American Dance Festival beefs up its offerings for families

Afterwards, the audience and community can head over to the American Tobacco Campus for Durham Dances from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Paperhand Puppet Intervention will lead a parade from DPAC to the campus where you'll find music, activities from the Museum of Life and Science, a visit from UNC-TV's Angelina Ballerina, face painting, Scrap Exchange crafts and dancers from Hubbard Street 2. That's all free.

The other children's matinees are Pilobolus on July 7; the Paul Taylor Dance Company on July 21; and the Mark Morris Dance Group on July 28. They will all be followed by Kids Parties in the DPAC lobby with music, snacks, and other activities.

The festival also offers a great deal for families. With the purchase of one adult ticket to any evening performance, kids 6 to 16 can get one free ticket (a limited quantity is available).

If you're considering taking advantage of this deal, be aware that there is at least one performance - by the Scottish Dance Theatre this weekend - where parental discretion might be advised. The very first song of the work "Lay Me Down Safe" by Kate Weare contains some heavy language, I'm told. The song lasts about four minutes and it is the very first song so it's over fairly quickly (or, perhaps, easy to miss).