Here is a listing I pull together of monthly dance happenings in the Nashville area, as a volunteer effort to help strengthen connections among local dancers and dance groups. If you would like to be added to this and be able to submit listings, click here to subscribe.
Greetings Dance Community,
I’m eager to get back to class. I’ve been meeting regularly with Blue Moves, but outside the company I haven’t been in a dance class or intensive this summer. In mid August I spent a couple of weeks in residence at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key, where you are given a workspace ~ in my case a beautiful dance studio on the beach ~ and a small residence and free time to create, and rest. It reminded me what it’s like to be in the flow when my regular responsibilities of teaching artistry and advising/training work are on hold, and I have time to play, reflect, and create. In addition to some “real” projects — teaching artist residency creation, writing, and a short film to be released soon — I made two short “play” dance films while there just for fun, to remind myself to enjoy the process and the sublime setting. You can watch “Postcard from Manasota Key” here and “Eastern Sun warm up” here.
Something this reminded me of is that I need to have dedicated, regular time each week to create, play, or reflect. I’m hoping to reserve a few hours each Friday afternoon for this, and I wish this for all creatives who are not full-time, professional artists ~ we need to protect some time in our lives to create and play!
Online comprehensive listings are here. Instagram: follow and tag #NashvilleDanceCommunity. Facebook: www.facebook.com/nashvilledancecommunity
Amanda
September Dance Happenings
Emotions take flight and spirits soar in Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s exhilarating 2023-24 International Dance Series featuring three world-renowned contemporary dance companies. Immerse yourself in an exciting alchemy of movement, mastery, and music from iconic works and daring new explorations that will inspire and ignite your imagination. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 5th and connect with TPAC on Instagram and Facebook for the announcement of these upcoming performances.
OZ Arts Nashville presents Compagnie Käfig’s PIXEL for 2 nights only, Wednesday + Thursday, September 6-7, fresh from buzzworthy engagements at Jacob’s Pillow and The Kennedy Center. Virtuosic dance and cutting-edge video technology collide in this mind-blowing masterpiece from Compagnie Käfig. Founded by renowned choreographer Mourad Merzouki and based in Lyon, Käfig is known for blending Hip-hop, contemporary dance, and even cirque arts in fresh and surprising ways. In PIXEL, 11 outstanding dancers interact with a breathtaking, three-dimensional landscape created by innovative projection mapping. Not merely stage effects, the projections are partners for the performers in a thrilling, acrobatic duet that blurs the line between the real and virtual worlds. The result is breathtaking choreography and imagery that expands on exciting possibilities at the intersection of performance and technology. Wednesday night is already sold out — get your tickets for Thursday, September 7th at ozartsnashville.org/pixel while you still can!
FMG & TMP present Nashville OG Workshop Sept 8-10! We are bringing back some of OUR favorite Nashville teachers who were the ones that trained some of YOUR favorite Nashville teachers for one weekend of masterful education in all styles of movement!!!! With a faculty list that will remind you of what made Nashville dance so special and remind you of the heart and soul behind the moves, TMProductions and Found Movement Group presents THE NASHVILLE OG WORKSHOP! Don’t miss this opportunity to train with the people who helped establish the Nashville dance community.
Teaching artists include Maggie Pelton, Shabaz Ujima, Stacie Flood-Popp, Tosha Marie, Justin Conte, Roshunda Brown, Michelle Fortner, Cat Choreography, Santikaro, Danika Miles, The Walkers, Keith Fitzpatrick, Vanicia “V” Flores, Nomalanga Eniafe Weekend Pass = $250 Day Pass = $100 Classes = $20-$30 Register @ https://www.tmproductions.online/signup
Join DancEast Collective for Adult Dance Night on Saturday, September 16th at 7pm at DancEast, 805 Woodland St. Suite 314, Nashville, TN 37206. This performance will feature our adult dancers from our weekly open adult classes along with guest performances by Nashville Dance Collective, Carrie Gant, and others. This performance is FREE and BYOB.
Special Workshop Week with di Mossa company artist Allison Hardee. Allison is back in Nashville after a year studying with Decidedly Jazz Danceworks in Calgary, AB, Canada. She will be leading a ‘music first’ approach to dance with an emphasis on jazz that can be a tool for any form of dance that you enjoy. Tuesday 9/19 and Thursday 9/21 12:30 – 2:30 (2 full hours) CPAS $15.00 per class. You can come to one class or both for an extra dose of good fun and enrichment!
Moving in the Spirit, a gently guided movement meditation for women age 18+ offering tools for encountering God with basic dance movement, trauma-sensitive cues, and creative pathways at a restorative pace at Gateway Franklin, Thursday, September 21, 6:30-8pm. Location: Gateway Great Room, 1288 Lewisburg Pike, Franklin, TN 37064 Level: Open Participant Note: utilizes The Lord’s Prayer from the New Testament as an outline for improvisation Sign up: https://gatewayfranklin.churchcenter.com/groups/groups-classes/moving-in-the-spirit-experience-god-thru-movement
Friday Night Frolic with Amanda Cantrell Roche is a playful movement improvisation class for adults. Dancers are always welcome, and this workshop is open level with no dance training needed, so it’s a great space to bring a friend with whom you’d enjoy sharing the magic of group improv. Friday, September 22 6-7:30 pm at Art & Soul Studio. $20 Click here to register.
Nashville Ballet presents FIREBIRD: with Tony Award-winner Justin Peck and Kiri Kylian. Friday and Saturday, September 22 and 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 24 at 2 PM TPAC, James K. Polk Theater. Experience world-class dance with your Nashville Ballet. The Tony Award-winning choreographer behind Steven Spielberg’s 2021 West Side Story, Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit will make its Nashville debut. Hailed as “thrilling,” “poetic,” and “brilliant” by The New York Times, Year of the Rabbit blends the athleticism of classical ballet with boundary-breaking movement for a performance that is both visually stunning and physiologically intriguing. Year of the Rabbit will be accompanied by Jirí Kylián’s moving Un Ballo, and Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling’s full-length Firebird, performed to Stravinsky’s iconic score live with the Nashville Symphony! Link to purchase tickets
Ongoing
New Dialect Community Classes are back—and at a *new* time! September 11-November 8, Mondays & Wednesdays from 10-11:30am at Centennial Performing Arts Studios. Folks of all levels and backgrounds, ages 16+, are invited to join us for open-level contemporary movements sessions led by celebrated dance artists from the Nashville community and beyond. Walk ups are welcome. Drop in $10/$4 BIPOC + seniors. For more details visit: newdialect.org/community-classes
Nashville Contact Improvisation is hosting a bi-weekly class and jam from 6:30-8:30 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Eastwood Christian Church in the Fellowship Hall. September classes will be on the 13th and 27th from 6:30-8:30 pm. It is $10-20 sliding scale and no prior movement experience is required for the class. Please bring water and clothes that are comfortable to move in including layers that cover arms and legs. For any questions, email McKay House at mckay.house.mh@gmail.com
Nashville Dance Collective will continue to be holding open community classes. NDC will be meeting every Tuesday night from 6-7pm at TMProductions. All of our classes are free for the community with an option to donate. Follow us @nashvilledancecollective on Instagram to see who will be teaching each week!
di Mossa classes are in full swing at Centennial Park. Tuesday and Thursday 12:30 – 2:00 $12 drop-in email Lisa with any questions dimossaxo@gmail.com
Join the Metro Parks Dance Division every weekday 10-11:30 am for community dance classes perfect for performers or dance lovers! Join Emma Morrison for Contemporary on Mondays, Phylicia Roybal for Gyrokinesis on Wednesdays, or drop-in on a ballet class with Rebekah Barger or Katie Eliason Tu/Thu/Fri. Starting September 11, New Dialect Community Classes take over the Mon/Wed slots with another exciting roster of teachers this fall. $10 Drop-in / $4 Seniors; $80 10-Class Card / $30 Seniors. View full adult class schedule (including afternoon options from di mossa and PYDance: https://www.friendsofmetrodance.org/classes-613774.html
DancEast offers weekly evening classes for adults. Classes are $19/class or $85 for a 5-class pack. A pro-dancer rate is available. Pre-registration is required. Click HERE for additional class information and registration.
Weekly Evening Classes for Adults (teens welcome):
- Open-Level Jazz with Lindsay: Mondays 8:15 PM – 9:15 PM
- Open-Level Ballet with Lindsay: Tuesdays 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
- Open-Level Contemporary with Lindsay: Tuesdays 8:05 PM – 9:05 PM
October Save the Date
Advanced + professional dancers, join New Dialect for a FREE series of Practice + Process workshops with artists-in-residence, James Barrett & Dolly Sfeir: October 2-4, Monday-Wednesday, from 12-2pm at Centennial Performing Arts Studios. In these workshops, Dolly and James will share their approach to creative process and develop new duet material with participants. Admission is FREE. Sign up for single workshops or all three. There’s a 10-person maximum per workshop. Please email us at new.dialect@gmail.com to reserve your spot in advance.
OZ Arts Nashville is pleased to host Little Amal on her Nashville stop in the Walk Across America, Thursday, October 5th at 5PM in Centennial Park. Little Amal, a captivating 12-foot-tall puppet representing a refugee child from Syria, arrives in Nashville this fall as part of an epic 6,000-mile journey across the United States from Boston to San Diego. Amal — whose name means “hope” in Arabic — began her journey at the Syrian border and has visited 13 countries searching for home. She carries a message of hope for displaced people everywhere, especially children who have been separated from their families. Her urgent message is simple — “don’t forget us.” Gather with our community for this unforgettable, free event in Centennial Park. Enjoy a moving performance directed by Shabaz Ujima welcoming Little Amal to Nashville and embracing all that she represents for refugees across the globe. This is a free event and all are welcome — RSVPs encouraged at: ozartsnashville.org/little-amal
This is a gathering of events I am aware of and by no means represents all that is going on in the Middle TN area. I provide it as a volunteer service to the local dance community as part of an effort to help us stay connected and support each other by raising awareness of local dance performances, workshops and events, and rely on those on the list serve to submit the listings.