Photo Credit: Doug Coombe

You Can Dance —Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

This year, UMS is doubling down on the dance fun by offering two dance sessions! Each day will begin with a 45-minute Introduction to Dance workshop that creates space for participants ages six and up to ground themselves in the basics of the movement form. This will be followed by an hour-long Curious Movers workshop for participants ages 12 and up who want to deepen their dance experience through further exploration of forms and rhythms.

Dance and music are highly tied together, and we find out just how much in these workshops. We’ll explore Step Dance, a movement style with a long-standing history of dance and music connecting as one. Through that movement exploration, we will deepen our understanding of sound and body while broadening our knowledge of this movement’s history and cross-cultural context.

10 am // Introduction to Step Dance // Ages 6+
11 am // Curious Movers: Step Dance // Ages 12+

No dance experience is required to participate, and workshops are free and open to the public. Register to attend one or both workshops – there will be a 15-minute break in between. We ask that participants 12 and under have a parent/guardian present at all times.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have dance training to participate?

You do not need any formal training. UMS encourages broad participation and invites a mix of people of different ages and abilities to participate. We aim to create a comfortable environment for everyone.

What should I wear for the workshop?

You should wear clothing and shoes in which you are comfortable moving. Ground surfaces may not be even, so please wear supportive footwear.

Will there be parking available?

Riverside Park has parking available on the north end of the park, off Cross Street. Additional parking is available to the south of the park, accessed via an alley near 6 W Michigan Ave.

If I didn’t pre-register, can I just walk up?

Pre-registration is strongly recommended. However, depending on the demand for the class, walk-up registration is available beginning 5 minutes before each scheduled workshop and is open until spots are filled.

How can I cancel my registration if I am no longer able to participate?

To cancel your registration, please email UMS’s Community and Audience Programs Manager Alexandria Davis at adavism@umich.edu. We appreciate your prompt communication notifying us of the cancellation so that we can make room for other participants

Will the event be canceled due to inclement weather? If so, how will I be notified?

Classes will be held outdoors under covered partial structures that offer some protection from the elements. If extremely inclement weather makes the workshop impossible, registered participants will receive an email notification from UMS on the morning of the workshop. There will also be a general public post on UMS’s social media announcing the cancellation.

Meet Your Artist Facilitator

Miryam Johnson

Miryam Johnson, artist facilitator

Health & Safety

This is an outdoor event. Anyone who chooses to wear a mask is welcome and encouraged to do so, but masks are not required for participation.

Sat, Sep 17, 2022
10:00 AM

Venue

Riverside Park Pavilion

2 E Cross, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

Saturday, September 17, 2022 // 10 AM - 12 PM (Details below)
Riverside Park Pavilion

You Can Dance — Outside! Ypsilanti
Step Dance

Family Friendly

Free

Public Workshop

Free with Registration

Miryam Johnson, artist facilitator

Health & Safety

This is an outdoor event. Anyone who chooses to wear a mask is welcome and encouraged to do so, but masks are not required for participation.

Venue

Riverside Park Pavilion

2 E Cross, Ypsilanti, MI 48197

You Can Dance —Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

10 am // Introduction to Step Dance // Ages 6+
11 am // Curious Movers: Step Dance // Ages 12+

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to have dance training to participate?

What should I wear for the workshop?

You should wear clothing and shoes in which you are comfortable moving. Ground surfaces may not be even, so please wear supportive footwear.

Will there be parking available?

Riverside Park has parking available on the north end of the park, off Cross Street. Additional parking is available to the south of the park, accessed via an alley near 6 W Michigan Ave.

If I didn’t pre-register, can I just walk up?

How can I cancel my registration if I am no longer able to participate?

Will the event be canceled due to inclement weather? If so, how will I be notified?

Meet Your Artist Facilitator

Miryam Johnson

Miryam Johnson is a Detroit-based Dance Artist, Educator, and Arts Organizer. With degrees from Eastern Michigan University in Dance and African American Studies, Johnson’s work explores the intersections between improvised movement vernaculars, creating communal relationships, and mind-body practices.

She was a company member and collaborator of Harge Dance Stories for four seasons as well as a featured dancer in John Sobczak’s book “Portraits in Motion.” Johnson curated and choreographed the evening-length work REBELLION, which premiered at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit Rebellion. Johnson’s had the honor of being under the tutelage of Barbara Selinger, Nancy Lushington, Sabatino Verlezza, Barbara Verlezza, John Griffin, Kristi Faulkner, Anna Martine Whitehead, Penny Godboldo as well as performed works by critically acclaimed Mae O’Donnell, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Diane McIntyre.

Johnson currently serves as a Co-Founder of Collective Sweat Detroit (CSD), a Teaching Artist with Living Arts Detroit, and a member of “The Gathering” (a Black Femme Dance Collective)