Previous seasons of the North Carolina Dance Festival have toured the state, stopping in different cities and towns to perform. This time around, under different circumstances, organizers say that there will still be a 2020-21 season—it’ll just look a little different. 

“The ongoing coronavirus pandemic means that our 2020 season will look different than we originally planned, but the importance of supporting North Carolina choreographers, connecting audiences and artists, educating students about dance, and nurturing relationships between artists across the state has not diminished,” Festival Director Anne Morris said in a press release. “This season is all about building on what has come before and showcasing the diverse, unique perspectives of artists who call NC home.”

Now a yearly high watermark in the North Carolina dance community, the festival was started in 1991 by Jan Van Dyke and John Gamble. 

The 30th season launches with a National Dance Day collaboration with the Greensboro Downtown Parks on September 19; that event will be held virtually and will feature local dance groups over video, as well as a public art installation. 

In October, the festival will virtually screen a commemorative dance film consisting of 30-60 dances submitted by choreographers selected through the annual adjudication process. Alongside visiting artists, choreographers will use draw upon the festival’s archival material to create “micro-dances” inspired by the festival’s thirty-year history. 

For further season highlights and details, you can visit the NCDF website. 

Follow Deputy Arts & Culture Editor Sarah Edwards on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]. 

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.

Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.