Yuma, Arizona - Dance has long been a part of Yuma's history and culture, with generations of Yuma's dancers cultivated by local and regional dance studios. A variety of these dance organizations and professionals will come together August 16-18 for a weekend-long dance class festival, "Let's Dance, Yuma!" at the Yuma Art Center, 254 S. Main Street.
The three-day festival's lineup includes a variety of classes for Yuma-area dancers ages 11 years old and up. Classes range from hip-hop dance where participants move to upbeat tracks, to yoga classes that aim to boost flexibility, strengthen muscles and calm the nervous system. "Let's Dance, Yuma!" will culminate with an on-stage performance at the Historic Yuma Theatre at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18. Tickets to attend this showcase are $5 per person.
The cost to participate in the Let's Dance, Yuma! festival in full is $125 per person (see the agenda here). Those interested in regsitering can download the form, here. This includes unlimited classes a T-shirt, admission to an opening performance with the Elektrolytes, a dance party, and a Saturday movie night screening of "Fame." There is also the option to participate in a single class for a $15 rate. Plus, all throughout the Let's Dance, Yuma! festival there will be pop-up events like free massages provided by Arizona Western College's Massage Therapy students, and lunch-and-learn workshops with podiatrists and nutritionists from Yuma Regional Medical Center.
"Putting this festival together has been a great opportunity for us to celebrate and champion our outstanding dance community," said Arts and Culture Program Manager Lindsay Benacka. "We are excited to have dancers from a wide net all come together to not just share their expertise, but also to share the stage in the final showcase on Sunday afternoon."
Registration is available now at participating local dance organizations and at the Yuma Art Center. Half of all registration fees go directly to local dance organizations. Participating dance studios include:
- Dancer's Workshop.
- Arizona Classical Ballet.
- Dancemakers.
- Dawn's Dance Studio.
- Freedom Performing Arts Company.
- Yuma Bellydance.
- Ballet Yuma/Yuma Ballet Academy.
- Studio Y Yoga & Wellness.
The Let’s Dance, Yuma! Festival is sponsored by special funding from the Flinn Foundation through the Arizona Commission on the Arts' Creative Communities Institute. The Flinn Foundation’s goal is to improve the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations and improve the financial and creative health of Arizona’s arts and culture organizations.
Classes will take place throughout the Yuma Art Center, including in the galleries, in the Historic Yuma Theatre, in the United Building, and in 270 Black Box Theatre.
For questions regarding purchasing tickets to the festival, contact the Yuma Art Center at (928) 373-5202. To learn more about the weekend-long program or for specific questions about the structure, contact Event Coordinator Lillian Morrill at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..