Tiler Peck (left) and Germán Cornejo (center) perform excerpts from Balanchine’s “Apollo” with Heather Watts (right) at the 2015 Vail Dance Festival.
Erin Baiano/Photo courtesy
The nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation recently announced details of the new Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund, created to support the Vail Dance Festival’s continued commitment to supporting rising stars in the dance world. This fund was established with the assistance of Dr. Jonah Mackin, a loyal member of the Vail Dance Committee. The festival, which concluded its 36th season in early August of this year, is a world-renowned destination for acclaimed artists and emerging talent in a variety of genres and styles, both in dance and music. It is. The fund was created by Damian Wetzel, legendary Balanchine ballerina, influential creative collaborator of the annual summer dance event, and artistic director of Vail Dance Festival, who said, “The heart of our festival and Named in honor of Heather Watts, who is often described as a soul.
Heather Watts, a pioneering ballerina with George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins at the New York City Ballet, has made extraordinary contributions to the world of dance throughout her continuing career, including the long-running Vail Dance Festival. . As a dancer, Watts broke boundaries and, under the tutelage of Balanchine, redefined what a modern ballerina could be. Similarly, in her work as an educator, she has blazed new trails for young artists to find their unique voices. Since 2006, Watts has led the effort to establish the Celebrate the Beat program in Vail, a free dance and education initiative for Eagle County students, as well as bringing emerging artists from a variety of fields to the festival. He has been instrumental in bringing them to New York City Ballet and supporting their development, often including New York City Ballet star Roman Mejia, street dance phenomenon Lil Buck, and New York City Ballet up-and-coming dancer Olivia Many artists have started their careers there, including Bell and Spencer Lenain, who is active on stage and on social media.
“Heather Watts’ important work supporting young artists at the Vail Dance Festival ties in seamlessly with her many contributions to the field of dance,” said longtime Vail Dance Festival board member. , said lead author Dr. Jonah Mackin. Establishment of the Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund. “From her groundbreaking career with the New York City Ballet to her extensive role at the Vail Dance Festival, Heather has worked with countless artists across a variety of backgrounds and artistic disciplines over the decades. and the Vail Valley Foundation to ensure that her legacy continues to inspire and move the hearts of artists and audiences alike here in Vail and around the world. I am very pleased to be able to launch this fund,” said Mackin.
“For 18 years, Heather has played a vital role in the Vail Dance Festival, providing leadership focused on developing festival artists at every stage of their dance careers, and engaging audiences and communities throughout the Vail Valley. ,” said Martha Brassell, Vail Dance Festival Senior Director of Development. “We are proud to establish this fund in honor of Jonah Mackin’s leadership and in honor of Heather, and to support her influential legacy within our festival for years to come. We are very grateful for her vision.”
The Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund was established as a board-only fund to provide much-needed annual financial support to continue supporting emerging artists in the field at the highest level of quality and excellence. This fund will be used to scout and recruit emerging or pre-professional artists to participate in the Vail Dance Festival as guest artists or scholars-in-residence, and to support performances of groundbreaking works by George Balanchine and Jerome. Also used for Robbins entering and during the Vail Dance Festival.
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If you would like to donate to the Heather Watts Emerging Artist Fund, please do so online at VailDance.org or contact Martha Brassel at MBrassel@vvf.org.
