On Your Toes: The ArtsFest Dance Festival Returns This Weekend

On Saturday and Sunday October 18th and 19th from 3 to 5 pm the free ArtsFest Dance Festival will be showcasing astonishing dance performances by professional companies and local schools at the Albert Leonard Middle School (25 Gerada Lane). Audiences can immerse themselves in the profound beauty of dance and sample a variety of dance styles.

What makes the ArtsFest Dance Festival so special is its impact on the community: Not only does it make excellent free dance programming available to people who may not have the opportunity to see professional performances, but it also exposes the dancers (who are a mix of both students and working professionals) to other companies, giving them the opportunity to observe other styles of dance and network with other dancers. The Dance Festival also gives families a chance to consider opportunities for their own children as they observe local dance schools in action.

Organizer Monica Deane says: “The ArtsFest Dance fest is one of the most anticipated events of the festival. Each year we curate two unique dance performances where we highlight our local dance schools interspersed with professional dance troupes from both Westchester and New York City. Our performances are well attended – there is always a full house -- and the audiences experience the joy of watching a mixture of non professional and professional dancers perform in a supportive venue.”

For 2025 the ArtsFest Dance Festival will feature 15 dance companies: On Saturday : Ajkun Ballet Theatre, MorDance, TORCH Dance Theatre, stringdance + media/Christy Walsh, Ballet Arts - The Performing Arts of Southern Westchester, Ballet des Ameriques / Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre. On Sunday: Accent Dance NYC, The Coleman Teen Dance Company, Hudson Ballet Theatre, Steffi Nossen Dance Company, Dance Ministry Institiute, Westchester Ballet Company, New Beginnings Center for Performing Arts, NRHS PAVE.

Saturday, October 18th

Ajkun Ballet Theatre [AjkunBT] originated in New Rochelle in 2000 and today is a vital part of the U.S. arts scene with a full New York performance season and tour engagements on four continents. The Theater supports the professional company, the school and a fund available to dancers of 135 countries to help balancing disadvantages. Artistic Director: Chiara Ajkun. www.ajkunbt.org

MorDance is a trailblazing ballet company dedicated to shaping ballet into a powerful tool for social impact and community engagement. Under the direction of choreographer and Artistic Director Morgan McEwen, the company creates bold new works that address themes of environmental stewardship, social justice, and civic responsibility. Since relocating to Westchester in 2024, MorDance has expanded access to high-quality dance through free student matinees, after-school programs, and open rehearsals. The company’s innovative performances inspire, unite, and educate audiences while breaking down barriers to the art form. www.mordance.org

TORCH Dance Theatre ("Teaching Our Roots, Capturing History") The mission of TORCH Dance Theatre is to archive African-American stories (past, present, and future) by establishing a community engagement framework, which provides interactive dance performances, culturally responsive dance training and education, and leadership-oriented programming for the advancement of the humanity and artistry of all people.

stringdance+media was founded in 2001 by Christy Walsh as a vehicle for her film and choreography projects, all of which draw from a broad range of topics; history, mythology, philosophy. The group performs in conventional venues and specific sites, including collaborations in Chios, Greece with Chioslyrica, a multidisciplinary event at Scarsdale Library (2023), which received a grant from ArtsWestechester, a collaboration with Danish artist Michael Chang, Stories of the Sun God, at Green Space in Queens (2010), site-specific pieces and shorter pieces. stringdance+media’s recent dance theater piece, The Lost Colony of the Argonauts, was supported by a grant from NYSCA, and premiered in 2024 at Arts On Site. stringmedia films have been screened in festivals all over the world, including International New York Film Festival, and AIVFF Festival. stringdance+media has been supported by residencies at Mass MOCA, CUNY Dance Initiative, and others. https://christywalsh.net/

Ballet Arts (the Performing Arts Center of Southern Westchester) is a vibrant ensemble of talented dancers, carefully chosen by the director to dive deep into the world of choreography and advanced techniques. Throughout the year, these students have the chance to showcase their skills in various community performances, embodying the essence of Ballet Arts mission; early education in the performing arts is fundamental and foundational, providing the universal language through which we share so many intangible and invaluable qualities, behaviors and culture. Ballet Arts cultivates a dynamic and supportive environment that nurtures growth, creativity, and confidence — essential qualities for any journey our students embark upon. www.ballet-arts.com

Ballet des Amériques / Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre Founded in 2011 by director-choreographer Carole Alexis, a Creole woman, Ballet des Amériques/Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating a professional dance company -- now based in both New York City and in White Plains -- as well as a pre-professional ballet conservatory. In its first thirteen years, the dance company, composed of dancers of multicultural backgrounds, has performed Carole Alexis’ choreographic work in hundreds of productions throughout the greater New York City area as well as internationally.

Sunday, October 19th

Accent Dance NYC is a multidisciplinary concert dance company committed to exploring the artistic, cultural, and humanistic connections among people of all backgrounds. Accent Dance NYC commissions and performs new work by emerging and established choreographers that celebrate the rich diversity of the company and its audiences. The company is composed of artists from Colombia, Haiti, Japan, Europe, Venezuela, Cuba, Guatemala, China, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and the greater US who have mastered a dynamic array of dance styles, including ballet, Hip Hop, tango, salsa, tap, African dance, modern, and flamenco, among others. www.accent.dance

The Coleman Teen Dance Company is an award-winning student company that has performed all over the east coast including Lincoln Center (NYC), Lyndon Institute (VT) The Palace (CT), and is one of the few companies invited to be part of the Artists For World Peace at the Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center; the dancers are also acclaimed by the International Dance Council (IDC) and UNESCO. Coleman’s company classes build rapport and support among a team of collaborative and talented dancers. In each Coleman Company, dancers take three classes a week, participate in multiple performances per year, experience guest teachers who are experts in their fields, participate in special events, and see student choreography performed. Working as a team, the dancers depend on each other for success, feed one another's inspirations and intellect, and build long-lasting friendships. www.thecolemandance.com

Hudson Ballet Theater (HBT) is a New York not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to enrich the community by providing accessible and high-quality dance performances for Westchester County, New York and the U.S. HBT serves its local community by providing an excellence in dance training through a youth ballet program and through collaborative efforts with artistic narratives and local community members to create new and innovative dance works that honor the art of storytelling. www.hudsonballet.org

The Steffi Nossen Dance Company is the premiere performance ensemble of the Steffi Nossen School of Dance, with dancers ranging from 9th to 12th grade. Company Dancers are trained in an extensive, well-rounded curriculum of Modern, Ballet, Contemporary and Jazz and have the unique opportunity to work with world renowned choreographers such as Michael Foley, Mark Morris, Patrick Corbin and Sidra Bell, Adam Barruch, Gierre Godley, Tiffany Rea Fisher, Indah Walsh, Caterina Rago, Annmaria Mazzini, Maxine Steinman and Mathew James, Michiyaya, Cameron McKinney. The Company is featured in many showcases and performances throughout the tri-state area annually and perform in lecture demonstrations and community outreach programs throughout Westchester. https://www.steffinossen.org/

Dance Ministry Institute (DMI) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to spread the gospel through artistic expression. Founded by Robert Evans who also serves as DMI’s artistic director, DMI is known for its annual production Nativity Birth of A King, a full-scale dance drama that unveils the events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ through the artistic expressions of dance and song. For tickets to this year's performances at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater in New York City on Dec. 14th and 15th go to Nativity — DMI (dmiexp.org)

Westchester Ballet Company (WBC) is an independent 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of our community through the art of ballet. WBC is committed to nurturing excellence and eliminating barriers by serving three core constituencies in and around Westchester County. First, there are approximately 100 local schoolchildren in the public schools who receive free or low-cost ballet classes through our after-school programs. Second, there are approximately 100 young dancers annually, ages 6-18, who receive specialized training and performance opportunities in professionally produced ballets marketed to the general public. (Annual performances include The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, and other repertory ballets.) And finally, over 10,000 audience members each year attend WBC’s affordable performances. https://www.westchesterballet.org/

New Beginnings Center for Performing Arts is a vibrant, community-rooted dance company dedicated to inspiring creativity and confidence through movement. Our dancers train in a variety of styles, from classical to contemporary, blending technical excellence with artistic expression. With a passion for storytelling through dance, we’ve performed at city celebrations, cultural festivals, and community events across New York. At ArtsFest 2025, we are excited to share dynamic performances that celebrate both tradition and innovation in the arts. www.invisionu.org

NRHS PAVE is the premier arts program at New Rochelle High School. Begun in 1999, teacher/artists designed PAVE to develop talented students in the arts. Within the PAVE Dance studio students study technique, form and choreography, through multiple styles of dance. They are expected to demonstrate proficiency in solo and ensemble settings. For more about PAVE go to Performing & Visual Arts at New Rochelle High School (youtube.com)

And there is more dance happening during ArtsFest: On Friday, October 17 from 1:30 pm to 3 pm the community is invited to a special rehearsal for R&J, a powerful and innovative reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo & Juliet, at The Dance School of JCCMW (JCC Mid-Westchester; 999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583; 914-768-8882; jccmw.org) This groundbreaking dance production explores the complexities of love, identity, and fate. Get a "behind-the-scenes" preview of this special production. Then stop by the JCC on Sunday, October 19 from 11 am to 2 pm for Fall Fest 2025: This free Open House lets visitors explore programming for all ages, from arts and crafts, to dance, live music, visual arts exhibitions and fitness, with fun activities like face painting and games, raffles and food vendors.

ArtsFest is organized by the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The mission of NRCA (founded in 1975) is to encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts; fir the complete ArtsFest calendar go to www.newrochellearts.org.

Sponsors for this year’s ArtsFest include Golden 50 Year Grand Sponsor Cappelli Organization and LRC Construction, ArtsWestchester, The Gwendolyn Appleyard Trust Fund for New Rochelle Charities, New Rochelle CLD, Montefiore New Rochelle, Town House Kitchen + Drinks, Alvin & Friends, Orange Bank and Tecas Tacos, plus in-kind donors The Dining Lab at Monroe University, AJ’s Burgers, The Picture House, the New Rochelle Public Library, The Atelier, and Hotel NoMa. The New Rochelle Council on the Arts is proud to be a grantee of ArtsWestchester with funding made possible by Westchester County government with the support of County Executive Ken Jenkins.