The Amelia Island Dance Festival packed 14 acts into its Sept. 12 evening showcase, bringing classical ballet, tap, athletic dance and an aerial performance to Fernandina Beach.

The four-day festival ran Sept. 10-13, marking its eighth season. More than 30 individual artists, companies and groups performed across the weekend's offerings, according to the Fernandina Observer.

Colombian-born choreographer premieres new work

Among them was Sofía Forero, a Colombian-born, New York City-based dancer who graduated with honors from The Ailey School and also trained at the Joffrey Ballet School. Forero, who co-founded Mosaïque Dance Theater with Nicolas Fiery, choreographed a new piece performed with two other dancers at the showcase.

Fernandina Observer columnist Dickie Anderson, who attended the Sept. 12 performances, wrote about meeting Forero and watching her work on stage. Forero is originally from Cali, Colombia, where she performed on the stages of Delirio and Mulato Cabaret. She now serves as a senior dance artist with Tumbaga Dance Company, Ajkun Ballet Theatre and Accent Dance NYC, among others.

Forero is creating a series of dances inspired by her grandmother, who survived life-threatening cancer. She called her grandmother "kick-ass," Anderson wrote in her Sept. 22 column.

Free workshops and a day in the park

The festival offered more than 30 free workshops covering ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, tap, musical theater, ballroom, African dance traditions, Indian dance and country line dancing, according to the Amelia Islander. The Theodore & Pauline Cohen Charitable Trust funded the workshops.

A highlight was Dancing in the Park, a free outdoor community event held Sept. 12 at Central Park in Fernandina Beach. This year's edition introduced a Dance Passport Adventure, where children explored global dance traditions.

Susan "Susie" Dodge, the festival's executive artistic director and a former member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, has led the nonprofit since relocating to Amelia Island in 2014. In an August preview in the Amelia Islander, Dodge said the festival's goal "has always been to make dance and healthy movement vibrant and accessible for Amelia Islanders and visitors alike."

The festival, founded in 2019, also provides year-round educational outreach, scholarships, artist residencies and community programs across northeast Florida, according to the Fernandina Observer.

Returning artists created world premieres and original collaborations for Amelia Island audiences this season, according to the Amelia Islander. No dates for a 2027 festival have been announced.