American College Dance Festival comes to Tempe

WHAT: The Department of Dance in the Herberger College of Fine Arts at ASU hosts the Southwest Region American College Dance Festival (ACDF). More than 500 out-of-town university dance students and faculty will convene on the Tempe campus for the four-day festival, which includes master classes, concerts and panel discussions. In addition, a panel of three internationally renowned guest artists will adjudicate 57 dance works presented by the participants.

The public will then have a rare opportunity to see, in one concert, some of the best choreography that is being created in the country by a diverse group of innovative choreographers and dance teachers.

This gala dance performance that is open to the public will culminate the festival. Of the 57 dance pieces to be presented in the festival, judges will select the best eight to 10 works; these pieces will then be presented in the ACDF Gala Performance.

Of those pieces performed at the gala, a choice number of pieces will then be selected to perform at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in May 2002, as part of the National ACDF.

WHEN: The ACDF Gala Performance is March 16, 2002, at 2 p.m. The festival runs March 13-16, 2002. 
WHERE: Paul V. Galvin Playhouse, 51 E. 10th St. on the ASU campus in Tempe.
TICKETS: $14 general admission; $5 students.
INFORMATION, TICKETS: 480-965-6447.

About the festival

The Department of Dance in the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University last hosted the American College Dance Festival in 1992. Ten years later, it is one of the largest of nine regional festivals. The department expects more than 500 dance students and faculty from all over the nation.

This is an important opportunity that dancers don’t often get – to spend four intense days teaching, taking a diversity of movement classes and getting vital feedback from established professionals.

The festival boasts three highly respected guest artists: Lynn Simonson, Ralph Lemon and Kim Epifano. This prestigious panel will adjudicate the work and then choose a select number of pieces that will comprise the Saturday night ACDF Gala Performance.

In addition, Margaret Gisolo, the founding chair of the department of dance in the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University, will be honored during the festival.

The department of dance is nationally ranked in the top 10 by Dance Teacher Now magazine. Its graduate program is ranked 5th and its undergraduate program is ranked 9th. The ARCO Performance Arts College Guide calls the department one of the “most highly recommended programs” in the country.

Media Contact:
Megan Krause
480-965-8795
megan.krause@asu.edu