The Opening Night Gala on Thursday, September 11th, will include a special tribute to living dance legend, Murray Louis. Guest artist Peter Kyle will dance Mr. Louis' "Frail Demons," and former Louis company member Betsy Fisher returns to New York, from Hawaii, to dance a solo from "Figura." Mr. Louis will be present. A reception will follow the performance.

Friday September 12th continues the excitement with works by the inimitable Anna Sokolow. Jim May, Artistic Director of the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble will present "Session For Six," a jazz-influenced work, and the mesmerizing, final quartet from "Lyric Suite," two works that demonstrate Sokolow's astounding range and musicality. Also on Friday, Kun-Yang Lin will perform a solo, "Dedication," a tribute to Patricia Nanon of The Yard, who was a longtime member and supporter of ADG.

The festival offers a stellar roster of wildly diverse and intergenerational choreographers--the antic Pooh Kaye, meditative Nai-Ni Chen, Laban-influenced Bill Evans, lyrical Thomas/Ortiz and outspoken Alexandra Beller, to highlight only a few. The Louis and Sokolow works will be repeated on subsequent programs, and on Sunday Louis' "Porcelain Dialogues" will be performed by the original cast members-directed by Janis Brenner. Over forty companies and artists from New York City and across the United States will perform, with works ranging from modern to post-modern to performance art to cultural hybrids. The five programs revel in the cross currents of contemporary dance styles.

Each evening in the lobby, videos of Mr. Louis' and Ms. Sokolow's work will be shown.

American Dance Guild Performance Festival 2008 continues the Guild tradition of bringing together artists from across the nation and internationally for performances and master classes. Come celebrate the dancers of the present, savor the accomplishments of the past, and look into the future!

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE: *

Thursday, September 11, 2008

8:00pm Performance - Murray Louis, Nai-Ni Chen, Yung-li Chen, Bill Evans, Claudia Gitelman,

Pooh Kaye, Gloria McLean, Leda Meredith, Danielle Russo

Friday, September 13, 2008

8:00pm Performance - Anna Sokolow, Sue Bernhard, Tina Croll, Urmika Devi, Betsy Fisher,

Peter Kyle, Kun-Yang Lin, Lauren Putty, Laura Shapiro, Keith Thompson

Saturday, September 13, 2008

3:00pm Performance - Emily Berry, Meredith Blouin, Margot Mink Colbert, Marilyn Danitz,

Andrea Gise, Barbara Mahler, Jim Martin, Deborah Mauldin,

Rebecca Rice, Chien-Ying Wang

Saturday, September 13, 2008

8:00pm Performance - Murray Louis, Roman Baca, Lauren Edson, Ara Fitzgerald,

Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, Claire Porter, Noa Sagie, Thomas/Ortiz, Kariamu Welsh

Sunday, September 14, 2008

3:00pm Performance - Murray Louis, Anna Sokolow, Alexandra Beller, Joan Gavaler,

Celeste Hastings, Jeremy McQueen, Catherine Tharin, Natasa Trifan, Kathy Wildberger

* Please Note: Schedule is subject to change

See following page for more detailed descriptions of each performance

Thursday evening's performance includes two works by Murray Louis - "Frail Demons" will be performed by Peter Kyle, and a solo from "Figura" will be performed by Betsy Fisher. Former Nikolais/Louis soloist Lynn Lesniak will perform a solo by dance scholar and former Nikolais/Louis soloist Claudia Gitelman. Pooh Kaye revives her antic solo "The River Sticks." In addition, works by established artists Nai-Ni Chen, Bill Evans, Gloria McLean and Leda Meredith and emerging choreographers Yung-li Chen and Danielle Russo will complete the program.

Friday evening will feature "Session for Six" and the final quartet from "Lyric Suite," two pieces by Anna Sokolow from the 50s. Kun-Yang Lin will perform "Dedication" in honor of Patricia Nanon; Peter Kyle and Betsy Fisher will perform their own solos; and works by former Trisha Brown dancer Keith Thompson and former Limon dancer Sue Bernhard, established artists Tina Croll and Laura Shapiro and emerging choreographers Urmika Devi and Lauren Putty will be performed.

Saturday matinee Margot Mink Colbert presents a sophisticated duet for two women on pointe, and St. Denis lineaged Rebecca Rice's solo features sound by Earle Brown. In addition, there will be works in an array of styles and genres by established artists Marilynn Danitz, Barbara Mahler, James Martin and Deborah Mauldin as well as emerging choreographers Emily Berry, Meredith Blouin and Andrea Gise.

Saturday evening, Murray Louis' "Frail Demons" will be repeated. A solo by former Hubbard Street Dance Chicago dancer Lauren Edson; two humorous solos with text by Ara Fitzgerald and Claire Porter; a romantic duet by Thomas/Ortiz; Rebecca Nettil-Fiol's work to music by Jacques Brel; Kariamu Welsh's "Antebellum Blues" and pieces by emerging artists Noa Sagie and former US Marine Corps member--and ballet dancer--Roman Baca will complete the program.

Sunday matinee, Anna Sokolow's "Session for Six" and the final quartet from "Lyric Suite" will be repeated. Janis Brenner directs Murray Louis' "Porcelain Dialogues," performed by six extraordinary former Louis dancers: Michael Blake, Janis Brenner, Betsy Fisher, Peter Kyle, Sara Pearson and Robert Small. Works by established artists Celeste Hastings, Joan Gavaler, Catherine Tharin and Kathy Wildberger as well as emerging artists Alexandra Beller, Jeremy McQueen and Natase Trifan will also be performed.

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The American Dance Guild was founded in 1956, one of the first dance service organizations. It currently conducts workshops, master classes, film festivals and annual conferences. It offers performance opportunities that range from gala productions to bare-bones and on-site events. In addition to an annual festival of workshops and performances, the Guild annually honors one or more major contributor to dance, and offers the Fannie Weiss Student Scholarship for summer study at Jacob's Pillow. ADG serves members through performance opportunities, scholarly resources such as the New Dance Group Gala Video and publications such as Branching Out: Oral Histories of Six National Dance Organizations. ADG has an interactive website www.americandanceguild.org.