Music, cirque, dance, exhibitions, and more herald a happening summer lineup!
New Haven, Conn., May 1, 2025 – Escape the ordinary and dive into a summer of vibrant arts experiences with Yale Schwarzman Center. This season signals the launch of summer with an eclectic array of performances, workshops, and social gatherings designed to spark joy and rejuvenate the spirit. From whimsical circus acts to immersive musical journeys and lively dance classes, there's something for everyone to discover and enjoy. With all events free and open to the public, summer with Yale Schwarzman Center promises to be full of connection, creativity, and celebration for the whole community.
Highlights of the Summer 2025 season are:
Cirque Kikasse: SANTÉ
Get ready for a one-of-a-kind experience! Arriving from Quebec, the nomadic Cirque Kikasse brings its immersive show SANTÉ to two locations in the Elm City along with a Yale Schwarzman Center masterclass. This group of traveling performers has captivated audiences around the world with its unique blend of circus arts and street performance as the troop rolls up in a food truck to satisfy the cravings of the whole family. Cirque Kikasse transports audiences with a whimsical blend of fun and entertainment that leaves everyone wishing for an extra helping. The first performance on May 9 is presented by the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Yale Schwarzman Center, and the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance and will take place at the Westville Artwalk. The second performance on May 10 is presented by the International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Yale Schwarzman Center, and the Committee of the Proprietors of the New Haven Green as part of the Wake Up the Green Festival. A masterclass on the arts of circus will take place as part of the EveryBody Dances @ Yale Schwarzman Center series on May 11.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen, a play by Michael Frayn, explores a fictionalized meeting between physicists Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr in 1941. Drawing from real-life experiences, this drama focuses on their complex relationship and the implications of their scientific work during World War II. Set in two acts, the play brings this likely historical moment to life through compelling dialogue and complex characters offering a rare opportunity to reflect on the uncertainties of the past and their resonance in our present. Directed by Vincent Tycer, his captivating work features actors and designers from the University of Connecticut and an audio score created with quantum superconducting devices. Copenhagen is presented in recognition of the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology by the Yale Quantum Institute, the University of Connecticut, and Yale Schwarzman Center in partnership with the Yale Innovation Summit. It is co-sponsored by Yale University, Quantum CT, and the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. May 29 at 7:30pm.
City of Floating Sounds
Pushing the boundaries of classical music performance, City of Floating Sounds composed by Huang Ruo, uses cutting-edge creative technology to take music into the city. Guided by a mobile app, members of the community take one of several different walking paths through the streets of New Haven while listening to fragments of Ruo’s meditative work on their phones sans headphones. As the journey begins, participants experience just one section of the orchestra and gradually, more and more instruments and melodies are added as they cross paths and contribute unique strands to the City of Floating Sounds musical arrangement. All paths converge at the New Haven Green where the full score comes to life with an immersive performance by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra conducted by Music Director Perry So. City of Floating Sounds is presented by the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, International Festival of Arts & Ideas, and Yale Schwarzman Center. Commissioned by Factory International, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, National Taichung Theater, Taiwan and West Kowloon Cultural District. June 21.
Summer @ The Well
Summer @ The Well is back, offering a refreshing social experience at a 21+ pub in the lower level of Yale Schwarzman Center. Each month of summer, The Well becomes the spot to gather with friends and colleagues set to live performances. June 12 features DJ Dooley-O, vocalist Jordan W. Carter, and movement artist 4ener. July 10 features salsa dance artists Andrew & Cynthia “The Kinlocks” of Alisa’s House of Salsa and DJ Carlos Lokito, served up with lagers from Alisa Bowens-Mercado’s Rhythm Brewing Company. August 7 features innovative musician/neuroscientist, Yale assistant professor Dr. AZA Allsop’s trio. All dates are from 5pm to 11pm.
EveryBody Dances @ Yale Schwarzman Center
This popular, year-round series gets everyone up and moving with masterclasses led by local and visiting dance artists in the Schwarzman Center’s Dance Studio. Highlights include contemporary modern dance with Lynn Peterson on May 4, the art of circus with Cirque Kikasse on May 11, and the kickoff of a summer dance series featuring salsa, merengue, and bachata with Jason Ramos of Baila Con Gusto CT on July 13. Additional local and international artists to be added. See the Schwarzman Center website for dates: https://schwarzman.yale.edu/dance
Beyond performances and events:
The following exhibitions are on view in the Schwarzman Center’s galleries during the building’s open hours. The building is open to the public seven days a week during the hours posted online at https://schwarzman.yale.edu/location-hours.
Shining Light on Truth: Black Lives at Yale & in New Haven
Shining Light on Truth: Black Lives at Yale & in New Haven centers the stories of those long-overlooked, and celebrates Black community-building, resistance, and resilience in both the academic and local spheres. The exhibition features nearly 100 archival images of Yale’s earliest Black students from the 1800s and early 1900s—many of whom had deep ties to New Haven—and showcases the essential role these individuals played in shaping Yale and the city. The exhibition also features compelling reproductions of 19th century photographs of New Haveners who were custodians of Yale and highlights key New Haven families—such as the Luke, Grimes, Creed, Park, and Bassett families—who were instrumental to the success of the university and the city.
The View from Here: Accessing Art Through Photography
The View from Here: Accessing Art Through Photography highlights the work of thirteen student-photographers from Greater New Haven who participated in The View from Here in fall 2024 and winter 2025. Now in its fourth year, this program brings together young people to learn about the history, materials, and practice of photography through direct engagement with museum educators, curators, museum staff, faculty, and photography professionals. Presented in partnership with the Yale Center for British Art; the Lens Media Lab, Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage; and the Yale School of Art.
RUSUNUNGUKO (liberty / independence / freedom)
This site-specific installation by designer, visual artist, and Yale School of Art assistant professor Nontsikelelo Mutiti engages the history and aesthetics of hair braiding in black life with the unique architecture of the Schwarzman Center’s Dome Gallery. The braids of RUSUNUGUKO tendril like vines out of the building’s apex, toeing the balance between being “of” and “outside of” structure—revealing their potential for transformative space making.