Shining on stage, the University of Arizona’s School of Dance brought the razzle-dazzle to this year’s Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase, or Jazz ‘n’ AZ. The event kicked off with a high-energy, one-act performance featuring student dancers, showcasing five pieces by the School of Dance’s faculty and guest choreographers.
The public shows took place on Sept. 16-18. However, this was only the start of one of the School of Dance’s biggest events, which includes convention-style classes and scholarship opportunities alongside these dazzling performances.
The show started with an exciting jazz number. This felt like the perfect way to begin the show, as it set the tone for the pieces to come, bringing energy and sass to the stage and drawing the audience in.
Following this was a funky, unconventional contemporary jazz piece, which was as unique as it was impressive. With the dancers all in their sunglasses and straight faces, it showed an admirable level of commitment and capability.
The third piece was a captivating duet featuring dancers Devin Mar and Norah Takehara. “It really made me emotional, I don’t know why,” audience member Azucena Palomeres said after the show.
Taking a turn in style was a hip-hop number that showed another side of the dancers. Finally, it ended with a piece by choreographer Tyce Diorio, showcasing the dancers’ skills and storytelling abilities.
Along with the weekday performances, the UA School of Dance invited dancers from around the country and even the world to take part in classes over the weekend, as a way to introduce them to the school and, of course, to learn and grow as dancers.
On Sept. 19, there were scholarship classes open to juniors and seniors in high school as a way to earn awards for other dance opportunities and as an audition for the School of Dance’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Classes were also held all day on Saturday and Sunday.
The dancers took classes back to back, starting around 8 a.m., with three private performances of the main show reserved for participants at 6 p.m., 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 19.
The courses are taught by a mix of the school’s faculty and guest choreographers, including Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Will B. Bell, Megan Maltos, Terrill Mitchell and Meghan Sanett.
Taking classes in multiple different styles all weekend can be exhausting, but it is an extremely rewarding experience.
“Yes, there is going to be a competitive nature, but we don’t want a toxic environment; everyone is here at the same place, we are all here to dance,” UA dancer Alyssa Lekites said.
There was a silent tension that hung over the room when the instructor was going over the choreography. Everyone was eager to learn, but also so supportive of their peers. In that moment, the only thing that matters is dancing and pushing themselves to the best of their abilities.
Hearing the beat of the drum and the heavy breathing as they finished the combination, it is all part of what makes the art of dance so special, as well as seeing how each dancer interprets the moves, bringing something unique to each run through.
“It’s so surreal because I auditioned here at Jazz ‘n’ AZ my senior year of high school, so being on the inside now is so exciting because I get to welcome the new people and I look forward to all the new people who are auditioning,” Lekites, now a junior, said when asked how it feels to be part of such a big event.
With the current BFA students in their white T-shirts with “Ask me about UAZ dance” on the back offering support and advice to the interested high schoolers, “It’s a big way to get our name out there and see what our school can offer,” Lekites said.
Don’t miss the opportunity to see the UA School of Dance shine in their upcoming performances, the next one being Fall for Dance, which takes place from Nov. 13-23. Check out the rest of their 2025-2026 season on their website: https://dance.arizona.edu/.
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