This weekend, the City of San Diego’s Civic Dance Arts (SDCDA) will kick off its Collage 2026: Powerful with shows running from Jan. 30 through Feb. 15. The critically acclaimed show will feature 66 dancers in a visually stunning production that will be one of the year’s not-to-miss performances. 

Held in the beautiful and historic Casa del Prado Theater in Balboa Park, Collage has been the recipient of the Bravo Award for Best Dance Show in San Diego three years in a row.  

The theme of this year’s Collage series is Powerful and will immerse the audience in a two-hour infusion of color, beauty and joy that showcases the power of dance to uplift and touch lives. The show will feature dance styles including tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop and more.  

“We’re thrilled to bring this exciting performance event back again this year,” said Andrea Feier, executive director of the City’s Civic Dance Arts program. “Audience members are in for a treat with this visually stunning, artistically satisfying show." 

Civic Dance Arts is often viewed as the Parks and Recreation Department’s “best-kept secret.” For over 80 years, through the use of public, nonprofit and volunteer partnerships, SDCDA has provided an accessible, affordable world-class dance program to San Diego. SDCDA offers dance classes at 17 recreation centers throughout the City of San Diego as well as at Balboa Park facilities to children and adults from all economic and cultural backgrounds who get to fully participate in the study of dance. 

Each year, the program works with up to 6,000 students who have the opportunity to dance in over 100 weekly classes, 50 weeks of the year. Collage is one of the program’s annual showcases held over the first three weekends of February.

This year’s Collage features new work by Kevin and Dea Nguyen (BTS, Justin Bieber, Marques Houston, Disney, Daddy Yankee), Elijah Gibson (San Diego native and Founder/Artistic Director of Social Movement Contemporary Dance in Houston, TX), MaryAnn Chavez (Three-time Capezio A.C.E. Awards finalist and Artist in Residence at the prestigious Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University), San Diego Dance Legend Donna Flournoy, and the talented dance staff of San Diego Civic Dance Arts. 

Shows are scheduled for Fridays at 7:30 p.m. through Feb. 13, Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Feb. 14, and on Sundays, Feb. 1 and 15, at 2 p.m. The Casa del Prado Theater is located at 1600 Village Place in Balboa Park. The show is suitable for all ages.  

To purchase tickets, visit the Civic Dance Arts ticketing website.