Fire Island Dance Festival Adds World Premiere to 30th Anniversary Lineup

A poignant world premiere, a full-circle performance from the festival’s first year and celebrated works from acclaimed contemporary companies are among the newly announced additions to this year’s Fire Island Dance Festival lineup. From intimate duets to athletic ensemble pieces, these performances are set to captivate as the festival celebrates its milestone 30th anniversary.  The festival returns July 18-20, 2025, to Fire Island Pines, NY, with three dynamic performances set against a sweeping stage overlooking the Great South Bay. Tickets are on sale at dradance.org/fidance.

Bringing together a diverse mix of established and emerging talent, the 30th anniversary of this annual weekend is produced by and benefits Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Tickets are also available to purchase in person on Saturdays 10 am - 1 pm and 4 - 7 pm, and on Sundays 10 am - 1 pm in the Fire Island Pines harbor.

The Fire Island Dance Festival weekend is composed of an opening performance at 5 pm on Saturday, July 19, a Leadership Supporter sunset performance at 7 pm on Saturday, July 19, and a closing performance at 5 pm on Sunday, July 20. An exclusive Leadership Event kicks off the festival weekend on Friday, July 18. Limited tickets remain for the Saturday sunset performance. 

Joining the lineup are:

• A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham performing excerpts from Cassette, a nostalgic, referential work that blends camp and critique while spotlighting the richness and nuance of the Black experience
• Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Christian Burse performing the athletic Growth. In a powerful full-circle moment, this piece was first presented at the inaugural Fire Island Dance Festival in 1995.
• EVIDENCE, A Dance Company, presenting an excerpt from Ronald K. Brown’s Grace, featuring dancers from Evidence and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Marking Grace’s 25th anniversary, the work will be accompanied by a special vocal performance from Broadway’s Noah J. Ricketts (The Great Gatsby).
• Gibney Dance offering an excerpt from A Couple, an intimate and evocative duet exploring the shifting dynamics between two men
• Celebrated theater choreographer and performer Reed Luplau (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) debuting a world premiere of five men navigating themes of loss and the hope of second chances

They join the previously announced:   

• Tony and Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne making his Fire Island Dance Festival choreographic debut presenting a romantic male duet, an excerpt from his groundbreaking and tradition-shattering Swan Lake
• Emerging choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance finalist Braylon Browner debuting a deeply personal world premiere solo
• Award-winning director, choreographer and creative producer James Kinney premiering  a dynamic opening number showcasing his Broadway flair with a rock ’n’ roll energy
• Masterz At Work Dance Family sharing an excerpt of a vibrant work by Black, trans, femme choreographer Courtney Washington, blending voguing and ballroom with the foundations of contemporary dance. The piece premiered at last fall’s Hudson Valley Dance Festival.
• Christopher Wheeldon, Tony and Olivier Award–winning choreographer whose work has been featured in numerous Fire Island Dance Festivals, presenting his acclaimed pas de deux This Bitter Earth. For the first time the role on pointe will be performed by nonbinary dancer Ashton Edwards, with soloist Christopher D’Ariano, both from Pacific Northwest Ballet.  Performers are subject to change.

Leadership Supporters can begin their thrilling festival weekend experience with Friday night’s Leadership Event at Whyte Hall on July 18. The exclusive event will feature festival favorite MOMIX, the dynamic and athletic dance company renowned for its visually captivating artistry. MOMIX’s return for the festival’s milestone 30th anniversary is especially significant because the dance company headlined the festival’s first Leadership Performance.

Leadership Supporters also enjoy highly coveted tickets to the sunset performance on Saturday or priority seating at either 5 pm performance, as well as recognition on printed materials in the harbor and throughout the Pines. Leadership tickets start at $395. Individual tickets for the 5 pm performances are $195. Tickets are on sale now at dradance.org/fidance.

Take the hustle and hassle out of your Fire Island escape with our day trip package, featuring round-trip transportation from New York City, a champagne luncheon and tickets to the 5 pm performance on Sunday, July 20. A Sunday VIP option, which includes the champagne luncheon and tickets to the Sunday show without transportation, also is available. The day trip package is $350; the Sunday VIP option is $275.

Since its debut in 1995, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $9.2 million to help provide lifesaving medication, nutritious meals, counseling and emergency financial assistance to those in need in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

Fire Island Dance Festival is generously supported by corporate sponsors The New York Times and United, the official airline of Broadway Cares.