The ADF School is…

A place for dance artists who want to study, perform, create, research, and build lifelong connections in an immersive, meaningful community. For nine decades, ADF has been a career-defining destination for dancers around the world, a place where movers learn from each other, generate new ideas together, share their stories, and form lasting relationships. 

ADF provides the critical meeting ground for vibrant, diverse dancing bodies to mobilize, align, and become the leaders our society needs us to be. It is an indispensable educational force in the contemporary dance landscape by offering an innovative curriculum and presenting best pedagogical practices. In all of its programs, it seeks to foster community-mindedness, ethical leadership, and respect for difference. 

Each year, dance students and artists from around the world converge on the campus of Duke University in Durham, NC, to discover endless possibilities at the American Dance Festival. Under the leadership of Director of Education Nile H. Russell, the ADF School hosts its core summer programs: Summer Dance Intensive (SDI), the Pre-Professional Dance Intensive (PDI), and the Dance Professional Workshops (DPW); and winter program: New York City Winter Intensive.

ADF Coast to Coast

 ADF Coast to Coast offers the opportunity to connect with the festival across the country prior to the summer season. ADF visits schools and events to provide master classes; audition students for scholarships (SDI) and program acceptance (PDI); and hold information sessions regarding our programs.

We welcome the chance to connect with new organizations! Representatives can complete the form on our ADF Coast to Coast page to request a visit from our stellar team of faculty and administrators.