DANCE

Massachusetts Dance Festival’s first annual statewide events, sponsored by the UMass Amherst Department of Music and Dance, will be held August 21st and 22nd at Boston Ballet, 19 Clarendon Street, Boston, and August 28th and 29th, at UMass Amherst (Totman Building) and The Fine Arts Center, Amherst. 2010 events at both sites include Saturday evening performances by eleven professional dance companies, and Sunday late afternoon performances by eleven emerging dance companies, representing genres of ballet, jazz, modern, contemporary, multimedia, East Indian, and hip hop/jazz. Each presentation reveals the sheer creative power of dance – the breadth of training and talent across the Commonwealth – of physicality, technical excellence, emotional exuberance, and compelling artistry, that is certain to attract and engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Additionally, a total of 24 adult and student dance classes will be offered Saturday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.