Center for World Performance Studies

Upcoming Events

Dragon dance with full scale dragon body in Peony Garden

Dancing with the Dragon Exhibit

November 4 through December 11, 2026
Open Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (Closed Nov. 26-27)
Room 547 – Weiser Hall / Central Campus

Experience a curated experience of the imaginary, featuring the LRCCS Fortune and Longevity Dragon, a 25-ft long, Asian-inspired full-body dragon sculpture for use in the traditional “dragon dance” crafted by renowned international artist Zhen Guo with U-M faculty arts lecturer Raymond Wetzel, artist Jeri Rosenberg, students, and volunteers. The exhibition highlights the story of the dragon’s fabrication and its impact on community.

October 27 | 6:00 pm

Whose City? Street Art and the Performance of Belonging in Tbilisi, Georgia

Michigan League

Free - no tickets required

Join us in the Michigan League’s Vandenberg Room (2nd floor) for a presentation by Greta Uehling, a 2025-26 Faculty Fellow with the Center for World Performance Studies. Street art is often understood as a form of cultural resistance in politically constrained societies like Georgia. Professor Greta Uehling will draw on ethnographic fieldwork in Tbilisi, including interviews with artists, activists, and viewers supported to explore the forces that complicate its communicative potential. Uehling extends a Barthian approach that foregrounds the reception of street art and the contested meanings that emerge around it. In this talk, she will explore the state’s appropriation of street-art aesthetics through government-sponsored projects, as well as private citizens’ power to veto murals on their buildings. She will then turn to gender as a contested terrain where Georgia’s European aspirations meet enduring social norms.

Free Lecture Talk Research Scholarship Central Campus

A mural painted on a windowless building surface about 8 stories tall. In the mural, people wearing black and red full-body uniforms hold hands, with a red background and white lettering at the top in a foreign language.

November 13 | 7:00 pm

John Santos Sextet

Keene Theater
East Quadrangle

Free - no tickets required

Led by seven-time Grammy nominee John Santos, the John Santos Sextet brings Afro-Latin jazz to life through irresistible rhythms, bold improvisation, and deep musical connection. The ensemble blends jazz with the rich traditions of the Caribbean and Latin America, creating music that is both rooted in history and vibrantly contemporary. Known for its dynamic performances and exceptional musicianship, the sextet invites audiences into a joyful, soulful exploration of rhythm and culture. Expect an unforgettable evening of percussion-driven grooves, spirited collaboration, and music that moves both body and mind. Presented by the Center for World Performances Studies with support from the SMTD Percussion Program.

Free Central Campus

November 16 | 7:30 pm

Nora Sharp in Performance

Dance Performance Studio Theatre
Dance Building

Free - no tickets required

Join us for a Work-In-Progress showing with guest artist Nora Sharp, followed by Q&A. Presented by Daring Dances and the Center for World Performance Studies.

Discussion Free Talk North Campus

Nora Sharp presents standing on a stage in dance rehearsal attire.

December 1 | 6:00 pm

CWPS Graduate Student Capstone Presentations

Walgreen Drama Center

Free - no tickets required

The graduate capstone presentation is a culmination of the year-long certificate program in World Performance Studies. Graduate certificate students will present their research and findings after taking an introductory performance studies course, pursuing summer research in the field and a final capstone course, bringing together theory, research, and practice. Each presentation will be roughly 30-40 minutes with Q&A for each. Join us in Studio 2 at the Walgreen Drama Center.

Free Lecture Talk Research Scholarship North Campus