Hosted by YGC Productions

Casual attire

Tickets $65, Concert only $45 

To highlight and showcase the performing art forms of jazz and dance in Baltimore, Summer Music Moves: A Jazz and Dance Festival takes place in Charm City this summer! The festival presents jazz and dance performances in a wide variety of venues and formats for audiences to experience, appreciate and enjoy. Baltimore Center Stage is the primary location for the festival with other venues in the Mount Vernon, Station North an downtown areas also offering performance activities. Summer Music Moves: A Jazz and Dance Festival is a co-presentation of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance and Dance Baltimore.

Summer Music Moves extends throughout a long weekend, starting on Thursday, July 25th with a public Kick Off featuring stellar youth performances at Baltimore Center Stage, 5 – 6pm. A jam session follows led by The Rodney Kelley Jazz Experience and featuring a popular adult jazzers as well as some of the jazz and dance youth artists, 6 – 8pm. Cash bar and light fare will be available. The event is open and free to the public.

On Friday, July 26th, the festival recognizes a few of the area’s most accomplished artists with jazz performances by nationally renowned straight-ahead jazz pianist CYRUS CHESTNUT and award winning contemporary jazz vocalist MAYSA, performing both separately and together. The Baltimore All Star Jazz Ensemble features Alan Blackman, Carl Filipiak, Blake Meister, Robert Shahid, Clarence Ward, III and Warren Wolf–also performing. Modern dance by Full Circle Dance Company and the Dance Baltimore Repertory Ensemble, Tap with Broadway performer Ryan K. Johnson will be presented on stage. This performance will be the main event of the festival and is a ticketed event. Limited tickets available to a special VIP RECEPTION prior to the concert with attendance by performers, food, complimentary wine, limited edition poster by Larry “Poncho” Brown, swag bag and more.

Saturday and Sunday, July 27th and 28th, will encourage audiences to move around Mount Vernon, Station North and downtown enjoying jazz and dance at a number of venues including (confirmed) Germano’s, Theatre Project, Nancy’s by SNAC, Y Knot Lot, Keystone Korner, The Ivy Hotel, Reginald F. Lewis Museum and other locations TBA. A mixture of free and ticketed indoor and outdoor performances will be offered.

Summer Music Moves: A Festival of Jazz and Dance offers increased visibility and encourages attention to two art forms of great individual diversity yet often limited local and national support. By presenting a broad offering of performances, styles, venues and formats, audiences will identify their favorites and hopefully and excitedly seek out information and performances in the future.