DANCE FESTIVAL ALIVE & WELL!
BY: Hal de Becker
For fourteen years during the City’s artistically-dry Summer seasons, Kelly Roth’s annual Las Vegas Dance in the Desert Festival was a welcome event at the Horn Theater. But recently, conflicting dates for theater availability and other uncertainties left the Roth team a little like the six characters in the Pirandello play searching for, not an author, but a new venue.
Roth’s dance network extends throughout and beyond the USA to Mexico, Central America and as far afield as Korea and Italy. He has access to all the dancers, choreographers and dance companies needed for any Las Vegas festival, but where to present them?
A longtime local supporter and presenter of theater arts is Clark County and its Library District. Among the countless artistic attractions regularly presented at facilities including Winchester Cultural Center and Summerlin Library are Ballet Folklorico Izel and Las Vegas Ballet Company.
Roth’s dilemma was solved when the Summerlin Library Performing Arts Center offered to host the Dance in the Desert Festival.
I spoke with him recently and his enthusiasm and appreciation were apparent when he said, “It’s inspiring to be partnering with the Library District.” He described the Summerlin facility as, “…a superb venue with an ideal stage for dance.” Of the Center’s teamwork with the festival he praised it saying, “It’s a joy to collaborate with such a supportive staff.”
His Associate Festival Director, Leslie Kremer Roth, stated that dance artists from Florida, Arizona, Utah, California, Seoul, Korea and of course Las Vegas, will be performing in a trio of upcoming programs of contemporary dance.
Ten different troupes and guest artists are scheduled to perform more than forty different dance works during the three performances. Student dancers from College of Southern Nevada where Roth directs the dance department will also perform.
Another new move for Roth is co-founding New Dance Foundation for the Arts, Inc. with CSN dancer/teacher/choreographer, Cynthia DuFault. The foundation has non-profit status and is dedicated to funding dance and related arts through grants, corporate support and individual contributions.
The Foundation has already been issued a grant but must raise matching funds in order to access it. More information is available at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Festival performs at Summerlin Library July 24 at 7:00 pm and July 25 at 2 and 7:00 pm. And talk about a bargain, admission is FREE!
