Doug Varone and Dancers return to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival in 2013. Photograph by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Making their seventh appearance at the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival, Doug Varone and Dancers will perform the stunning new works “Carrugi” and “Able to Leap Tall Buildings,” as well as their signature work “Rise.”

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, July 18 and 20, in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College’s air-conditioned Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St. For more information, .

Tickets are $25 for the general public, $18 for seniors and $12 for students.

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• by phone at 207-786-6161 from 1-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday;
• or by mail or in person.

The company presents a free Show & Tell lecture-demonstration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 16, in Schaeffer. Varone and dancers also hold talkbacks immediately following the mainstage performances.

Dance writer Hannah Kosstrin offers a pre-performance Inside Dance lecture at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 20, in Schaeffer.

Founded in 1986, have commanded attention for their expansive vision, versatility and technical prowess. On the concert stage, in opera, theater and on the screen, Varone’s kinetically thrilling work makes essential connections and mines the complexity of the human spirit.

“Able to Leap Tall Buildings” is set to “Cruel Sister,” a haunting score premiered in 2011 by Julia Wolfe. Varone’s signature tour de force, “Rise,” is inspired by John Adams’ ecstatic music “Fearful Symmetries.”

From the smallest gesture to full-throttle bursts of movement, Varone’s dance can be breathtaking. The Village Voice wrote that the company comprises “superb dancers. Varone’s choreography — with its hesitations, awkward tenderness, bravery and belligerence — emphasizes their humanity.”

Varone and Dancers are the resident company at the Harkness Dance Center, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. In opera and theater, the company regularly collaborates on productions that Varone has directed or choreographed. The company has performed in more than 100 cities in 45 states across the U.S., and in Europe, Asia, Canada and South America.

Venues have included the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, San Francisco Performances, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre and the Venice Biennale, as well as the Tokyo, ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, Jacob’s Pillow and American dance festivals. Varone, his dancers and designers have been honored with 11 New York Dance and Performance Awards (“Bessies”).

More about the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival

The ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival, a summer series of renowned contemporary dance, enters its fourth decade as a leading American dance center. The festival is an important laboratory for artists noted for important contributions to the contemporary dance lexicon. In addition to presenting these dancemakers who have experienced significant artistic growth through the festival, the BDF continues to welcome emerging choreographers.

Founded in 1982 at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival brings together an international community of contemporary choreographers, performers, educators and students in a cooperative community to study, perform and create new work.

The festival serves as an annual destination for artists, students and audiences to engage in a full range of dance activities and performances that foster a creative exchange of ideas, encourage exploration of new ground and afford access to a wide spectrum of dance and movement disciplines.

Members of the Bebe Miller Company. Photograph by Julieta Cervantes.

A renowned summer series of contemporary dance, the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival takes place July 12 through Aug. 10 at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½, presenting masterworks and Maine premieres by four renowned contemporary dance companies:

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Performance times, locations and ticket costs . For more information, please contact 207-786-6381 or dancefest@bates.edu.

Dancer-choreographer Nejla Y. Yatkin. Photograph by Astrid Riecken/The Washington Times.

Opening the 2013 season, perform the Maine premiere of Oasis. This evening-length multimedia work is based on the allegorical story of Layla and Majnoon, regarded as a Middle Eastern predecessor to Romeo and Juliet.

Featuring a score by Maine-based Persian composer Shamou, performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 12 and 13, at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College’s air-conditioned Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St.

Yatkin, artistic director of NY2Dance, was born in Turkey and grew up in Berlin, Germany. Integrating diverse traditions, her work plumbs the beauty and complexity of memory, migration, transformation, identity and multiculturalism. One of Dance Magazine’s 2005 “Top 25 to Watch,” Yatkin was described by The New York Times as “a magician, telling tales and creating worlds with understated images and movement.”

One of America’s most gifted dancemakers, returns to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival for his seventh creative residency since 1992. Celebrating its 25th season, Varone’s exceptional company performs the stunning new works Carrugi and Able to Leap Tall Buildings, as well as the company’s signature work Rise.

Doug Varone and Dancers return to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival in 2013. Photograph by Cylla von Tiedemann.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, July 18 and 20, in Schaeffer Theatre.

Since its founding in 1986, Varone’s company has commanded attention for expansive vision, versatility and technique. On stage and on the screen, Varone’s kinetically thrilling dances make essential connections and mine the complexity of the human spirit.

The Village Voice wrote that the company comprises “superb dancers. Varone’s choreography — with its hesitations, awkward tenderness, bravery and belligerence — emphasizes their humanity.”

A longtime BDF favorite, the returns to Lewiston with the retrospective performance installation A History. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 26 and 27, in Schaeffer Theatre.

Miller’s newest work, the evening-length A History centers on the nuanced, decade-long dancing relationship between company veterans Angie Hauser and Darrell Jones. Incorporating video by Lily Skove and an accompanying installation by Maya Ciarrocchi, the duet shares what dancemaking feels like, sounds like and thinks like.

Award-winning dancer and choreographer Miller has been making dances for more than 25 years. A New York Times reviewer wrote, “Her movement is infused with a spirit that clings to the audience even after she and her dancers have left the stage.”

A scene from “Voyeur,” a multimedia work created by Bridgman | Packer Dance and inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper. Photograph by Arthur Fink.

Together for more than 30 years, has developed a unique approach to integrating video into dance — making it, in effect, a third partner for artistic directors Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer. Voyeur, their latest work and ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ festival offering, invites audiences into this evocative world.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 2 and 3, in Schaeffer Theatre.

In Voyeur, Bridgman and Packer push into new territory choreographically, thematically and technologically. Inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, the piece presents fragments of private lives played out on a set whose windows and doorways allow the audience to be, like Hopper, “one who looks.”

Recipients of numerous grants and awards, including the first Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to two individuals for collaborative work, Packer and Bridgman have toured throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Central America.

Other festival events

The festival offers a series of events in addition to the mainstage performances:

The annual , a global mix of music by 10 remarkable composers and players, takes place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, in the Franco-American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston.

Choreographer Kendra Portier.

 concerts, showcasing diverse styles and perspectives by visiting choreographers from across the U.S. and around the globe, take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 8 and 9, in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College’s air-conditioned Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St.

The , presenting dancers of all ages and abilities performing modern, hip hop and contemporary works by festival artists, and also representing the festival’s Youth Arts Program, takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10, in Alumni Gymnasium, 130 Central Ave.

Show & Tell lecture-demonstrations offer a glimpse of the creative process at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Schaeffer Theatre, featuring Nejla Yatkin on July 9; Doug Varone, July 16; Bebe Miller, July 23; and Bridgman | Packer, July 30.

The festival offers a special Show & Tell about site-specific choreography by Stephan Koplowitz, an award-winning artist known for creating multimedia works for architecturally significant sites, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 28, in Room 301, Pettigrew Hall, 305 College St.

Inside Dance: Understanding Contemporary Dance, a series of pre-performance lectures and post-performance talks, offers insight into the artists and their work. Saturday lectures precede the Varone performance at 7 p.m. July 20; Miller at 7 p.m. July 27; and Bridgman | Packer at 7 p.m. Aug. 3, all in Schaeffer Theatre. Talkbacks follow most Friday evening performances.

Information about tickets and locations for all festival events, as well as additional performance details, appears on the festival website:

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One of America’s most gifted dancemakers, Doug Varone returns to the ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ Dance Festival for his sixth creative residency since 1992. Varone’s exceptional company performs stunning new works including “Lux,” “Castles” and excerpts from a work in progress, “Chapters from a Broken Novel.”

Performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, July 15 and 17, in ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College’s Schaeffer Theatre, 305 College St. For information about tickets, and for additional performance details, .

A public discussion with the artists follows the Thursday concert, and an “Inside Dance” talk by dance writer Debra Cash precedes the Saturday show at 7:30 in Schaeffer.

A Washington Post reviewer wrote that “Lux,” set to music by Philip Glass, “is all about freedom. It is what dancing really feels like…loose and sweeping in a spirit of exultation. Varone puts the beating heart at the center of his work.”

“Castles” is set to Sergei Prokofiev’s Waltz Suite, Op. 110. The whirling score propels nine dancers across the stage with striking energy.

To complete the program, Varone shows a sneak preview of his latest full-length work, “Chapters From A Broken Novel.” Set to an original score by award-winning composer David Van Tieghem, “Chapters” is composed of seemingly independent short segments that reveal intimate portraits reflecting the human experience. A co-production with Portland Ovations, the company will feature the piece in Ovations’ 2010-11 season.

Founded in 1986, commands attention for its expansive vision, versatility and technical prowess. On the concert stage, in opera, theater and on the screen, Varone’s dances make essential connections and mine the complexity of the human spirit.

From the smallest gesture to full-throttle bursts of movement, Varone’s work can literally take your breath away. The New York Observer wrote, “Varone dancers are kinetically thrilling. They go all the way, both when they’re in vivid, rushing motion and when they’re in deep stillness.”

At home in New York City, Doug Varone and Dancers is the resident company at the Harkness Dance Center at the 92nd Street Y. On tour, the company has performed in more than 100 cities in 45 states across the U.S. and around the world. Stages include the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, San Francisco Performances, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theater, the Venice Biennale and the Jacob’s Pillow and American dance festivals.

In opera and theater, the company regularly collaborates on the many Varone-directed or choreographed productions that have been produced around the country during the last decade.

Doug Varone and Dancers are among the most sought-after ambassadors and educators in the field. Annual summer intensive workshops at leading universities attract students and professionals from around the country. The company’s multidisciplinary residency programs capture their concepts, imagery and techniques for people of all ages and backgrounds, reaching out in ways that directly relate to people’s lives and interests.

Varone, his dancers and designers have been honored with 11 New York Dance and Performance Awards, better known as Bessies.

Wednesday, July 21, Alumni Gym, 8 p.m.
Lecture/Demonstration/Workshop with Rennie Harris PureMovement
Rennie Harris leads a journey through the history and culture of hip hop, demonstrating the spectrum of dance styles and inviting participants to get down.

Friday, July 23, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Performance: DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS Internationally acclaimed choreographer Doug Varone and his eight-member company perform “Bel Canto,” a comic jaunt set to operatic music of Bellini; excerpts from the “Nyman Trilogy,” set to the dramatic music of British composer Michael Nyman; and other new works. Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Saturday, July 24, Schaeffer Theatre, 7:15 p.m.
Pre-performance Lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau.
Performance: DOUG VARONE AND DANCERS, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
(See Friday listing)

Saturday, July 31, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Performance: SARA PEARSON/PATRIK WIDRIG & CO. This versatile and dynamic six member company previews÷”If Wishes Were Horses Than Beggars Would Ride,” a community dance project exploring personal stories of change using movement, text and video, as well as Widrig’s magical duet “Muezzin'” with composer/vocalist Philip Hamilton. Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Sunday, Aug. 1, Schaeffer Theatre, 7:15 p.m.
Pre-performance Lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau.
Performance: SARA PEARSON/PATRIK WIDRIG & CO., Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8* (see Saturday listing)

Thursday, Aug. 5, Olin Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m.
Performance: THE COMPOSER’S CONCERT
An annual favorite at the festival, this eclectic concert features
multi-instrumentalists Tigger Benford, Peter Jones, Jesse Manno and Mike Vargas, pianist Clark Stiefel and percussionists Gilles Obermayer and Shamou in a program of original and improvised music.

Friday, Aug. 6, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m. $14/$8*
Performance: RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT
This group of hip hop masters returns to Maine to preview their new work “Rome & Jewels.“ Puremovement takes on the classics with this full-evening, hip hop ballet that mixes the tragic love stories of “Romeo and Juliet” and “West Side Story” with contemporary hip hop dance, music, the voice of the DJ and the spoken work of the MC/rapper. Followed by a post-performance discussion with the artists.

Saturday, Aug. 7, Schaeffer Theatre, 7:15 p.m.
Pre-performance Lecture with Suzanne Carbonneau.
Performance: RENNIE HARRIS PUREMOVEMENT , Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m. $14/$8*(see Friday listing)

Monday Aug. 9, Alumni Gym, 8 p.m
Performance: MOVING IN THE MOMENT
An evening of improvisational dance and music with contact improviser Nancy Stark Smith and members of the Festival dance and music faculty. An annual crowd pleaser full of delicious surprises, hilarious vignettes and moving moments.

Thursday, Aug. 12, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $14/$8*
Performance: NEW WORKS: SEÀN CURRAN & VICTORIA MARKS
Sharing the stage are the devilish postmodern choreographer Seàn Curran and members of his company, as well as choreographer and filmmaker Victoria Marks. The concert features engaging new dances by Curran and award-winning films and solos by Marks.

Friday, Aug. 13, Schaeffer Theatre, 8 p.m., $12/$8*
Performance: DIFFERENT VOICES
New works by artists from around the world. Featuring Kaczo Takemoto (Japan), Jecko Siompo (Indonesia), Teresa Prima (Portugal) and Simon Ellis (Australia), along with emerging choreographers Karinne Keithley and Paule Turner ‹ all in one dynamic program.

Saturday, Aug. 14, Schaeffer Theatre, 1-5 p.m.
Informal Performance: Young Choreographers/New Works
An adjudicated, informal showing of more than 24 new works by talented Festival participants from around the world. Faculty members will provide insightful, critical feedback throughout the afternoon.

Performance: STUDENT FINALE, Alumni Gym, 8 p.m., $5/$2*
A celebration of diverse dance traditions. Come for an evening of
modern, jazz and tap works created by Doug Varone, Sean Curran, Kathleen Hermesdorf, Cornelius Carter and margaret Morrison and performed by Festival students. Highlighting the program will be a performance by local youth participating in the Festival’s Youth Arts dance and music program under the direction of Jane Weiner.

*Admission for full-time students and senior citizens.
All events take place at ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½ College.
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Advance reservations: 207/786-6161, beginning July 5, 12-5 p.m.

Contact: Laura Faure, director 207-786-6381