University of Rochester Institute for the Performing Arts

FRINGE FEATURE: BIODANCE’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/biodance-20

🗓️ Sat Sept 16 @ 8pm & Thu Sept 24 @ 8pm
📍School of the Arts: Allen Main Stage Theatre
🎟️ $15

✨ Missy Pfohl Smith is the Director of the Institute for the Performing Arts and the Program of Dance and Movement at the University of Rochester. She is also the Artistic Director and Choreographer of BIODANCE, a contemporary dance company based in Rochester, NY, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary! Smith’s work embraces interdisciplinary collaboration with artists in music, visual art, sculpture, film and technology, often exploring social, political, and environmental issues through dance. Under her direction, BIODANCE has created a diverse body of work, including numerous site-specific performances that engage with and respond to unique environments and communities.

Celebrate BIODANCE’s 20th Anniversary with repertory favorites, current and returning performers and collaborators, with a mix of new work and a hint of nostalgia! Choreography by artistic director Missy Pfohl Smith and special guests, with media by W. Michelle Harris, will highlight this incredible group of collaborative dancers and multidisciplinary artists!

This show features the choreography and performances by University of Rochester faculty, students, and alumni.

University of Rochester Alumni
ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

FRINGE FEATURE: MILES DAVIS ANIMATED

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/milesdavisanimated

🗓️ Sat Sept 19 @ 7pm & Sun Sept 20 @ 2pm
📍The Hochstein School: Hochstein Performance Hall
🎟️ $20

✨ Cheryl Johnson is a University of Rochester faculty member who teaches Jazz Dance, Jazz Dance History & Context, and Tap Dance, Tap History & Context through the UR Program of Dance and Movement.

The music of Miles Davis’ groundbreaking 1950s–60s era comes to life with a creative twist. Audiences will experience cartoon illustrations from Dave Chisholm’s acclaimed graphic novel, “Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound,” and a moving soundscape of live jazz and tap dance. In concert are trumpeter and cartoonist Dave Chisholm, pianist Greg Woodsbie, saxophonist Colin Gordon, bassist David Arenius, drummer/percussionist Aaron Staebell, with Cheryl Johnson and Laurie Coles on tap.

The “Miles Davis Animated” program celebrates the 100th birthday of Miles Davis with live jazz music, animation projections, and expressive tap dancing. Learn more at davechisholmmusic.com

FRINGE FEATURE: DEALBREAKER

🔗 https://tinyurl.com/deal-breaker

🗓️ Sat Sept 19 @ 4pm & Sun Sept 20 @ 3:30pm
📍Memorial Art Gallery: Lynne Lovejoy Parlor
🎟️ $25

✨ Lauren Kee graduated from University of Rochester in 2015 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Public Health. Lauren played on the Varsity Women’s Soccer team, and was a member of Sigma Delta Tau and of GlobeMed.

“Dealbreaker” is a one-woman show about herpes, heartbreak, and the death of the one-night stand. Lauren Kee blends storytelling with comedy to share what it’s like dating with herpes, handling disclosure, and the path to healing. This show is for anyone who’s ever feared they might die alone because of herpes or anything else. Directed by Francesca Sobrer. Creative consultation by Lisa Burton.

University of Rochester
University of Rochester Alumni
ESL Rochester Fringe Festival

📢 PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS OPEN AUGUST 20 🎨✨

Join us at the 2027 ARTs + Change (Activate. Reimagine. Transform.) Virtual Conference!

We invite artists, educators, community members, and organizations to share proposals exploring performance, pedagogy, activist art, community engagement, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding.

Proposal ideas have included:
• Workshops
• Research Presentations
• Performances
• Panel Discussions
• …& more!

⭐️ Proposal Deadline: October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

🗓️ Conference Dates: February 10-14, 2027

📍Conference Location: Fully Virtual

📧 Questions?
Contact [email protected]


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Hosted by the University of Rochester Institute for the Performing Arts. This event is made possible with the support of our co-sponsors: the University of Rochester Art & Art History Department, University of Rochester International Theatre Program, Create A Space NOW, and the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival.

📸 Featured origami artwork: Alyssa Cai’s “Wishing Cranes” (2026) features 50 purple cranes with affirmations in unexpected places, blending personal ritual with acts of kindness to inspire unexpected joy.

Kicking off our first FRINGE FEATURE with: SOUND OF SANCTUARY (SOS)

🔗 tinyurl.com/sound-SOS

🗓️ Sat Sept 26 @ 12pm & 7:30pm
📍Downtown United Presbyterian Church
🎟️ $10

✨ Sean Mulligan is a multi-instrumentalist, adaptive teaching artist, performer, and Alumnus of the Eastman School of Music. Sean graduated with a BM in Applied Viola, and a Take-Five Program Certificate in World Literature.

Join featured artists in listening and conversation. “Sound Of Sanctuary (SOS)” is a listening session, interview, and live-performance of selected tracks from the upcoming album “SOS: A Sonic Snapshot of Rochester’s first- and second- generation voices.” Recorded at Wicked Squid Studio and made possible by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Aid to Localities Grant, “SOS” weaves co-authored original songwriting, interviews, and field recordings into a live album, exploring the sound of Rochester as a sanctuary city.

ESL Rochester Fringe Festival
University of Rochester Alumni

🎭 Looking for a great fall class? Take a theatre class!

There are so many ways to get involved with the University of Rochester International Theatre Program—and one of the best is by stepping into the classroom. Whether you're an experienced performer or just curious, there's a place for you.

🔗 Register: https://tinyurl.com/theatre-classes

We remember with gratitude and love, our colleague Kat Sirico. We miss the spirit, passion, and generosity you brought to every space you were in. 💜✨

Kat Sirico remembered for their creative vision and devotion to dance Kat Sirico's enduring care for artists, students, and the creative process left a lasting impact on the dance community.

Thank you for supporting the Arts at UR!