UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. —Done with work? In the mood for a free block party? The Penn State and local communities are invited to enjoy an after-hours event with dance and music from near and far at the Center for the Performing Arts' third annual Move Mix Festival. The free, family-friendly event will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at Eisenhower Auditorium. Registration is required.
Visit Move Mix Festival online for more details and to register. Registration is required.
A free, family-friendly block party featuring dance and jazz
Starting at 5 p.m., food trucks parked near the auditorium will provide items for sale. A DJ will provide entertainment on the patio starting at 5:30 p.m. Limited seating will be available, but visitors are welcome to bring a folding or camp chair.
Schedule
- 5–7:30 p.m.: Food trucks with items for purchase, outside around Eisenhower Auditorium
- 5:30 p.m.: DJ, Patio
- 5:45–6:25 p.m.: Move Mix: Join the Mojah Movement dance performance by Kikora Franklin and Mojah Dance Theatre of Atlanta, Patio
- 6:30–7:30 p.m.: Mohamed Abozekry Sextet, Loading Dock stage
- 8–9 p.m.: Members Afterparty. Become a member.
Food trucks
- Rebelz Mobile Cuisine
- Scott’s Roasting
- Simply Bowls
- Sunset Slush Happy Valley
‘Join the Mojah Movement’
Kikora Franklin, director of the School of Theatre and professor of dance, will join Mojah Dance Theatre of Atlanta for their performance of “Move Mix: Join the Mojah Movement.” Mojah is a celebratory, stylish fusion of modern, jazz and West African dance techniques.
“It is a dance technique and much more,” Franklin said. “Mojah is a reclaiming of identity, culture, and spirit expressed in and through the body. It connects me to my heritage and a familial artistic legacy.”
Watch Penn State students perform a Mojah dance choreographed by Franklin.
Building on sounds of the world
International jazz ensemble Mohamed Abozekry Sextet will headline our free community block party with an easy-listening jazz adventure traveling to Egypt, France and back.
The oud prodigy is parked at the intersection of Arabic modality, Middle Eastern classical music and international jazz fusion. He brings the oud into new musical spaces, expanding the popularity of the instrument and reminding us how ancient traditions continue to shape modern sounds.
“I never move backwards, but in a circular motion and return to the place I started with more experience,” Abozekry said.
Watch Abozekry sing “Still Longing.” Mohamed Abozekry Sextet is on tour in the U.S. as part of Center Stage, a cultural diplomacy program, in a month-long tour throughout the country.
Free public jam session
Oud musician Mohamed Abozekry will lead his international ensemble in a public jam session. Bring your own acoustic instrument to jam along with his percussive musicians.
The all-ages community event will be from 5:30–7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at 3 Dots Downtown, 137 E. Beaver Ave., State College. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Accessibility
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided for the dance performance.
Acknowledgments
Support for the festival is provided by the Janelle Bessette and Keith Karako Access Program Endowment and the George Trudeau Endowment for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
The Mohamed Abozekry Sextet is on tour in the United States as part of Center Stage, an initiative of the U. S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs with funding provided by the U.S. government. It is administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management Inc.
Find the Center for the Performing Arts online
The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State, a unit of the College of Arts and Architecture, aspires to create connected, sustainable and equitable communities, where everyone experiences joy, belonging and creativity.
For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.