TO: Campus Community
FR: Kristen Daley, Interim Chair of the Department of Theater Arts and Dance
Jazz Dance? That’s hard to put into words...
It’s the movement that embodies freedom, improvisation, community, and resistance. It gave people a voice when words wouldn’t do. And here’s the thing: This week, we invite you to connect with us through jazz dance… as this might be the final performance from the SSU Dance Ensemble. The last curtain call. The final bow. Years of artistry and sweat coming to a close.
If you’ve never seen them live -- this might be your last chance. The festival’s performances (Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4) will feature SSU dancers, the Sapphires, SRJC students, and guests from the California Dance Education Association.
Free tickets for SSU students, faculty, and staff! Follow these steps to get yours:
- Open the link "GET TICKETS"
- Open the menu (☰), go to My Account, and log in to your SSU account
- Click on “Sonoma State University” at the top to return to events
- Select your event one more time, and choose Student or Faculty/Staff tickets
- VOILA! NO CHARGE for mobile wallet or email tickets
SSU Community Jazz Dance Festival
Evert B. Person Theater
Get Tickets for Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm
Get Tickets for Friday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
Get Tickets for Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 pm
(Only day featuring CDEA)
Get Tickets for Thursday, May 4 at 2:00 pm
The SSU Jazz Dance Festival kicks off on April 30 at 6 p.m. with a FREE screening of the award-winning documentary Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance -- a film that explores the African American roots of jazz and the need for representation and respect.
From there, we open the floor -- literally -- on May 1 and 2 with FREE workshops featuring two international dance celebrities: Dr. Laura Ann Smyth, whose contemporary jazz fuses storytelling and rhythm, and Sekou McMiller, the explosive Afro-Latin jazz choreographer to stars like Madonna and Pitbull.
Reserve your spot for Uprooted & Workshops
And the Jazz doesn’t stop there.
Our SSU Concert Jazz Ensembles take the stage with works by legends like Thelonious Monk and Billy Strayhorn. Then comes The Path of the Vanguard where our Jazz Orchestra and Latin Band bring heartfelt tributes to Village Vanguard legends Thad Jones and Mel Lewis
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SSU Concert Jazz Ensembles
May 6 at 7:30
Schroeder Hall, GMC
Get Tickets
The Path of the Vanguard
SSU Jazz Orchestra and Latin Band
May 12 at 7:30
Weill Hall, GMC
Get Tickets