Laguna Dance Festival

To present world-class dance performance, increase public appreciation for the art, and provide quality dance education. For twenty years Laguna Dance has presented world-class dance in unique and intimate settings such as local art galleries, Laguan Art Museum and the Laguna Playhouse.

When Jodie Gates retired from her remarkable career as a former principal ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Pennsylvania Ballet, she settled in Laguna Beach. She immediately experienced the conspicuous absence of dance in a town known for its art. One afternoon Ms. Gates and a group of like-minded friends decided to do something about it and CaDance was born. The name was later changed to Laguna Dance Festival (LDF) and in 2025 Laguna Dance because the organization does so much more than an annual festival.

Laguna Dance was honored by Arts Orange County at the 16th annual awards ceremony October 2015.  Over the years Laguna Dance has hosted such luminaries as Misty Copeland, the popular ballerina with a rags to riches story. After performing she spent hours signing her book and taking photos with young admirers. Laguna Dance collaborated with Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Live! to produce "Ekphrasis". The  2014 world premiere featured the work of choreographer Bernard Gaddis set to an original score by composer Alan Chan, both inspired by Lotus Land, a painting by Lee Mullican. Mr. Gaddis was selected through a LDF choreographic competition. This artistic endeavor was nominated for ‘Best Artistic Collaboration’ by Laguna Beach Arts Alliance. Laguna Dance has exposed thousands to the diversity of the art form, the beauty and the power.

The cost of producing an annual dance and brining world class companies and artists to perform, house them, feed them, and local transportation is more than $170,000. Tickets sales cover only a portion of the expense. The companies that perform are of the highest caliber and each company costs in the range of $60-75,000.

Laguna Dance draws dancers and dance-lovers alike from all over Southern California and beyond. Our Master Class series provides young dancers from local high schools, performing arts schools, universities and dance programs with the opportunity to train with sought-after professionals in their field. Our programs serve students from schools including UCI, OCC, Chapman University, Irvine Valley College, OCSA, LBHS and more, in addition to dance schools and programs all throughout the county.

I became in involved with Laguna Dance as the Volunteer Coordinator. At that time the Festival was held in the local high school Artists' Theatre. There were no services. My 'crew' stuffed and handed out the playbills, manned the will-call table, ushered, were the cleaned-up crew, hospitality hostesses, drivers, and we picked up and rolled out the marley floor for the Master classes. The Artistic Director and Founder, Jodie Gates hired extraordinarily talented dancers to perform and I was blown away at the talent and was hooked. I was the Volunteer Coordinator for several years before joining the Board of Directors, becoming Chairman and subsequently, the first Executive Director, managing and supporting the growing organization. The Festival has moved to a more fitting location, The Laguna Playhouse, a small 400 seat venue that offers the audience an intimate, visceral experience viewing dance. For the past 20 seasons LDF has enchanted and thrilled audiences with performances by companies such as Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons, Hubbard Street II, Alonzo King LINES Ballet and BODYTRAFFIC to name a few, along with stars of dance. Our highly regarded educational component serves as a performing arts pipeline to elementary, high school and university students in Orange and Los Angeles counties. In our 20th season, we are taking the necessary steps to keep the organization strong and healthy, building the Board and hiring staff to do the heavy lifting. It is an honor and privilege to serve this organization and continue the beautiful legacy of dance in our community. For the short time the dancers are on the stage audiences are transported to a more transcendent place. 

As a long-standing member of the board of Laguna Dance, and now the current Board Chair, I continue to be thrilled with my involvement in one of the most stunning art contributions to our community and beyond. Laguna Dance brings world-class dance to a small-stage setting in a way few, if any, organizations do, and certainly not in Southern California. Our commitment to education of adults, as well as children of both privilege and poverty, is among our highest priorities. Our commitment to quality professionalism only increases as we strategize our continued growth needs. In philanthropy, the arts may take a back seat to more pressing basic needs, yet the arts are unique in their capacity to raise our consciousness above the basics, to the very soul of our existence. Our Founder, our Board, our supporters, and our loyal audience continue to prove their commitment to present dance to serve these higher goals.