Bates Dance Festival

Your support helps the Bates Dance Festival continue to thrive as a space for learning, creation, and connection. Each gift directly sustains the programs that make BDF a vital home for artists and our community year after year.

Your generosity makes it possible to:

• Provide scholarships—averaging $675 for residential training and $215 for our Youth Arts Program—ensuring that dancers of all ages and backgrounds can access transformative training opportunities.
• Host community events, each requiring about $2,000 in artist fees, marketing, transportation, and materials, bringing dance beyond the studio and into shared public spaces.
• Support our Artist in Residence program, which invests $18,000 annually to welcome four companies to develop and premiere new works for our students and audiences.

Together, these contributions help sustain the artistry, education, and community spirit that define the Bates Dance Festival.