Join us at the 2026 Alabama Dance Festival. As one of the largest gatherings of dancers and dance enthusiasts in the Southeast, the Alabama Dance Festival will immerse you in master classes with world-renowned teachers, audition opportunities, teacher training, networking, performances by regional dance groups, and a guest company. Each year, the Alabama Dance Festival boasts a weekend full of performances. Participants and public alike enjoy work presented in a range of styles and traditions by schools, studios, companies, and choreographers in our annual New Works Concert and Alabama Dance Festival Showcase.
Early Bird 🐦Registration (Green and Red Tracks) Deadline JANUARY 1.
2026 Guest Company Announcement COMING SOON
Interested in teaching at a future Alabama Dance Festival? 2026 and Beyond Faculty RFP
2025 Guest Company: Collage Dance Collective
Recently named a “Southern Cultural Treasure” by SouthArts and Ford Foundation, Collage Dance Collective has presented fourteen full-length seasons of emotionally evocative performances locally in Memphis, TN, cultivated a love of dance in thousands of students, and toured a diverse range of classical and contemporary choreography from George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Ulysses Dove, Joshua Manculich, Amy Hall Garner, Kevin Iega Jeff, and more to national and international audiences.
Collage Dance’s founders established the professional dance company in New York City in 2006 in response to the ballet industry’s lack of racial diversity on stage. In 2009, after moving to Memphis, Tennessee, Collage opened its dance conservatory to expand access to classical training to communities of color and prepare them for collegial and professional dance appointments. Collage’s professional dancers serve as role models and cultural ambassadors for the city of Memphis while Collage’s conservatory programs provide a multitude of ways for our community to engage with the fine arts. Working to inspire the growth and diversity of ballet, Collage Dance Collective showcases a repertoire of relevant choreography and world-class dancers representative of the communities served.
Choreography by Amy Hall Garner
Photo by Shocphoto
Dance for Schools
The Alabama Dance Festival includes a variety of events for educators and students. Starting with a free day-long arts integration workshop, K12 educators and enthusiasts can gather, learn, and receive Continuing Education Credit. Dance Across Birmingham on January 18th offers teachers and students a free day of dance workshops/classes, the Birmingham Dance Showcase, a free concert that presents the talent of local dance artists and groups, AND Dance Performance Assessment gives public school dance students (grades 6+) an opportunity to perform for a standards-based evaluation ($5 fee/dancer/dance). A full-length school show of our guest company takes place on Friday, January 23, 2026. The show is free, but reservations are required.
Classes
The Alabama Dance Festival winter intensive offers a diverse range of master classes and workshops from a carefully curated faculty of emerging, experienced and renown dancers, artists, choreographers, and educators. Classes vary across styles and cultural traditions for pre-professional dancers (grades 6-12), college/professional dancers, and pedagogy and professional development workshops.
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Auditions
The Alabama Dance Festival offers valuable audition opportunities for dance students on Friday, January 23, 2026. Dancers may register to audition for local, regional, and national summer programs, college programs, and scholarships.
Performances
New Works Concert
Friday, January 23, 8:00 PM
Tickets – available at the door
(Festival Package includes a ticket to this show)
Alabama Screendance Festival
Saturday, January 24, 6:00 PM
Tickets – available at the door
(Option add this ticket to Festival Package registration at no additional cost)
ADF 2026 Guest Company
Saturday, January 24, 7:30 PM
Single Ticket Sales Coming this Fall
(Option add this ticket to Festival Package registration at no additional cost)
Alabama Dance Festival Showcase
Sunday, January 25, 2:30 PM
Tickets – limited number available at the door
(Festival Package includes a ticket to this show)
2025 Full Festival Updated Schedule
