Amanda Selwyn's 5th Footprints Dance Festival Returns

Sarah Jenkins · 2026-01-29

Hey there, dance community. I've got some exciting news to share with you today. The Amanda Selwyn Dance Theatre just announced their fifth annual Footprints Dance Festival is coming back. And let me tell you, this isn't just another event on the calendar. This festival has become something special over the years. It's grown from a small showcase into a proper celebration of movement and creativity. If you're involved in dance studios, choreography, or teaching classes, you'll want to pay attention to what they're building here. ### What Makes This Festival Different You know how some festivals feel a bit... formulaic? Like they're checking boxes rather than creating something meaningful? That's not what Footprints is about. Amanda Selwyn has built this event around genuine artistic exploration. It's about leaving your mark - your footprint - in the dance world. What I appreciate is how they focus on the creative process itself. It's not just about polished final products. They're inviting audiences and participants to see how dance evolves from that first spark of an idea to a fully-realized piece. That's valuable for anyone teaching or creating dance.  ### Why This Matters for Dance Professionals If you're running a studio or teaching classes, you might be wondering why you should care about one festival in New York. Well, here's the thing - events like this shape our entire industry. They set trends, they introduce new techniques, and they remind us why we fell in love with dance in the first place. I've seen festivals like this influence: - Teaching methods in studios across the country - Choreographic approaches that trickle down to student work - How we think about audience engagement and community building It's like that quote I always come back to: "Dance is the hidden language of the soul." Festivals like Footprints give that language a platform to be heard. ### What You Can Expect This Year While specific details are still emerging for this fifth anniversary edition, here's what we know based on previous years and current announcements. The festival typically runs for several days in New York City venues. They feature both established and emerging choreographers, which creates this beautiful mix of experience and fresh perspectives. Past festivals have included: - Evening-length performances by the main company - Shorter works by guest artists - Workshops and masterclasses (these are gold for teachers looking to expand their toolkit) - Talkbacks where you can actually chat with the creators ### How This Impacts Your Dance Business Let's get practical for a moment. You're running a studio or teaching classes. What can you take from an event like this? First, pay attention to the programming. See what themes and styles are resonating. Notice how they structure their workshops - there might be ideas you can adapt for your own studio. Second, think about community. Successful festivals build connections. They create networks of dancers, teachers, and enthusiasts. That's something every studio owner should be cultivating in their own city or town. Finally, remember that inspiration flows both ways. While major festivals showcase professional work, they're often inspired by what's happening in studios and classrooms across the country. Your work with students matters more than you might realize. ### The Bigger Picture We're at an interesting moment in dance. After some challenging years, events like Footprints remind us why live performance matters. They bring people together in shared spaces to experience something that can't be replicated on a screen. For choreographers, it's a chance to test new work. For teachers, it's professional development. For studio owners, it's market research wrapped in artistic inspiration. And for dancers at any level, it's pure fuel for the creative fire. So mark your calendars. The fifth annual Footprints Dance Festival is coming. Whether you can attend in person or just follow along from afar, this is one of those events that reminds us all why we do this work. It's about more than steps and counts - it's about expression, community, and leaving our own unique footprints on the dance world.