For nearly 50 years, ethnic dance performances have been a mainstay at Tucson Meet Yourself, led by Maribel Alvarez and Kate Alexander.
It is one of 13 long-running dance events in the state — six of them in Tucson — that were recognized by the Arizona Dance Coalition on International Dance Day April 29 for their economic and cultural contributions to the state.
Dance in the state added $680,000 to the economy in 2019 — $374,000 of that in Tucson — according to a coalition study.
The nonprofit coalition advocates and promotes dance in all its forms — ballet, contemporary, folk, hip-hop and modern — throughout the state through its workshops and conventions and educational endeavors.
The six Tucson dance events recognized by the coalition are:
Ethnic dance performances at Tucson Meet Yourself, coordinated by Maribel Alvarez and produced by Kate Alexander, which has been ongoing for 48 years.
Ballet Folklorico at the Tucson International Mariachi Conference, which has been ongoing since 1982.
AZ Jazz Dance Showcase, which Michael Williams, a professor at the University of Arizona School of Dance, has been running since 1992.
Dance in the Desert, which has been around for 24 years.
No Frills Dance Happenin’, a biannual event that has been held since 1999.
Tucson Tango Festival, which has been around since 2009.
These events join everything from the long-running AzDEO High School Dance Festival in Phoenix, which has been running 22 years, to the Arizona Dance Festival, held at the Desert Dance Theatre in Phoenix since 2000 and last held in 2019 at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, for the statewide recognition.
Other groups on the list including the Ballet Folklorico Festival in Chandler, Swing and Dance in Mesa/Chandler, Phoenix’s Tap 24.7 the Show, and Flagstaff’s CMC Dance Festival. Each of the events have been running a decade or longer, not counting the missed events in 2020 and this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
