Dog Days of Summer Dance Festival at the Pioneer Center
Where: E.L. Cord Plaza at the Pioneer Center
When: August 16-18, 2024 at the Pioneer Center
What: Dog Days of Summer Dance Festival returns to the Pioneer Center August 16-18, 2024, on the E.L. Cord Plaza stage. This outdoor performance event features a different mixed-genre program each night and stars a wide range of northern Nevada-based dance companies along with special guest artists. This FREE community event is open to the general public—patrons are encouraged to arrive early, bring their own chairs or blankets for seating, and enjoy a variety of food trucks before the show. In addition to showcasing exceptional dance performances, Dog Days of Summer Dance Festival spotlights the work of SPCA of Northern Nevada to raise monetary donations and awareness of their life-saving mission to help animals in need here in our community. SPCA-NN will present a nightly Pup Parade fashion show that showcases alumni dogs and volunteers from their organization–event attendees are kindly asked to keep their own pets at home. The plaza will open nightly at 6pm for a 7:30pm performance.
The Dog Days of Summer Dance Festival 2024 will feature the following dance companies:
- Ballet Folklórico Internacional de Reno y Danza Azteca Aztlán (Mariano Lemus,Antonio Muñoz, & Anastacio Duran, directors)
- Ballet Folklórico Pueblo Nuevo (Belén Chavez, director)
- bellē contemporary dance company (Cari Cunningham, director)
- Entity Movement (Sierra Taylor-Cline & Brandon Dabu, directors)
- Nevada Dance Company (Oliver & Erica Adams, directors)
- White Light Bollywood Productions (Chhavi Bhalla, director)
Featured dance companies performing opening numbers include Ballet Folklórico Florde Castilla, The Dapper Tappers, and NoteAble Music Therapy Services Dance Troupe.
Our 2024 Featured Guest Artist is New York-based dancer/choreographer Haley Davis. She will perform on all three evenings.
Haley Davis: Ms. Davis grew up at her mother’s dance studio, Western Nevada Performing Arts Center in Carson City, NV under the direction of Gina Kaskie Davis. At a young age, she discovered her passion for dance and teaching and wanted to follow in her family’s footsteps. She is now based in NYC and has had the opportunity to train under incredible educators such as Chip Abbott, Marcea Lane, Tyne Stecklein, Nick Bass, Lauren Reins, and more. Credits include Step One Dance Company on Holland America Cruise Lines, Cirque Dreams Holidazeon tour, and associate choreographer for ‘InConcert,” for MSC Cruise Lines. Haley has trained and performed as a company member of Radiance, under the direction of Rudy Abrue (SYTYCD). You can also see Haley as the featured dancer in Haliene’s music video titled “Whisper.” She currently tours with Adrenaline and Revive Dance Convention and teaches at studios across the United States.