Fire Island Dance Festival Returns To Fire Island Pines 7/18 Thru 7/19

Lauded by Out Magazine, The New York Times, CBS News on LOGO and The Village Voice, the Fire Island Dance Festival returns to Fire Island Pines for a trio of outdoor party/performances on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19, 2009. Now in its 15th year, the Fire Island Dance Festival is the premier cultural event on Fire Island and is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA), a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Performing outdoors against a backdrop of the Great South Bay, FIDF 15 will feature an eclectic program of classical and contemporary ballet, modern dance, and hip hop performed by twelve emerging and world renowned dance companies.

This year's Festival proves to be yet another unforgettable event showcasing the world's leading dance companies and artists including Keigwin + Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet with premiere dances by Armitage Gone! Dance, Danny Tidwell, Jodi Melnick, Feliciano Dance Company, ZviDance and a piece d'occasion by choreographer
Christopher Huggins all performed against the stunning backdrop of The Great South Bay. The performances will be hosted by two time Emmy Award winning writer / actor Bruce Villanch.

Dancegoers are offered a choice of show times. The opening performance is on Saturday, July 18th at 5:00 p.m. (party at 4:00 p.m.). The sunset performance is on Saturday, July 18th at 7:00 p.m. (party following). And the closing performance is on Sunday, July 19th at 5:00 p.m. (party following). Leadership Sponsors are included in the special kick-off celebration on Friday evening July 17th at the Albert Lepage Pavillion at Whyte Hall; the Fire Island Pines Community Center.

To charge tickets by phone, call 212.840.0770 x268 - Monday through Friday and on weekends in the Fire Island Pines harbor or order online at www.dradance.org. Corporate Sponsors for Fire Island Dance Festival 15 include: The New York Times, Continental Airlines, Absolut Vodka, GRW Advertising, Masterbeat.com, The Monster, NEXT Magazine, PEEQ Media, BV Wines, and Movmnt Magazine.

Community Sponsors for Fire Island Dance Festival 15 include: Fire Island News, Pines Bistro and Martini Bar, Sayville Ferry Service, and Tony's Barge.

Dancers Responding to AIDS presents Fire Island Dance Festival Fifteen. The Fire Island Dance Festival, Dancers Responding to AIDS' (DRA) signature event, now in its fifteenth year, is fast approaching! The annual event will once again be held in Fire Island Pines against a backdrop of the sun setting over the Great South Bay. The program will feature signature repertory dances along with world premiere pieces created especially for the Festival performed by emerging, established and world-renowned dance companies and choreographers. The Festival is presented by and benefiting Dancers Responding to AIDS a program of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. This year's festival will be hosted by two time Emmy Award winning writer / actor Bruce Villanch.

The program will include repertory pieces by Keigwin + Company, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet with premiere dances by Armitage Gone! Dance, Danny Tidwell, Jodi Melnick, Feliciano Dance Company, ZviDance and a piece d'occasion by choreographer.

Since its premiere in 1995, the annual Fire Island Dance Festival has become the season's premier entertainment benefit in Fire Island Pines. It has twice been hailed by the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times as "One of the 12 best parties of the year" and celebrated by Out Magazine as the "summer's hottest charity event".

The event is produced by Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. Each year, DRA assembles scores of famed and emerging artists in the dance world to perform for Festival audiences on a waterfront stage specially built for the Festival with the
Great South Bay as a backdrop. Festival events include the public party and performances as well as a private gala party for event sponsors.

Since its inception, the Fire Island Dance Festival has presented some of the finest dance companies working in America to perform repertory or original pieces. Companies that have contributed works of their own in the past have ranged from American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, MOMIX, Pilobolus, Parsons Dance, Ron K. Brown's Evidence, Bill T Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Sean Curran Dance Company, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Peter Quanz, Doug Varone and Dancers and many more.

From its debut In 1995 as a yearly fundraising and cultural event, the Fire Island Dance Festival has raised over $1.7 million in the fight against AIDS.

To continue the spirit of innovation, Fire Island Dance Festival Fifteen, will feature six world premiere dances from Armitage Gone! Dance, Danny Tidwell, Jodi Melnick, Feliciano Dance Company, ZviDance and a piece d'occasion by choreographer Christopher Huggins.

Since 2006, Dancers Responding to AIDS has fostered the creation of world premier dances for the Festival by brokering relationships between patrons and artists to establish choreographic sponsorships for new dance works. Masterbeat.com, Continental Airlines, Karl Kemp, Chris Fraley and Victor Self are the Festival's Choreographic Sponsors for 2009. In its four year history, the choreographic sponsorship program has brought thirty world premiere dances created especially for the Fire Island Dance Festival.

Festival performances and parties take place at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Saturday July 18th and 5:00 PM on Sunday July 19th on a spectacular private deck at the home of Jon Biondo and Tim Horman against a backdrop of the sun setting over the Great South Bay.

The Festival unofficially starts with a private gala party on Friday July 17th for Leadership Supporters. The party will take place on the Albert Lepage Pavillion at Whyte Hall, Fire Island Pines' newly inaugurated $3.2 million FIPPOA community center. Other Festival related events include a VIP cocktail party during the Festival weekend, company brunches, a special brunch prior to the Sunday performance, a reception and private screening of the Sony Pictures Classics film "Every Little Step" and the inaugural "Masterbeat in the Pines" dance party featuring DJ Brett Hendrickson and International recording artist Kristine W.