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The UNR Department of Theatre and Dance’s Spring Dance Concert 2026
The University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Theatre and Dance presents the Spring Dance Concert 2026, showcasing new choreography by faculty Cari Cunningham, Eve Allen Garza, Nate Hodges and Rosie Trump; and guest artists Christine Cali and Sierra Taylor-Cline, with performance by University of Nevada, Reno, students and guest performers.
Local guest artist Sierra Taylor-Cline is working with a cast of 17 Nevada dance students to create an ensemble piece that, according to Taylor-Cline, “transforms the stage into a living museum where hip hop exists as art on display. Through sculptural images, framed movement, mirrors and shifting installations, the dancers explore individuality, identity and the power of authentic self-expression.”
Spring Dance Concert show times are 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, April 30 and May 1; and 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at the Redfield Proscenium Theatre, Church Fine Arts, University of Nevada, Reno. Reserved seating tickets are on sale now! Adults: $25; seniors (65+) and non-UNR students: $20; UNR faculty/staff: $20; UNR student: $5. To purchase tickets online, visit unr.edu/theatre-dance/productions. For in person ticket purchases, the CFA Redfield Proscenium Theatre box office opens one hour before show time.
Find parking information here: www.unr.edu/theatre-dance/productions#parking. (Sponsored Content)
Craft work
Savage Mystic Gallery presents Gentle Reminders, a solo show by Canadian artist Steve deBruyn, his first exhibition in the United States. The exhibition blends thrifted fabrics, salvaged textiles and fragments of the artist’s own clothing and bedding into a layered, personal archive. The result is a series of works that feel at once intimate and slightly unhinged, like heirlooms from an alternate timeline. Meet the artist at the opening reception, which starts at 6 p.m., Friday, May 1, at Savage Mystic Gallery, 836 E. Second St. Visit savagemysticart.com.
Work those hips
Practice a few dance moves and create your own masterpiece at Art After Dark: Salsa Night. Instructors from Tiempo Latino Dance Company will lead a beginner-friendly salsa dance lesson at 7:30 p.m., followed by open social dancing at 8:30 p.m. Enjoy festive drinks; craft your own faux stained glass; and strike a pose in the photo booth. The shindig starts at 7 p.m., Friday, May 1, in the Sky Room at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. Advance tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for NMA members. Tickets are $30 at the door. Go to www.nevadaart.org to register.
Star-studded affair
Watch a selection of animated and live action film shorts, documentaries and full-dome films that explore science, space and the wonders of the universe at the 11th annual Sci-On! Film Festival. Billing itself as the “Biggest Little Science + Fiction Film Festival in the World,” the event showcases outstanding science and science-fiction films and filmmakers from across the globe. The festival kicks off on Friday, May 1, with sci-fi-inspired music played by violinist Jessica Escobar, an introduction to the large format film Secrets of the Universe, and a post-screening Q&A session with particle physicist Manuel Calderón de la Barca Sánchez, who stars in the film. He will also introduce two more showings of Secrets of the Universe on Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3. After the full-dome show and Q&A session, the festival will screen science and space films on Friday and live action and animated shorts on Saturday. Audiences can vote for their favorite films each night. Secrets of the Universe starts at 6 p.m., followed by film screenings at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 3, is the final night of the festival and the last planned dome event at the Fleischmann Planetarium before it closes for renovations. The planetarium is at the north end of the University of Nevada, Reno campus, 1664 N. Virginia St. Tickets are $10-$15. Go to www.sci-on.org or www.unr.edu/planetarium.
¡Viva la fiesta!
While only a minor holiday observed in some parts of Mexico, Cinco de Mayo commemorates Mexico’s victory over the Second French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. North of the border, Americans tend to regard it as a celebration of Mexican-American culture, marking the occasion with parades, festivals and other Cinco de Mayo-themed events on or around the fifth day of May. Here are some Cinco de Mayo events going on in our area this coming week.
The Row’s La Fiesta de Mayo offers drink specials, craft vendors, traditional dancers and strolling mariachi bands along the mezzanine between the Eldorado Resort Casino, 345 N. Virginia St., and Circus Circus Reno Hotel and Casino, 500 N. Sierra St. The event runs from 6 to 10 p.m., Friday, May 1; and 4 to 10 p.m., Saturday, May 2. Visit www.caesars.com/reno/events/cinco-de-mayo.
Sparks Cinco de Mayo Fest features a kids’ zone, live music and entertainment, Mexican food and a vendor area from 2 to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, in the parking lot of Rail City Casino, 2121 Victorian Ave., Sparks. Admission is $10 and free for kids under age 12 and younger. Go to www.facebook.com/RailCityCasino or www.facebook.com/MillenniumBarGrill.
Carson City’s third annual Cinco de Mayo Festival features a vendor fair, family activities, live entertainment, a competition for the best taco truck and more. The fiesta takes place from noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, May 3, at the Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St., Carson City. Visit breweryarts.org/event/20260503-cinco-de-mayo.
The Funktion Chicano Market presents its Cinco de Mayo party featuring performances by Ballet Folklorico Flor de Castilla and MVP Dance Company; music spun by DJ Disco Lazer; local vendors; and food and drink specials. The free, all-ages event starts at 6 p.m., Tuesday, May 5, at The Alpine, 324 E. Fourth St. Go to www.thealpine-reno.com or the_funktion_775.
A day at the races
Reno Little Theater and Good Luck Macbeth will host Drama at the Derby, a spirited fundraiser where theatrical flair and Derby Day tradition collide. The evening includes a Derby hat contest, raffles, a silent auction, a simulcast of the Kentucky Derby and an announcement of the 2026-27 season for both theaters. The event runs from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at The Emerson, 955 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $25-$50, and include a mint julep or Bloody Mary. Go to www.renolittletheater.org for more info.
Saddle up
The Reno Rodeo may be a little more than a month away, but you can get a jump start on festivities (and help out a good cause to boot) at the Reno Rodeo Foundation’s Spring Denim Drive Kick-Off. The family-friendly event features an evening of country-themed entertainment including line dancing with Vaquera Vikki and live music by Rick Hays and American Steel; raffle tickets to play games and win prizes; and information on how to participate in the Reno Rodeo Foundation’s clothing drive for foster children in the area. The free event takes place from 4 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 2, at the Reno Public Market, 299 E. Plumb Lane. Visit renorodeofoundation.org or www.renopublicmarket.com.
Spring in their step
The Pioneer Center Youth Programs Free Family Series continues with a performance by Molodi, a high-energy body percussion ensemble that transforms the human body into an instrument. The Las Vegas-based group blends stepping, poetry and interactive storytelling, delivering performances that are visually captivating and rhythmically intricate. The ensemble’s credits include performing with Cirque du Soleil, STOMP and Step Afrika!, as well as appearances at the European Games in Azerbaijan, the International Body Music Festivals in Indonesia, France, Ghana and Greece and the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. The free, hour-long performance starts at 3 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Doors open one hour prior to showtime. Seating is first come, first served. Visit pioneercenter.com for more information.
Light on their feet
The Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Nevada, Reno, presents its Spring Dance Concert, showcasing new choreography by UNR dance faculty Cari Cunningham, Eve Allen Garza, Nate Hodges and Rosie Trump, and guest artists Christine Cali and Sierra Taylor-Cline, with performances by UNR dance students and guest performers. Christine Cali, director of the San Francisco based contemporary dance organization CALI & CO dance, will present two works, both with original music created by her collaborator and partner Matt Langlois. NOISE will feature professional dancers Demiah Hunt, Anthony McMenamy, Maggie Stack and Corinne Undercoffer. Eleven UNR dance students will perform a new iteration of CALI & CO’s recent two-part project PERFECT.RESPONSE. Working with a cast of 17 students, guest artist Sierra Taylor-Cline will present an ensemble piece that “transforms the stage into a living museum where hip-hop exists as art on display.” See these choreographers’ visions realized on stage with four performances this week. Shows start at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, April 30-May 2, with an afternoon show at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at the Redfield Proscenium Theatre inside the Church Fine Arts building, 1335 N. Virginia St., at UNR. Reserved seating tickets are $25 for adults, and $20 for seniors, UNR faculty and staff, and non-UNR students. UNR student tickets are $5. Visit www.unr.edu/theatre-dance/productions.
11 Days a Week is written and compiled by Kelley Lang. Want your event included in 11 Days a Week? Email 11days@renonr.com for consideration. Email advertising@renonr.com for advertising info!
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