As Grand Rapids Ballet continues celebrating 50 years of lifting the human spirit through the art of dance, we are hosting a FREE, outdoor Summer Dance Festival! Taking place Friday, August 26, and Saturday, August 27, 2022, Grand Rapids Ballet welcomes West Michigan to enjoy two evenings of world-class dance, tasty food, and beer tents all under the evening skies outside of the Peter Martin Wege Theatre. The free festivities kick off at 5 p.m. each evening.

Our outdoor stage will open for the first performance at 6 p.m., featuring classical ballet favorites and contemporary works performed by Grand Rapids Ballet’s company dancers, apprentices, and trainees. Building our future generation of dance, the evening also will feature performances from Grand Rapids Ballet School students. We invite you to bring your own chair so you can sit back and enjoy an evening of outdoor performance. 

To celebrate dancers and different styles of dance from across the Mitten state, GRB is hosting various community dance partners who also will perform throughout the event. Grand Rapids Ballet also is pleased to feature live music by local singer/songwriter Ralston Bowles from 5:15-5:45 each evening to open the Summer Dance Festival. Featured dance groups will include:

• – Arthur Murray Dance Studio
• –  CPR Dance: Inhale Movement
• – Dancespire
• – Deos Contemporary Ballet
• – Edgar L. Page (Aug. 26)
• – Golden Tiger Kung Fu Academy (Aug. 27)
• – Grand Valley State University Dance Program
• – La Fuerza de Grand Rapids (Aug. 26)
• – Nuru Dance Group and Sebene Dance Group (Aug 27)
• – Ray Love – The P.A.C.K.
• – More community partners may be announced leading up to the festival.

Enjoy fresh food from our partner food trucks, including Taste of Toyas (Friday evening), Around Baking (Saturday evening), Patty Matters (Saturday evening), Los Jalapeños (both nights), Frostbite Shaved Ice (both nights), and Ice Box Ice Cream (both nights), plus cold brews from Beer City’s best breweries.

Grand Rapids Ballet is thrilled to continue celebrating 50 years of dance and community with our 50^th Anniversary Summer Dance Festival!