Hamptons Dance Project Returns With a Summer Dance Intensive for Teens

Hamptons Dance Project (HDP) launches its seventh season of classical dance from a contemporary perspective in East Hampton on August 8 to 10.

For the fifth consecutive year, performances will take place at Fireplace Lodge in Springs, a scenic 20-acre farm overlooking Gardiner’s Bay on the Northeast shore of East Hampton.

The site is the legacy of the artist Mary Ryan, who purchased the property, an abandoned girls’ camp, in the 1970s. She opened its fields to local farmers and children’s day camps, arrangements that her sons Max and Oliver have honored since her death in 2018. The farm also hosts special events; perhaps none so special — and on so large a scale — as Hamptons Dance Project.

“We met Max and Oliver during HDP’s first season, in 2019 when we rented their farmhouse for our dancers,” said Jose Sebastian, HDP’s artistic director. “I was blown away by how special the place is.”

The property includes a stage perched on a small hill just beyond the house, a vestige of its campground past.

“I took one look at that stage and fell in love with it,” Sebastian added. “To experience a dance performance in a natural setting like that is magic. I knew I had to make that happen.”

Two years later, Sebastian did just that.

“When Jose proposed the idea of staging HDP on the farm, we said yes on the spot,” said Oliver Ryan. “Hosting these extraordinary dancers on our land and sharing the moment with our community is many dreams come true.”

Programming for HDP Season VII is still being finalized and will be announced in the coming months. In keeping with past seasons, it will blend works from distinguished choreographers, reimagined classics, and different forms of dance. The company will consist of dancers from American Ballet Theatre (ABT) and guest artists from other major dance companies.

This year, for the first time, HDP is offering a Summer Intensive for students ages 12 to 16. One year of pointe training and a video audition are required. ABT artists will lead students in a professional-level ballet class, with pointe and contemporary repertoire training. There will be an informal showing on August 15.

The HDP Summer Intensive will take place from August 11 to 15 at LTV Studios in Wainscott, which joins HDP this year as its presenting partner. The participation fee is $1,200 per student. Housing will not be provided, and class size is limited. Applications will be accepted from May 15 until the class is filled; for more information, contact Cailyn@hamptonsdanceproject.org.

Hamptons Dance Project has been a fixture on the East End each summer since its launch in 2019 and has been performing at Fireplace Lodge since 2021.

“The Hamptons has been a place of dreams for me ever since I spent summers here as a kid,” said Sebastian. “I owe a profound debt of gratitude to our supporters, audiences, generous donors, and Max and Oliver Ryan for helping to make my dream a reality.”

The Hamptons Dance Project (HDP) presents classical repertoire reimagined alongside innovative new works with a modern sensibility. HDP promotes dance as a part of the cultural landscape of the East End and encourages artists to take risks and stretch their talents in new directions. It also connects with outside communities that have minimal exposure to ballet and classical dance performance.

Tickets for HDP Season VII go on sale on May 15 at hamptonsdanceproject.org and ltveh.org with general admission tickets starting at $150, or $200 which includes a preshow reception.