ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios

Yang proposed to Charles Reinhart, then ADF Director, and Ralph Samuelson, then director of ACC, both interviewed for this project, to establish a modern dance program at the Guangdong Dance Academy.

In 1987, Wang received permission from BDA to go to Guangzhou to study modern dance. Wang was a member of the original class of students in the Guangdong Modern Dance Experimental Program led by Yang Meiqi in collaboration with ADF at the Guangdong Dance Academy in Guangzhou, China.

On a scholarship, Stackhouse attended ADF at Connecticut College, the six-week summer teaching residence of Martha Graham and José Limón. Stackhouse continued her education at the University of Wisconsin and studied in the first dance major in a US university.

In 1989, Shen began modern dance training at the at the Guangdong Modern Dance Experimental Program led by Yang Meiqi at Guangdong Dance Academy in Guangzhou, China.

In 1984 and 1986, Shang taught at ADF/Tokyo. In the spring of 1988, with support from the American Dance Festival, Shang was the second teacher sent from the U.S. to teach in the Guangdong Modern Dance Experimental Program at the Guangdong Dance Academy.

In 1993, Ou taught Western dance history as part of the nation-wide modern dance workshops for choreographers and dancers organized by China’s Ministry of Culture. Jin Xing, also interviewed for this project, taught choreography and technique in these workshops, and Wen Hui, also interviewed for this project, attended the workshops as a student.

Houlihan began offering her widely popular adult Joy of Movement modern dance classes at the ADF Samuel H. Scripps Studios soon after. Since 2018, she has overseen ADF’s International Choreographers Residency Program.

Impressions/experiences of the US artists who taught classes in China. Impressions/experiences of the students who participated in the classes and choreographers who attended ADF’s International Choreographers in Residence Program.

Each January, ADF begins its annual partnership with Central Park School for Children (CPSC) to offer creative movement as an alternative to more traditional physical education classes. Gaspard Louis, Director of ADF Project Dance, leads these classes. In September 2014, students from CPSC performed Dance x 19 as a part of the Gaspard&Dancers annual concert at Duke University’s Reynolds Industries Theater.

In our school programs, teaching artists lead 45-minute to 1-hour classes in school and/or after school. And we have dance workshops for the whole family!

Each January, ADF begins its annual partnership with Central Park School for Children (CPSC) to offer creative movement as an alternative to more traditional physical education classes.

In our school programs, teaching artists lead 45-minute to 1-hour classes in school and/or after school. And we have dance workshops for the whole family!

Each January, ADF begins its annual partnership with Central Park School for Children (CPSC) to offer creative movement as an alternative to more traditional physical education classes.

In our school programs, teaching artists lead 45-minute to 1-hour classes in school and/or after school. And we have dance workshops for the whole family!

ADF’s Studios offers dance classes for all ages and for all levels. For our adult classes, you can register in advance online or via the MindBody app downloaded to your mobile device. You can also “drop-in” and pay upon your arrival.

ADF’s Studios offers dance classes for all ages and for all levels. For our adult classes, you can register in advance online or via the MindBody app downloaded to your mobile device. You can also “drop-in” and pay upon your arrival.

Classes and auditions open to the public, offered across the country as part of the ADF Coast to Coast initiative, allowing community engagement with the festival.

Students will take daily SDI classes, participate in drop-in classes, get one free ticket to all performances, and receive mentoring from ADF staff while building your resume!

Students will take daily SDI classes, participate in drop-in classes, get one free ticket to all performances, and receive mentoring from ADF staff while building your resume!

Rejuvenate your professional practice with our Dance Professional Workshops. This program is tailored for professionals seeking to enhance their skills and refresh their artistic approach. The ADF School offers an innovative curriculum and presents best pedagogical practices.

Realize your potential in a community of passionate artists with our Summer Dance Intensive (SDI).

NC Dance for Parkinson’s is modeled after the Dance for PD® program, developed by the Mark Morris Dance Group and Brooklyn Parkinson Group, and our teachers have attended their training workshops in Brooklyn. Although the class conveys the benefits of exercise, it also highly values the creative expression, aesthetics, and artistry that are at the core of dance as an art form. Participants will learn choreography in a variety of dance styles, including ballet, modern, jazz, and cultural/folk, and have opportunities to improvise and create unique movement sequences. A typical class includes movement done seated, standing, and locomoting, with adaptations offered based on each individual’s level of comfort and mobility. Participants dance together, in partnerships, and at times, solo. In addition to dance, the teachers utilize related art forms such as theatre games, poetry, image-based mindfulness, and storytelling to foster creative and expressive experiences. The class also promotes a sense of community where isolation is broken and meaningful connections are formed through the joy of dance. All people with Parkinson’s and their PD their care partners are invited!

This class will focus on exploring the artistry of movement in this physically engaging modern/Contemporary dance class designed for teens. Class includes structured warm-ups, floor work, improvisation, and choreography that challenges both physicality and creativity. This class encourages artistic exploration, a sense of community, self-expression, and self-confidence.

This class will focus on exploring the artistry of movement in this physically engaging modern/Contemporary dance class designed for teens. Class includes structured warm-ups, floor work, improvisation, and choreography that challenges both physicality and creativity. This class encourages artistic exploration, a sense of community, self-expression, and self-confidence.

This class offers a grounded lens to modern dance technique, focusing on body awareness, fluidity, and movement efficiency. The class will explore a toolbox of movement vocabulary that explores breathwork, spirals, gravity, and weight efficiency. Class structure includes a release technique floor warm-up, across-the-floor exercises to explore dynamic travel, and phrasework to integrate technical concepts into longer movement sequences. Elements of release technique, spirals, and mobility-focused exercises guide dancers toward greater range in motion and energy efficiency. Open to adult movers, from intermediate who want to deepen their practice, or beginners looking to broaden their relationship to the moving body.

Contemporary Jazz with Courtney White

Modern with Gerri Houlihan

Ballet with Courtney Liu

This dynamic ballet classes combine the rigor, excitement, and athleticism of ballet technique with ample space for exploration, personal expression, and creating a ballet class that works for you. Join for all or part of class to stretch your brain, body, and artistry.

Explore the rich, diverse and rigorous world of modern dance through a technique class that blends Dunham and contemporary dance styles. This class is designed for dancers of all levels who are eager to enhance their technical skills, express themselves creatively, and deepen their understanding of modern dance’s unique vocabulary and aesthetics.

This soulful modern jazz class draws on the techniques and philosophies of Tracey Durbin’s mentor, Eugene Louis Faccuito, “Luigi,” one of the most famous international jazz teachers of his generation. It equips dancers with a strong, technical foundation while focusing on lowering the center of gravity and syncopating movement with a blend of Latin, modern, ballet, and jazz. This fun fluid class emphasizes the relationship between music and movement and inspires dancers to feel movement from the inside out.

In this class series, your dancer will explore movement through a modern dance lens. We will practice moving as a class and as individuals with focus on upper/lower isolation, body-half coordination, locomotor/non-locomotor movements and the power of stillness. As we grow, we will develop communication and collaboration through sharing the space with our peers. We will encourage and facilitate growth in body awareness, sense of community and self-confidence in addition to moving with control using the modern dance vocabulary.

In this class series, we will grow our understanding of dance fundamentals focusing on movement skills, creation, and collaboration. We will work on upper/lower body and left/right coordination, musicality, low/middle/high levels, and more beginner modern technique skills. While working on these specific elements, we will improve our ability to communicate, collaborate, and create as a class and in smaller groups through choreography lessons. I will foster an encouraging environment that allows dancers the freedom to explore moving with control in a variety of different ways, while developing a sense of community with their peers.

Countertechnique with Joy Davis

Contemporary Modern with Killian E. Manning

Safety Release Technique with B.J. Sullivan

These classes are offered to dancers of intermediate/advanced skill levels to bring us together in an open and supportive way and connect us all to our love for dance and community. Grounded in the fundamentals of traditional modern technique, particularly the work of José Limón, the class focuses on concepts of alignment and core strength and the use of breath for efficiency of movement. The class will begin with simple floor exercises and develop into standing warm-up combinations and a center movement phrase. Because music and its relationship to movement is such an important focus for Gerri’s approach to dance, we are delighted to say that music for these classes will be provided by our wonderful long-time ADF musicians.

In this class, we will look at basic movement fundamentals and explore modern dance technique through the lens of traditional concepts. The focus will be on building core strength, finding balance, developing correct alignment, and discovering ways to learn basic movement patterns. We will also explore how musicality can inform and enhance movement learning. The class will begin with floor barre exercises and progress to standing exercises followed by short phrases moving through space. Because music and its relationship to movement is such an important focus for Gerri’s approach to dance, we are delighted to say that music for these classes will be provided by our wonderful long-time ADF musician, Jonathan Markow .

PWR!Moves is a Parkinson’s Disease-specific training program developed by Dr. Becky Farley who also helped establish the LSVT BIG protocol. In class, we will use exercise to focus on flexibility, mobility, balance, and posture to address motor skills known to be affected by Parkinson’s Disease. Exercises will take place in multiple positions including on the floor, hands and knees, sitting in a chair, and standing with a wall or chair for support. Be prepared to break a sweat and have fun!

This class will introduce and work with the principles of Safety Release (SR) technique, designed to expand one’s understanding and efficient use of the body. Through somatic experiences that progress into more complex movement patterns, students will be guided to align, ground, release, rebound, expand, and share in the joy of movement, all while expressing themselves through full-bodied physicality. The class progresses organically and cumulatively from a somatic awareness to rigorous physical expression. Starting on the floor, we make our way to standing, and quickly get back down again, building on patterns and pathways that move us in, out, and through space. The aim is to deepen our awareness and appreciation of ourselves and the possibilities of movement. Dancers are encouraged to wear long sleeves and loose-fitting pants to allow for floor work and ease of movement; kneepads are optional.

This class will offer a welcoming environment for individuals to explore the art of ballet with a contemporary approach. The emphasis is on the adult body and will focus on mobility, posture, coordination, balance and strength as the class moves from barre work to center exercises. This class is designed for those with minimal experience to those returning to dance after a hiatus and anywhere inbetween. Though many associate ballet with the traditional ballet attire of leotards and tights, it is acceptable to wear comfortable athletic wear (not too baggy) and ballet slippers will assist the dancer as they execute movements. Let’s dance and explore together.

Let’s dance! In Jazz Fundamentals, we will work on our basic jazz technique with attention to moving one’s body to several styles of music. We will begin class with a dynamic full-body warm-up and then progress to moving across the floor. This will send us back to the center of the room to learn choreography built through dance phrases we will learn together. Every class will end with a cool down to thank our bodies for all the hard work. Be ready to sweat, explore, learn, and most importantly dance while working on our strength, alignment, and technique!

This contemporary and modern dance class emphasizes full-body movement, lush musicality, and a strong sense of moving from the inside out. Killian creates movement that is challenging yet joyous, seeking to balance release with restraint, energy with stillness, and knowledge with exploration.

In Discovering Ballet, children will explore different ways to move their bodies through space. Dancers will learn fundamental ballet skills including pliés, relevés, and leaps. In class, students will utilize props such as scarves to enhance their dancing experience. Dancers should be ready to play, laugh, move, and discover. Together we will dance!

This traditional modern dance class is inspired by the teachings of Tony’s mentor and friend, Betty Jones, one of the original members of the José Limón Dance Company. The Limón-based floor warm-up focuses on the foundations of body positions of dance. Students will learn classic Limón combinations. Students will experience the history and foundation of the modern dance practices explored.

ADF’s Studios offers dance classes for all ages and for all levels. For our adult classes, you can register in advance online or via the MindBody app downloaded to your mobile device. You can also “drop-in” and pay upon your arrival.

ADF’s Studios offers dance classes for all ages and for all levels. For our adult classes, you can register in advance online or via the MindBody app downloaded to your mobile device. You can also “drop-in” and pay upon your arrival.

ADF’s Studios offers dance classes for all ages and for all levels. For our adult classes, you can register in advance online or via the MindBody app downloaded to your mobile device. You can also “drop-in” and pay upon your arrival.

A program for dancers aged 13-17, providing intensive training and a professional dance experience as part of the American Dance Festival offerings.

Experience rigorous training in a caring community with our Pre-Professional Dance Intensive. This program is designed for dancers and artists aged 13 to 17, providing a foundation for future artistic development. ADF has been a career-defining destination for dancers around the world, a place where movers learn from each other, generate new ideas together, share their stories, and form lasting relationships.

Realize your potential in a community of passionate artists with our Summer Dance Intensive. This program offers rigorous training and opportunities for dancers and artists aged 18 and above. It is a career-defining destination for dancers around the world, a place where movers learn from each other, generate new ideas together, share their stories, and form lasting relationships.

Experience rigorous training in a caring community with our Pre-Professional Dance Intensive (PDI).

On the invitation of China’s Ministry of Culture, Jin taught a series of modern dance workshops for professional dancers and choreographers working in state-sponsored performance ensembles across China.

Workshops designed for dance professionals, offering opportunities for growth, artistic exploration, and skill enhancement within the American Dance Festival framework.

During the winter, students study intensively with ADF’s outstanding roster of teachers at the Winter Weekend in Durham at ADF’s own Scripps Studios. This program provides an opportunity for focused study and engagement with ADF's faculty.

During the winter, students study intensively with ADF’s outstanding roster of teachers at the Winter Weekend in Durham at ADF’s own Scripps Studios.

Rejuvenate your professional practice with our Dance Professional Workshops (DPW).

This workshop invites dancers of all levels to discover how focused awareness can unlock spontaneous, authentic, and unexpected expression through the body. Drawing from diverse movement practices including Viewpoints, Contact Improvisation, and improvisational comedy, participants will engage in a series of guided exercises designed to sharpen perceptual awareness and develop trust for one’s own instinctive responses. Dancers will practice noticing what captures focus, what creates curiosity, and what demands presence in each moment. The workshop emphasizes the triangulation and queer interplay between internal sensation, external awareness, and the imagination, teaching dancers to navigate the space between emergence and action that defines improvisation. Open to all movement backgrounds and experience levels.

Ages 18+ intensive program offered by the American Dance Festival, focusing on professional development and advanced dance training during the summer season.