New England Ballet Theatre launches the inaugural Farmington Valley Dance Festival

This August, New England Ballet Theatre (NEBT) will transform the Farmington Valley into a vibrant celebration of movement as it presents the inaugural Farmington Valley Dance Festival, a two-day event bringing together professional dance companies, local artists, businesses, and families for a weekend unlike any other in Connecticut.

Held at 99 Thompson Road in Avon, the festival will feature free performances, dance classes, interactive family activities, local vendors, and a showcase of some of New England’s most exciting professional dance companies. The festival is designed to celebrate every style of dance while making the arts accessible to the entire community.

“Dance has an incredible ability to bring people together, and we hope this becomes a tradition that the Farmington Valley looks forward to every summer.” said Rachael Gnatowski, Artistic & Executive Director of New England Ballet Theatre.

The festival is presented by New England Ballet Theatre and made possible through the support of the Town of Avon, and local partners, sponsors, artists, and volunteers committed to strengthening arts and culture throughout the region.

The inaugural Farmington Valley Dance Festival will bring the community together for a weekend celebrating dance, creativity and connection from August 14–15.

The festival opens on Friday, August 14, with Overture: Ballet Under the Stars, a special ticketed celebration launching New England Ballet Theatre’s 2026–2027 performance season. The evening will feature live ballet performances, light refreshments, open dancing and the opportunity for guests to mingle with dancers and artists while enjoying a summer evening celebrating the arts under the stars. Designed as a joyful community gathering, Overture will mark the beginning of another exciting season for the company.

On Saturday, August 15, the Farmington Valley Dance Festival will offer a full day of free family activities from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM, inviting guests of all ages to explore dance through interactive experiences. The daytime program will include free outdoor dance classes such as Mat Pilates, Musical Theatre Tap, Hip-Hop Foundations and Intermediate Contemporary, alongside face painting, storytime with a ballerina, interactive art and sensory stations, local artisan and community vendors, food vendors, children’s activities and more.

Whether attendees want to dance, watch, create or simply enjoy the festival atmosphere, the event will provide opportunities for the entire community to engage with the art form.

The festival will conclude Saturday evening at 6:00 PM with a free outdoor dance concert featuring professional dance companies from across Connecticut and New England. Performers will include New England Ballet Theatre, IMMIX Dance Project, Garet&Co, Next Dance Company, Dimensional Dance, Connecticut Tap Collaborative and Layavinyasa, with additional guest artists also joining the program.

Celebrating the diversity of the region’s dance community, the evening performance will bring together a range of styles including ballet, contemporary, tap, jazz and modern dance on one shared stage. Should weather require, festival activities will move to Sunday, August 16.

For more information and the full festival schedule, visit New England Ballet Theatre’s website.

Image courtesy New England Ballet Theatre