General Information
Professional Training Program: July 14 – August 3, 2024
APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2024 BATES DANCE FESTIVAL WILL BE OPEN November 29 – May 6.
COVID-19 Information
BDF is dedicated to creating a safe and healthy environment for students, faculty, staff, artists, and audiences. We will follow all CDC guidelines regarding arrival, testing, quarantining, masking, and distancing. Students will receive detailed information at the time of their acceptance into the program as well as monthly updates if any policies change.
Students are required to be fully vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19 to participate in the 2024 Festival. If you have questions or concerns about this, please email dancefest@bates.edu.
The Location
The Festival is held on the beautifully landscaped campus of Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, a 45-minute drive from Portland and west of the extraordinary Maine coast. While most festival events occur on campus, there is time to explore the surrounding community of Lewiston-Auburn, two vibrant sister cities that straddle The Androscoggin River.
Arrival & Orientation
Students enrolled in the full three-week program must arrive on Sunday, July 14, between 12 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. All students must depart campus on Saturday, August 3, by 12 p.m. For one week programs, students will arrive between 12-3:30 p.m. on the Sunday before their first day of classes and depart by 12 p.m. on the Saturday following their final class.
Transportation
The Portland International Jetport (PWM), serviced by Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United and American Airlines is a 45-minute drive from the Bates campus. Concord Coach and Amtrak serve Portland. Greyhound Bus (Vermont Transit) serves Lewiston directly and Concord Coach Lines has stations in Auburn.
Students may also fly into Boston Logan airport (BOS), and then take a Concord Coach Lines bus to Auburn.
Room & Meals
Students are housed in College dormitories with other students of similar age. Single and double rooms are available. Rooms and studios are not air-conditioned. Students living on campus must adopt the meal plan. Delicious meals are served in the College’s Dining Commons with several choices of entrees daily, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Evening And Weekend Events
Evening events include performances, workshops, film and video showings, panel discussions and informal jams. Students receive complimentary tickets to performances that are running while they are on campus. On weekends students may explore the beauty of Maine by joining organized outings or elect to participate in workshops on campus.
Course Selection & Registration
Courses and application information will be available on November 15, 2023.
College Transcript
All students who successfully complete a full course load for three weeks during the Bates Dance Festival may earn one Bates College credit (pass/fail), which is equivalent to 4.0 semester hours of credit. Requests for transcripts must be made in writing directly to the Bates College Registrar.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of scholarships and fellowships are available to qualifying students. See Scholarship section for details.
Scholarship Details