PALM DESERT —A fan favorite, McCallum Theatre Education will present original choreography by choreographers from across the nation at the 21st Annual Choreography Festival.
This one-of-a-kind festival, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. continues to promote dance as an art form by creating a venue for emerging and established choreographers and developing new dance audiences. The Festival features a choreography competition in two divisions, educational opportunities including workshops and residencies, and honors those who have made outstanding contributions to dance through a Lifetime Achievement Award.
This year’s Finalists, selected by a distinguished Festival screening panel from 135 submissions, come from all over the country and will perform before an audience and a panel of judges. Over $26,000.00 in cash awards are up for grabs. Finalists include festival favorites as well as a large number of choreographers new to the Festival whose works promise to engage, provoke and entertain.
“Our Choreography Festival continues to engage and expand its reach. Over the years we’ve earned a great name thanks to our genuine dedication to nurture and support emerging artists, and the desert communities have wholeheartedly embraced this event as an annual highlight,” Kajsa Thuresson-Frary, Festival producer and McCallum’s long-time Director of Education, said in a prepared statement. “We are privileged to work with a dynamic Festival team, including Festival founder Shea New, and enjoy the support of a dedicated group of volunteers and sponsors.”
The Choreography Festival also includes dynamic outreach projects, among them: the East Valley Dance Project, now in its 12th year and The 8th Annual Studio Project. These projects give dancers from local studios and students from Desert Mirage High and Toro Canyon Middle Schools in Thermal an opportunity to explore and create with professional choreographers. Participants in the projects will learn an original piece of choreography and perform on the McCallum stage in conjunction with the Division II performance on Nov. 11 at 4 p.m.
Tickets for the Division I performance of The Choreography Festival on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. are $43/38/28/18. Tickets for the Division II performance on Sunday, Nov. 11 at 4 p.m. are $33/28/23/15. Tickets are available now at the McCallum Theatre Box Office by calling 760-340-ARTS, online here or by walk-up.
The McCallum Theatre Box Office is located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260. The McCallum Theatre accepts payment by cash, personal check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
