has Ballet Tucson announced a series of free pop-up events taking place from this Saturday through May 19. There will be free performances and community classes for people of all ages to enjoy.
“The goal of these pop-ups is to make ballet more accessible and a bit better understood,” Ballet Tucson Artistic Director Margaret Mullin said. “I like to see when people are surprised by how engaging ballet can be and how dynamic and athletic the dancers are.”
A piece to be performed at the events by seven of the company’s apprentice dancers is a new work choreographed by Danielle Cesanek, Ballet Tucson’s principal dancer and instructor.
“Springtime Swing” is set to “Three
Preludes,” a series of short piano compositions by George
Gershwin.
“It’ll be all things spring,” Cesanek said. “It’s kinda neoclassical. It’s ballet with a jazzy twist.”
The first pop-up event will be this Saturday, April 27 at La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Dr. There will be two community dance classes and family-friendly storytimes — one scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and the second one at 5 p.m. When it comes to the classes, Mullin said people shouldn’t feel afraid.
“The community class is a mix of basics of ballet and just movement exploration and creative movement things to kinda get people in the mindset of how wonderful it is to just move your body to music,” Mullin said. “Everyone is welcome.”
On May 2, the group will take part in a First Thursday event at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. From 5- 8 p.m., the museum provides pay-what-you-wish admission, activities and experiences, performances and host food vendors. Ballet Tucson will have a performance at 5:30 p.m. and a community dance class at 6 p.m.
The dancers return to La Encantada on Saturday, May 4 for two performances, at 5 and 5:30 p.m., along with a community dance class.
Ballet Tucson will also join the Children’s Museum Tucson’s Art After Dark programming on Saturday, May 11. The free event is a hosted every second Saturday of the month, featuring local arts groups and organizations from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Ballet Tucson will have a performances and classes at 5:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
On Sunday May 12, Ballet Tucson will be back at the Museum of Art for a performance at noon and a Mommy and Me dance class for Mother’s Day at 12:30 p.m. as part of the museum’s Second Sundaze, a pay-what-you-will event that runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
On Saturday, May 19, a the group will perform “Music Under The Stars” with the Tucson Pops Orchestra, at 7 p.m. at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, 900 S. Randolph Way in Gene C. Reid Park.
After the pop-ups, the ballet company will be focusing on workshops and getting ready for the 2024-2025 performance season.