• Lynn Charles joined Houston Ballet this spring as ballet mistress. In her 30-year career, she has danced with Hamburg, English National and Royal Danish Ballets, choreographed for numerous companies and taught at Royal Danish, Hong Kong and San Francisco Ballets.

•  Jacob’s Pillow has received a “Save America’s Treasures” grant from the federal government. The grant totals $59,000 and goes toward creating a digital archive of the Pillow’s historic photos, which will allow greater public access while also preserving them.

• Kansas City Ballet’s arts education program, Reach Out and Dance (ROAD), celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The program serves 17 schools and 1,200 students in Kansas City by bringing dance to elementary students.

•  Bates Dance Festival takes place next month at the college’s Lewiston, Maine, campus and runs six weeks, featuring performances (July 10–August 7) by Doug Varone and Dancers, Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Axis Dance Company and many others. See: www.batesdancefestival.org.

•  Dance Camera West is holding its ninth annual Dance Media Film Festival this month in Los Angeles. It kicks off on June 4 with an opening night party at REDCAT Theater in downtown L.A., and it continues June 12–13 at Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater and on June 19 with an outdoor showcase of local dance works at Cheviot Hills Recreation Center.

•  June 15, Harbor Conservatory’s GESTURES Dance Ensemble performs at Ailey Citigroup Theater in New York. The ensemble is directed by former Ailey dancer Nina Klyvert-Lawson and its members are students ages 14–18.

•  Dance/USA, the national service organization for nonprofit dance professionals, holds its annual conference this month, June 16–19, in Washington, DC. The theme this year is “Dance Beyond Borders.” For more info: www.danceusa.org.

Photo of Monica Bill Barnes & Company courtesy of  Bates Dance Festival.