Seaside Dance Festival - Parsons Dance at Seaside Amphitheater

Seaside celebrates performance arts as this year’s Seaside Dance Festival welcomes worldwide traveling company Parsons Dance. The dancers will perform at the Seaside Amphitheater on Saturday, June 1, at 7:30 p.m. Bring chairs and blankets and enjoy the night. Free and open to the public.

This signature dance festival weekend was conceived by Seaside co-founder and patron of the arts Daryl Davis. It has become an annual event, a Seaside tradition. Davis was inspired originally to bring dance performers to Seaside to help cultivate more dance appreciation in South Walton communities as well as involve the local community.

Seleta Hayes Howard, special projects director, says the dance performance is designed to engage the community in all forms of dance, and that you don’t have to be a dance aficionado to be moved by their work. “We are honored to host Parsons Dance in the majestic setting of Seaside,” she says. “It’s exciting for our community to experience the artistic prowess, power, and high energy of Parsons, which is one of the most prestigious and sought after contemporary companies in the world. This will be an unforgettable performance!”

Artistic director David Parsons and Tony Award-winning lighting designer Howell Binkley founded Parsons Dance in 1985. The company has toured to more than 445 cities, 30 countries, and five continents and has performed at such notable venues as The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Sydney Opera House, Maison de la Danse, Teatro La Fenice, and Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro.

“David Parsons is a dance legend. And his choreographic work is brilliant and appealing to all — it’s exciting, joyful, playful,” Hayes Howard says. “Very relatable and entertaining.”

The company performs works selected from the vast and varied repertory of more than 75 works created by David Parsons. In addition, established choreographers like Trey McIntyre and Monica Bill Barnes are invited to re-stage works from the American canon on its dancers. And, through its newly launched Generation NOW Fellowship, the company offers commissions to young American choreographers whom Parsons mentors through the creative process.

The Seaside Dance Festival takes place in the Seaside Amphitheater. The event is produced by the Merchants of Seaside and admission is free. Guests can book accommodations at Seasidefl.com/visit. 

Seaside Town events are made possible by the Merchants of Seaside, so make time to stop in and enjoy the town shops and restaurants! Follow Seaside - a beautiful life on Facebook for town events and fun photos. Find @SeasideFlorida on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.