Join us for the 5th Annual North Coast Dance Festival, a spectacular celebration of dance!
June 24, 2026: Jazz Master Class with Nan Giordano of Giordano Dance Chicago, 6:30-8:00PM (more details and registration info below)
June 25-26, 2026: Performances
Professional dancers from across the country will gather alongside the NMU CO/LAB Dance Company for engaging educational experiences and mesmerizing performances. Don't miss this unforgettable event filled with grace, talent, and artistry. We thrilled to welcome back Giordano Dance Chicago, who will be performing two dynamic concert jazz pieces, Dumb Luck! (musical theatre) and Sabroso (ballroom), and professional ballet dancers, Julia Feldman and Mate Szentes.
This event is generously supported by the Siril Endowment for the Arts.
FOREST ROBERTS THEATRE
APPROXIMATE RUN TIME: 1hr 15min | No Intermission
Upcoming Performance
- Thursday, June 25th, 2026 | 7:30PM | Opening Night Party
- Friday, June 26th, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ticket Prices
- General Public: $25
- NMU Employees, Seniors and Military: $22
- Youth: $15
- NMU Students: Free (Siril Endowment)
A Note from the Artisitic Director
Welcome to the North Coast Dance Festival and thank you for supporting DANCE in Marquette, Michigan. It has been my dream to bring an event like this to my hometown-- an event that blends prestigious dance performance and education with community members and professionals. Now in our fifth year, we are thrilled to welcome back Mate Szentes, Julia Feldman, and Giordano Dance Chicago, America's Original Jazz Dance Company. A goal of the North Coast Dance Festival has always been to showcase a spectrum of dance in one evening-- this year we will feature ballet, contemporary, commercial jazz, musical theatre jazz, and ballroom styles. I also cannot wait for you to see our up and coming talent on Friday evening with a special performance from the dancers in our Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Dance Intensive! There is so much work that happens behind the scenes to bring this programming, these amazing dancers, and their talent to our community, and it wouldn't be possible without the support of the Siril Endowment for the Arts, NMU Administration and Foundation, and NMU Department of Theatre and Dance.
As ever, the value of the arts remains deeply apparent as we navigate change and evolution in our world. Natalia Makarova wrote the following to Julie Kent on the eve of her debut in the ballet La Bayadère, "Someone once said beauty can save the world. What a great responsibility you have on your shoulders.” We take that responsibility to heart and look forward to bringing you an evening of beauty, joy, and live dance.
- Jill Grundstrom
Artistic Director, North Coast Dance Festival
Jill Grundstrom
North Coast Theatre Festival Artistic Director
Featured Dancers
Performance Order
Dance Company: CO/LAB Dance Company
CO/LAB Dance Company Artistic Director: Karina Johnson
Choreographer: Karina Johnson
Music: "Sinfonia" [Partita No.2 BWV 826] by Johann Sebastian Bach, vocalizations by the Swingle Singers
Dancers: Payton Beckering, Delaney Brennan, Xander Martin, Sara Neva, Mark Simons, Josie Truckey
agápē (uh-GAH-peh)
The highest form of unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love. It describes an active, intentional choice to seek the well-being and welfare of others, regardless of the circumstances, personal cost, or the merit of the recipient.
Dance Company: CO/LAB Dance Company
CO/LAB Dance Company Artistic Director: Karina Johnson
Choreographer: Karina Johnson
Music: "Agape" by Nicholas Britell
Dancers: Don'Tae Da'Marcus, Jordyn Hopfensperger, Anna Johnston
The Rhythm of the Heart
Company: Wildcat Performing Arts Academy (WPAA)
WPAA Artistic Director: Jill Grundstrom
WPAA Managing Director: Jalina McClain
Choreography: Christopher Houston
Lighting Design: The Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Production & Design Intensive Students
Music: “Is It Love” by Loreen
Dancers: WPAA Dance Intensive Students
Dance Company: CO/LAB Dance Company
CO/LAB Dance Company Artistic Director: Karina Johnson
Choreography: Chris Houston and the dancers
Music: “Blue Monday” by New Order
Dancers: Natalie Albertson, Sydney Baudin, Payton Beckering, Delaney Brennan, Kayleigh Clark, Don'Tae Da'Marcus, Olivia Forsyth, Jordyn Hopfensperger, Anna Johnston, Xander Martin, Sara Neva, Mark Simons, Caydence Sturtevant, Josie Truckey
Choreographer's Note: "This piece charts a long relationship with technology; from when the home computer became a household item through to today’s pocket sized devices. This piece was choreographed in full collaboration with the dancers."
~ BRIEF PAUSE ~
Sabroso (2011)
Dance Company: Giordano Dance Chicago
Giordano Dance Chicago Founder: Gus Giordano
Giordano Dance Chicago Artistic Director: Nan Giordano
Choreography: Del Dominguez and Laura Flores
Music: Monguito Santamaria, Tito Rodríguez, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Machito
Lighting Design: Elyjah Kleinsmith
Costume Design: Nina G.
Dancers:
I. Cha Cha - Ensemble: Joshua Brumm, Amanda Hickey-Newcom, Adam Houston, Sasha Lazarus, Talia Luzzo, Fernando Rodriguez, Simon Shuh, Erina Ueda, Analysse Vance, Eduardo Zambrana
II. Bolero: Adam Houston & Analysse Vance
III. Latin Swing/Hustle: Ensemble
IV. Rhumba: Amanda Hickey-Newcom, Fernando Rodriguez, Erina Ueda, Eduardo Zambrana
V. Mambo: Ensemble
Description: A delicious, flavorful Latin and rhythmic ballroom work. Sabroso is an incredible pastiche of five separate dance styles. Choreographed by the sensational professional ballroom competitors Del Dominguez and Laura Flores, this exciting piece is rousing, joyous, and leaves the audience hungry for more.
~ BRIEF PAUSE ~
Dumb Luck! (2026)
Dance Company: Giordano Dance Chicago
Giordano Dance Chicago Founder: Gus Giordano
Giordano Dance Chicago Artistic Director: Nan Giordano
Choreography: Al Blackstone
Music: Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Nat "King" Cole Trio, The Manhattan Transfer, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Lighting Design: Elyjah Kleinsmith
Costume Design: Nina G.
Dancers: Ensemble - Joshua Brumm, Amanda Hickey-Newcom, Adam Houston, Sasha Lazarus, Talia Luzzo, Fernando Rodriguez, Simon Shuh, Erina Ueda, Analysse Vance, Eduardo Zambrana
This work was gifted in honor of Studio 63 Legacy Awardees, Sandy & Lee Golub
Dumb Luck! is made possible by an anonymous donor
Description: Dumb Luck!, Emmy Award–winning Al Blackstone’s third work as Resident Choreographer for Giordano Dance Chicago, is rooted in the swing style yet infused with a contemporary flair. Especially timely with our nation’s 250th birthday, this work celebrates the joy that is expected from America’s original jazz dance company.
Meet The Dancers
Karina Johnson (CO/LAB Dance Company Artistic Director, Sinfonia & agape Choreographer) started ballet at the age of four in Irvine, California, and was trained by such accomplished teachers as Charles Maple, Amanda McKerrow, and John Gardner from American Ballet Theatre, as well as Evelyn Cisneros from San Francisco Ballet. She attended ABT, Boston Ballet, and American Academy of Ballet summer intensives throughout her years of training, as well as competed in the Youth of America Grand Prix competition for five consecutive years. Starting in 2007, Karina worked on a degree at The University of Utah as well as guested with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s The Nutcracker for three years. In her senior year of college she became a trainee with Ballet West, performing as a supplemental corps de ballet dancer. Karina graduated in 2010 with a BFA in Ballet, and afterwards spent a year as an apprentice at Smuin Ballet in San Francisco before moving to join the Sacramento Ballet. There she had the privilege of performing in such renowned ballets as Ron Cunningham’s The Great Gatsby, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmina Burana, Rite of Spring, Cinderella, and The Firebird, as well as Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love, and George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Who Cares?, Rubies, and the First Regiment Lead in Stars and Stripes. One of the highlights of Karina’s career was performing the first act Pas de Trois, and Cygnettes in Swan Lake, one of the hardest and most rewarding ballets to perform. After retiring from her career with the Sacramento Ballet in 2015, Karina helped found the dancer-run company Capital Dance Project, choreographing, performing, and organizing their summer performance series. After eight years of dancing professionally, and 5 more of helping run a project-based company, she decided it was time to pass on her love and knowledge of dance to the next generation... bringing her to NMU!
For more information about our CO/LAB Dance Company Dancers, please visit the link below!
https://nmu.edu/theatreanddance/colab-dance-company
Julia Feldman (Choreographer & Dancer) trained under Pamela Hayes of Pamela Hayes Classical Ballet. She began her professional career with the Sacramento Ballet in 2011 and is a current Company Artist. Feldman discovered her passion for choreography through the Sacramento Ballet’s Beer and Ballet showcase, creating new work annually since 2012. In 2015, she co-founded Capital Dance Project (CDP), a collective of professional dancers in Sacramento, where she has premiered nine works. In 2019, she was selected for the National Choreographer’s Initiative. In 2021, Julia co-created a new Nutcracker for the Sacramento Ballet. She was honored to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute's 2022 Spring Session. Her first full commission, 'Hearts,' premiered in April 2022, and she will debut her second for the Sacramento Ballet’s 70th Anniversary season in 2024-25.
Maté Szentes (Choreographer & Dancer) is originally from Budapest, Hungary. He studied at the Hungarian Dance Academy and attended summer programs at North Carolina Dance Theater. Upon graduation he joined the Hungarian National Ballet for 3 seasons and in 2012 he moved to California and joined the Sacramento Ballet. Mr. Szentes relocated to the east coast in 2015 to join the Richmond Ballet where he danced principal and soloist roles. In 2021 he became a freelance artist based out of Los Angeles. Since 2016 he is actively choreographing and his works have been performed across the country by various companies and festivals.
For more information about Giordano Dance Chicago, please visit the link below!
https://www.giordanodance.org/about-us
Meet The Production Team
Artistic Director
Jill Grundstrom
Choreographers
Al Blackstone, Del Dominguez, Julia Feldman, Laura Flores, Christopher Houston, Karina Johnson, Maté Szentes
Lighting Designers
Jim Davis, Elyjah Kleinsmith, Ambrose Meteyer, Wildcat Performing Arts Academy Students
Costume Designers
Nina G., Elise Wilcox
Technical Director
Rachel Wells
North Coast Dance Festival Staff
| Producer | Bill Digneit |
| Artistic Director | Jill Grundstrom |
| Directors of Production | Jim Davis, David Pierce |
| Costume Shop Supervisors | Em Rossi, Courtney anderson Kelly |
| Assistant Costume Shop Supervisor | Suzanne Shahbazi |
| Lighting Supervisor | Jim Davis |
| Graphic Designer, Marketing and Box Office Manager | Emily Burbey |
| Properties Supervisor | Lex van Blommestein |
| Scene Shop Supervisor | Rachel Wells |
| Associate Scene Shop Supervisor | Emily Kendall |
| Scenic/Paint Supervisor | Lex van Blommestein |
| Sound and Media Supervisor | Dominic Mrakovcich |
| Production Shop Supervisor | Jalina McClain |
| Photographer | John Scheibe |
Jazz Master Class with Nan Giordano of Giordano Dance Chicago
Please join NMU Theatre and Dance, North Coast Dance Festival, and the Siril Endowment for the Arts for a jazz dance class and talkback led by Nan Giordano of Giordano Dance Chicago on Wednesday, June 24 from 6:30-8:00PM in the Forest Roberts Theatre! This master class will be open to dancers ages 12 and up with at least 5 years of previous formal dance training or at least one year of formal university dance training. We welcome observers of any age into the theatre to experience the joy of the Giordano Jazz Technique! There is no fee for participation or observation of this class!
PRE-REGISTRATION FOR CLASS PARTICIPATION IS MANDATORY. Pre-registration for class participation will close on Monday, June 22 at 5:00PM EST. Class size is limited, so registering early is encouraged. Once you have pre-registered, the North Coast Dance Festival staff will review your application for acceptance. A follow-up email with detailed instructions will be sent to you on or by the evening of Tuesday, June 23. If you are under 18 years of age, you will need to have a parent or guardian's permission to participate. All forms attached below must be completed by yourself or a parent/guardian (if under 18) in order to participate.
Dress Code
- Dance-appropriate clothing including a combination of solid-colored dance pants, leggings, bike shorts, and a tank top, t-shirt, or leotard.
- Hair should be pulled away from the face.
- Please bring jazz shoes or plan to dance barefoot. The dance surface can be slippery in socks.
This event has been generously supported by the Siril Endowment for the Arts.