Coordinated by Marcy Plavin, director of the Bates College Modern Dance Company, the ACDF at Bates is the first of eight regional festivals to be performed in 2000. The 25-year-old American College Dance Festival has a two fold purpose: to provide classes, workshops and performance experiences for college dancers and an opportunity for the dancers to have their works adjudicated and critiqued by established professionals.

This year, 30 institutions will present 45 pieces for adjudication. The three adjudicators for the 2000 festival are dance critic and historian Suzanne Carbonneau `76, who is resident scholar and director of audience enrichment at Jacob’s Pillow; Alan Kriegsman, Pulitzer Prize winning dance writer for The Washington Post; and Gus Solomons Jr., dance critic, dancer and company director.

The ACDF at Bates also includes a performance by New York-based dancer Michael Foley`89 and his company Michael Foley Dance at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22. This performance is sold out.

For more information about the performances, call 207-786-6157.