CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL DANCE & JAZZ DAYS UNDER A BIG BAND SWING DANCE ERA THEME
MARK YOUR CALENDAR: 2026 NAOMI UYAMA RETURNS
April 29, Wednesday 6-9 pm, Dance Workshops with Naomi Uyama at the Tucson Creative Dance Center (Registration Form below),
April 30, Thursday 6-10 pm, Celebration on the Hotel Congress Plaza with the TJI Ellington Big Band & Naomi Uyama & Her Handsome Devils,
May 1, Friday 6:30-10 pm, Naomi & Her Handsome Devils perform two shows at The Century Room
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.
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
Naomi has won champion titles at such prestigious competitions as International Lindy Hop Championships, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown, American Lindy Hop Championships, and the U.S. Open Swing Dance Championships. She has taught thousands of students in over 20 countries! Since last year Naomi has toured Sweden, Paris and Seoul and performed at jazz festivals in California and her hometown of Minneapolis.
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.
PHOTOS & CLIPS FROM 2025
