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Immerse Yourself in Arizona Dance

Immerse Yourself in Arizona Dance invites audiences and future students to experience the breadth of what the School of Dance has to offer. This section showcases performances, creative processes, and moments both onstage and behind the scenes, revealing how dance is made, explored, and shared at Arizona.

From powerful live works to innovative collaborations and training environments, this space offers an inside look at the artistry, energy, and community that shapes the Arizona Dance experience.

GET INVOLVED

  • Experience an Arizona School of Dance performance.
  • Audition for the School of Dance.
  • Support Arizona Dance through various contributing programs.

Performances at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre

Calling (Premiere) Director/Producer: Duane Cyrus Creative Direction: D. Jerome Dramaturgy: Billy James Hawkains III Research Assistant: Christian Paris Blue Choreography: D. Jerome with Duane Cyrus, Billy James Hawkains III, and Christian Paris Blue Music: Khris Dodge, Music Director and Arranger, Piano Heather Hardy, Violin Ed Delucia, Guitar Ryan Alfred, Bass Zach White, Drums Costume Director: Kristen Wheeler Costume Manager: Ivy Wahome Lighting Design: Pearl Rea Scenic Design: Joyce Crain and Carl Philabaum Dancers: Christian Paris Blue Samontae Brown-Bess Chloe Dodson La'Niya Fooks Gabriel Frazier Billy James Hawkains III (guest) Lydia Holmes Rashaad Rice Ally Roles Eli Tank Gavin Warfield KJ Wilson About: Calling featuring D. Jerome is a deeply personal journey told through music, movement, and dance theatre. Each song was curated by the creative team to mark pivotal chapters in the lives of the creative artists. Ultimately, the work speaks to us all while manifesting the vision and dreams of how the creative artists live on this particular plane..In particular, D. Jerome identifies a life, tracing a path toward self-love, wholeness, and purpose. Cyrus identifies the nature of mentorship and the calling of service to Dance and community. Currently, featuring 5 songs: Nature Boy introduces the enchanted moment of childhood, alone yet curious, stepping into a world of possibility and challenge. In Alfie, the young artist begins to question love—seeking it from fathers, brothers, lovers, and ultimately himself. A Change Is Gonna Come centers hope, speaking directly to the resilience of the women in our lives and how historically marginalized communities usher in change as we navigate injustice and survival. Pressing On the Upward Way reveals a complicated but sustaining relationship with spirituality, faith acting as a compass through uncertainty with the resolution of spirit. Culminating in Higher Ground, the work celebrates a self-realized man—rooted in community, fully present in the world, and joyfully answering his calling in correspondence with community. The Calling by Duane Cyrus
Chronicle by Martha Graham
Streams by Martha Graham
Echoes of Sole and Animal by Peter Chu
Bolero by Duane Cyrus & Tamara Dyke-Compton
Between Earth and Moon by Elizabeth George

School of Dance Beyond the Stage

Step inside the creation of “Sing, Sing, Sing” by Bob Fosse at the University of Arizona School of Dance. Working closely with Broadway artists Dylis Croman and Eliza Ohman, students dive into the precision, musicality, and stylization that define Fosse’s legacy. Croman, whose career spans over 30 years and includes Chicago, DANCIN’, and mentorship lineage from Ann Reinking, brings a direct connection to the original Fosse aesthetic. Ohman, a Broadway performer, Dance Captain for Hamilton, and collaborator with the Verdon Fosse Legacy, bridges tradition with contemporary training methods rooted in performance and neuroscience. This behind-the-scenes look captures more than rehearsal. It documents the passing of a living legacy, where detail, discipline, and intention shape the next generation of artists. Arizona Dance & The Verdon Fosse Legacy Presents “Sing Sing Sing” from Bob Fosse’s Dancin’
Take an inside look at Peter Chu’s Echoes of Sole and Animal, originally commissioned by Gibney Dance Company and premiered at The Joyce Theater. This striking work explores tension, softness, presence, and the freedom found in honoring the wild within. Experience it live at Fall for Dance 2025. Behind the Work: Peter Chu’s Echoes of Sole and Animal | Fall for Dance 2025
Prelude to Action (from Chronicle, 1936) is a powerful response to the rise of fascism in Europe, created by Martha Graham as a universal statement against war. Premiering in New York City, the work was part of Chronicle, one of Graham’s few explicitly political dances. Rather than depict specific events, Prelude to Action evokes the emotional and spiritual devastation of war while offering a call to courage and resilience. Behind the Work: Prelude to Action performed at University of Arizona
The University of Arizona School of Dance proudly welcomed Cirque du Soleil to campus, where students had the opportunity to take class and audition for the company. This experience created a direct bridge between training and the professional world, offering dancers invaluable insight into the rigor, artistry, and expectations of one of the industry’s most recognized organizations. Arizona Dance welcomes back Cirque du Soleil
dance.arizona.edu RWS Global Workshop and Audition at Arizona School of Dance
Norwegian Cruise Line returns to the University of Arizona School of Dance for a fourth consecutive year, continuing a valued partnership that connects our dancers with professional opportunities in the industry. During their visit, NCL engages directly with students through classes, auditions, and conversations about life as a working performer at sea. This year’s visit also features a special perspective from one of our alumni currently performing onboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, offering insight into the transition from student to professional and what it takes to succeed in the field. Experiences like this highlight the ongoing momentum of Arizona Dance and the real-world pathways our dancers are stepping into. Norwegian continues to find success at Arizona Dance