11 Aug Palm Arts: AVID at The Palm, 9/5! (Just Prior to Company’s New York Debut)
Telluride’s Palm Arts hosts AVID Dance Summer Series, Friday, September 5, 7 p.m.
General admission seating: advance tickets, $32 for adults; $25 for students. At the door, $37 and $30.
Go here to purchase your tickets.
Go here for more about Palm Arts (back to 2009).
And please scroll down to preview AVID in action. This is sure to be a no-miss show.
AVID, image Jeremy Kyle Gruner
What does ballet look like when it speaks the language of the present moment, when it doesn’t just preserve tradition, but reflects the zeitgeist of today? According to critics, it looks like AVID or Artistic Ventures in Dance. The company blends tradition and innovation to create something unique, something entirely its own: classical ballet filtered through a contemporary lens.
Reviewers praise AVID’s ability to merge diverse choreographic styles, weave in live music, and create works in which dancers are not only interpreters, but also collaborators. One critic described AVID as “a joy to watch,” noting the seamless professionalism and unexpected pairing of pointe work with electronic music. Another was struck by the way AVID explored themes of resistance, grief, trust, and surrender, universal emotions seamlessly translated into movement.
From “IMPULSE,” Credit, Jeremy Kyle Gruner
AVID, image, Jeremy Kyle Gruner.
AVID was founded by dancer Emily Speed in 2024 and has been building momentum at remarkable, well, speed.
Emily Speed, photo by Matthew Wordell.
Speed herself, is known for her luminous artistry in classical roles such as Aurora in “Sleeping Beauty” and Clara in “The Nutcracker.” But she was never content to rest on her laurels. Her dream was and remains to foster a collaborative, innovative environment.
“I didn’t just want to dance,” Speed said. “I wanted to build an artistic hub where world-class dancers, choreographers, composers, and musicians could and would create work together to make ballet accessible, relevant, and electrifying for today’s diverse audiences.”
This fall, AVID brings that dynamic energy to New York City for 14 performances in the Arpino Dance Festival at The Joyce Theater, world-renowned as one of the largest presenters of dance in the country. Of note is the fact AVID’s debut on that historic stage is happening just over one year from its very first performance as a company.
So if you happen to be in New York City between Tuesday, September 30 through Sunday, October 12, don’t miss AVID.
If, however, sneak peeks are your thing, preview AVID in Telluride. The company debuts at The Palm on Friday, September 5, in a show titled “Boundless.”
In “Boundless” audiences will see:
Daniel Ojeda’s “Persona,” set to the music of Marc Mellits, a work praised for its kinetic energy and psychological depth.
Quinn Wharton’s “IMPULSE,” a crowd favorite that literally vibrates with life.
Gerald Arpino’s “Confetti,” a joyous nod to ballet’s rich heritage.
“Human,” a new work by Cherice Barton, with an original score by Colorado resident Anne-Marie Keane. The piece is fresh, thought-provoking, and entirely of this moment.
Danielle Diniz’s “Young, Wild & Free,” a preview of AVID’s 2026 season and a show-stopper.
And the roster?
A powerhouse:
• Melody Mennite, former Houston Ballet Principal;
• Caleb Robert Thomas, former Principal at Fort Wayne Ballet and Soloist with Cincinnati Ballet;
• Julian Goodwin-Ferris, formerly danced for the Miami City Ballet;
• Jonatan Lujan, former Ballet Zurich Soloist.
To name just a few of the 12-member cast.
But the Telluride connection runs deeper than a tour stop.
Back in 1995, internationally acclaimed Joffrey ballerina and Telluride local Valerie Madonia performed on the Sheridan Opera House stage, later bringing the Joffrey Ballet to town for several unforgettable summers in residency.
Speed first met Madonia in 2013. One decade later, after a planned project fell through, she turned to her mentor for advice.
“And then it hit me. No one was coming to hand me the opportunity we needed. So maybe… we had to make it ourselves. It wasn’t about having some grand business plan. It was a bench in the park and a conversation between friends. A spark lit by frustration that fanned into something hopeful. That’s how and where AVID was born,” Speed recently explained to Dance Postcard.
Now, Madonia stages the iconic works of The Joffrey for AVID (while also coaching other major companies across the country).
What began as a whisper of an idea in New York City is now a company making waves across the country.
And so a pas de deux between two professional colleagues and friends comes full circle, no doubt, to great applause and perhaps the start of a tradition – AVID in Telluride.
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