WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A new dance festival is set to debut in West Palm Beach this summer, bringing together nationally recognized choreographers, aspiring dancers and community arts programming across Palm Beach County.
The inaugural Banyan Dance Festival will take place Aug. 3-8 throughout West Palm Beach, according to organizers Natural Movers Foundation and Grounded WPB. The weeklong event will feature performances, professional dance training, public classes, artist talkbacks and community experiences designed to strengthen South Florida’s dance community.
Festival founders Ericka Squire of Natural Movers Foundation and Branndi Lewis of Grounded WPB said the event was created to expand opportunities for dancers and choreographers while positioning Palm Beach County as a destination for dance.
“At its core, Banyan is about creating opportunities for artists,” Squire said in a statement. “Palm Beach County is Florida’s Cultural Capital®, and we wanted to create an opportunity for audiences to experience high-quality dance performances while also creating real pathways for dancers and choreographers to train, work, create, and be seen right here in Palm Beach County.”
Festival organizers said the event will bring together professional artists, students and community members through performances, creative development and educational programming hosted at venues throughout the city.
Featured artists include internationally recognized choreographers and educators Sean Aaron Carmon, Babatunji and Loni Landon, along with local, national and international performers participating throughout the week.
Carmon, a former dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will create an original work for the Banyan Dance Company. Babatunji, a former member of Alonzo King LINES Ballet, will choreograph a new piece for the Banyan Dance Ensemble.
Landon, a Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship Award winner and Guggenheim fellow, will teach during the festival and create a featured solo work for a dancer participating in the Banyan Dance Intensive.
The festival’s inaugural Banyan Choreography Fellowship was awarded to Betty Garcia Diaz, a Cuban-born dancer and choreographer who has performed with companies including Northwest Dance Project, Malpaso Dance Company and Boston Dance Theater. Organizers said Garcia Diaz will create a newly commissioned work during the festival.
Programming throughout the week includes:
- Youth Artist Program classes for dancers ages 9-15
- A pre-professional dance intensive for dancers ages 16-25
- Community dance classes sponsored by the Downtown Development Authority
- A Banyan Silent Disco at Nora District
- Rehearsal observations and artist talkbacks at Ballet Florida
- The Banyan Gala at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties
- The Banyan Dance Festival Concert at the Norton Museum of Art
Lewis said the festival is designed to create opportunities for dancers who previously may have needed to leave South Florida to pursue professional growth.
“Banyan Dance Festival is building something that doesn’t currently exist in South Florida,” Lewis said in a statement. “Together, Grounded WPB and Natural Movers Foundation have created a platform that expands the local dance ecosystem while investing in artists through paid opportunities, professional training, and a full creative pipeline.”
More information and a full schedule can be found at banyandancefestival.com or on Instagram at @banyandancefestival.
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