Collage Dance Collective: RISE

Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, 2026

RISE is a homecoming — a selection of works that reclaim joy, tradition, and cultural legacy. In the heart of winter, Collage Dance takes the stage with a powerful program that honors resilience and collective strength, featuring world premieres and Memphis debuts that speak to the richness of Black identity and the beauty of forward motion.

At the center of the program is The Cotillion, a vibrant new ballet inspired by the enduring legacy of Black cotillions in the American South. Paired with the soul-stirring Flack, set to the music of Roberta Flack, and Kevin Thomas’s neoclassical work Rise, set to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Mountaintop speech, the program moves between ritual and resistance, celebration and conviction, our rich heritage and tomorrow’s dance luminaries.

Rise, our trademark performance, features students from the Collage Dance Conservatory — dance stars of tomorrow — affirming the promise of what’s ahead.

Program:
• The Cotillion — World Premiere by Kevin Thomas
• Flack — Memphis Premiere by Kevin Iega Jeff
• Rise — by Kevin Thomas
• Featuring Collage’s dance stars of tomorrow

Parking is available in the Garage located at 266 N. Front Street.

Guests may use onsite parking kiosks or make advance parking reservations for $11.41 (tax and fees included).