FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sedona Choreography Retreat: Where Visionaries Create the Future of Dance

Dates: June 11–13, June 15–20, 2025
Final Showcase Performance: June 20, 2025
Website: sedonaballet.org/retreats

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Sedona’s iconic red rocks, the inaugural Sedona Choreography Retreat is an extraordinary convergence of artistic brilliance, innovation, and collaboration. Over the course of ten electrifying days, world-class artists will come together to create new works that will premiere in an exclusive final performance—offering audiences a rare glimpse into the future of dance.

At the heart of the retreat is Nayon Iovino, renowned choreographer and Artistic Director of the retreat. Known for his emotionally resonant and visually stunning work with Ballet Arizona, Iovino will debut a brand-new ballet inspired by the haunting compositions of Christel Veraart. Drawing from Veraart’s evocative album Nostalgia and her latest audiovisual creation Santa Fe & Esmeralda – Nostalgia, Iovino’s new work promises a profound fusion of music, imagery, and movement.

Joining him is the incomparable LaTasha Barnes, an award-winning dancer, choreographer, and scholar celebrated for bridging Black social dance traditions with contemporary innovation. At the retreat, Barnes will unveil the Flow State Project—a groundbreaking interdisciplinary performance that translates live movement into real-time digital soundscapes. Each gesture creates a sonic imprint, inviting audiences into an immersive sensory world where rhythm, energy, and technology converge.

In collaboration with the nationally recognized Ballet Arizona, the Sedona Choreography Retreat brings together an elite ensemble of Ballet Arizona’s professional dancers alongside top emerging talent from Arizona State University’s prestigious dance program. Together, these visionary artists are creating a collaborative environment rarely seen outside of major metropolitan centers.

Throughout the retreat, the public is invited to engage deeply with the creative process through a series of Conversation Workshops, Open Rehearsals, and a Masterclass for local students. These events offer an unprecedented opportunity to witness the evolution of new works, meet the artists, and experience the dynamic collaboration between choreographers, dancers, musicians, and designers. Aspiring young dancers will also have the chance to work directly with these distinguished artists, receiving mentorship and inspiration to fuel their own artistic journeys.

The retreat culminates in an electrifying Showcase Performance on June 20, 2025, featuring world premieres and celebrated masterpieces:

World Premieres

• Nayon Iovino’s new ballet inspired by Christel Veraart’s richly atmospheric music and visual storytelling
• LaTasha Barnes’ Flow State Project, a dynamic exploration of dance, technology, and cultural roots

Special Repertoire Highlights

• Excerpt from Serenade by George Balanchine
  With permission from The George Balanchine Trust, audiences will experience Sonatina—an excerpt from Balanchine’s landmark Serenade. Set to Tchaikovsky’s lush score, this piece captures the timeless grace, sweeping musicality, and emotional resonance that defined Balanchine’s revolutionary vision.
• Take Me With You by Robert Bondara
  A powerful pas de deux set to Radiohead’s haunting Reckoner, Bondara’s celebrated duet has traveled the world from Roberto Bolle and Melissa Hamilton’s original performance to stagings at Stanislavsky Ballet, Czech National Ballet, and soon, Dance Theatre of Harlem. It is a lyrical yet visceral meditation on connection, longing, and the unspoken dialogue between two dancers.
• Vastwave by Natasha Adorlee
  Emmy Award-winning choreographer Natasha Adorlee brings her latest creation, Vastwave, to life with Ballet Arizona’s Studio Company dancers. Blending electrifying original sound design with kinetic contemporary movement, Adorlee’s work captures the ebb and flow of human experience through evocative waves of sound and motion.

The Sedona Choreography Retreat represents a bold new chapter in dance innovation—blending classical excellence, contemporary vision, multicultural roots, and cutting-edge technology in one of the most inspiring natural settings in America.

This is a rare opportunity to witness the birth of groundbreaking new works and experience the creative forces shaping the future of dance.

🎟️ For full details and ticket information, visit: sedonaballet.org/retreats