THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS 3-DAY CELEBRATION OF INTERNATIONAL DANCE & JAZZ DAYS A SUCCESS! Photos & clips to come.
CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL DANCE & JAZZ DAYS UNDER A BIG BAND SWING DANCE ERA THEME
We are happy to announce the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation has received a $5000 Festival Grant for this celebration from the Arizona Commission on the Arts! Thank you!
International Dance & Jazz Days Celebration is sponsored by the Tucson Jazz Music Foundation in partnership with
Hotel Congress and The Century Room with support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and Jittercat Jive host Michelle Kostuk.
NAOMI UYAMA will lead three Dance Workshops in celebration of International Dance Day (4/29, Thursday) at the Tucson Creative Dance Center, 3131 N Cherry, Tucson (SW corner of Ft Lowell & Cherry, adjacent to Nature Conservancy), 6-9 pm. Registration Form
SCHEDULE: 6 pm Beginners 8-count Lindy Hop & Charleston, 7 pm Solo Jazz Routine (some dance experience required), 8 pm Swing Out Variations (intermediate/advanced)
Note: 7 pm Solo Jazz Routine will be performed (if there are enough participants) at 8 pm on Thursday, April 30, on the Hotel Congress Plaza in celebration of International JAZZ DAY!
FEES: On the Registration Form you will find are two PayPal links – one for adults and one for students. Click on the appropriate link for payment which secures your space in class. Adults: $15/1 class, $30/2 classes, $40/3 classes. Students: $10/1 class, $20/2-3 classes. Scholarships are available. To inquire, email TucsonJazzMusicFDN@gmail.com.
INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY CELEBRATION
ON THE HOTEL CONGRESS PLAZA
($10, $20, $30 tickets + DICE fees | 6pm-10pm) The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation and The Century Room present a special celebration for International Jazz Day AND International Dance Day on the Hotel Congress Plaza!
Featuring musical performances by the national award-winning Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band and Naomi & Her Handsome Devils, PLUS DANCE LESSONS and performances by international swing dance superstar Naomi Uyama!
April 30th was proclaimed as International Jazz Day by UNESCO in 2011 and has been celebrated ever since in major cities around the world. International Dance Day has been celebrated on April 29th since 1982, and will also be acknowledged at this very special event that combines jazz music with swing dance – from an era where everyone danced to big band music! In 2026 the global event is being held in CHICAGO!
Award-winning international superstar swing dancer and band leader Naomi Uyama will be featured as both a dancer (teaching a beginner’s swing dance lesson at 6:30 pm) and a bandleader (performing with her band at 8:30 pm.) Naomi has been called a “velvet-voiced chanteuse” by Time Out New York and been featured at every major swing dance festival around the world. She has assembled an amazing 7-piece band to perform her arrangements of classic swing repertoire — specifically designed for dancers!
The Tucson Jazz Institute Ellington Big Band directed by Brice Winston is an award-winning, all-city student jazz ensemble. Their mission is to create educational and performance opportunities for young musicians to reach their highest potential. The TJI Ellington Big Band has established itself as one of the leading high school jazz groups in the country, earning recognition from Downbeat Magazine and winning the #1 positions in national competitions such as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival in NYC, The Next Generation Jazz Festival in Monterey CA, and the Fullerton Jazz Festival in Fullerton CA. They have prepared a set of classic swinging big band songs especially for dancers!
The Tucson Jazz Music Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization, is proud to present this celebration in support young musicians, jazz music and swing dance! The event is presented in partnership with The Century Room jazz club with support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Naomi & Her Handsome Devils at The Century Room
($30-$40 tickets + DICE fees | Friday, May 1, 2026 – 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Naomi & Her Handsome Devils is a modern band with a vintage sound that has been swinging dance floors around the world. Original but authentic – in the pocket but bringing the party – they have performed at every major dance festival and competition there is, as well as many major jazz clubs and have been featured at Lincoln Center for their “Midsummer’s Night Swing.” Described as a “velvet-voiced chanteuse” by Time Out New York, Naomi Uyama is the perfect bandleader, curating her band’s repertoire to transport audiences and dancers alike to another era.
Naomi Uyama was an international swing dance champion searching for the perfect band to perform at swing dances and festivals. After searching the world over, she took it upon herself to form her own group, “Naomi & Her Handsome Devils” in 2013. Now based in Minneapolis, MN, Naomi calls on the best musicians from all the major jazz hubs from New York to New Orleans to perform with her. Naomi & Her Handsome Devils have cemented their reputation as the premier swing band of the 21st Century!
“Beautifully crafted melodic swing.” – Michael Steinman Jazz Lives
Since last year’s residency in Tucson, Naomi has toured Sweden, Paris, Seoul, and played at jazz festivals in California and her hometown of Minneapolis. Naomi & Her Handsome Devils will be releasing a new EP (extended play) just days before our celebration and they’ll be playing the new material at our Plaza Celebration & The Century Room.
Her Handsome Devils When touring Naomi calls on the best musicians from all the major jazz hubs from New York to New Orleans to perform, and Her Tucson Handsome Devils will be: Jason Carder*/trumpet, Aidan Schofield/trombone, Brice Winston*/saxophone, Ed DeLucia*/guitar, Leo Stealey-Euchner/piano, Scott Black/bass, and Arthur Vint*/drums. *International performing and recording jazz artists.
PHOTOS & CLIPS FROM 2025
SPONSORS & ORGANIZERS
