The Riverside Dance Festival Returns This Summer

Now its fourteenth year, the Riverside Dance Festival, a partnership between Ballet Vero Beach and Riverside Theatre, is an intensive, two-week dance program that offers students the opportunity to work and learn from some of the best current American modern dance companies. The culmination of the two weeks of classes and workshops results in a FREE public performance on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 2pm.

Started in 2012 under the direction of Adam Schnell, Artistic Director of Ballet Vero Beach and Director of Dance Education at Riverside Theatre, accepted students from the local area and beyond our community will partake in daily instruction from dancers of L. A. Contemporary Dance Company (LACDC). The fourteenth Riverside Dance Festival runs July 21st through August 2nd with an accepted and limited number of dedicated young dancers from ages 10 and up. 

“Continuing the pursuit to bring the best of dance to our own backyard, Ballet Vero Beach is thrilled to present LACDC to be part of this year’s Dance Festival,” said Mr. Schnell. “It is a very unique experience and I cannot wait to see what the students and professionals present at the end of the Festival.” 

L. A. Contemporary Dance is a performance company dedicated to showcasing the artistry of L.A. in live and digital experiences.  We curate creative environments that harness the power of the collective, promote a sense of belonging, and champion exploration and learning without judgment.  In our programming, we share a restlessness of soul and desire for connection with our collaborators and community. 

The L. A. Contemporary Dance Company intensive at the Riverside Dance Festival immerses the students in the LACDC company experience where they will have the opportunity to train and explore with a diverse group of teachers in an open and supportive environment, and where their uniqueness is celebrated. Students will dive into daily classes in a variety of contemporary dance styles that will encourage their versatility as a dancer and awaken their experimental spirit as an artist.  Students will also have the opportunity to expand upon their current training and try new techniques that challenge, strengthen and advance their abilities as a well-rounded contemporary performer.  

Previous renown dance companies that have participated in the Riverside Dance Festival include: Terminus Modern Ballet, Pigeonwing Dance, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Prometheus Dance, Ballet Nebraska, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance, CORE Dance, konverjdans and Ariel Rivka Dance Company.  

The Riverside Dance Festival student performance will be held on Saturday, August 2 at 2pm. This performance is FREE and no tickets are required! 

LA Contemporary Dance Company will also perform as part of the 2025-26 season of Ballet Vero Beach. The Ballet Vero Beach performances are Friday, August 1 and Saturday, August 2 at 7:30pm. Tickets to the Ballet Vero Beach performances are $10-$75. 

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