We would like to thank everyone who participated in this first Dance Festival of Southern Arizona – festival instructors, students, teachers (professional development), performers, sponsors, advertisers, crew, administrators, volunteers, vendors and our fabulous audience. From Flagstaff on the north end, to Douglas on the east, Yuma on the west, and Sahuarita on the south, we served more than Southern Arizona. All surveys contain positive testimonial statements and everyone would do it again! We hope this effort will motivate high school dance groups, studios, and teachers to come together again in the future. Again, THANK YOU, from the Arizona Dance Coalition & the Arizona Dance Education Organization.
CHART OF CLASSES (Oct 15 last update) (at a glance)
Registration FORM for Individuals (revised Oct 7 for new reduced fees) (High School Group Registrations must go through AzDEO (www.AzDEO.org) SCHOLARSHIPS are available for Sahuarita high school dancers & Folklorico Workshop participants! Funding has been made available thanks to the generous contributions of Desert Diamond Casinos and La Frontera Tucson International Mariachi Conference.
We are excited to announce the first DANCE FESTIVAL OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA (DFOSA)! It will be held in Tucson on October 19-20 and will consist of:
- 30 dance classes taught by 13 stellar instructors (see below) teaching Ballet/Variation, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Hip Hop, a study of Polyrhythms and the Afro Cuban Latin Rhythm Clave, plus Junk Funk — a Percussive Movement Art, a TAP Dance Choreography Workshop, Flamenco, QiGong, Feldenkrais, Floor Barre, classes specific for teachers, and a special Folklorico Workshop teaching the dances of Durango at Tucson High Magnet School
- a performance entitled STEP to the Rhythm, DANCE to the Rhythm, for the public on Saturday evening (7 pm) by some of the finest dancers, companies, and choreographers in So AZ + special guests, at the University High School Auditorium. Twenty-two different groups and dancers — from Flagstaff, Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler and Tucson — will present their “art.” See the Calendar Entry for a complete list of performers and ticket information.
- 4 ADC Members in Tucson partnering with DFOSA to offer beginning level dance classes to the general public in a variety of dance styles, and
- an adjudicated (optional) “peer” performance for high-school age dance groups (private & public schools, and dance studios)
DFOSA is being produced and organized by the Arizona Dance Coalition (ADC) in collaboration with the Arizona Dance Education Organization (AzDEO). The ADC’s mission is to “connect” with and serve the dance communities in AZ and the general public. AzDEO serves the dance educators and dance students in AZ. Together we will be able to connect, educate and entertain a population that believes dance training and dancing creates powerful, creative minds & SUPERbodies!
Our venues are the Tucson High Magnet School (THMS) (where the dance classes and “peer” performance will be held) and the University High School (UHS) (where the Saturday evening performance will be held). Sheryl Oden, modern dance teacher at THMS, and Beth Braun, dance teacher at UHS, are both very excited to be involved in this first dance festival where the educational experience will be inspiring, thought-provoking (understatement), JOYous, rhythmic (rhythm is our “theme”) and exhilirating!
Coverage of DFOSA and other Tucson & AZ Dance Festivals will be in the September and October issues of the Arizona Dance e-Star magazine with a review in November. You can subscribe to it for free on our home page. The text box is directly below the JOIN gold button on the top right panel.
REGISTRATIONS for Dance Classes (Fees are discounted for ADC/AzDEO members. Multiple-class discounts. Inquire about group rates.)
Lynn Monson, Executive Assistant of AzDEO, will be handling the registrations for the high-school age dance groups. “Groups” may be from private and public schools as well as dance studios – as long as students are in high school. Lynn Monson, ten.xocnull@nosnoml or call 480-961-9160. www.azdeo.org.
Krystyna Parafinczuk, Treasurer of ADC, will be handling the “individual” registrations from the general public (which may include individual students from private and public schools and dance studios). Participants must be at least high school age or older. You may mail the Reg Form with payment, or scan & email the Reg Form and pay via PayPal – https://www.paypal.com/ – to gro.noitilaoCecnaDzAnull@anytsyrK.
TICKETS to the STEP to the Rhythm, DANCE to the Rhythm performance on October 19, 7 pm, University High School Auditorium, 421 North Arcadia Ave, Tucson, are sold through BrownPaperTickets.com/event/454652 and through performing groups for their “fundraisers.” Adults $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Students under 12, seniors (65+) and military $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Members of ADC, AzDEO, and DFOSA registrants $10 in advance and at the door. NOTE: Anyone registering for a dance class will have the option to purchase a ticket during the registration process.
PERFORMERS are listed on the poster image on the Calendar of Events entry (See Calendar). The 22 performing groups / dancers are:
Amanda Suzanne Kapp, Film (Flagstaff), Aurora Goncalves Shaner, Barbea Williams Performing Co, Chrissy Jones (Tap), Dance For A Cause, Dance Force-1, Danswest Dance, Desert Dance Theatre (Tempe), e.Lov (Chandler), Esperanza Dance Project, FUNHOUSE movement theater, Pima Community College Dance, Prime Time Dancers, Rosenkrans Dans (Scottsdale), Rusty Cline & Jo Canalli of Learn-to-Tango (Argentine Tango), Salson (Malambo), Scottsdale Community College Dance ~ Instinct Dancecorps, Soul Squad with Addison Johnson (Hip Hop), Step’s JUNK FUNK Percussive Movement Art (Mesa), Tap 24.7, TucSon Casineros and University HS Dance Alumna. Added Oct 15: AzDEO Artist-in-Residence Chad Michael Hall is setting a piece on both Rincon/University High & Tucson High Magnet Schools. This piece will be the finale in the performance.
FACULTY for Dance Classes
Our theme is “rhythm” and each of these stellar instructors (out-of-state and from around AZ) is charged to present rhythmic classes – be it in technique, choreography, or cultural presentations. We are very honored to present ~
GERARDO ARMENDARIZ (Tucson AZ / Salson) – A combination-driven class exploring the Afro-Cuban/Latin clavé rhythm. (www.tucsonsalsa.com)
MARCELA CARDENAS (Tucson AZ / Grupo Folklorico Los Tucsonenses) – Folklorico Workshop – teaching the dances of DURANGO / Tucson premiere!
LISA R CHOW (Mesa AZ / Desert Dance Theatre) – Classic Modern & Teachers’ Choice!
TAMMY DYKE COMPTON (Tucson AZ / UA Dance) – Jazz Technique and Choreography!
ANITA FELDMAN (Hofsta University NY) – Polyrhythms (West African culture/tradition), Tap Choreography Workshop (Performance Opportunity), Intermediate/Advanced Tap Dance & Adult Tap Dance (seniors welcome) (www.hofstra.edu/Faculty/fac_profiles.cfm?id=446) (https://anitafeldmantap.blogspot.com/)
CHAD MICHAEL HALL (University of California/Irvine / MULTIPLEX DANCE) – Contemporary and not your grandma’s Modern! Technique & Choreography (www.chadmichaelhall.com/)
ADDISON JOHNSON – (touring Tucsonan) – various levels of Hip Hop Choreography
JOE PINELLA (Tucson AZ) – QiGong for Dancers! (QiGong Healing Institute.com)
DANCE Magazine article ~ Mind your Body: QiGong
STEP RAPTIS (Mesa AZ) – Step’s JUNK FUNK Percussive Movement Art — a lesson in percussion combining dance and musicianship utilizing JUNK! (https://roster.azarts.gov/index.a4d?action=search.profilePage&id=5129)
PABLO RODARTE (recent Tucson transplant from Denver, CO & U of New Mexico) – Flamenco! (www.pablorodarteflamenco.com)
TAMMY ROSEN WILBUR (Tucson AZ) – Feldenkrais® for Dancers. (www.tucsonfeldenkrais.com)
KATHLEEN SINCLAIR (Yuma AZ / Ballet Yuma) – Ballet Technique & Variation! (www.balletyuma.org)
EVA TESSLER (Tucson AZ) – Ballet Barre & Center for Level I (those with 2-3 years experience) & Floor Barre
BALLET WORKSHOP – Floor Barre with Tessler & Classical Ballet Technique & Variation with Sinclair – register for all three for a great rate!
More information will be posted as this DFOSA web page is being developed. If you would like to participate or learn more, contact gro.noitilaoCecnaDzAnull@anytsyrK or call 520-743-1349.
ADC Member partners will offer “Intro” dance classes for $5 to the public on Saturday, Oct 19: ZUZI! – Modern & Aerial Dance, XANADU – Middle Eastern Dance, Barbara Schuessler – Flamenco, and Learn-to-Tango with Rusty Cline & Jo Canalli. Details are in the 28 page Book of Details. Link at the top of this page.
SPONSORS
We welcome sponsors who support an activity that engages our youth, produces powerful and creative minds, and SUPER bodies! Dancing benefits our mind, body, spirit & soul and can build and energize an entire community in a positive and engaging way.
“Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” –Maya Angelou
Also, dancing builds strong, yet flexible bodies. If done often, dancing even helps reduce the risks of osteoporosis at a later age, cardiovascular disease, depression, and dementia by as much as 76%! Read the study here:
https://www.activeminds.com/images/NEJM%20030619.pdf
Additional reading about the benefits of dancing and dance education: Some Things You Should Know About DANCE TAP DANCING A Step Towards Better Health
You can be a part of the excitement, promotion, engagement and presentation! There are many sponsorship opportunities. Please contact gro.noitilaoCecnaDzAnull@anytsyrK for more information on how you can partner with the arts, enrich the lives of our youth, and contribute to the quality of education being presented at this Dance Festival in Tucson. Please take that first step… and dance with us! You will feel so much better!
