program will present an exciting performance at the River Basin Stage on July 20 at sunset. This performance comes two weeks into the four-week program, challenging the students to produce a quality performance in a short period of time and highlighting the impressive skill of these young dancers. The program culminates in another performance, which will be held at the Festival Ballet Providence Black Box Theater at 825 Hope Street on August 10, and will feature classical ballet, character dance, jazz and modern.

If the converging of artists from all over is the theme of this summer’s dance scene, then PVDFest is right on the mark. The three-day event, running June 6 – 9, brings together a vast array of artists to create a cultural celebration in Downcity, and this year the festival promises an eclectic sampling of different dance genres. From belly dancing groups like Beledi Dance Company to Bollywood dancing from Dance Bollywood Fusion and Fitness to the all-female tap squad of So You Think You Can Dance fame The Syncopated Ladies, PVDFest presents the widest range of dance styles at a single event. Other dance companies attending include the Goulding School of Irish dance, Jump Dance Company, Kinetic Synergy Dance Company, Providence Ballet Theater, Providence Irish Dance and Metamorphosis Dance Company.

To keep the spirit of cultural celebration thriving in the Creative Capital, The Providence Fringe Festival (also known as FRINGEPVD) also will feature a varied collection of dance performances this July 21-28 at venues throughout the city. Heather Brown Dance, founded in the wake of Brown’s Cystic Fibrosis diagnosis, will present Continuing Fluctuations as a reflection of the emotions that develop when dealing with the chronic illness. JUMP! Dance Company will perform Dreamers as a tribute to the DACA recipients in which young dancers were challenged to interpret these serious struggles through movement. Balliamo Dance Company presents its mixed bill program, Only in a Dream; and Other Dances.

Whether you crave classical, contemporary or currently-being-created, the Rhode Island summer dance scene is living up to its diverse reputation, serving up something for everyone.