ASSATEAGUE ISLAND, Md. - The 2024 Ballet on the Beach Dance Festival is set to take place on Assateague Island on Saturday, Sept. 21, with a rain date of Sept. 22. The event is co-sponsored by Assateague State Park and the Maryland Park Service and is free.
The event will include professional dance performances on the beach. Organizers ask people coming to bring beach chairs or towels to enjoy the ballet at sunset.
According to organizers, this year’s festival will showcase performances by New York City-based CONTINUUM Contemporary/Ballet, members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, artists from The Washington Ballet, Janusphere Dance Company, and Ballet Theatre of Maryland, among others.
In addition to the performances, the event will offer onstage eco talks, a pointe shoe pavilion and arts station sponsored by Freed of London USA, and a literature area with opportunities for eco-volunteer engagement.
The festival is made possible through generous donations and grants from organizations such as the Worcester County Arts Council, Maryland State Arts Council, Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, Salisbury University Foundation, Maryland Coastal Bays Program and National Endowment for the Arts.