Arizona’s 2021 hands-off law demands public’s attention
Arizona Motorcycle & Safety Awareness Foundation updates the need to reduce distracted driving in the state
Arizona’s new cell phone law, Hands-Off, was put into place in 2021.
Arizona Motorcycle & Safety Awareness Foundation (AMSAF), a leading Arizona voice on the subjects of distracted driving and motorcycle training, says people need to know, understand and obey this important law because the numbers continue to rise, especially with the intense influx of people moving to Arizona from throughout the country.
“It is illegal in Arizona to talk or text on a cell phone while driving unless it is in hands-free mode,” says Mick Degn, executive director for AMSAF. “
According to the National Safety Council, distracted driving is the cause of one out of every 10 fatal accidents and results in more than 700 injuries everyday.
Degn says the law, which took effect in January 2021, prohibits the following while driving:
• making or answering a call directly on the device
• sending reading text or viewing internet data
• holding or supporting a phone with your body
• reading, writing or sending a message via any portable wireless communication device
• scrolling through social media, watching videos, recording videos, or any other use of the device that causes a distraction and requires use of the body
“Cell phones and devices must be in hands-free mode while driving,” adds Degn. “One cannot use any device or cell phone that can cause a distraction while driving. No holding of a device or cell phone in hands or perched on a shoulder or leg while driving either (House Bill 2318). These devices include cell phones, tablets, gaming and music devices. Arizona’s new statewide ban replaces 26 different local ordinances.”Arizona’s Hands-Off law allows for the following:
• one can engage or disengage a function on the device such as a GPS route start
• individuals can talk on a portable wireless communication device with an earpiece, headphone device or device worn on the wrist to conduct a voice-based communication
• one can use a device for navigation of the vehicle
• people can use a device in an emergency situation to summon help or report a crime
“Know the law, tell your friends and save a life,” says Mick Degn, AMSAF’s executive director.
Exceptions to the law include emergency responders, people in an emergency situation or alerting first responders to an emergency situation or crime. In addition, the law does not apply to radios, citizen band radios, citizens band radio hybrids, commercial two-way radios, subscription-based emergency communication devices, prescribed medical devices, amateur or ham radio devices or in-vehicle security, navigation or remote diagnostics systems.
Degn says the one thing that has assisted 11-year-old AMSAF’s growth on the subject is its strong core of leaders, volunteers, business and civic leaders who see the need for change and AMSAF’s role in outreach to the public.
“We are blessed to have been so successful to date and look forward to garnering even more support as we work diligently to save lives on our roadways,” adds Degn.
AMSAF’s mission is to promote safety and awareness and reduce crashes and fatalities. The organization is located in Peoria, Ariz.
CONTACT: Mick Degn/888.951.3731
Fran Booth, ABC/602.400.3330
Posted by The Entertainment Magazine.
Category: Arizona
[TUCSON, ARIZONA, January 12th] The Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) has raised $1 million to support their work with Tucson’s most in-need youth.
The monies were raised at BGCT’s November event titled Party with a Purpose. During the auction and sweeps guests bid on donated items including trips and special perks for fans of UA Basketball. The event was emceed by Jim Click and Edmund Marquez of Allstate, both longtime supporters of the organization’s mission, and was held in honor of Lute Olson, with Kelly Olson being present as one of the guests of honor. The final tally was calculated late last week.
The monies will be put towards the many expenses involved in running six locations across the city of Tucson. The organization’s membership fee for families is $20 for the school year per youth, while the true cost is $2,850 per child. Funds raised from Party with a Purpose will empower the organization to continue investing in the talented youth development personnel it employs who support members in a variety of ways including homework help, mental health, sports and wellness, leadership skills, and more. Enrolled youth also receive a nutritious hot dinner each night the locations are open at no extra charge, and internal data reveals that for some youth this is their only meal of the day.
From its 2022 data, over 90% of the organization’s 2700 youth members served come from low-income households, 85% belong to traditionally underserved minority ethnicities/races, 72% qualify for free/reduced school lunches, and 45% live in single-parent homes. With an operating budget of $4.4 million this year BGCT relies heavily on support from the Tucson community to keep its doors open for its work with Tucson’s youth.
For 65 years the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson has helped keep thousands of local children involved in after school and summer programming. The Clubs have resumed regular after school programming, offering daily access to a broad range of programs in five core areas: Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health & Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness, and Recreation.The organization currently serves youth ages 7-18 at its six local Clubhouse locations. Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is a qualifying charity for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit (QCO 20282).
To find out more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, visit bgctucson.org or call (520) 573-3533.
Posted by the Entertainment Magazine
Supporting Quotes for this Release:
“2022 was a powerhouse year for the needs of Tucson’s youth. Emerging from the challenges of 2020 and 2021, as well as battling rising inflation costs and economic uncertainties, the families and communities we serve are encountering difficult circumstances many of us cannot grasp. Our extraordinary night at Party with a Purpose shows us how relevant and important our mission is to Tucson’s most in-need youth. Please consider supporting our work as we continue to champion for the youth we serve and our efforts to see them be academically successful, gain the skills to land a dream job, and develop the character to live as productive, caring citizens.” -Denise Watters, CEO
Accident scene experts teaching riders, the public, how to reduce injuries and fatalities at the scene of a crash
January 30, 2023, Peoria, Arizona – A group of medical and nursing professionals who also ride motorcycles is offering classes to teach others what they can do to help at the scene of a motorcycle crash.
Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation (AMSAF) has partnered with Accident Scene Management (ASM), DBA Road Guardians, the most recognized motorcycle trauma training organization in the world.
Critical skills such as moving the injured, helmet removal, rescue breathing and tourniquets, all are demonstrated and practiced.
“The key to reducing motorcyclist injuries and fatalities is education,” says Teresa Martinez lead instructor for ACM.
“All of our instructors are medics or nurses and ride motorcycles,” adds Martinez. “I have taught this curriculum for 13 years and my background is pre-hospital, ED and trauma as well as serving as a trauma nurse core course Instructor. I have ridden for more than 30 years and encountered several roadside accidents. This curriculum provides crucial life saving information for non-medical trained civilians to get the ball rolling until emergency medical services arrives. We also cover Good Samaritan laws and legalities of helping at the scene. These courses offer more than basic CPR and first aid as they are motorcycle trauma specific and enhance all basic first responder education.”
“Since the beginning, AMSAF has believed in education,” says Mick Degn, executive director for AMSAF. “We began with motorcycle training, then helmet use and now accident scene management education. These programs are made possible due to grants, sponsors, donations and other partners who want to help reduce crashes and fatalities in Arizona.
AMSAF, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, works with the State of Arizona, business partners and sponsors including local businesses, healthcare, police departments, insurance, legal and other prominent entities and individuals, to help decrease the number of distracted and DUI-impaired drivers and to provide scholarships, statewide, to train motorcyclists how to ride more defensively. Our overall mission is safety awareness to reduce the phenomenal number of crashes and fatalities on our roadways.
CONTACT: Fran Booth, ABC/602.400.3330
Posted by Entertainment Magazine
[TUCSON, ARIZONA, January 12th] The Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson (BGCT) turns 65 years old in 2023. It will celebrate its 65th anniversary across the entire year with a series of unique campaigns, events, and community projects.
To commemorate its 65th anniversary, BGCT plans on a year-long series of unique activities, including events involving alumni and special fundraiser campaigns. In celebration of the sapphire year it has put together an advisory committee made up of prominent Tucson community innovators and BGCT supporters.
Projects that will kick off this year include a special WiFi hotspot garden installation at the Steve Daru Clubhouse location that will offer free WiFi to any youth who attends. WiFi inequality is one of the leading challenges BGCT’s youth face, with lack of access to internet impacting school performance. The garden will also provide members with an opportunity to grow their own fruit and vegetables, learning about gardening practices, and will also allow BGCT to bring academic programming outdoors in the event of future pandemic impact. It will positively affect thousands of youth for years to come. This is possible due to a partnership with COX Media and support from the Simone Foundation.
Other projects launching this year include the multi-layered project of transforming an existing Clubhouse location into a Teen Tech Center whose aim will be workforce development for teens in various tech industries. Annually hundreds of youth attending will receive in-depth mentoring and training on building career pathways in tech and trade vocations, from chip-building to digital marketing.
BGCT’s primary aim this year is to use the 65th to both celebrate its vibrant history and as an opportunity to reach even more in-need youth. From its 2022 data, over 90% of the organization’s 2700 youth members served come from low income households, 85% belong to traditionally underserved minority ethnicities/races, 72% qualify for free/reduced school lunches, and 45% live in single-parent homes. Some projects will be partially funded by philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s $3.5 million gift the organization received last year.
For 65 years the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson has helped keep thousands of local children involved in after school and summer programming. The Clubs have resumed regular after school programming, offering daily access to a broad range of programs in five core areas: Character and Leadership Development; Education and Career Development; Health & Life Skills; The Arts; and Sports, Fitness, and Recreation. The organization currently serves youth ages 7-18 at its six local Clubhouse locations. Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson is a qualifying charity for the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit (QCO 20282). To find out more about Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson, visit bgctucson.org or call (520) 573-3533.
“The stewardship and community support of BGCT throughout the past 65 years has been inspirational and is certainly worthy of celebration. The organization has grown and thrived over time and will make an even greater impact on Tucson’s underserved youth in the future. This year’s planned community garden and internet hotspot, as well as the soon to be built Teen Tech Center, are prime examples of how well the organization adapts and is changing with the times.” -Ilene Sipe, BGCT Board Program & Personnel Committee ChairPosted by Entertainment Magazine
“In 65 years the entire world can change numerous times over. 65 years can be the lifetime of a single individual, or an earmark in chapters of generations. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson have touched both, changing the trajectories of communities for the better. That the organization has been champions for Tucson’s most in-need youth for so long, remaining steadfast in their commitment to deliver quality programming even amidst rapidly-changing times, is a testament to its impact on Tucson. I could not be more proud to be spearheading our 65thyear alongside such a passionate board of advisors. I also must acknowledge the incredible staff in our Clubhouses, the gifted individuals who work with our youth daily. Together, we want all of Tucson this year to know about the work we do, to reach deeper into communities who need us, and to celebrate the giants whose shoulders we stand on. This year, we are all BGCT.” -Denise Watters, CEO
Tucson, Arizona, September 19, 2022 – YWCA Southern Arizona’s Women’s Business Center (WBC) was awarded City of Tucson’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funding and has now launched the first stage of its YSmall Business Continuity Grant Project.
The City of Tucson designated American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funding for the purpose of identifying and engaging local disadvantaged businesses negatively impacted by the public health crisis and providing small business development services and grant funds to allow business owners to invest in their businesses and expand capacity.
The WBC works to educate and empower women in their ventures to start and or grow their businesses. The WBC was awarded a total of $800,000.00 for regranting to small Tucson businesses. Additional training, mentoring, access to peer networks, and counseling services will also be provided as part of the program.
Gabriela Rosales, Program Manager of the WBC at YWCA Southern Arizona, has said that “the grant funding is a very great opportunity for small businesses in Tucson to continue their success.” The pandemic set forth mass layoffs, fragile financial states, and nearly half of small businesses reported extended closures. In Southern Arizona, and Tucson specifically, the number of small businesses that experienced extended closure is closer to about 70%. Without the support of grant relief funds such as this ARPA grant, many of these businesses may not have been able to re-open and resume business. The success of Southern Arizona small businesses is critical to economic vitality, community building, and distribution of resources.
The WBC has conducted a robust application selection process to identify Tucson businesses which could benefit from small business development services and grant funding. Moving forward, WBC will provide an initial intake/assessment to help guide each business towards services most aligned with their needs, as well as offering scheduled, bilingual courses and workshops which will lay a solid foundation of learning from which success and stability can be built. One-on-one coaching will be offered as needed, to reinforce these lessons. The WBC will award and distribute grants to eligible and qualified program participants. Selected businesses will be followed up with periodically after grant awarding, to ensure grants were used in accordance with the predetermined, eligible business use.
Isabel Georgelos, Director of the WBC at YWCA Southern Arizona, emphasizes that “Small businesses are vital to our economic health. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with the City of Tucson to provide training, coaching, and TA to Small businesses that lead to much-needed infusion of capital.”
YWCA Southern Arizona has been a robust partner of the City of Tucson, specifically in efforts to support small local businesses. In 2020, the City of Tucson awarded YWCA Southern Arizona a nine (9) million dollar grant of pass-through funding. This funding was distributed as COVID-19 relief grants to small businesses with an emphasis on women and BIPOC owned businesses.
YWCA Southern Arizona’s work extends to community and supporting youth development. Our Pima County Teen Court program is a prime example of this part of our mission. Earlier this year, the City of Tucson also awarded an ARPA grant to Teen Court to support a pre-arrest diversion program. This program is in partnership with Tucson Police and several local Tucson school districts. The Deflection program is a direct result of ARPA funding and support from the City of Tucson. Youth who admit to arrestable behavior choose to participate in a Teen Court hearing where they are judged by a jury of their peers and sentenced to Teen Court constructive consequences. With the implementation of constructive consequences and peer influence, the program addresses the disproportionate minority involvement of youth within the juvenile justice system.
YWCA Southern Arizona is honored to carry out this mission and to contribute to the City of Tucson Small Business Continuity Program.
About YWCA Southern Arizona
YWCA Southern Arizona has served Tucson since 1917 with a mission to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. We believe the success of our communities depends on upholding equality, inclusion, and opportunity as fundamental values. YWCA provides integrated and bilingual community, leadership, and economic development programs, including workforce, family wellness, and social services that promote multi-generational solutions to end poverty and violence. Our overall goal is creation of sustainable, effective, and efficient means to place women and families more firmly and equitably in control of their futures.
Designate your Arizona Charitable Tax Credit to YWCA Southern Arizona: when you make a donation to YWCA, you can earn a dollar-for-dollar tax credit by taking advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit – up to $400 for single filers and $800 for joint filers. Donate online HERE or mail a check to YWCA Southern Arizona, 525 N. Bonita Ave., Tucson, AZ 85745. Qualifying Charitable Organization Code: 20570.
Make your gift monthly and sustain our bilingual community, leadership, and economic development programs, promoting racial justice and helping to place women and families more firmly and equitably in control of their futures.
Make a monthly gift HERE.
Posted by Entertainment Magazine
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Statewide helmet program expands
RideNow Powersports leads the charge with Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation
December 13, 2022, Peoria, Arizona – RideNow Powersports has taken a leadership role in promoting the value of high-quality DOT helmets alongside Arizona’s leading voice on distracted driving and motorcycle training, Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation (AMSAF). Head and body protection are soaring in popularity in Arizona, as riders find great new opportunities to save money on quality helmets and riding gear to protect themselves on busy roadways statewide. Now, the program is spreading to many demographics throughout Arizona.
RideNow, which has been working closely with AMSAF for several years, serves as a partnership to reduce distracted driving and increase safety for riders through the statewide helmet program.
AMSAF started a financial assistance helmet program to help individuals get into quality DOT full face or modular helmets. RideNow led the effort as the pilot dealership. Today, six dealerships have jumped onboard with 1489 helmets provided to date through the program, all focused on getting excellent helmets to customers.
“We are seeing a new trend,” says RideNow Powersports Marketing Director Mike Pfab. “Families are coming in to purchase helmets for their members because safety supersedes everything when it comes to riding motorcycles and driving powersports vehicles.”
RideNow teams closely with AMSAF to offer discounts on high quality helmets, as well as the purchase of other critical riding gear, including gloves, clothing, boots and other protective gear.
“RideNow is the leading local retailer for motorcycling must-haves,“ adds Pfab. “Our mission is to serve the rider, fuel the industry and inspire the community, so we sell gear at for every budget to ensure the safety of our customers. We partner with non-profits like AMSAF that promote, educate, and influence safety practices and policies.”
The helmet program is geared to help individuals garner a DOT helmet with financial assistance from AMSAF and a 25% discount off MSRP from specified dealers. The program affords people the opportunity to purchase a quality full-face or modular DOT helmet at a reduced cost.
“The applicant fills out an application and donate $50 to AMSAF, which is tax-deductible,’ says Mick Degn, AMSAF executive director. “If AMSAF has funds available, applicants will receive a receipt with a promo code and instructions that they can take to one of a number of specified qualified helmet dealers.”
The letter will extend a credit for $125 off a DOT full face or modular helmet. In addition, the dealership will give an additional 25% off MSRP select helmets. The promo code is only good for one full-face or modular DOT helmet defined in program.
Arizona is a state where riders have a choice whether to wear a helmet or not. AMSAF wants to assist those who choose to wear a helmet to financially be able to afford one. This program is possible due to grants from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, which wants to help reduce crashes and fatalities in Arizona. The helmet program is open to all Arizona residents 15 years, six months old or older. Funds for this program come from donations, sponsorship, and grants.
AMSAF’s mission is to promote motorcycle safety and reduce driver distraction to help reduce crashes and fatalities in Arizona. AMSAF can be reached at www.amsaf.org/helmets or by calling 888.951.3732.
Posted by Entertainment Magazine
The YWCA of Southern Arizona and the Tucson 2030 District (T2030D) today announced the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that joins these two community-focused organizations in a partnership of service to Tucson and South Tucson residents.
As part of the MOU, the Tucson 2030 District in August expanded its district boundaries to include the YWCA’s House of Neighborly Service (HNS) in South Tucson. The two organizations worked together last year on energy and water audits of HNS, a historic 75-year-old property restored by the YWCA to its original use as a neighborhood park and community center.
The YWCA is the first nonprofit organization in Southern Arizona to join the Tucson 2030 District, one of 23 Districts nationwide that seeks to reduce energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions through building audits and weatherization.
Weatherization and energy efficient upgrades result in cleaner, healthier working and living environments and reduce the cost of energy for occupants and owners.
Tucson District partners include the City of Tucson, Pima County and the University of Arizona.
The signing jumpstarts what both organizations hope to accomplish with a partnership that they describe as being “built on the foundation of sustainability.”
“We are not just talking about what needs to be done as champions of sustainability,” said Magdalena Verdugo, CEO of the YWCA of Southern Arizona. “We are actively moving forward
with plans to help mitigate the dangers that climate change represents, heat in particular. And we are also focused on building resilience to face the challenges to come.”
Added Karen Peterson, the new chair of T2030D, the partnership with the YWCA “fits beautifully with our District’s mission to engage with neighborhoods in our community that need our services the most.”
“We want to ensure that energy equity is built into everything the District does going forward,” said Peterson. “The solutions are there. It is our job to get the word out and do the work.”
Designate your Arizona Charitable Tax Credit to YWCA Southern Arizona: when you make a donation to YWCA, you can earn a dollar-for-dollar tax credit by taking advantage of the Arizona Charitable Tax Credit – up to $400 for single filers and $800 for joint filers. Donate online HERE or mail a check to YWCA Southern Arizona, 525 N. Bonita Ave., Tucson, AZ 85745. Qualifying Charitable Organization Code: 20570.
Make your gift monthly and sustain our bilingual community, leadership, and economic development programs, promoting racial justice and helping to place women and families more firmly and equitably in control of their futures.
Posted The Entertainment Magazine
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SHARE THE ROAD ADVISORY
Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation discusses lane filtering
The Arizona Motorcycle Safety & Awareness Foundation (AMSAF) is helping educate the public about the state’s new lane filtering bill.
As a motorcyclist, riders must know:
• no freeways: this is not the California lane splitting law. The Arizona law only allows lane filtering on surface streets with a speed limit of 45 MPH or slower
• not every street: only on streets that have two or more lanes in the same direction
• not moving: you may not pass a vehicle in motion. You may only overtake a vehicle between lanes that is stopped
•no speeding: the maximum speed for a motorcycle traveling between lanes is 15 MPH
And, riders must recognize that they can move between lanes safely before beginning lane filtering. In addition, this lane is for two-wheeled motorcycles. No trike or sidecar riders.
This law does not go into effect until 90 days after the current legislative session ends.
“Since the beginning, AMSAF has believed in education,” says Mick Degn, executive director for AMSAF. “Our organization began with motorcycle training, then helmets and now accident scene management education. Education, safety and awareness are part of our mission to help the community.”
What is AMSAF?
AMSAF, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, works with the State of Arizona, business partners and sponsors including local businesses, healthcare, police departments, insurance, legal and other prominent entities and individuals, to help decrease the number of distracted and DUI-impaired drivers and to provide scholarships, statewide, to train motorcyclists how to ride more defensively. Our overall mission is safety awareness to reduce the phenomenal number of crashes and fatalities on our roadways. For more information, visit amsaf.org.
Posted by Entertainment Magazine
BLUES GUITARIST/VOCALIST JIM SCHWALL: NOVEMBER 12, 1942 – JUNE 19, 2022
Co-Founder of the Siegel-Schwall Band
Performed With Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane And Countless Others
“Undoubtedly the best electric guitarist in the country.”
–The Boston Globe“Few groups in the world can match the Siegel-Schwall Band’s Jim Schwall for the sheer joy of his music.”
–The Chicago Sun-Times
Famed Chicago blues guitarist and vocalist Jim Schwall — co-founder of the influential and popular Siegel-Schwall Band — died of natural causes at his home in Tucson, Arizona on Sunday, June 19, 2022. He was 79. Known for his distinctive guitar sound — he played an amplified Gibson B-25 acoustic — Schwall helped introduce the blues to the rock and roll audience with his easy-going, good-natured music. He was also a political activist, a teacher, a photographer and a writer.Schwall was born in Chicago in 1942. He played drums and accordion in grade school before picking up a guitar in high school. He first met fellow musician Corky Siegel in Chicago in 1964 while both were in the Roosevelt University Jazz Band. The pair soon discovered their mutual love for the blues and eventually began performing as a duo, with Corky on harmonica and piano and Jim on guitar.
They auditioned at Chicago’s famed Pepper’s Lounge on the South Side, and were hired to play every Thursday night. According to Siegel, “The audience went wild, probably because we were so different.” This led to a long-term musical residency at the club, and the pair played with several blues luminaries (who also became personal friends) including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Otis Spann, Willie Dixon, Junior Wells and James Cotton. “We really got an education at Pepper’s,” Siegel says. After the Paul Butterfield Blues Band moved on, the Siegel-Schwall Band took over their residency at Big John’s on the city’s north side.
The band was signed to Vanguard Records by blues music historian and writer Sam Charters in 1965, and they released a total of five albums for the label. They toured coast-to-coast, and were instrumental in bringing blues to a whole new audience, performing at the famous Fillmore West, sharing the stage with rock royalty including Janis Joplin and The Jefferson Airplane. They next signed with RCA’s Wooden Nickel imprint and released five more albums.
In 1968, they collaborated with conductor Seiji Ozawa of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, combining for the first time blues with classical music. They recorded an album, Three Pieces For Blues Band And Symphony Orchestra, for the Deutsche Grammophon label in 1973. The album went on to sell over 300,000 copies.
After a hiatus, the Siegel-Schwall Band reformed in 1987 and released the first of two albums on Alligator Records, 1988’s Siegel-Schwall Band Reunion Concert and 2005’s Flash Forward. Schwall, who had previously relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, received a PhD in Musical Composition from the University of Wisconsin in 1993. Schwall released three solo albums beginning in 2007, including 2014’s Bar Time Lovers for the Conundrum InterArts label. He recently relocated to Tucson, Arizona.
According to Corky Siegel, “People should know, Jim was a beautiful humanitarian and a one-of-a-kind musician.”
Schwall is survived by brothers William “Chico” Schwall and Steven Schwall, nephew Douglas Schwall and niece Esme Schwall Weigand. Funeral arrangements are pending.
(Posted by Entertainment Magazine)
Tucson’s only professional ballet company is pleased to announce that their official school has a new name and new directors. Beginning in August, the newly minted School of Ballet Tucson will be led by the accomplished husband and wife team Danielle and Liang Fu.
They join the Ballet Tucson Artistic Staff as School Directors to bring the company’s prestigious training institution into a new era of excellence. They will also be leading dancers with Ballet Tucson’s professional company, adding further excitement to the upcoming 2022-2023 performance season.
“We are thrilled to be the new directors of The School of Ballet Tucson and to be leading dancers with the professional company.” Danielle and Liang Fu share. “We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to teach and inspire the next generation of dancers in Tucson and to contribute our artistic abilities and expertise to the company. Our combined 36 years of experience dancing with both international and U.S. professional ballet companies, in addition to our time teaching in the schools of those companies has prepared us well for the new responsibilities we will undertake here in Tucson.”
They add, “We are excited to be joining a school and company that has had a reputation for excellence over the last 36 years and look forward to helping to maintain that standard well into the future. We have found that the community of Tucson is home to many wonderful performing arts organizations and we are proud to be a part of that. We look forward to welcoming even more students to the school as well as helping to grow a larger audience and support base for Ballet Tucson.”
Ballet student dancers ages 11-18 are invited to a day of free Masterclasses taught by Danielle and Liang Fu on Sunday, June 12th at the Ballet Tucson Studios (200 S. Tucson Blvd.). Students will have the opportunity to experience the new School Directors’ teaching and coaching style. Students and their guardians are invited to participate in a post-class Q&A and meet and greet, with the added opportunity to tour the Ballet Tucson facilities. No pre-registration is required and class times are as follows: 11:00 am ages 11-14 and 2:00 pm ages 15-18.
For additional information, please call (520) 623-3373 or email [email protected]
Registration and class information for The School of Ballet Tucson 2022-2023 school year will be available soon. Join Ballet Tucson’s e-newsletter to be the first to receive school and company news: https://ballettucson.org/subscribe/