Les Estivales de la Danse

ℹ️ Festival discontinued since 2017. Les Estivales de la Danse de Tarbes has not been renewed since its fifth edition in July 2017. The ARTS65 association, which originated the event, continues its activity of promoting dance in Tarbes but no longer organizes the summer festival. No edition has been announced for 2026.

Les Estivales de la Danse: Dance in the Spotlight in Tarbes

Created in 2012 by the ARTS65 association, Les Estivales de la Danse de Tarbes offered every summer a festival dedicated to dance in all its diversity. Under the artistic direction of Mikael Fau, a dancer originally from Tarbes, the festival offered a rich program combining professional shows and participatory activities, in the heart of the Hautes-Pyrénées.

Dance in All Its Forms

The festival explored dance in all its forms:

• Contemporary dance and modern jazz
• Hip-hop and urban dance
• Classical dance and ballet
• Street dance and urban entertainment

Workshops, Shows and Encounters

Les Estivales offered workshops and classes open to all levels, indoor and outdoor shows (notably at the Théâtre des Nouveautés, Théâtre Le Pari and Place Saint-Jean), as well as encounters between amateur dancers and professionals from the national and international choreographic scene. Master classes were centralized at the Conservatoire Henri Duparc.

Five Editions from 2012 to 2017

The festival was held every summer from 2012 to 2015, took a break in 2016 for logistical and financial reasons, then returned in July 2017 to celebrate its fifth anniversary (from July 4 to 8, 2017). No edition has been organized since. The ARTS65 association, based at the Maison des Associations de l'Arsenal in Tarbes, continues its dance promotion activities but the summer festival has not been renewed.

The Legacy of Les Estivales

For six years, Les Estivales de la Danse contributed to keeping dance alive in Tarbes and throughout the Hautes-Pyrénées department, offering a new perspective on this art and creating bridges between amateurs, professionals, and guest artists. If a new edition were ever to be organized, it would follow this tradition of a popular and demanding festival. In the absence of an official announcement for 2026, the event remains suspended to this day.