The University of Arkansas at Little Rock dance program and Ballet Arkansas will host a pop-up dance event at 5 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the UA Little Rock Downtown site in the River Market.

The event will start outdoors, weather permitting, and move indoors to the UA Little Rock Downtown space at 333 President Clinton Ave. Performances are free and open to the public.

UA Little Rock’s freshman dance students will kick off the event with an outdoor dance performance. The event will then move inside UA Little Rock Downtown with UA Little Rock senior Emily Shellabarger performing a solo piece followed by “Collision,” a world-premiere piece choreographed by Ballet Arkansas Artistic Director Michael Fothergill for UA Little Rock students and Ballet Arkansas company members.

Fothergill, co-artistic director Catherine Fothergill, and UA Little Rock dance professors Stephanie Thibeault, Stephen Stone, and Robin Brown will speak briefly about the partnership between UA Little Rock and Ballet Arkansas.

“Collision” also offers a sneak peak of the university’s annual “Collision! Body Works” concert set for April 25-28 at UA Little Rock. This year’s concert is being co-produced with Ballet Arkansas for the first time.

UA Little Rock dance students rehearse a dance they will perform on April 12 at a pop-up dance event co-hosted by UA Little Rock and Ballet Arkansas.

Photo by Benjamin Krain