Not even Mother Nature could stop this year’s Fire Island Dance Festival from shining.
The weekend began Friday evening with the Leadership Event at Whyte Hall, an intimate gathering that served as the perfect opening to the festival. The evening featured an excerpt from A Little Old, A Little New, choreographed by Luke Hickey and performed by Hickey alongside acclaimed tap dancers John Manzari and Tommy Wasuita, with a live three-piece band. It was less a dance performance than a conversation between musicians and dancers. My only wish was that the dancers had performed on a slightly raised stage. Their footwork was remarkable, but from many seats it was difficult to appreciate the speed and precision.
accompanied by a live jazz trio.
Saturday, unfortunately, was taken over by the weather. Heavy rain and strong winds forced organizers to cancel both scheduled performances. It was disappointing, but anyone who has spent a summer on Fire Island knows that sometimes the weather makes the decisions for you.
Fortunately, Sunday looked like an entirely different season.
The skies cleared, the sun returned, and a cool breeze drifted across the Great South Bay as guests arrived in the Pines. After Saturday’s performances were canceled, there was an unmistakable sense of gratitude throughout the audience simply to have their festival back.
One of the things that makes the Fire Island Dance Festival unlike any other is its setting. We settled into stadium-style seating overlooking an open-air stage as the Great South Bay stretched to the horizon behind the dancers. Water taxis crisscrossed the bay, private boats drifted by, and the shifting afternoon light became part of every performance. I have been to many beautiful outdoor venues over the years, but it is hard to imagine one more spectacular than watching world-class dancers perform with the Great South Bay as their backdrop.
Host Jeff Hiller immediately put the audience at ease with his signature humor. He joked that Sunday’s audience deserved extra credit for making it after the previous day’s washout before sharing memories of attending the festival for the first time more than 20 years ago.
Ballet’s Dwight Rhoden.
As one performance gave way to the next, I began to notice something I had not expected to be planned. Nearly every performance, despite coming from different choreographers and companies, explored similar themes: love, trust, longing, finding your people, and human connection.
Chris Jarosz’s “In Bloom” burst with celebration and joy. New Chamber Ballet’s Mandragore explored the quiet trust between two people, while Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s The Singer and the Song reflected on new romance and companionship. Robbie Fairchild’s Lord, What Fools These Mortals Be! from The Two Gentlemen of Verona examined forbidden love, and Leggybones Physical Theater’s Until Then reminded us that sometimes finding your tribe is just as meaningful as finding romance.
Each choreographer approached those ideas differently, yet together they created an afternoon that felt connected in a way I had not expected.
Midway through the program, the audience was reminded why this weekend matters far beyond the performances themselves. Speakers from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS spoke about the organization’s work supporting housing, health care, food programs, LGBTQ+ youth services, and hundreds of organizations across the country. It was a powerful reminder that every ticket purchased and every donation made reaches far beyond Fire Island.
This year’s Fire Island Dance Festival raised an extraordinary $828,309 in support of Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The applause was not just for the dancers. It was for everyone who made the weekend possible, from the volunteers and donors to the homeowners who welcomed performers into their homes.
After the final bows, the celebration continued back at Whyte Hall with a private dance party for Leadership Supporters. A DJ kept the music going while guests enjoyed an open bar, and before long, many of the performers arrived, still glistening with sweat, still smiling, and ready to celebrate.
For one weekend each summer, Fire Island reminds us that great art does more than entertain—it brings people together. Rain or shine, that is a tradition worth celebrating.
Photos by Curtis Brown, courtesy of DRA.
