VAIL DANCE FESTIVAL

Vail

NEWS: The Vail Valley Foundation is announcing the establishment of the Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund, which will support the Vail Dance Festival’s ongoing commitment to supporting rising stars in dance.

The fund was created with the help of longtime Vail Dance Festival committee member Jonna Mackin, Ph.D., and is named for legendary Balanchine ballerina Heather Watts. Watts, also a creative collaborator for Vail Dance Festival, is described by Damian Woetzel, the festival’s artistic director, as “The heart and soul of our festival.”

“Heather Watts’ important work of supporting young artists at the Vail Dance Festival is a seamless connection to her many contributions to the field of dance,” says Mackin. “From her groundbreaking career at New York City Ballet to her expansive role at the Vail Dance Festival, Heather has influenced countless artists across diverse backgrounds and artistic disciplines for decades. It is a tremendous joy to launch this fund with the Vail Valley Foundation to help ensure that her legacy continues to inspire and touch the hearts of artists and audiences alike, here in Vail and around the world.”

The Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund will be used for the scouting and recruitment of emerging or pre-professional artists to join the festival as guest artists or as Scholars-in-Residence. It also will be used to support the staging of groundbreaking works of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins leading into and during the festival.

“For 18 years, Heather has played a critical role in the festival and provided leadership focused on nurturing festival artists at every step of their dance career as well as supporting the work of dance appreciation with our audiences and communities throughout the Vail Valley,” notes Martha Brassel, senior director of development for the Vail Dance Festival. “We are so grateful for the leadership contribution of Jonna Mackin and her vision of creating this fund in Heather’s honor to support her influential legacy within our festival for years to come.”

Watts was a pioneering ballerina for George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins at the New York City Ballet and, with Balanchine’s guidance, redefined what a modern ballerina could be. As an educator she has opened new pathways for young artists to find their voices and has launched careers for dancers that include New York City Ballet’s Roman Mejia, street dance phenomenon Lil Buck, rising New York City Ballet dancer Olivia Bell and stage and social media presence Spencer Lenain.

Donations to the fund can be made by visiting vaildance.org or by emailing Brassel at mbrassel@vvf.org

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Established in 1989 and held every July and August, the Vail Dance Festival is hosted by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation and led by artistic director Damian Woetzel. The internationally renowned festival brings a wide range of extraordinary dancers and musicians to Vail, and features new works, collaborations, education initiatives, free community events and other programs that welcome all to enjoy the world of dance.

WEBSITE: vaildance.org

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