With an enrollment of over 400 students, the ADF School is looking forward to a banner 2010 season. CyberDance visited the Six Week School check-in on Duke’s East Campus to ask a few newcomers what they are most looking forward to this summer. Like sponges, these students are eager to absorb all things dance for the next six weeks.

The above clip is an excerpt from AADE’s Lamban/Banta, performed at ADF in 2007. The company will perform a traditional African dance program, Treasured Reflections: African Dance in Motion, at Reynolds Industries Theater, June 10-12. For more information on this ADF performance, please visit the ADF website.

On June 10, Durham’s own African American Dance Ensemble will open the 2010 ADF season at Reynolds Industries Theater. Helping us to explore what dance theater is, Artistic Director and Founder “Baba” Chuck Davis says, “We call it theater. But in most areas of Africa, it’s called life.”

“What is dance theater? What do you think it is? That’s probably what it is.” CyberDance talks with ADF Director Charles Reinhart and ADF Co-Director Jodee Nimerichter about the 2010 season theme. Join us as we begin “constantly exploring and exploding anybody’s definition” of what dance is.

Each summer during its annual season, the ADF offers internships in all areas of arts administration and production. Administrative internships are intended to give hands-on experience to those interested in a careers in arts management. Production interns work on the crew for the 35-plus performance of the ADF season. All interns work as integral parts of the ADF staff in an invigorating arts environment and play an important role in carrying out the ADF’s mission to serve dance, dancers, choreographers and artists in related fields.

In 1972, the ADF commissioned its poster from a renowned visual artist for the first time. Since then, these commissioned works have provided the ADF community with both vibrant and pensive interpretations of the spirit of modern dance. This year you will find a selection of these posters exhibited in the Reynolds Theater lobby. Also, signed and numbered copies of these works of art will be available for purchase in the ADF Store.

For the past three years, Classic Graphics has printed the ADF programs. This year CyberDance jumped at the opportunity to get a sneak peek at the process of how thousands upon thousands of Festival programs are stitched every summer. Get stitched? What does that mean exactly? Every week, the inserts (also known as “uncommon guts”) are stapled into the part of the program that always stays the same (also known as “common guts”). A simple process, but an unusual visual feast for lovers of rhythm and repitition! Also, the ADF would like to extend its gratitude to Classic Graphics for donating invitations to the 2010 ADF Gala, which benefits the ADF Scholarship Fund.

Ethnomusicologist James Koetting’s “Postal Office Music”, recorded at the University of Ghana in 1975, is the soundtrack for this video.