From bluegrass to 19th-century brass band music, from global sounds to high-tech traditional, the 2011 Midsummer Lakeside Concert Series offers sounds for every music lover.

The series opens with an evening of bluegrass, folk and Americana by the Crunchy Western Boys at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, in the Florence Keigwin Amphitheater by the college’s scenic Lake Andrews. The series continues with four more concerts, all at 6 p.m. Thursdays.

Also in the lineup: the high-tech traditional dance band Perpetual e-Motion (July 21), the Yankee Brass Band (July 28), musicians from the world-renowned Bates Dance Festival (Aug. 4) and songwriter-guitar virtuoso Jim Gallant (Aug. 11).

Sponsored by the Bingham Betterment Fund and the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates, these family concerts are open to the public at no cost. Listeners are encouraged to bring a picnic and lawn chairs or blankets.

An alternative site will be announced in case of rain. For more information about the series, please call 207-786-6400.

Crunchy Western Boys (6 p.m. Thursday, July 14): Exponents of what these musicians call “crunchy Western” music, this acoustic quartet also works bluegrass, folk and Americana into its high-energy sets. Hailing from Warren, N.H., the players are multi-instrumentalists Jim McHugh and Morris Manning, bassist Steve McBrian and fiddler Jacob Stern. Their self-titled first CD, featuring original songs by Manning and McHugh, has sold well over 3,000 copies.

Perpetual e-Motion (6 p.m. Thursday, July 21): Captivating, passionate, propulsive and progressive, this duo from coastal Maine is perched at the convergence of folk and electronic dance music. Ed Howe, who plays electric five-string fiddle, and John Coté, playing electronically treated guitar, didgeridoo and foot percussion, bring a passion for sonic and technical experimentation to the art and soul of traditional music.

Yankee Brass Band (6 p.m. Thursday, July 28): Numbering up to 25 members from all over the country who gather every July, this band is a historically accurate recreation of an American brass band from the mid-19th century. Directed by Paul Maybery, the ensemble performs music of the period in authentic arrangements and on original instruments to produce one of northern New England’s most distinctive musical events.

Global Grooves at the Lake (6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4): Hosted by Terrence Karn, musicians from the internationally recognized Bates Dance Festival create a tapestry of rhythms and melodies on instruments from all corners of the Earth: percussion, accordion, bouzouki, marimba, kalimba and more. Favorites of the Lakeside audience, this ensemble of world-class players and composers represents a unique collaboration of cultures.

Jim Gallant (6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11): With his roots in the rock and folk of the 1960s and ’70s, Gallant offers catchy originals and strong interpretations of contemporary covers. Whether it’s a jig, a Bach fugue or a New Age instrumental, Gallant’s distinctive playing never fails to win listeners’ hearts as well as their feet. His latest CD, 2011′s Old Hat With a New Coat, shows off Gallant’s knack for writing Americana music.

1. Restructuring enhances Bates’ commitment to diversity and inclusion
2. Chemistry major wins top award at international conference
3. Bates Fund flourishes in 2009-2010 fiscal year
4. Campus Construction Update
5. Museum of Art offers summer retrospective by noted painter Nicoletti
6. With Young Dancers Workshop, festival bridges gap in dance education
7. Save the date: Parents & Family Weekend Oct. 8-10
8. Bates in the News

Celebrating 25 years of offering contemporary dance training, commissioning and performance, the Bates Dance Festival announces its 25th anniversary performance season, July 7 through Aug. 11, 2007, on the campus of Bates College. The five-week festival will feature performances, panel discussions and lectures by more than 30 internationally recognized dance artists from throughout the United States and abroad. The season showcases compelling and visually arresting performances that blend dance, video, live music and spoken word to address perspectives on the body, community and the environment, and themes of political activism, the impact of technology and cultural change.

Highlighting the 2007 festival will be the 25th Anniversary Gala Concert, Saturday, July 28, featuring performances by renowned intergenerational dance pioneer Liz Lerman, winner of the MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship; hip-hop legend Rennie Harris, voted one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years of Philadelphia history; Obie award-winning choreographer Doug Varone, acclaimed for his work in theater, opera, television and film; four-time “Bessie” award winner Bebe Miller, known for her virtuosic works exploring the human condition; Barrymore award winner David Dorfman, recognized for his collaborative community projects; acclaimed theater, opera and dance choreographer and former STOMP cast member Seán Curran; and jazz master and Broadway veteran Danny Buraczeski.

Capping the night will be community/site artists PearsonWidrig DanceTheater, performing an excerpt from their moving portrait, Katrina Katrina: Love Letter to New Orleans.The festival presents the 25th Anniversary Gala Concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28, in the Lewiston Middle School Auditorium, Central Avenue.

Victor Quijada’s Montreal-based Rubberbandance Group is a collection of world-class dancers from contemporary and breakdance backgrounds that unite to investigate human relationships through an innovative mix of hip- hop dynamics and contemporary classicism. Rubberbandance brings to the stage fresh and inventive works that marry explosive hip-hop physicality with the subtlety of contemporary storytelling. The music is Baroque, Prokofiev, tango, riff or rap, while the choreography blends ballet, contemporary and hip-hop dance styles. The festival presents Rubberbandance Group at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 14, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St., Bates College.

A festival favorite, David Dorfman Dance returns to Maine with underground, a compelling and provocative exploration of political activism.  Inspired by social protest and the incendiary activities of the Weather Underground during the 1960s, Dorfman captures the era’s restive mood and dangerous politics through an electrifying combination of live performance, cutting-edge LED technology, ’60′s music with a score by Jonathan Bepler (composer for Matthew Barney’s Cremaster films) and video design by Jacob Pinholster (Spamalot, Wicked). A dozen local dancers join Dorfman’s company to create an atmosphere of political protest that raises disturbing questions about the nature of protest: What happens when activism veers into violence? Can killing ever be justified? Dorfman and his skilled performers embody the urgency and desperation of these issues with their passionate performance. The festival presents David Dorfman Dance at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 20 and 21, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St., Bates College.

The annual Different Voices concert showcases choreographers, from the United States, Africa and Latin America, who bring diverse styles and perspectives to the festival stage. The evening includes new works by Claudia Lavista and Omar Gibran, of Mexico’s acclaimed contemporary company Delfos; San Francisco-based Kathleen Hermesdorf and Albert Mathias of motionlab; Adriana Arana and Alejandro Avalos, from the University of Colima’s (Mexico) highly acclaimed folkloric dance company; South African choreographer Lucky Kele; and Seattle-based choreographer Amy O’Neal. The festival presents Different Voices at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St., Bates College.

Bridgman Packer Dance explores the concept of “video partnering” in its latest work, Trilogy, a highly visceral and visually arresting integration of live performance and video technology that explodes the duet form into a magically populated stage where image and reality collide. Trilogy features live music by three renowned composers whose distinctive musical styles are strongly influenced by contemporary, classical or jazz musical genres. Robert Een plays cello for Seductive Reasoning; Ken Field blows his sax for Under the Skin; and Grammy-Award-winning percussionist Glen Velez does a dazzling turn on his frame drum for Memory Bank. The festival presents Bridgman Packer Dance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St., Bates College.

Marianela Boán, Cuba’s best-known avant-garde choreographer brings her newly formed company BoánDanz Action to present False Testimony. Boán masterfully employs her choreographic method of “contaminated dance,” merging many art forms for a deep investigation of our post-technological era where the virtual reality of video cameras is omnipresent. A seamless integration of dance, video and live music, False Testimony combines wit, craft and a sophisticated use of technology to comment on today’s wired world. The festival presents BoánDanz Action at 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St., Bates College.

Celebrating the festival’s commitment to producing innovative outdoor events, PearsonWidrig DanceTheater returns to Maine this summer to create another magical site-specific performance installation, this time on and around Lake Andrews on the Bates College campus. Incorporating 40 dancers, 20-plus singers and musicians, and youth and community members of all ages, this event will use sound, light, movement and inventive set pieces to enliven the night environment. PearsonWidrig DanceTheater has gained an international following for work that transforms the familiar into the mysterious, the subversive and the intimate. The festival presents PearsonWidrig DanceTheater at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 9 and 10, at Keigwin Amphitheater, 75 Russell St., Bates College.

In addition to main stage performances, the festival offers a selection of free and low-cost events. Global Exchange: Sharing Across Cultures, a panel discussion with international visiting artists, takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 26, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St. The Early Days, a panel discussion with veteran festival teacher Dan Wagoner and founder Marcy Plavin takes place at 8 p.m. Friday, July 27, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall.

A Dialogue with Dance Makers, a panel discussion with Rennie Harris, Doug Varone, Danny Buraczeski and Marianela Boán takes place at 8 p.m. Monday, July 30, in Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St. An Evening of Improvised Work, led by contact-improviser Nancy Stark Smith with a select group of festival dancers and musicians, takes place at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 29, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 75 Russell St.

The Musician’s Concert features an eclectic mix of music from around the globe performed by gifted musicians/composers in residence, at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 31, in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall.

Rounding out the festival’s five-week season is the Festival Finale, featuring dancers of all ages and abilities performing modern and jazz dance works by Danny Buraczeski, David Dorfman and Marianela Boán. The Festival Finale takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 11, in Alumni Gymnasium, 130 Central Ave.

In conjunction with its performances, the festival presents Inside Dance: Understanding Contemporary Dance, a series of pre-and post-performance discussions and lectures led by noted dance scholar Suzanne Carbonneau. Offering audiences insight into the artists and their work, the lectures accompany performances by David Dorfman Dance on Saturday, July 21, Bridgman Packer Dance on Saturday, Aug. 4, and BoánDanz Action on Sunday, Aug. 5. Discussions will be held at 7:15 p.m. in Schaeffer Theater, 305 College St.

For tickets, program schedules and further details please visit the festival’s website.

About the Bates Dance Festival
Founded in 1982 at Bates College in Maine the Bates Dance Festival brings together an international community of contemporary dance choreographers, performers, educators and students in cooperative community to study, perform and create new work. The festival serves as an annual destination for artists, students and audiences to engage in a full range of dance activities and performances that foster creative exchange of ideas, encourage exploration of new ground and provide the opportunity to experience a wide spectrum of dance/movement disciplines.

In addition to its mainstage performance series of 13 concerts, the festival offers two intensive training programs, one for adults and one for younger dancers. For more information, or to request a brochure, contact the Bates Dance Festival at 207-786-6381; or this dancefest@bates.edu; or visit the festival website.

Tickets are $14/$8 (students and seniors) and may be purchased by calling 207-786-6161. A post-performance talk with the artists will take place immediately following the concert.

Choreographer and filmmaker Victoria Marks has been creating dance for stage and film and in communities from London to Los Angeles that “reveals the human being in the dancer and the dancer within the ordinary person,” according to The Village Voice. Marks portrays Lot’s wife in “My First Solo,” revealing her funny brand of feminism and exhibitionism.

The evening also will feature two short award-winning films directed by Margaret Williams and choreographed by Marks. “Outside In,” an exhilarating jaunt for the gifted dancers of the Britain’s multi-abled CandoCo Dance Company, proves that people in wheelchairs can be thoroughly unbound. “Mothers and Daughters” eloquently portrays the intimacies of families of women.

Seàn Curran, first made his mark on the international dance world as a principal dancer with the Bill T.Jones/Arnie Zane Company. A featured cast member of the Off-Broadway hit “STOMP,” Curran has won consistent praise for his own intelligent and engaging works. Since striking out on his own, Curran has created a gifted company whose recent run at New York’s Joyce Theater received rave reviews. For this performance Curran and members of his company present “That Place, Those People,” a quartet set to the piano music of Leos Janacek; Curran’s solo “Real Boy,” a collaboration with visual designer Douglas Rosenberg; “Enough is Too Much,” a trio set to a percussion score by Bosho; and “Hegel’s Vacation,” a surrealist’s version of “Singing in the Rain,” created for the exceptional dancer Heather Waldon.

In addition to its critically acclaimed mainstage performance series of concerts, the festival offers two intensive training programs, including one for adults and one for younger dancers. For more information, or to request a brochure, call the Bates Dance Festival at 207-786-6381.

The Bates Dance Festival receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Maine Arts Commission, the OnSite Performance Network, the Surdna Foundation, Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, Sequoia Foundation, LEF Foundation, Tom’s of Maine, Bingham Betterment Fund, Shapiro Family Foundation, Harkness Foundations for Dance, Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation, and numerous corporate sponsors in Maine.

Doug Elkins is one of the country’s most eclectic choreographers. His New York-based company is recognized for combining diverse dance styles in works that offer hilarious comment on contemporary culture. According to Le Figaro, Paris, he “surprises and seduces. Doug Elkins is an authentic creator who knows how to hustle and translate traditional choreographic language into new forms.” The Maine Times called his style “virtuosic and physical, synthesizing ballet and street-dance tricks with smart-alecky flamboyance.”

Elkins began his career in dance as a B-Boy, touring the world with break dance groups Magnificent Force and New York Dance Express before graduating from SUNY at Purchase with a degree in communications/design. He is the recipient of significant choreographic commissions from the National Performance Network, Dance Theater Workshop’s First Light program, Dance Magazine Foundation, Metropolitan Life/American Dance Festival and The Joyce Theater Foundation’s Fund for New Works. His work as an emerging choreographer has been honored by a 1997 New York Dance and Performance Award (BESSIE), a 1995 grant from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, a 1994 Creative Arts Award Medal in Dance from Brandeis University and choreographer’s fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1990-94.

The Doug Elkins Dance Company has performed extensively in the United States and Europe, and Elkins recently collaborated with The Flying Karamazovs on the Broadway-bound production of Room Service, produced by A Contemporary Theater, A.C.T., of Seattle. He has created original works for Batsheva Ballet, Opera Ballet of Graz, MaggioDanza of Florence, Mega Cool Rap of Montpellier and Union Dance Company of London, as well as a number of university dance companies.

Audiences are invited to attend Inside Dance: Understanding Contemporary Performance, a talk by noted dance historian, writer and educator Suzanne Carbonneau. The Bates Dance Festival presents this series of pre- and post-performance talks in an effort to enhance understanding and increase appreciation for contemporary dance. Carbonneau will discuss the work of Elkins and its significance in the post-modern dance era. This free half hour talk will take place Aug. 1 at 7:15 p.m in Schaeffer Theatre on College Street.

In addition to its critically acclaimed mainstage performance series of 13 concerts, the festival offers two intensive training programs, one for pre-professionals and one for younger dancers. For more information, or to request a brochure, call the Bates Dance Festival at 207-786-6381.

Buraczeski is best described as a classic jazz dance stylist, whose company has performed at leading concert halls and festivals in more than 30 states, in Europe and the Caribbean. Propelled by the rhythms of jazz, Buraczeski’s formal explorations and sophisticated musicality distinguish him as one of the most original voices working in the form. JAZZDANCE delivers “simply the most ebullient, dynamic and all-out energy-sapping dance around,” says The Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Downright terrific,” says The New York Times.

Drawing on a background in ballet and modern in addition to jazz, Buraczeski has helped redefine what was once considered a limited form – jazz dance. After a career on Broadway, appearing in such musicals as Mame with Angela Lansbury and The Act with Liza Minelli, Buraczeski formed the original New York-based JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski in 1979. Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul since 1993, JAZZANCE is a regular guest at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and New York’s Joyce Theater.

In addition to the complete repertory of JAZZDANCE, Buraczeski has created works for the Boston Ballet, Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Company and many repertory companies and university programs around the nation. Among other awards, Buraczeski has received multiple fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the McKnight Foundation.

During a four-week residency at the 1998 Bates Dance Festival, JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski will teach master classes and continue to work on Ezekiel’s Wheel, a National Dance Project commissioned by the Walker Art Center and the Bates Dance Festival and slated to premiere this fall. Buraczeski discovered the life and work of James Baldwin while living in Europe in the late 1970s. According to the choreographer: “Baldwin’s personal ‘gospel’ of recognition, responsibility and redemption was like a lighting bolt, illuminating the dark chambers of the human heart. A writer of power and grace, Baldwin’s voice became a crucible in 1960s America for issues of equality and identity — between races, sexes, generations — issues which continue to galvanize our society.” After meeting composer Philip Hamilton at Jacob’s Pillow in the early 1980s, and working together at the Bates Dance Festival several more times, Hamilton and Buraczeski decided to create a work together based on Baldwin’s fictional writings.

Audiences are invited to attend Inside Dance: Understanding Contemporary Performance, a talk by noted dance historian, writer and educator, Suzanne Carbonneau. The Bates Dance Festival presents this series of pre- and post-performance talks in an effort to enhance understanding and increase appreciation for contemporary dance. Carbonneau will discuss the Buraczeski’s work and its place in the context of American jazz dance. This free half-hour talk will take place July 25 at 7:15 p.m in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives on Campus Avenue at Bates College.

In addition to its critically acclaimed mainstage performance series of 13 concerts, the festival offers two intensive training programs, one for pre-professionals and one for younger dancers. For more information, or to request a brochure, call the Bates Dance Festival at 207-786-6381.

In addition to its critically acclaimed mainstage performance series of 13 concerts, the festival offers two intensive training programs, one for adults and one for younger dancers. For more information, or to request a brochure, call the Bates Dance Festival at 207-786-6381.

As part of a four-week residency, JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski, known as one of the most original voices in jazz, will present an evening of new repertory July 25 at the Lewiston Middle School Auditorium. Since 1989, this eight-member company has performed at leading concert halls in more than 30 states, in Europe and the Caribbean presenting its profoundly musical and accessible choreography to enthusiastic audiences. As the concert’s highlight, JAZZDANCE will preview Ezekiel’s Wheel, a 35- minute work by Buraczeski and jazz composer Philip Hamilton. Inspired by the writings of James Baldwin, the work for eight dancers is set to a suite of original songs for vocal quartet and instrumental quintet. “Sensuously lyrical, handsome and sexy work . . . danced with beautiful clarity, dynamism and infectious gusto,” The Minneapolis Star Tribune said.

Among the festival’s extensive roster of artists, Bebe Miller, in residence at the festival for three-weeks, is one of its most popular performers. The festival presents Bebe Miller Company in concert Aug. 7 and Aug. 8 at Schaeffer Theatre, featuring a preview of Miller’s newest collaboration, Going to the Wall, an aesthetic examination of cultural identity with an original score by award-winning composer-clarinetist Don Byron. The concert also will include Blessed, set to gospel music by an Australian a cappella group, and The Hendrix Project, set to the heat of Hendrix’s music and the moods of his days. “Vibrant, quirky dancing . . . Miller and her dancers are terrific,” The New York Times said.

One of the country’s most eclectic choreographers, Doug Elkins Dance Company, is a New York-based company known for combining diverse dance styles in works that offer hilarious comment on contemporary culture. The company will perform its acclaimed 1996 work, Center My Heart, an energetic ensemble piece set to devotional music by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, as well as two Maine premieres. This troupe of six dancers will perform Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 at Schaeffer Theatre. “He surprises and seduces. Doug Elkins is an authentic creator who knows how to hustle and translate traditional choreographic language into new forms,” The Paris Le Figaro said.

Highlighting the festival season is HOT FEET, an evening of American jazz, French Canadian step, Afro-fusion, jazz tap and more, July 31 at the Lewiston Middle School Auditorium. This lively concert will feature works by award-winning South African dancer Vincent Mantsoe; acclaimed French- Canadian step dancer Benoit Bourque of Montreal; jazz tapper Herbin Van Cayseele, fresh from his tour with the Jazz Tap Hip Hip Festival and Riverdance, and jazz master Danny Buraczeski. The concert will include live music by festival musicians.

Showcasing emerging artists from around the globe, the Different Voices concert at Schaeffer Theatre Aug. 13 features new works by choreographers Kota Yamazaki of Japan, Sukarji Sriman of Java, Antonio Tavares of Cape Verde, Vincent Mantsoe of South Africa and Simon Ellis of Australia, all in residence as part of the festival’s International Visiting Artists Program.

In conjunction with performances, the festival will present a series of pre-and post performance discussions and lectures, “Inside Dance: Understanding Contemporary Dance,” that will offer audiences insight into the artists and contemporary dance. The lectures will be held to accompany performances by JAZZDANCE July 25, Doug Elkins Dance Company Aug. 2 and Bebe Miller Company Aug. 8, all at 7:15 p.m. at the performance site. Historian and dance critic Suzanne Carbonneau, will lead these engaging talks.

In addition to mainstage performances, the festival will offer a wide range of free, public events. On Aug. 3 in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, choreographer Tamar Rogoff will present, The Ivye Project, a “live” documentary with slides, video and readings from her site-specific work in the Holocaust memorial in the forest of Belarus. On Aug. 6 in the Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, the Composer’s Concert features an eclectic mix of original works by musicians Philip Hamilton, Peter Jones, Gilles Obermayer, Shamou, John Clark Stiefel and Mike Vargas. A diverse group of festival dancers and musicians, led by contact-improvisers Nancy Stark Smith, perform in the annual and highly popular Moving In The Moment Concert Aug. 11 in Alumni Gymnasium. Rounding out the festival’s five-week season will be the Young Choreographer’s/New Works Concert Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 at Schaeffer Theatre, and the Student Finale Aug. 15 in Alumni Gymnasium, featuring faculty works performed by local youth and festival students, as well as panel discussions and workshops led by distinguished artists.

The Bates Dance Festival receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, Maine Arts Commission, Africa Exchange, the Bingham Betterment Fund, Harkness Foundations for Dance, Capezio Ballet Makers Dance Foundation, Lewiston Auburn Children’s Foundation, the Shapiro Family Foundation, the Sequoia Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cole Haan, Androscoggin Savings Bank, Mechanics Savings Bank, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Northern Utilities and Peoples Heritage Bank.

Saturday, July 18
Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $12/$8*
Performance: Alone & Together – Faculty Gala
An evening of modern, ballet, hip hop and jazz solos and duets by dance artists Michael Foley, Vincent Mantsoe, Maria Simpson, Katiti King and Clyde Evans. Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Saturday, July 25
Pre-performance lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau, Muskie Archive, 7:15 p.m.
Performance: JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski , Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Internationally acclaimed jazz choreographer Danny Buraczeski and his outstanding eight-member company, JAZZDANCE, team up with composer/vocalist Philip Hamilton and his dynamic ensemble for a preview performance of Ezekiel’s Wheel, an original collaboration inspired by the writings of James Baldwin. The evening will feature three additional Maine premieres by Buraczeski.

Tuesday, July 28
Chase Hall, 7:30 p.m., $5
French-Canadian Step Dancing Workshop with Benoit Bourque Renowned Quebecois step dancer and musician Benoit Bourque leads a fun-filled workshop open to all levels of experience.

Friday, July 31
Lewiston Middle School Auditorium, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Performance: HOT FEET: An evening of jazz, Afro-fusion and percussive dance
An unforgettable evening of artistry featuring jazz tapper Herbin Van Cayseele, who recently appeared in the national tour of Riverdance, and the Jazz Tap Hip Hop Festival, acclaimed French-Canadian step dancer Benoit Bourque of Montreal, award-winning South African choreographer Vincent Mantsoe and former Broadway dancer and jazz choreographer Danny Buraczeski. With live accompaniment by a gifted ensemble of musicians, the performance is followed by a discussion with the artists.

Saturday, Aug. 1
Pre-performance lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau, Schaeffer
Theatre, 7:15 p.m.
Performance: Doug Elkins Dance Company, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Back by popular demand, the quirky and eclectic dance mix master Doug Elkins and his eight-member company present an evening of dynamic new works including Center My Heart, set to the devotional music of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Sunday, Aug. 2
Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Performance: Doug Elkins Dance Company (see Saturday listing)
Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists. Monday, Aug. 3, Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m. The Ivye Project, A live documentary by Tamar Rogoff Tamar Rogoff will present her “live” documentary using slides, video and the 1935 diary of her father to recreate The Ivye Project, a large scale, site-specific dance theater piece at the Holocaust memorial in the woods of Belarus in the summer of 1994.

Thursday, Aug. 6
Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Performance: The Composer’s Concert
An annual favorite at the festival, this eclectic concert features multi-instrumentalists Mike Vargas and Peter Jones, pianist John Clark Stiefel, vocal artist Philip Hamilton and percussionists Gilles Obermayer and Shamou in a program of original and improvised music.

Friday, Aug. 7
Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m. $14/$8*
Performance: Bebe Miller Company
Bebe Miller returns to preview her newest work, Going to the Wall, with original music by award-winning composer/clarinetist Don Byron. The 45-minute piece features her remarkable company of eight in a highly physical examination of cultural identity. Also on the program are Miller’s acclaimed works “Blessed” and “The Hendrix Project.” Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Saturday, Aug. 8
Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m. $14/$8*
Pre-performance lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau, Schaeffer Theatre, 7:15 p.m.
Performance: Bebe Miller Company (see Friday listing)

Tuesday Aug. 11
Alumni Gym, 8 p.m
Performance: Moving in the Moment
An evening of improvisational dance and music with contact improviser Nancy Stark Smith and members of the festival faculty. An annual crowd pleaser full of delicious surprises and subtle artistry.

Wednesday, Aug. 12
Olin Arts Center Concert Hall, 8 p.m.
Choreographer’s Panel Discussion
Acclaimed choreographers Liz Lerman, Tamar Rogoff, Andrea Olsen and Joanna Mendl Shaw discuss the creation of site-specific and community-based work.

Thursday, Aug. 13
Schaeffer Theatre, 7 p.m., $12/$8*
Performance: Different Voices
New works by artists from around the world, featuring Kota Yamazaki (Japan), Sukarji Sriman (Java), Antonio Tavares (Cape Verde), Vincent Mantsoe (South Africa), Simon Ellis (Australia) and more . . . all in one dynamic program. Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Friday, Aug. 14
Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $6
Performance: Young Choreographers/New Works
Gifted students and emerging choreographers join forces to present two dynamic evenings of original dance works.

Saturday, Aug. 15
Schaeffer Theatre, 2 p.m., $6
Performance: Young Choreographers/New Works (see Friday listing)

Performance: Student Finale
Alumni Gymnasium, 8 p.m. $5/$2 (children under 12)
A celebration of our diverse dance traditions. Join us for an evening of modern, jazz and Afro-fusion works created by Bebe Miller, Danny Buraczeski, Doug Elkins, Kevin Wynn and Vincent Mantsoe, and performed by remarkable festival students from around the world. Highlighting the program will be a performance by local youth participating in our Youth Arts dance and music program under the direction of Jane Weiner.

*Admission for full-time students and senior citizens All events take place at Bates College unless otherwise indicated All events are free unless otherwise indicated Advance reservations: 207-786-6161 beginning July 1