Dance Source Houston Announces Return of Barnstorm Dance Fest & SPARK Fundraiser Launch Party

Dance Source Houston (DSH) is excited to announce Barnstorm Dance Fest 2022, featuring dance makers from Houston and beyond, after a two-year hiatus from the dance festival. Barnstorm will return to Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH) for a full week of live performances, dance film screenings, and artist talks, June 6-12, attracting dance audiences from across the Greater Houston region. The festival will kick off with SPARK, a fundraising launch party event, on Saturday, June 4 in the Gallery at MATCH, benefitting DSH’s next season. Classes and workshops for movers of all experience levels led by Barnstorm artists will also take place throughout the festival at area studios. 

After a delayed 15th anniversary event originally scheduled for 2020, DSH is celebrating the organization’s history and honoring its founder, Christina Giannelli, with a fundraiser to amplify the 2022 festival and fund artist fees for DSH’s 2022-2023 performance programming. SPARK will offer attendees a fun dance party atmosphere alongside the who’s who of Houston’s dance community, including many Barnstorm artists.

The last in-person Barnstorm Dance Fest took place in 2019, followed by a fully virtual edition in 2020 and a festival pause in 2021. This year’s Barnstorm introduces a lineup of three programs featuring a total of 19 live performance works and a new, additional offering of a dance on film program showcasing 9 dance for camera works. All four programs will run twice during the week-long festival schedule and weekend programs will be enriched by post-show artist talks facilitated by members of the local dance community. 

“We are thrilled to bring back Barnstorm after the long, but necessary pause. Dance festivals bring a certain excitement and cultivate such a unique sense of community that have been missed by both dancers and audiences,” says Mollie Haven Miller, DSH’s Executive Director. “Kicking off the festival by marking our 17th year as a dance service organization is a thrilling way to bring together artists and patrons in celebration of dance.”

Dancemakers featured in the live performance programs of Barnstorm Dance Fest include Aimed Dance, Garage Arts Project, Justin Curry, Morgan Sandlin, Social Movement Contemporary Dance, The Pilot Dance Project, Two To Tango, and many more.

Artists included in the dance on film program include Blake Daniels, Ilia Borodine, Kay Collymore, Mark Freeman, SETSVN, and more.

SPARK tickets are $35 for DSH members and begin at $50 for the general public. Barnstorm single program tickets begin at $20 and four program passes are $70. Discounted all festival passes, which include the SPARK fundraiser event and all four programs, are available through May 15.

Tickets for the festival and fundraiser are on sale now matchouston.org.