The Baxter Dance Festival 2011, now in its seventh year, promises to be a bumper season from 6 to 15 October, with some exciting innovations planned to showcase and celebrate Cape Town’s diverse and dynamic dance talent.

Over the years it has grown exponentially and has become one of the “must-do activities” on Cape Town’s events calendar. The organisers are now calling for entries from dance studios, schools, companies, groups and independent dance-makers, as well as proposals from choreographers (including a DVD of recent work) for a specially commissioned new 20-minute choreographic dance piece.

Closing date for applications to participate in this year’s event is Wednesday, 13 July, at 5pm and choreographers are strongly encouraged to send in their submissions as early as possible. Since its inception more than 225 local choreographers have presented their work in the festival, featuring over 1000 dancers from about 150 studios, dance schools, projects and professional companies from all over the Western Cape, presenting a wide variety of dance styles and genres including contemporary, classical, African, modern and Spanish.

The Main Programme will feature work of various lengths by established professional companies, as well as the newly commissioned work and invited companies, while the Off Main Programme, which takes place on Saturday, 8 October from 2pm, will showcase young up-and-coming choreographers and student work.

The Fringe Off-Main Programme from 2pm on Saturday, October 15, will include work by youth groups, dance studios, school groups, traditional African dance groups and choreographers who specifically request that their work be staged here for practical or other reasons. All entries to participate in this year’s bumper Baxter Dance Festival 2011 may be emailed, faxed or hand-delivered, with the closing date for applications strictly by no later than 5pm on Wednesday, 13 July. No late entries will be entertained.