Many young dancers grow up in the world of competitive dance, including the founder of BOOT, Jessie Ferguson. Dancers train hard, perform many weekends of the year, and build strong technical foundations. That experience can be incredibly valuable, and for many dancers, it’s where confidence, discipline, and performance quality are first developed.

BOOT Dance Project has participated in a dance festival, and before that, our founder, Jessie Ferguson, had the opportunity to take part in and observe several others. Through these experiences, one thing became clear—while festivals can be great for showcasing work, they don’t always create lasting opportunities for artists beyond the performance itself.