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UC Davis Dance explores ‘Relative Motion’ in spring dance performances this weekend and next

Performances are May 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and May 16 and 23 at 2 p.m., Wright Hall, UC Davis

“Relative Motion,” the UC Davis 2026 Spring Dance Concert, showcases new works by student choreographers. The Department of Theatre and Dance is presenting the concert starting on Thursday, May 14 and runs for two weekends in the Main Theatre, Wright Hall. 

Curated by Visiting Professor Doria E. Charlson, the concert will be grounded in explorations of the theme. “’Relative Motion’ seeks to explore how we continue to move when our frame of reference has shifted,” said Charlson. “What new intersections, vectors, perceptions, and relationships might be formed when we adjust our frames? How can we explore the dissonance of moving in opposing directions? What role might dance play in revisiting relationship, proximity, and how we can move forward together?”

In simple terms, the concept of relative motion underlies how movement is defined in relation to points of reference. These points could be objects or even political or socio-economic positions. Charlson explains, “In the U.S. today, these are becoming more fixed and less flexible. At the same time, our collective points of reference — shared values, the role of evidence, the rule of law — are being eroded and obscured.” 

The concert features new works by dance students Russell Abria, Claire Brown, Tracy Cen, Daniela Durkin, Mikayla Freeman, Diyansha Magesh and Naomi Nolasco Ruiz. 

The concert will include a performance by a guest dance company each weekend. Week one, May 14–16, MK Modern will perform. May 21–23, Davis Ballet Company will appear.

Performances are May 14, 15, 21 and 22 at 7 p.m. and May 16 and 23 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are adult: $15, faculty/staff tickets: $12, youth/senior tickets: $10 and UC Davis students: $8. Tickets may be purchased at the UC Davis Ticket Office, located on the north side of Aggie Stadium, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, by phone 530-752-2471 during the same hours, or online via .

The Department of Theatre and Dance is part of the UC Davis �������ý of Letters and Science. For information about other department productions, visit theatredance.ucdavis.edu

Bryon Colborn Nonet and Cool Jazz at noon concert

Thursday, May 14, 12:05 p.m. - 1 p.m., Recital Hall, Ann E. Pitzer Center, free

In 1949 Miles Davis recorded the legendary album “Birth of the Cool,” which helped to grow a new branch in the history of jazz music. ‘Cool’ Jazz is a style of playing which emphasizes a lighter feel and less complexity than ‘Bebop’; which was also a budding style when Miles Davis made this recording. “Birth of the Cool” features a unique-sized 9-piece band, as well as unusual instrumentation, including horn and tuba. The Byron Colborn Nonet breathes new life into this music with some of the Sacramento area’s top musicians.

May is Music Month at UC Davis 

Dept. of Music offers a variety including Blue Grass, Mariachi and more

— Empyrean Ensemble this weekend

In the final weeks of spring quarter 2026, the UC Davis Department of Music offers a variety of concerts and events that are sure to engage and entertain. From jazz to bluegrass to mariachi, there is something for everyone.

The Department of Music presents several free performances beginning on Saturday, May 16 with a concert by the Empyrean Ensemble, the department’s professional new music ensemble in residence. Conducted by Matilda Hofman, the program includes premieres by UC Davis graduate student composers Alejandro Arreola, Patricia Bartow, Peter Chatterjee, Paul Engle, Max Gibson, and Guang Yang. Concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Pitzer Center.

The Jazz Combos of UC Davis perform a swinging concert at 5 p.m. in the Pitzer Center on Tuesday, May 19. Directed by Otto Lee with additional coaching by Michael Schwagerus, this concert is a perfect way to conclude the end of class and workday.  

Directed by Pete Nowlen, the UC Davis Concert Band performs a diverse program which combines the classic with the contemporary on Wednesday, May 20. The band’s program includes Carl Maria von Weber’s “Andante e Rondo Ongarese,” with bassoonist and civil engineering major Zoë Plateau, winner of the Concert Band’s Concerto Competition, and Gabriel Fauré’s “Fantaisie” featuring Ellie Chang, flute, and another winner of the Concert Band’s Concerto Competition. In addition, the concert features Tim Mahr’s Suite for Band, Viskamol Chaikwanischsiri’s “Luk Thep March” and Chen Yi’s “Dragon Rhyme.” 

The evening’s program also includes performances by Campus Band Blue, directed by Matthew Okumoto, and Campus Band Gold, directed by Garrett Rigsby. The ticketed concert begins at 7 p.m. in the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. 

The Big Bands of UC Davis open the great American Songbook to perform a series of contemporary and classic jazz works. Directed by Otto Lee, the bands perform on Tuesday, May 26 at the Ann E. Pitzer Center. This ticketed performance begins at 7 p.m.

The Campus Square Dance featuring the Bluegrass and Old Time String Band, directed by Scott Linford, has become a popular local event. Join in on the fun on Tuesday, May 26 at 5 p.m. in the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre in the Mondavi Center. Evie Ladin serves as guest caller. The dance is free but capacity is limited. 

Mariachi Los Mesteños of UC Davis perform their first solo concert on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. in the Pitzer Center. Directed by Oscar Garibay, the university’s popular mariachi ensemble has developed a huge following in only a few short years and continues to attract student musicians from across campus. 

Concert Band and Big Bands’ tickets are regular: $27.50, UC Davis Faculty/Staff: $24, Child (under $18): $15.50 and UC Davis Student: $12 for students and are available at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office in person or by calling 530-754-2787, Tuesday–Friday, 12–5 p.m. Tickets are also available online at mondaviarts.org.

For more information about additional concerts and performances by the Department of Music in the �������ý of Letters and Science at UC Davis, visit arts.ucdavis.edu/music.

-Michael G. French

Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal opens at SF MOMA this weekend

In Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal, SFMOMA restages the painting’s explosive 1905 debut — when Matisse’s bold color and expressive brushwork stunned the Paris art world and ushered in Fauvism.

Featuring the largest reunion of works from the original Salon d’Automne presentation in over a century, the exhibition traces the painting’s impact from Matisse’s contemporaries to artists working today, including Bay Area visionaries influenced by its daring spirit.

From May 16 to Sept. 13, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) will present Matisse’s Femme au chapeau: A Modern Scandal, a major exhibition illuminating how the painting—now an icon of the museum’s collection—made its mark on art history. Positioning Matisse in dialogue with his peers, subsequent generations, as well as artists working today, the exhibition will examine in greater depth than ever before the painting’s historical context, subject, provenance, circulation through exhibitions and publications, and impact over more than a century. 

The exhibition will also explore how the painting marked a pivotal moment in Matisse’s career, as it captured the attention of American expatriate collectors Leo and Gertrude Stein who, while living in Paris, acquired the work on the last day of the 1905 Salon d’Automne exhibition. In 1915, Femme au chapeau made its way to the Paris collection of their brother and sister-in-law, Michael and Sarah Stein, who brought it from France to the Bay Area in 1935. Matisse’s painting was shown in the U.S. for the first time the following year, in an exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Art (now SFMOMA) organized by its founding director, Grace McCann Morley. Since entering the museum’s collection in 1991 as a bequest of Levi’s heiress Elise S. Haas, who had purchased the work from Sarah Stein in 1948, it has continued to resonate with contemporary artists, who find inspiration in its bold approach to color and form. 

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Be Who You Are: Mirror Image Dance Company Sunday

Sunday, May 17, various times, Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis

Founded on the idea that everyone should have access to dance, MIDC proudly fosters a fun dance environment where everyone is welcomed with open arms — all body types, ethnicities, genders, socioeconomic statuses, and experience levels.

Come join us for our 11th annual showcase, Be Who You Are, featuring the recreational and competitive dancers of Mirror Image Dance Company! Dancers have been working all year on their skills and choreography and they are so excited to share their hard work with everyone.

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