Palm Desert Choreography Festival enchants at the McCallum Theatre

Poetry in motion. There’s no better description of McCallum Theatre Education’s recent 26th Palm Desert Choreography Festival. A dynamic platform for brilliant dancemakers and dancers, the festival, presented in partnership with the City of Palm Desert, brought skill, passion, beauty and exquisite artistry to enthusiastic audiences who excitedly responded to each of the 23 works presented during the two-day event at the McCallum Theatre.

The festival — founded in 1998 by choreographer Shea New, who continues to serve as artistic director — is dedicated to ensuring support and attention to the art of dance in the Coachella Valley, educating young dancers to the potential of dance as a career and encouraging new dance audiences.

“This project is a labor of love for us,” said Kajsa Thuresson-Frary, festival producer and McCallum vice president of education. “The festival’s role as a vehicle for choreographers to share their work with the world is one we take very seriously. The offerings are diverse and thoughtful, beautifully performed and make for a unique experience — one you won’t have anywhere else.”

This year’s festival included works from 25 choreographers who hailed from the United States, Germany and Spain. The 155 dancers who performed during festival weekend included more than 30 young dancers from Coachella Valley and Desert Mirage High Schools in Thermal, who took part in this year’s East Valley Dance Project and got a once-in-a-lifetime experience to showcase the fruits of their intensive labor on the McCallum Theatre stage.

Workshops with festival finalists, open to the public, were also presented. And for the first time, two morning performances were presented with select finalists for valley students, exposing close to 1,500 middle and high schoolers to this special celebration of dance.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to a visibly moved Helgi Tomasson, artistic director and principal choreographer for the San Francisco Ballet from 1985 to 2022.

Carol Pavlick, a major supporter at the Featured level said: “I am very impressed with all of the dances this year. The professional dancers were especially well prepared. They were fit, toned, flexible and strong. They made all of their moves have purpose with grace and ease. The non-professionals were almost as polished as the professionals — it would have been difficult for me to select a winner because they were all so good.”

The Grand Prize Award on Saturday night was bestowed upon Arthur Bernard-Bazin and Candelaria Antelo/HURyCAN for their work, “Te Odiero.” Second Place went to Joshua Manculich/Whirlwind Dance for “The Rate in Which I Am.” Sunday’s Grand Prize went to Keithan Haver/Broadway Dance Theatre for “My Way.” A tie for second place went to Gunta Liepina Miller/Premier Youth Dance Company and Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya/Hawkins School of Performing Arts.

In addition to Pavlick, Palm Desert Choreography Festival was supported by Suz Hunt at the Partnering level; Olga Morales and Allen Burstiner at the Collaborator Level; Robert Archer and Charles Hilliar, The Coeta & Donald Barker Foundation, Diane J. Dykema, Susan and Warren Gelman, High Tech Mailing Services/Mario & Refika Jerkic, Suellen Richmond and Linda and Manny Rider at the Partnering Level.

Also, at the Contributing level: Cardriner Bowden, Roger Bredahl and Marvin Meyers, Jean C. Carrus, Evelyn L. Hall, Twanna and Tim Rogers and Kim Smith, along with Supporting level donors Tom and Karen Ackland, Jane Emison and Michael Tierney, Frank and Alvera Gaeta, Donald Kasper and James Bochinski, Jeff Larson, Wanda Martin and Barry Garlock, Mike and Terri Neuman, Carolyn and Rob Richard, Dick and Nancy Robinson, Karen R. Speros and Char Whitaker.

Related: From Germany to Thermal: Palm Desert Choreography Festival brings dance artists together

For more information about McCallum Theatre Education, visit mccallumtheatre.org/education.

Jeffrey Norman is vice president of marketing and communications for McCallum Theatre. He also has served on various committees for DAP Health, has done committee work for Equality California events and serves on the City of Palm Desert's marketing committee. He is a former board member for the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce. Norman has appeared as an actor on local stages and is the recipient of two Desert Theatre League Awards.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Palm Desert Choreography Festival enchants at the McCallum Theatre