This popular Festival is a dynamic live platform for dancemakers and dancers to showcase their work and powerfully engages audiences around dance in the Coachella Valley. Exciting original dances in various styles are performed by companies from across the nation with winners announced at the conclusion of each performance. Saturday evening includes a Lifetime Achievement presentation, while Sunday afternoon showcases local dancers participating in East Valley Dance Project. Celebrating dance as an art form, this unique event delivers an exciting variety of new work created by inventive choreographers and performed by extraordinary dancers.

Saturday, November 8, 7pm

 Choreography by ten finalists performed by professional dancers vie for top awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to David Parsons, Founder and Artistic Director of Parsons Dance.

Finalists:

Aidan Carberry, Jordan Johnson/JA Collective (Los Angeles, CA)

Sean Aaron Carmon/Dance Kaleidoscope (Indianapolis, IN)

Megan Doheny, Ilya Nukurov/Outrun the Bear (Irvine, CA)

Noelle Kayser/nk + collaborators (Chicago, IL)

Cecily Khuner (Memphis, TN)

Franco Nieto/Open Space Dance (Portland, OR)

Omar Román de Jesύs/Boca Tuya (New York, NY)

Kellie St. Pierre/Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company (Salt Lake City, UT)

Martin Ortiz Tapia (Chicago, IL)

Morgan A. Williams/Water Street Dance Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)

Lifetime Achievement Award
David Parsons

 Sunday, November 9, 4pm

 Choreography by fourteen finalists performed by dancers from emerging companies, colleges and studios with multiple awards up for grabs. Local students in East Valley Dance Project exhibit original choreography.

 Finalists:

Melissa Bobick (Salt Lake City, UT)

Gillmer Duran/Ballet Arizona Studio Company (Phoenix, AZ)

Zachary Groenewold/Orange Coast College (Costa Mesa, CA)

Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya/Hawkins School of Performing Arts (Folsom, CA)

Riley Hart/Aztec Arts Dance Company (Palm Desert, CA)

Madison Lucas, Ella Melideo (Los Angeles, CA)

Rochelle Mapes/Mater Dei Dance Conservatory (Orange, CA)

Hannah Millar/Imprints (Fresno, CA)

Alexandra Schooling (Oklahoma City, OK)

Michelle Shear/Mt. San Antonio College Repertory Dance Company (Walnut, CA)

Jayde Spiegel (Las Vegas, NV)

Ashton Titus (Long Beach, CA)

Avree Walker/Live Arts Collective (Las Vegas, NV)

Lian Long Xuan (Philadelphia, PA)