Community Event

Heelz

Heelz

Tuesday, November 12 at 6:00pm

Heel Workshop is an open-level, choreography-based dance class. Heels are optional.

Down South Dirt: Lecture and Reception

Down South Dirt: Lecture and Reception

October 23, 2024

In this opening public event of the 2024-25 Keohane Professorship, interdisciplinary artist and scholar Ashon Crawley will present on the relation of dirt and soil to the making of Black life, and how degrading the earth is part of the attempt to unmake Black possibility.

Seeds of Light Lantern Walk

Seeds of Light Lantern Walk

October 29, 2024

Join Gowri Savoor for a magical lantern festival, celebrating seeds and light. Participants can bring lanterns and join the parade. Hot apple cider will be served around a bonfire afterwards.

Lantern Making

Lantern Making

October 28, 2024

Join visual teaching artist, Gowri Savoor, for a fun and unique workshop to learn how to make a magical star-shaped lantern using bamboo, paper, and LED lights.

The Flavour of Butoh

The Flavour of Butoh

October 24, 2024

We will introduce Butoh materials and use these as the basis to fully develop our imagination. In the imaginative session, we use the body as a vessel to communicate and transmit information, allowing for autonomy and improvisation in each exercise.

Open Studio with Ayodele Casel and the Company of Rooted

Open Studio with Ayodele Casel and the Company of Rooted

September 24, 2024

Calling all dancers of all forms, musicians, spoken word poets, vocalists to bring a short piece of original composition to share with artist Ayodele Casel as she builds Duke-specific elements of her piece Rooted to be performed in the von der heyden theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center, September 27 and 28.

Yoga for Everybody

Yoga for Everybody

September 22, 2024

In this beginner-level, absolutely for everyone class, we'll learn to breathe with awareness, feel the body's glorious response to the breath, and move through a variety of shapes to explore interesting sensation and the malleability of our boundaries.

Modern Fusion Dance

Modern Fusion Dance

August 30, 2024

Modern fusion for beg/intermediate movers - modern with africanist elements intertwined: polyrhythm, polycentrism, and overall african/jazz influence.

Tift Merritt

The Rosetta Circle

April 21, 2023

featuring Adia Victoria, Rissi Palmer, Shana Tucker, Shirlette Ammons and Tift Merritt The Rosetta Circle is a new project that builds on the work of pioneering feminist jazz historian Rosetta ...

Yarn/Wire

Yarn/Wire

February 11, 2023

Since its founding in 2005, intrepid NY-based piano and percussion quartet Yarn/Wire has forged a singular path in the contemporary classical music world. Its endlessly inventive collaborations, commissions, and performances ...

MUSLIM FUTURISM: On Screen

September 10, 2022

In partnership with MIPSTERZ, Duke Arts is proud to present a joint screening of three films exploring futures near and far: “Building Bridges: Muslims in America”  “ALHAMDU | MUSLIM FUTURISM,” ...

MUSLIM FUTURISM: Definitions and Manifestations

September 10, 2022

In partnership with the Duke Islamic Studies Center and Duke Arts, MIPSTERZ is proud to present a panel discussion exploring Muslim Futurism and the academic and creative disciplines that support the dreaming of alternate futures. ...

Space Jam: A Mipsterz Spotlight Series

September 9, 2022

Created by MIPSTERZ in collaboration with Duke Performances and Duke Arts, this free community event at NorthStar Church of the Arts explores the myriad futures being created in Muslim and ...

In Conversation: Stefanie Batten Bland

April 15, 2022

Acclaimed choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland joins Duke Professor Jasmine Cobb (Department of African and African American Studies) for a free public conversation ahead of the world premiere of Company SBB’s ...

Norwuz 2022 Celebration

March 19, 2022

Join us in celebrating Persian new year, also known as Nowruz, presented by The Persian Art Center in Carolina. We will have several local artists playing traditional Persian music as ...

Master Class with Quatuor Danel

April 3, 2022

French string quartet Quatuor Danel will hold a master class with Duke student musicians. This class is open to the public. Sun, Apr 3, 2022 10:30 AM – 12 PM ...

Master Class with Imani Winds

March 28, 2022

GRAMMY Award-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds will hold a winds and brass chamber master class with Duke student musicians. This class is open to the public. Mon, Mar 28, 2022 ...

Community Movement Class with Hope Boykin

January 29, 2022

As part of Hope Boykin‘s collaboration with ABT Studio Company during their weeklong residency at Duke, the choreographer will lead a free public movement class for dancers at all levels ...

In Conversation: Bijayini Satpathy

December 6, 2021

Bijayini Satpathy, formerly of Southern India’s fabled Nrityagram Dance Ensemble — and one of the world’s leading dancers — joins Purnima Shah (Duke Dance Program) for a free public conversation ...

Community Dance Workshop with Bijayini Satpathy

December 7, 2021

Bijayini Satpathy, formerly of Southern India’s fabled Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and one of the world’s leading dancers, offers a workshop on the fundamentals of Odissi dance technique and movements from her new ...

Yarn/Wire

February 4, 2022

RSVP for this free event HERE. What is an instrumental ensemble to do when there isn’t enough repertoire to play? Commission more, of course! This is the strategy of the ...

ABT Studio Company

January 28, 2022 - January 29, 2022

In February 2018, Duke Performances unveiled an audacious three-year collaboration with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the world’s leading classical ballet companies. Through its expansive programming, international engagements, and ...

Urban Bush Women Hair & Other Stories

February 18, 2022 - February 19, 2022

In 2020, Duke Performances presented the Urban Bush Women’s (UBW) groundbreaking virtual Artist Journal — an experimental Zoom-based performance combining dance party, conversation, and audience participation. Celebrating its thirty-seventh active ...

Imani Winds: A Woman’s Perspective

March 27, 2022

For more than two decades, New York City-based and GRAMMY Award-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds has brought diversity, virtuosity, and vision to classical music. Founded by flutist Valerie Coleman in ...

Poetry Reading: “Tariq Touré: The Poet”

November 3, 2021

Join Duke Performances and Duke Islamic Studies Center for a poetry reading by Tariq Touré. Tariq Touré’s poetry and prose has been featured in award-winning publications such as Muslim Matters, ...

In Conversation: Dua Saleh

October 12, 2021

Join Duke Performances, Duke Islamic Studies Center, and the Center for Muslim Life for a conversation between musician, actor and performer Dua Saleh, Treniyyah Anderson ‘20, and the Center for ...

Dua Saleh

October 13, 2021

Minneapolis-based vocalist, spoken-word poet, and actor Dua Saleh began recording music only two years ago, garnering immediate acclaim with the release of 2019’s Nūr — meaning “the light” in Arabic. ...

Chris Pattishall Zodiac

November 5, 2021 - November 6, 2021

Self-taught pianist by three, professional musician by fifteen, teacher to Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis soon thereafter, and later Duke’s first Artist in Residence and Director of the Duke Jazz ...

Ciompi Quartet

November 6, 2021

After a year of virtual offerings, Duke’s resident Ciompi Quartet returns in person this November with an evening program featuring compositions created during the time of war. For the final ...

Sadiyah Bashir: the poet

April 15, 2021

Join Black Muslim Talkspace as they host a poetry reading and Q&A by Sadiyah Bashir. Black Muslim Talk Space is an intimate reflection space for those at the intersections of ...

In Conversation: Amir Sulaiman

March 5, 2021

Acclaimed poet, activist, recording artist, and filmmaker Amir Sulaiman will join Youssef Carter (UNC Religious Studies) for a screening of his new short film Laying Flowers Setting Fires. Sulaiman will ...

In Conversation: Waxahatchee

April 9, 2021

On the heels of Saint Cloud, one of 2020’s most critically acclaimed albums, Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield sits down virtually with Kym Register, Loamlands leader and proprietor of cherished Durham venue ...

In Conversation: Tift Merritt & Allison Russell

April 16, 2021

Hungry River is a performance collaboration between Tift Merritt, Allison Russell (Our Native Daughters, Birds of Chicago) that explores the emotional history of formerly segregated mental asylums in North Carolina and the ...

In Conversation: Natu Camara

March 19, 2021

Singer-songwriter Natu Camara — known affectionately as the Tina Turner of Guinea — joins ethnomusicologist Deonte Harris (Duke International Comparative Studies) for a free public Vimeo discussion covering Camara’s work, career, ...

In Conversation: Chris Pattishall

November 13, 2020

GRAMMY-nominated pianist, jazz wunderkind, and Durham native Chris Pattishall joins Duke professor Anthony Kelley for a wide-ranging virtual discussion touching upon his local roots, influences, and new multimedia project that ...

In Conversation: Urban Bush Women

October 23, 2020

Members of acclaimed Brooklyn-based dance company Urban Bush Women sit down with Andrea Woods-Valdes (Chair of the Duke Dance Program) for a free public Zoom discussion focused on Artist Journal, ...

In Conversation: Ranky Tanky

October 30, 2020

Members of GRAMMY-winning, Charleston-based quintet Ranky Tanky join Duke professor Laurent Dubois for a live Zoom conversation, exploring the ways in which their music and performance draw on the living ...

Skylar Brandt and Joseph Gorak rehearsing

ABT Studio Company Open Repertory Rehearsals: 2020

February 6, 2020 - February 14, 2020

As part of their two-week February 2020 residency at Duke, American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company will open a series of repertory rehearsals for public observers. These rehearsals are a chance to see ...

Anne-Marie McDermott Master Class

January 26, 2020

Pianist Anne-Marie McDermott, hailed by The Philadelphia Inquirer as “one of the great American pianists of her generation,” leads a piano master class with Duke student musicians onstage at Baldwin ...

Black Muslim Atlantic’ Symposium

January 30, 2020 - January 31, 2020

Thursday and Friday, January 30-31 Rubenstein Arts Center, Rm. 102 Free and open to the public A two-day symposium co-sponsored by the Duke Islamic Studies Center, African and African American ...

In Conversation: Imani Winds

March 20, 2020

GRAMMY-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds, renowned for its virtuosity and commissioning of bold new works by composers of color, sits down with Duke professor Tsitsi Jaji to discuss the ensemble’s ...

In Conversation: Mountain Man & Nathaniel Russell

January 16, 2020

Members of the acclaimed indie-folk trio Mountain Man (Amelia Meath, Molly Sarle, and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig) sit down with music journalist Grayson Haver Currin for a conversation about their decade-long collaboration, ...

In Conversation: Christine Cox

January 30, 2020

Christine Cox is Artistic Director & co-founder of Philadelphia-based contemporary ballet company BalletX, whose charge is to innovate, experiment with, and reformulate classical ballet for the 21st century. At Duke, ...

In Conversation: Joshua Redman

February 14, 2020

Saxophonist Joshua Redman — composer, bandleader, and one of jazz’s leading lights for well over two decades — reflects on his career, creative process, and current project, Still Dreaming, which ...

In Conversation: Natu Camara

April 6, 2020

Singer-songwriter Natu Camara, who has been heralded as the “Tina Turner of Guinea,” kicks off Duke Performances’ 2020 Black Atlantic festival with a special lunchtime conversation and demonstration at NorthStar ...

Black Atlantic:
Natu Camara
Guinea

April 6, 2020

March 16, 2020: Important Announcement: Remainder of Duke Performances spring season cancelled Dear Friends, Due to precautionary measures related to COVID-19, Duke University has temporarily suspended on-campus classes and is ...

Student ballet dancers in class

American Ballet Theatre Master Class with Cheryl Yeager

December 3, 2019

Cheryl Yeager, instructor with American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, will offer a master class in intermediate/advanced ballet technique. All community dancers ages 16 and up who train at an advanced/pre-professional ...

ABT master class

American Ballet Theatre Master Class with Johanna Butow

October 8, 2019

Johanna Butow, instructor with American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, will offer a master class in intermediate/advanced ballet technique. All community dancers ages 16 and up who train at an advanced/pre-professional ...

Harlem Quartet: Chamber Music Master Class

November 15, 2019

Members of the esteemed Harlem Quartet lead a chamber music master class, coaching Duke student ensembles in repertoire for string quartet. Friday, November 15, 5 PM Nelson Music Room, Duke ...

Imani Winds with Duke Wind Symphony

November 14, 2019

GRAMMY-nominated wind quintet Imani Winds, the ensemble-in-residence at Duke through 2020/2021, join the Duke Wind Symphony as part of a free public concert celebrating the wind repertoire of the past ...

Andrew Tyson: Piano Master Class

October 12, 2019

Acclaimed classical pianist and Durham native Andrew Tyson leads a piano master class in Baldwin Auditorium with Duke student musicians. Saturday, October 12, 12 PM Baldwin Auditorium, Duke East Campus ...

In Conversation: Mumu Fresh

September 20, 2019

In this free lunchtime talk at The Pinhook in downtown Durham, GRAMMY-nominated vocalist and emcee Maimouna Youssef (aka Mumu Fresh) sits down with Crystal Taylor (Beats n Bars) to discuss ...

In Conversation: Rafiq Bhatia

November 7, 2019

A member of heralded experimental pop trio Son Lux, Rafiq Bhatia — a Raleigh native and the son of Muslim immigrant parents — joins Duke Music professor Anthony Kelley at ...

In Conversation: Torry Bend & Howard L. Craft

November 20, 2019

Torry Bend, award-winning puppet artist and chair of Theater Studies at Duke, is joined by collaborator Howard L. Craft, Durham-based poet, playwright, and arts educator, for an in-depth discussion of ...

In Conversation: Alonzo King

November 11, 2019

Born in Georgia to Civil Rights activists, choreographer Alonzo King planted his pathbreaking ballet company, LINES, in San Francisco in the early 1980s. At Duke, he joins professor Thomas F. ...

Music Maker 25: Roundtable Discussion

December 6, 2019

Coinciding with Duke Performances’ Music Maker 25 festival, renowned folklorist, author, and former chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities William R. Ferris moderates a special roundtable discussion at ...

LINES Ballet

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

November 15, 2019 - November 16, 2019

Duke Performances subscriptions and single tickets, including $10 Duke student tickets, are now on sale. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 919-684-4444, and in person at ...

Mumu Fresh

Mumu Fresh
Building Bridges: Muslims in America

September 21, 2019

Duke Performances subscriptions and single tickets, including $10 Duke student tickets, are now on sale. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 919-684-4444, and in person at ...

Sona Jobarteh

Black Atlantic:
Sona Jobarteh
The Gambia/UK

April 6, 2020

The ‘Black Atlantic’ package — which provides access to all five ‘Black Atlantic’ shows at Motorco, including performances by Natu Camara, David Virelles, Cha Wa, Etienne Charles, and Cimarrón — and ...

American Ballet Theatre
Giselle

March 26, 2020 - March 29, 2020

March 11, 2020: Important Notice Regarding American Ballet Theatre Dear Friends, Due to precautionary measures related to COVID-19, Duke University is postponing all events with an expected attendance of more ...

BalletX

BalletX

January 31, 2020 - February 1, 2020

Duke Performances subscriptions and single tickets, including $10 Duke student tickets, are now on sale. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online, via phone at 919-684-4444, and in person at ...

American Ballet Theatre Master Class with Julie Bravata

March 19, 2019

Julie Bravata, instructor with American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, will offer a master class in intermediate/advanced ballet technique. All community dancers ages 16 and up who train at an advanced/pre-professional ...

Noura Mint Seymali: Public Demonstration and Q&A

March 27, 2019

Join legendary Mauritanian singer Noura Mint Seymali for a demonstration and conversation about the traditions that have shaped her hypnotic, contemporary brand of Moorish music. Seymali’s songs, pairing modern rhythms ...

Caique Vidal: Public Demonstration and Q&A

March 28, 2019

Join Durham-based Brazilian artist Caique Vidal for a joyful demonstration and conversation about his signature fusion of Latin, funk, reggae, and Afro-Brazilian sounds. Free coffee and churros provided for all attendees! ...

Camille A. Brown by Whitney Browne

Movement Workshop with Camille A. Brown

January 29, 2019

Camille A. Brown — choreographer and founder of the Bessie Award-winning, New York City-based dance company Camille A. Brown & Dancers, known for inventive multidisciplinary dance works exploring race, culture, and identity — ...

In Conversation: Camille A. Brown

February 28, 2019

Acclaimed dancer and choreographer Camille A. Brown joins Nicole Oxendine (Empower Dance Studio) for a conversation on dance, community development, and Brown’s exploration of African-American identity through movement. Thursday, February ...

In Conversation: Stew

February 15, 2019

Tony Award-winning playwright and singer Stew sits down with Talya Klein (Duke Theater Studies) for a lunchtime conversation spanning his career, influences, and current project, ‘Notes of a Native Song’ ...

In Conversation: Jason Moran

April 19, 2019

In this free lunchtime talk at The Pinhook in downtown Durham, trailblazing pianist, composer, bandleader, and 2010 MacArthur fellow Jason Moran sits down with Durham-based spoken word artist Dasan Ahanu ...

Black Atlantic Keynote: Derek Gripper

March 25, 2019

South African classical guitarist Derek Gripper — known for transcribing the intricate works of Malian kora master Toumani Diabaté for six-string guitar — kicks off Duke Performances’ second annual Black ...

In Conversation: Brother Ali

March 6, 2019

Iconic Muslim-American hip-hop artist Brother Ali sits down with Joseph Winters (Duke Divinity School) for a free public conversation touching on Brother Ali’s music, career, and activism in post-9/11 America. ...

Black Atlantic: The Campbell Brothers

March 29, 2019

The ‘Black Atlantic’ Package, which provides access to all ‘Black Atlantic’ shows at Motorco and best available reserved seats in Baldwin Auditorium, including performances by Derek Gripper, Fatoumata Diawara, Noura Mint ...