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This is a free service I provide as a volunteer to help our Dance Community in Middle TN stay connected, and support each other. It is by no means a comprehensive listing, and listings are submitted by those on the email list.
Greetings Dance Community,
It’s October, and that means Celebrate Nashville at Centennial Park this Saturday! This festival celebrates our international communities with music, food, vendors, educational booths, and dance. It’s free, and local internationally focused dance groups will be performing all day. Hope to see you there, as well as at other shows and classes this month, including the powerful Urban Bush Women (see listing for a Nashville Dance Community discount!), Nashville Ballet at TPAC, Pydance, and the unparalleled Supaman at Darkhorse presented by Global Education Center. And come Frolic with me at Art & Soul!
Amanda
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October Dance Happenings
Nashville Ballet’s GISELLE
Dates: Oct. 2–4, 2026
Venue: TPAC’s Polk Theater, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick St., Nashville, TN 37243
Tickets: Starting at $74.85
Information/Tickets: nashvilleballet.com/giselle
Nashville Ballet Artistic Director and CEO Nick Mullikin presents his first full-length ballet with a reimagined interpretation of the haunting classic Giselle. Returning to Nashville for the first time since 2009, the production features new choreography, reinvigorated sets and costumes and a reimagined conclusion. The Nashville Symphony performs Adolphe Adam’s iconic score live.
Performance Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.
Multiple Dance Groups will perform at Celebrate Nashville Saturday, October 3 at Centennial Park.
Free admission. Celebrate the togetherness of rich arts and cultures from around the world in Middle Tennessee!
The Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville (CAAN) is busy preparing for the 30th Anniversary of “Celebrate Nashville” in Centennial Park on Oct 3, 2026.
Jen-Jen Lin, founder of CAAN and former principal of the Nashville Chinese School, has led teams annually performing Chinese American arts and culture since Celebrate Nashville (formerly Celebration of Cultures) was established in 1995 at the Scarritt-Bennett Center. It’s a very special event for CAAN and for all Nashvillians.
On Oct 3:
- 9-10 AM: CAAN’s Chinese Folk and Classic Costumes Team will parade alongside CAAN’s 60-foot-long dragon (Nashville Dragon Dance Team, established in 2012) in the Opening Special Parade celebrating the 30th Anniversary of “Celebrate Nashville.” The parade begins at the Centennial Park entrance and ends at the Global Village Stage.
- 10:40-11 AM: Jen-Jen Lin will host a “Tai Chi Demo & Workshop” with students at the “Metro Parks Perform” stage. Come sample Tai Chi, a low-impact exercise for health.
- 1-1:25 PM: CAAN performs at the Global Village Stage (main stage). The program includes Group Drumming (Drumming Infusion, established in 2025), Chinese Dances (Dance Nashville, established in 2018), and Lion Dance (CAAN’s Lion Dance Team, established in 2006).
INFO: www.ChineseArtsAlliance.org
Supaman Lands in Nashville on October 4
Global Education Center is hosting Indigenous hip hop artists Supaman and DJ Element on October 4 at 2 pm at Darkhorse Theater. Expect a fun afternoon of traditional fancy dance, flute, comedy, and hip hop beats, verse and movement woven together to create Good Medicine for All. Tickets are limited and available at www.globaleducationcenter.org $20 adults. $10 children
Blue Moves welcomes adult contemporary dancers to our rehearsals, Sundays 4-7 pm in October at Global Education Center. Come warm up with us and stay for rehearsal if you can. We’re working on a multi-sensory show performed locally the weekend of February 20-21, 2027 and would like to add a couple of cast members. Blue Moves is a small company that has been operating on a consensus model since our founding in 1989. We practice an informal method of welcoming new people into our collective that is less rigid than auditions by hosting Open Rehearsals to see if we’re a good fit for each other. Follow us on Instagram and DM us for more info or to let us know you’re coming.
Friday Night Frolic at Art & Soul led by Amanda Cantrell Roche is a delightful, playful workshop open to adults who have no dance training, and dancers are welcome as well. Come and bring a friend with whom you’d like to share the magic of moving in community! Each time we explore some individual movement, ensemble building, one improvisational technique, and then end with a movement jam. You’ll get your steps in AND have a great time! Friday, October 9, 6-7:30 pm. $20 Register here.
Urban Bush Women Community Workshop Thursday, October 15 | 10:30 am-12 pm
Drop-in: $10 / $4 Seniors/BIPOCPart of the New Dialect Class Series at Morgan Community Center.
In celebration of 40 years operating at the vanguard of movement and social activism, theatrical dance company Urban Bush Women brings their groundbreaking work THIS IS RISK to TPAC October 17th at 7:30 PM. Through dynamic performance, live music, and intentional storytelling, THIS IS RISK invites the audience into a celebration of culture, community, and the power of collective voices.
Save 20% with promo code HAPPENINGS on TPAC.ORG. Direct purchase link: https://cart.tpac.org/15392?&promo=HAPPENINGS
Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories PYDANCE, in partnership with Bubblegum Theater, is proud to present Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories, an immersive murder mystery experience that invites audiences to uncover the ghostly secrets lurking within the DarkHorse Theater. An extension of PYDANCE’s award-winning Murder of Crows series, Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories blends contemporary dance, physical theater, and immersive storytelling into a haunting theatrical experience. Audience members will journey through the theater alongside a group of restless ghosts searching for answers about how they died—and why they remain trapped within its walls. Event Details What: Murder of Crows: Ghost Stories Presented by: PYDANCE in partnership with Bubblegum Theater Where: DarkHorse Theater When: Friday, October 23 @ 9:00 PM Saturday, October 24 @ 7:00 PM + 9:00 PM For tickets and additional event information, visit https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/murder-of-crows-ghost-stories
Nashville Ballet’s DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS Dates: Oct. 28–Nov. 1, 2026
Venue: The Martin Center for Nashville Ballet, 3630 Redmon St., Nashville, TN 37209
Tickets: Starting at $40.50
Information/Tickets: nashvilleballet.com/dia-de-los-muertos
Back by popular demand following a sold-out run in 2024, Nashville Ballet’s Día de los Muertos returns for six performances. Choreographed by Maria A. Konrad and inspired by the paintings of Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the vibrant production blends Mexican tradition, contemporary dance and theatrical storytelling in a celebration of family, remembrance, life and shared humanity.
Performance Schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 29 at 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m.
November Save the Date
Come join us for Where We’ve Landed, a two-part performance. Phase I: Friday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 PM | Phase II: Saturday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 PM, presented by BACKSTAGE in Madison, TN. *Follow @backstagepresents on Instagram for more information.
Nashville Ballet presents NASHVILLE’S NUTCRACKER
Dates: Nov. 27–Dec. 27, 2026
Venue: TPAC’s Jackson Hall, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, 505 Deaderick St., Nashville, TN 37243
Tickets: Starting at $70.25
Information/Tickets: nashvilleballet.com/nashvilles-nutcracker
Nashville Ballet’s beloved holiday tradition returns with Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling’s Emmy Award-winning Nashville’s Nutcracker. Set against the backdrop of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition, the production transforms the familiar story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince into a uniquely Nashville adventure. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s iconic score is performed live by The Nashville Symphony.
Performance Schedule:
Friday, Nov. 27 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 24 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 26 at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
ONGOING
Metro Parks Dance Division – Adult Classes
Our dance classes for adults provide high-quality, affordable dance training in a supportive environment and help students unearth the positive effects that physical activity and creative expression can have on their overall well-being. The Dance Division of the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation currently offers classes for adults of all ages in ballet, contemporary, Conditioning for Dancers, West African, Tai Chi, Pilates, DanceFit, Gyrokinesis, and Dancing with Parkinson’s.
For more information and class schedule visit https://www.friendsofmetrodance.org/classesforadults.html
Folks of all skill levels and backgrounds, ages 16+, are invited to join New Dialect for a new series of somatic and contemporary community classes at Morgan Park Recreation Center, Mondays + Wednesdays from 9:30-10:30 AM & 10:35 AM-12 PM. Each morning begins with a somatic practice like Gyrokinesis® or Alexander Technique, followed by a contemporary movement session like floor work, contemporary forms, and contact improvisation led by some of Nashville’s most innovative and supportive dance artists.
Drop ins + class cards are purchased at the door and are valid for all Metro morning classes year round. No pre-registration required.
$10 drop in / $80 10-class card
BIPOC + seniors: $4 drop in / $30 10-class card
For more details, visit newdialect.org/community-classes or email us at newdialect@newdialect.org
SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE BALLET’S COMMUNITY ADULT CLASSES
Nashvillle Ballet at the Martin Center 3630 Redmon St, Nashville TN, 37209
615–297–2966 x910 school@nashvilleballet.com
Come as you are! Our community adult classes offer a welcoming environment for adult students of all ages and levels of experience. Community adult classes are offered on a rolling basis throughout the year. Schedule subject to change; see website for updates.
https://www.nashvilleballet.com/community-adult
Adult Breaking (Breakdance) Practice, ongoing, Wednesdays (8 to 10 pm) at Construct. Open practice: $5, open practice for beginners with instruction as needed: $10
Global Education Center has adult dance classes in Bollywood, Shar Qui Belly Dance Workout, Zouk, Capoiera, many styles of Latin dance, and more. Click here for days, times, and registration.
Open-level Ballet classes at DancEast; Mondays 5:30-6:45 pm; Wednesdays 5:45-7:15 pm; $15/class; register at DancEast.org/adults.
Ecstatic Dance Nashville is the first and third Sunday of each month, 10:30 am at various locations. Click here for details.
FRP has an open call to all tap dancers in Nashville and Middle Tennessee to meet up and jam with live musicians! We encourage every tap dancer in town to come out and hang! There are two jams in town. The first is the biweekly Jazz Night every other Tuesday night at the Em and M? Vietnamese Cafe on 1244 3rd Avenue North in Germantown. The October dates are October 13 and 27. Jazz Night goes from 6-9 PM!
The second jam is the Nashville Jazz Workshop’s Second Sunday Jam Session, hosted by saxophonist Evan Cobb. This takes place on the second Sunday of each month at the NJW’s “Jazz Cave” on 1012 Buchanan Street! We invite tap dancers to bring their tap shoes and tap boards and sit in with the house band at either of these jam sessions! If you don’t have a tap board, one will be available for you to borrow!
If you are new on this list: This is a gathering of events I am aware of, submitted by those on the email list, 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.
To sign up to be able to submit, and to receive the Monthly Dance Happenings in your inbox, click here.
This is a gathering of events I am aware of, submitted by those on the email list, 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.