South Florida has produced generations of exceptional dancers. Many have gone on to perform with major companies, tour internationally, and build careers in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond. Yet despite the region’s deep pool of talent, opportunities for dancers close to home have remained surprisingly limited.
Palm Beach County dance professionals Branndi Lewis and Ericka Squire have launched Banyan Dance Festival, a new week-long event taking place in West Palm Beach from August 3–8. Bringing together professional dancers, acclaimed choreographers, students, and audiences, the festival aims to build on South Florida’s existing dance community by creating new opportunities for performance, training, and collaboration.
“South Florida produces so many talented dancers,” says Lewis. “Our goal was to create one opportunity that could help expand the ecosystem for dance in Palm Beach County.”
What is it?
Part performance festival, part training intensive, and part community celebration, Banyan Dance Festival will bring together dancers from across the United States and abroad for a week of classes, rehearsals, roundtable discussions, public events, and original performances.
Who is involved?
The festival has assembled an ambitious roster of artists for its inaugural edition. Among them is Babatunji, a former principal dancer of LINES Ballet company based in San Francisco. He’s a Princess Grace Foundation Award winner, performs and creates internationally and will be featured in Misty Copeleand’s Ballet Festival this summer at The Joyce Theater in NYC.
Also joining the lineup is Loni Landon, a Princess Grace Award winner, Guggenheim Fellow, and Juilliard graduate whose work has been presented by leading dance institutions across the country.
The festival will also welcome Cuban artists Norge Cedeño and Thais Suárez, who will create a new contemporary work for Banyan’s apprentice company. At a time when artists in Cuba face significant economic and professional challenges, Lewis is particularly excited to bring their work to West Palm Beach. The pair have performed throughout Europe, including engagements in Germany, Italy, and Spain, and will be creating new work especially for the event. “Art is supposed to be an escape,” says Lewis. “For one week, we want artists to be able to focus entirely on creating.”
Can people who are not professional dancers attend?
Yes. While many programs are designed for aspiring and professional dancers, the festival was built with the broader community in mind. Beyond the performances, the festival offers audiences a rare look inside the creative process through open rehearsals and roundtable discussions with artists.
Additional events include open-level African dance, hip-hop, and social dance classes in downtown West Palm Beach, along with a silent disco presented in partnership with the Nora District.
The festival will also host a gala evening at Ballet Florida on Friday, August 7. The event will begin with cocktails before guests enjoy a preview performance featuring excerpts of works created during the festival. Afterwards, attendees will have the opportunity to meet the dancers, choreographers, and supporters behind the project. Guests can buy tickets here.
The Bigger Picture
At its core, Banyan Dance Festival is an investment in South Florida’s artistic future. West Palm Beach’s cultural landscape is evolving rapidly, with new institutions, venues, and creative initiatives continuing to reshape the city. Lewis hopes Banyan Dance Festival can become part of that momentum while helping establish West Palm Beach as a destination for dance.
After years of watching talent leave Florida in search of professional opportunities elsewhere, that would be quite a feat. “If successful, this won’t just be a week of performances,” she says. “It will be another step toward making South Florida a place where dancers can thrive.”
Babatunji
