Some of New York City’s top performers are stepping out of their usual roles to support Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program within Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

They are preparing for a weekend of dance and celebration, just outside the city at the Fire Island Dance Festival.

What You Need To Know

  • Some of New York City’s top performers are stepping out of their usual roles to support Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program within Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

  • The festival, held at Fire Island Pines, features numerous performances celebrating established and emerging dance companies

  • This year, choreographer Gilbert Bolden III, a New York City Ballet soloist, will debut a piece performed by himself, India Bradley, Jules Mabie, and Mira Nadon, the first Asian American principal dancer in New York City Ballet history

  • The festival runs from July 19 to July 21

“Myself and co-founder of DRA Hernando Cortes, in 1995 we’re trying to come up with a fundraising idea utilizing all of the beautiful dancers and colleagues that we have in the field to help us raise money for DRA. And Hernando had this brilliant idea and thought someone’s deck would be a perfect place to dance on,” founding director Denise Roberts Hurlin said. “And so, it started very small, and it’s grown. We create a beautiful 400-seat theater now, and it’s spectacular.”

The festival, held at Fire Island Pines, features numerous performances celebrating established and emerging dance companies.

This year, choreographer Gilbert Bolden III, a New York City Ballet soloist, will debut a piece performed by himself, India Bradley, Jules Mabie, and Mira Nadon, the first Asian American principal dancer in New York City Ballet history.

"The setting is a stage built over someone’s pool in a backyard, over the great side bay, and then the seats are just rising up into the sky. It feels you’re walking into a whole different world when you walk into that singular backyard,” Bolden said. “And also just the amount of people involved in such a diverse kind of capacity. So many different companies, ABT, Alvin Ailey, NYCB, Blacks in Ballet. It’s a really special magical afternoon.”

“We’ve kinda been working on our own putting together Gilbert’s piece, so I’m really excited to get to the festival and then get to see all the other performers,” Mira Nadon, principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, added. “I think there’s seven world premieres, so it should be really exciting to see all these new works for the first time."

Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel, known for her roles in "The Drowsy Chaperone" and "Lempicka," is set to host the festival.

“If you can’t make it out there, you can make a difference by contributing what you can, because all adds up,” Roberts Hurlin said.

“Don’t miss the Fire Island Dance Festival if you like seeing world-class artists perform all together,” Nadon added.

The festival runs from July 19 to July 21. For tickets, visit the festival's website.