The Performing Arts Series at the University of Nevada, Reno welcomes Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company to northern Nevada for a week of public performance, workshops and master classes this October.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, a dance troupe with global renown, produces innovative, moving and compelling work that challenges audiences’ perceptions of contemporary dance. They will spend a full week in Reno, building upon last year’s virtual residency, and working with dancers of all ages during a series of free and open to the public events.

 “We are thrilled that we can connect the same students who danced virtually with the company last year, with them again, but this time in-person and for a much longer and even more impactful time period,” Shoshana Zeldner, program manager with the School of the Arts, said.

The residency kicks off with a visit to Natchez Elementary School on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation, where the company will perform for all 160 students. They’ll also hold a series of master classes with University dance students as well as two free and open to the public dance workshops.

“We’re able to offer free educational dance opportunities for students of all ages during their visit, ranging from the youngest family members through professional dancers of any age. It is a rare opportunity for our community to interact with a professional dance company in such an immersive way,” Zeldner said.

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On Thursday, Oct 14 at 7:30 p.m., the residency will conclude with a public performance in Nightingale Concert Hall. Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will perform three breathtaking dance compositions including the premier of a work by Keerati Jinakunwiphat, Dance Magazine’s 2021 "25 to Watch," who is shaping the dance world of tomorrow, as well as Pupil Suite, created by sought after choreographer and creator Andrea Miller, of GALLIM. This performance will also be live-streamed.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company will lead Dance to Play, on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. a free and playful workshop for kids and adults to explore the power of dance and music together, through game-like movement prompts. Families and children of all ages and with all ranges of dance experience are encouraged to attend. This event is presented in partnership with Reno Little Theater and the David J. Drakulich Foundation for Freedom of Expression. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

On Wednesday, Oct. 13, in partnership with the Department of Theatre and Dance, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company dancers and artistic director will lead a free high-energy master class focused on contemporary dance techniques. This class is appropriate for dancers of all experience levels 16 years and older. Space is limited and pre-registration is required through the Performing Arts Series website.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s repertory ranges from minimalist to multi-media dances, bringing traditional and non-traditional spaces to life with performances that appeal to the contemporary dance aficionado, to programs created for families to experience together. Tickets are $31 - $36 (Adult), $16 (Youth), and $5 (University of Nevada, Reno students). University student tickets must be purchased in-person at the Lawlor Events Center or at the box office the night of the show (at the event venue, opens one hour before the performance). Live-streamed tickets are $18.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s residency is one of six artists presented during the 61st season of the Performing Arts Series. The fall performances will conclude with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing the complete Brandenburg Concertos on Thursday, Dec. 9. And, the Series continues in February 2022 with the Irish band Goitse, a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey In The Rock and jazz vocalist Michael Mayo.

In addition to the Performing Arts Series, the School of the Arts presents the Reno Jazz Festival and Lake Tahoe Music Camp as well as world-class visual art exhibitions, musical performances, theatre productions, dance concerts and public arts events presented by the departments of Art, Music, and Theatre and Dance. The School of the Arts, as well as the College of Liberal Arts, encourage broad campus and community participation in the arts through numerous performances, lectures, exhibitions, core courses and outreach activities that explore diverse cultures and encourage lifelong learning. The School of the Art’s degree programs provide a strong foundation in a range of artistic disciplines, enabling students to contribute as artists, educators and scholars at the local level and beyond. 

The 2021-22 Performing Arts Series is funded in part by WESTAF (the Western States Arts Federation); the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency; the Associated Students of the University of Nevada and the Graduate Student Association. In-kind support is provided by CLM Design, Advertising, Interactive.

For more information about School of the Arts, visit the School of the Arts website, call 775-784-4278, or email arts@unr.edu. Event information, news and photos also are available by following the School of the Arts’ Instagram, School of the Arts’ Twitter and  School of the Arts’ Facebook page.