DANCING IN THE STREETS AZ & CURB RADIO PRESENT

FIRST ANNUAL FREEDOM ARTS FESTIVAL

Tucson, AZ (February 2022) — On Saturday June 18, 2022 Dancing in the Streets Arizona (DITSAZ) along with Curb Radio  presents the First Annual Freedom Arts Festival in Celebration of the 19th of June.   From the beautiful marble steps of the historic Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral to the beautiful stage in the red room, the day will be filled with art, entertainment, and of course the magic of strawberries and other food. It will be an experience that you don’t want to miss out on, and something that will make your Tucson summer a little more magical.  There will be a diverse group of local singers, dancers, spoken word, musicians, and poetry, and Guest Artist Soprano Singer Icy Monroe.  You will have 3 opportunities to see the Freedom Celebration Arts performers throughout the day. 

WHY ARE WE CELEBRATING THE 19th OF JUNE?

At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation came into effect and declared enslaved people in the Confederacy free—on the condition that the Union won the war. The proclamation turned the war into a fight for freedom and by the end of the war 200,000 Black soldiers had joined the fight, spreading news of freedom as they fought their way through the South. Since Texas was one of the last strongholds of the South, emancipation would be a long-time coming for enslaved people in the state. Even after the last battle of the Civil War was fought in 1865—a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed—it is believed that many enslaved people still did not know they were free. As the story goes, some 250,000 enslaved people only learned of their freedom after Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that the president had issued a proclamation freeing them.  With Granger’s announcement, June 19—which would eventually come to be known as Juneteenth—became a day to celebrate the end of slavery in Texas. As newly freed Texans began moving to neighboring states, Juneteenth celebrations spread across the South and beyond.  President Biden signed into law Juneteenth National Independence Day a US federal holiday on Thursday June 17th 2021.

ABOUT DANCING IN THE STREES ARIZONA was founded in 2008 by husband and wife team Soleste Lupu and Joseph Rodgers, who met in ballet school in Tucson, and with a modest sum of money they received in celebration of their wedding. The DITSAZ studio is located in South Tucson, a one-square mile city surrounded by the City of Tucson that maintains a strong cultural heritage, but struggles with high crime rates and poverty. The mission of DITSAZ is to use the power of dance to transform lives using the excitement and discipline of ballet to guide children in developing positive life skills; and to break down cultural barriers and enrich the community’s artistic experience. The students take classes and perform in professional settings regardless of their income level, physical shape/size, or skill level. The studio is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and relies upon the generosity of individual donors, corporate sponsors, grants, and fundraisers, in order to be able to provide classes, dance attire,  and performances to our students. Our professionally equipped studio is located at 88 W. 38th Street, Suite 200 in South Tucson. To learn more about DITSAZ, visit the website at www.ditsaz.org , and watch the 30 second video https://youtu.be/EIuvSmCmAtw , or call (520) 867-8489  

• Who: Dancing in the Streets Arizona (DITSAZ) & Curb RadioWhat: 1^st Annual Freedom Arts Festival Fundraiser for DITSAZ
• When: Saturday, June 18, 2022  from 1:00pm-5:00pm
• Where: Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral 160 S Scott Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701
• Tickets: Advance purchase $8.00  https://buy.tututix.com/ditsaz  or call 855.222.2849 hit Number 5 .
• $10.00 at the door (Ticket comes with food)

Joseph Rodgers, and Soleste Lupu-Rodgers, Founding/Artistic Directors Dancing in the Streets Arizona https://www.ditsaz.org