Fire Island Dance Festival Breaks Fundraising Record for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
(© Whitney Browne)
Fire Island Dance Festival celebrated its 20th-anniversary edition from July 18-20, performed outdoors on the shores of the Great South Bay in Fire Island Pines. The event, hosted by choreographers Larry Keigwin (If/Then) and two-time Tony winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots), raised a record-breaking $533,860 for Dancers Responding to AIDS, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
The festival included the world premieres of works choreographed by Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse (On the Town), Nick Kenkel (Catch Me If You Can), and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Marcelo Gomes, who also danced a pas de deux. The festival also featured 48 professional dancers performing Broadway, ballet, modern dance, and more.
In its 20 editions, Fire Island Dance Festival has raised more than $3.8 million.
"At moments like this," said Denise Roberts Hurlin, founding director of Dancers Responding to AIDS, "we must take time to remember all the talent, creativity and friendships we've lost, while celebrating the progress we've made and the opportunities we have to make a difference for those who need our help the most."
