Dance Festival leaps back to Aspen

ASPEN ” After a one-year hiatus, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will once again present a summer dance festival in Aspen. Now known as the Summer Dance Series, the series will feature seven events between mid-July and mid-August.

The series, formerly known as the Aspen Dance Festival, took the summer off last year due to renovations at the Aspen District Theatre.

The Summer Dance Series opens July 17 and 19 with performances by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s resident company. The program features two new works commissioned by the company, one by Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo and a multimedia work by Brooklyn-born Nicolo Fonte, as well as the local debut of a piece by Israeli Itzik Galili. The program will also feature an encore presentation of Moses Pendleton’s “Noir Blanc.” In addition to evening performances, there will be a family matinee at 4 p.m. on July 19.

The Ballet Boyz, a contemporary London dance troupe that uses elements of pop culture, including film, video and music, makes its local debut July 24-25. Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under artistic director Jim Vincent, celebrates its 30th year with a return visit to Aspen, July 29-31.

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet company returns Aug. 6 with a special event at the Benedict Music Tent. Co-presented with the Aspen Music Festival, the performance will feature the company backed by a live orchestra. The program will feature Jorma Elo’s “1st Flash,” set to Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor; and “Wolfgang,” a David Parsons piece highlighting the music of Mozart.

DanceBrazil, a company from Bahia, Brazil, that explores Afro-Brazilian culture, makes its Aspen debut Aug. 8-9. There will be a special matinee performance on Aug. 9.

The series also features two Dance for Kids matinee events. The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet company will appear July 19 with a program that includes Pendleton’s “Noir Blanc,” and DanceBrazil will present a kids-oriented performance on Aug. 9.

All performances in the series are at the Aspen District Theatre, with the exception of the Aug. 6 appearance by the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Tickets are available at http://www.aspenshowtickets, at 920-5770 or 1-866-449-0464, or online at aspensantafeballet.com. Tickets for the Aug. 6 performance are available at http://www.aspenmusicfestival.com or by calling 925-9042.