The University Musical Society Announces 101 Workshop Series to Deepen Audience Experiences

The University Musical Society has announced the lineup of UMS 101 workshops featured as part of its 23/24 season. 

UMS 101s are 90-minute workshops that take place the week of the performance and are tailored for audience members who want to familiarize themselves with or deepen their understanding of a particular genre or performing artist. 

Each workshop is facilitated by a professional, community-based practicing artist/educator and features conversation, engaging activities, and live demonstrations that can be enjoyed as a stand-alone experience or to enhance each participant's experience of attending the mainstage performance. 

The 23/24 season features three stimulating workshops that offer an intro to a variety of arts experiences such as the traditions of the ukulele, a revolutionary dance technique, and the profound history of women in jazz. 

Find tickets to UMS 101 workshops ($15 each) and all events at ums.org or 734.764.2538. UMS 101 workshops are not included with the performance ticket and must be purchased separately. 

 

All About the Uke 

 

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 // 6 pm 

Cahoots (206 E Huron St, Ann Arbor) 

Tickets from $15 at ums.org or 734.764.2538 

Created to compliment UMS's presentation of Jake Shimabukuro's Holidays in Hawai'i (Friday, December 8), this workshop will have you immersed in the virtuosity of the ukulele (or “uke”), an instrument rich with tradition that originated in Hawai'i in the 1800s. Facilitator Mike Brooks

leads the workshop, which also features members of Ann Arbor's popular Brain Plasticity Ukulele Collective. Attendees are invited to bring their own ukulele. 

Tickets to the Holidays in Hawai'i performance are sold separately. 

 

Reshaping American Movement: 

The Graham Technique 

 

Tuesday, February 13, 2024 // 6 pm 

Cahoots (206 E Huron St, Ann Arbor) 

Tickets from $15 at ums.org or 734.764.2538 

Local dance artist Peter Sparling, who danced in Martha Graham's company early in his career, leads this exploration of the fundamentals of the revolutionary Graham technique. This 90-minute workshop complements UMS's presentation of Martha Graham Dance Company (Saturday-Sunday February 17-18) and will help audiences discover the movements and history of the Graham technique, its importance, and how the movement style became a cornerstone of modern dance. 

Tickets to the Martha Graham Dance Company performances are sold separately. 

 

Dynamic Ladies of Jazz: 

An Evening of History and Appreciation 

 

Wednesday, March 26, 2024 // 6 pm 

Cahoots (206 E Huron St, Ann Arbor) 

Tickets from $15 at ums.org or 734.764.2538 

Samara Joy is the latest woman to take the jazz world by storm, but the role of women in jazz goes back nearly a century. Local jazz bassist Marion Hayden leads this exploration of women who have made their name in this uniquely American art form. This 90-minute workshop complements UMS's presentation of Samara Joy (Wednesday, March 27). 

Tickets to Samara Joy's performance are sold separately.

A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Michigan, presenting up to 70 music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with over 100 free educational activities. UMS is committed to bold artistic leadership, engaged learning through the arts, and access and inclusiveness. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of more than 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization's seventh president in July 2017.

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