Year: 2025-2026
DanceForce Member: Sukanya Burman
Partnering DanceForce Members: Margaret Kaiser, Ivan Sygoda
Artists: Grace Gibbons; Star Larson; Les Ballet Afrik; MahataMmoho Collective; Sri Thina Dance
Community Partners: Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet; Jamestown Community College; Jamestown Farmers Market; Jamestown Pride; Jamestown Public Market; New Neighbors Coalition; Reg Lenna Center for the Arts; Studio Dance Conservatory, Jamestown; Torn Space Theatre; YWCA Jamestown
Audience: 706
Counties: Chautauqua, Erie

The Jamestown Dance Festival 2025 returned for its second year as a multi-day, multi-venue celebration of professional dance, presented by Sukanya Burman Dance. The festival’s primary goals were to expand access to high-quality dance in a rural community, support professional artists, particularly BIPOC and culturally specific dance makers, and position Jamestown as a growing hub for professional dance. Through performances, workshops, screening, and community gathering, the festival sought to move beyond entertainment by presenting work that challenges audiences to think, feel, and engage with diverse movement traditions.

Principal artists included Les Ballet Afrik, the NYC-based company led by ballroom artist and choreographer Omari Wiles, whose work fuses African dance, Vogue, House, and contemporary forms; Sri Thina Dance, an internationally recognized Bharatanatyam and Odissi artist; and Sukanya Burman, Artistic Director of Sukanya Burman Dance. Local and regional collaborating artists were featured prominently through the Regional Artist Showcase, including MahataMmoho Collective from Buffalo, Star Larson from Sugar Grove PA, and Grace Gibbons from Jamestown.

Planning for the festival began several months in advance and was informed by audience feedback from the inaugural year. The process emphasized equitable artist compensation, accessibility, and expanded partnerships. New venues were added to reach broader audiences, including Jamestown Community College and Torn Space Theater in Buffalo, alongside returning community spaces in Jamestown.

Festival activities took place September 4 through September 7, 2025. Highlights included Indian Classical Night on September 4 at 7:30 PM at the Scharmann Theatre at Jamestown Community College, Les Ballet Afrik on September 5 at 7:30 PM at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, and the Regional Artist Showcase on September 6 at 2:00 PM at the Scharmann Theatre. Additional offerings included a dance film screening of Paris Is Burning, multiple workshops such as a Vogueing workshop with Omari Wiles, an Introduction to Indian Classical Dance workshop with Sukanya Burman, and a Dunham technique workshop with Megan Rakeepile, as well as a community After Party and Mixer featuring a Sitar Jam from Buffalo as a closing event.

Promotional efforts included social media campaigns, email newsletters, printed materials, billboards and media partner-based outreach through the Post Journal, BTPM NPR, Erie News Now, The Buffalo Hive, Chautauqua Gazette and My CHQ. The festival engaged over 700 attendees. Workshop participation brought both traditionally trained dancers and nontraditional participants.

New and returning community partners included Torn Space Theater, Jamestown Pride, Jamestown Community College, Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, NYS DanceForce, NYSCA, and the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation. Notably, the partnership with Torn Space resulted in a sold-out performance in a venue that does not typically present dance.

The festival served a broad cross-section of the community, including BIPOC audiences, LGBTQ+ communities, first-time dance attendees, youth, and rural residents. As one audience member shared, “This was my first live dance performance. I did not feel intimidated. I felt welcomed.” An artist reflected, “Jamestown feels like a place where dance can grow roots, not just pass through.”