This is our 11th annual Dance in the Desert Festival here in Las Vegas! An impressive roster of local and visiting dance artists will be with us to present cutting edge choreography and stirring works to delight every dance aficionado!

In 1999 the first annual Las Vegas Dance in the Desert Festival was co-founded and co-directed by Kyla Quintero and Kelly Roth, with the ambition to restore dance to a primary position in the artistic life of the city of Las Vegas. The Festival offers a broad spectrum of choreographic visions and approaches, from expressionism to post-modernism to neo-romanticism, and a diverse selection of genres drawing on traditions from Africa, Europe, and American original and hybrid forms, featuring companies from around the world, across the United States, neighboring states of California and Arizona, as well as Nevada's own exceptional talent.

It is with the belief that such diversity is reassuring evidence of the rich potential non-commercial dance has for stimulating the artists and audiences of Las Vegas in the 21st century that the Festival continues to grow year by year, delighting and inspiring patrons and performers alike.

Participants scheduled to appear in this year's festival include: Nannette Brodie Dance Theatre, Metropolitan Ballet Company (Monique Melton), and Moving Arts Dance (Anandha Ray) from California; Desert Dance Theatre (Lisa Chow), Step's Junk Funk (Step Raptis), and Canyon Movement Company (Gina Darlington) from Arizona; Catherine Schaeffer from Georgia; Rustic Groove Dance Company (Matthew Farmer) from Michigan; Cathy Allen, Ballet Mink Colbert, Concert Dance Company, CSN Dance Ensemble, Freedom Dance Company (Mindy Krasner), Kelly Roth & Dancers, Kravenko Youth Ballet (Alison Kravenko-Johnson), Debra Lacey, Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater (Bernard Gaddis), Teresa Martinez, Cooper Rust, Regenesis Dance (Petrina Olson), Solaris Dance Theater (Richard Havey), and Westwood & Dancers (Marko Westwood) all from Las Vegas.

The success of such an event rests not only on artists willing to share their talent and creativity, but also on audiences fortunate enough to participate in a wonderful event. Therefore, we would like to extend to you an invitation to experience the Dance in the Desert Festival this year on July 31 - 7:30pm and August 1 - 2pm & 7:30pm at the Nicholas J. Horn Theatre, located on the CSN Cheyenne Campus in North Las Vegas.  We hope to see you there!