Editor's Note: Picture This Post's Editor has received numerous queries on which ADF 2026 performances will be "best". The magazine has no such list-- and only the recommendation to see as many performances as possible and note the discounted price per ticket by bulk ordering.
What Picture This Post's Editorial Team CAN say is that last year's Festival had so many HIGHLY RECOMMENDED performances within it -- from troupes both in the US and Canada-- that it required the addition to the Picture This Post Youtube video titles DANCES WE LOVE that an entirely new American Dance Festival section was added.
Click the PLAY link here to see the Picture This Post picks of HIGHLY RECOMMENDED dance performances-- including those from the American Dance Festival-- in the last few years--
2026 American Dance Festival Performance Schedule
From left to right, Molly Lieber, Wally CardonaPhoto: Ye Fan
Wally Cardona & Molly Lieber
May 27–29 at 7 pm & May 30 at 2 pm & 7 pm
ADF’s Scripps Dance Studios Co-presented with Carolina Performing Arts ADF Debut
Body Traffic at Joyce Theater
BODYTRAFFIC
June 8 at 7 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
Jesse Factor with Jasmine Swaby, Claire Bryant, Jackson Bradley, Ashley Bromfeld, Yeown Chae, and Emmy LeBrun in the MarthaodysseyPhoto by Steven Pisano
Jesse Factor
June 17 at 7:30 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
ADF Debut
Bill T. Jones Arnie Zane Company Photo: OliviaMoon Photography
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
June 18 & 19 at 7:30 pm
Page Auditorium
Camille A. Brown
Camille A. Brown & Dancers (Live Music)
June 20 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
Co-presented with Hayti Heritage Center
Made in NC artistsImage from American Dance Festival website
Made in NC
June 22 at 7:30 pm
Page Auditorium
ADF-Commissioned World Premieres | ADF Debuts
Co-presented with Cary, NC
I-Ling Liu And, or... Photo by Terry Lin
I-Ling Liu & Stacy Matthew Spence (Live Music)
June 23 at 7:30 pm & June 24 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm
von der Heyden Studio Theater
ADF Debuts
Pioneer Winter Collective - APOLLOPhoto by Karli Evans
Pioneer Winter Collective
June 25 at 7:30 pm
Carolina Theatre
Co-presented with The Carolina Theatre
ADF Debut
Charlotte Ballet Charlotte Ballet Ohad Naharin's Kamuyot Photo by Amber Bliss
Charlotte Ballet
June 26 at 5:30 pm & 8 pm and June 27 & 28 at 1 pm & 4 pm
Jewish for Good
Co-presented with Jewish for Good
BartosikPhoto by Maria Baranova
Kimberly Bartosik/daela
June 27 at 7:30 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
ADF Co-Commission
Tere O’Connor DancePhoto by Maria Baranova
Tere O’Connor Dance
June 30 at 7:30 pm and July 1 at 2 pm & 7:30 pm
von der Heyden Studio Theater
ADF Co-Commission
Mark Morris Dance Company
Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble (Live Music)
July 2 & 3 at 7:30 pm and July 4 at 5 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
Monica Bill Barnes Many Happy Returns Photo by Paula Lobo
Monica Bill Barnes & Company
July 7–10 at 7:30 pm
von der Heyden Studio Theater
Ephrat by Mohamed Sadek for the NYTimes
Footprints
Ephrat Asherie, Vincent E. Thomas, Keith A. Thompson
July 11 at 7:30 pm & July 12 at 3 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
ADF-Commissioned World Premieres | ADF Debuts
SKheadshot Photo by Lynn Lane
Stephan Koplowitz
July 11 at 1 pm & 3 pm and July 12 at 11 am & 1 pm
Mutual Tower
ADF-Commissioned World Premiere
Presented in collaboration with Turnbridge Equities
Lee Duveneck and Alex Clayton in Robert Battle's Under the RhythmPhoto by Ron Thiele
Paul Taylor Dance Company
July 15 & 16 at 7:30 pm
Page Auditorium
ADF Co-commissioned World Premiere
Shen Wei Dance Arts Photo by Filip Wolak
Shen Wei Dance Arts & Guangdong Modern Dance Company
July 17 at 7:30 pm & July 18 at 5 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
ADF Co-commission
Li Chiao-Ping Folds_section from DIRTY LAUNDRYphoto by Mats Rudels
Li Chiao-Ping Dance
July 22 at 7:30 pm
Reynolds Industries Theater
ADF Debut
Lamentation Variations - Mahaiwe - Denaro
Pilobolus
July 24 at 7:30 pm & July 25 at 5 pm
Page Auditorium
