SPRING TO DANCE Festival Returns To The Touhill This Weekend

Dance St. Louis, one of the oldest and one of only four nonprofit dance presenters in the country, concludes its 58th season with the Midwest region's most celebrated dance festival-16th Annual SPRING TO DANCE Festival 2024-Friday and Saturday, May 24-25, at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Noted as one of the region's must- see festivals - "arguably the best dance buffet in the Midwest" (Chicago Tribune) and "a celebration of dance and... an invitation to bask in its artistry" (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) - the vibrant dance extravaganza brings together 75 dancers from 12 prominent dance companies from across the country for two exhilarating nights of nonstop dance during Memorial Day weekend.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The free pre- show "Speaking of Dance" Q&A, led by Dance St. Louis Artistic Director Michael Uthoff, starts at 6:15 p.m. in the Touhill's Terrace Lobby. Lobby performances by St. Louis area dance troupes begin at 6:45 p.m. and mainstage performances start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, $20, $25 and $35. Nightly 4-packs are $60, $75 and $105. All tickets and 4-packs are on sale through MetroTix at 314-534-1111 or metrotix.com.

SPRING TO DANCE continues to be one of the Midwest's most popular and accessible dance festivals. From contemporary and modern to ballet, flamenco and more, the festival offers something for everyone with a distinct, dynamic program each night. From powerhouse companies and breakout stars to up-and-coming companies, it's the best opportunity to experience a wide range of nationally touring professional dance companies on the same night at one venue.

With all tickets $35 and under, the St. Louis-area community is invited to experience nationally touring professional dance companies that may be inaccessible geographically or cost prohibitive.

The SPRING TO DANCE Festival 2024 program order is as follows. (*Program order and lineup subject to change.)

FRIDAY, MAY 24
Terrace Lobby • 6:45 PM
Local dance companies and troupes in lobby performances
COCA's Ballet Eclectica
The Big Muddy Trainee Program
Members of Ballet 314
GCAA Dance Department's Hip Hop Group

Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall • 7:30 PM
Mainstage featured performances
South Chicago Dance Theatre (Chicago, IL)
Limón Dance Company (New York, NY)
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (New York, NY)
Principal ballet artists Megan Fairchild & Joseph Gordon (New York, NY)
Bruce Wood Dance (Dallas, TX)

SATURDAY, MAY 25
Terrace Lobby • 6:45 PM
Local dance companies and troupes in lobby performances
COCA's Ballet Eclectica
The Big Muddy Trainee Program
Members of Ballet 314
GCAA Dance Department's Hip Hop Group

Anheuser-Busch Performance Hall • 7:30 PM
Mainstage featured performances
Dancing Wheels Company (Cleveland, OH)
ODC/Dance (San Francisco, CA)
Pilobolus (Washington, CT)
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Dayton, OH)
Kansas City Ballet - Amanda DeVenuta & Cameron Thomas (Kansas City, MO)
Collage Dance Collective (Memphis, TN)

The 16th Annual SPRING TO DANCE Festival 2024, presented by Whitaker Foundation, is fueled by the generosity of Dance St. Louis supporters that include major sponsor, the Whitaker Foundation, along with Ameren, the presenting sponsor of the lobby performances. Dance St. Louis is grateful to festival supporting sponsors Regional Arts Commission, Missouri Arts Council, Nancy and Ken Kranzberg, Melinda Ligon, Drs. Susan and Dan Luedke, Connie Schnuck and Mary Strauss.

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