What is the most exciting part of performing? The feeling of being completely vulnerable yet safe. The rush that comes along with performing.

Who is your mentor? I have quite a few mentors who hold a special place in world. But one of them is Susannah Newman – she was the chair of the dance department i graduated from, and she was one of my former modern/contemporary teachers. She is now on EDGEWORKS Dance Theater’s Advisory Council, and she is engaged in my rehearsal process.

How long have you been dancing? Professionally, nearly 20 years. WOW!!! That’s a long time.

What other creative things do you do? I’m a tripple threat. I sing, dance, act. (Stop the press. Just joking!!!) … But I do enjoy writing (all forms), visual arts project creations using found objects, and a bunch of other stuff… I’m interested in all aspects of creativity and expressing myself creatively.

The Washington Ballet’s Septime Webre keeps an eye on the past and the future.  In a company as small as The Washington Ballet, dancers don’t get lost in the corps. With just 20 member sand two apprentices, artists perform frequently and get plenty of opportunities to dance solos and leading roles. They also work on new ballets with choreographers like Edwaard Liang and Karole Armitage.

Artistic Director Septime Webre expects company members to demonstrate a high level of responsibility for learning their roles, covering for others and being ready to step in and pick up the slack at a moment’s notice. “Because we’re small,” Webre says, “it’s important that we have fun and feel like we’re all in this together, contributing to the group,investigating through the group.”

In the decade since Webre, 47, took the helm of TWB, he’s brought a new,youthful energy to the company.“Artistically,” he says, “the company’s on the highest level it’s ever been.” Roughpatches along the way, including a dancers’ strike in 2005, have been smoothed over. A collective-bargaining agreement resulted in improvements,providing a framework for better interaction between Webre and the dancers.He’s compared his relationship with his dancers to a marriage—sometimes a little rocky, but built on a firm foundation.“Going through that turmoil,” he says, “led everyone to become more invested in the group as a unit.”

Rehearsals, while still demanding,now frequently fill with laughter and friendly competition among the tight-knit company members, who spend their off-hours playing Rock Band together.

As Webre enters his second decade as director, he is leading TWB in an unorthodox direction: The troupe that made its mark under founder Mary Dayby performing the sleek unitard-ballets of Choo-San Goh is now stepping whole-heartedly into the classical repertoire. It’s2009 production of Bournonville’s La Sylphide, ballet’s earliest expression of Romanticism, was not merely proficient; it was radiant. Next year will bring Le Corsaire—on the heels of this season’s Don Quixote. To fill out the casts, Webre uses the Studio Company, and has invited guest dancers and even top-level students from the company’s school. He knows that any ballet company worth its chops still needs to dance the classics. And in Washington,D.C., full-length ballets seem to attract an audience.

At the same time, Webre is unafraid of taking risks, continually seeking new challenges for his dancers. A multi year project, tentatively titled “Made in Europe,” will bring in contemporary European masterworks from artists like Jirí Kylián and Nils Christie, while also introducing rising choreographers not yet seen on these shores. “I hope in the next five to seven years we’ll be the American ballet company with the most European choreographers in its repertoire,” he says.

And while Webre seeks new work from outside, he remains a choreographer at heart, typically creating a new ballet of his own each season. His most recent, The Great Gatsby, will be followed by a program called “Rock ‘n’ Roll” featuring ballets to music by Beck and The Rolling Stones.

When hiring dancers, Webre doesn’t demand a particular look or physique. “It makes the corps de ballet process a little challenging,” he laughs, “but I have an interest in individual dancers who are somewhat extreme, either extremely lyrical, extremely energetic, extremely athletic or someone who shows me a special personal quality.” Following an audition, he might invite a dancer to Washington to get a feel for the group dynamic before offering a contract,because in a chamber-sized group he has no room for divas or slackers.

Webre works at cementing artistic relationships with his dancers. “There’s something very fulfilling about being able to mentor dancers and see them grow over time,” he acknowledges. “That long-term relationship allows me to make repertoire and casting choices that are designed to both reflect the growth of artists and to foster opportunities for growth.”

NOTE: * indicates that these local dance companies/performances are eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards. Click here to nominate or visit dancemetrodc.org. Nominations are accepted after performances have taken place.

*Jane Franklin Dance at Torpedo Factory Art Center

Time: April 28 at 7 pm

Location: Torpedo Factory Art Center – 105 North Union Street, Alexandria, VA

Tickets: FREE.

Jane Franklin Dance returns to the Torpedo Factory Art Center for an evening performance of recent repertory on April 28 at 7 pm. Jane Franklin Dance crosses disciplines in partnership with music, media, visual artists and community participants.

Named The Best Dance Company in The Washington City Paper “Best of DC 2008,” Jane Franklin Dance has earned recognition in the Washington DC metro area by promoting active participation in dance by people of all ages and by creating unique collaborations that are performed in a variety of locations.

*Catholic University Students – Improvisation in the Park Part of NRDC’s Dance On Site

Time: April 28 at 7pm

Location: Dupont Circle

Tickets: FREE. Info available online at nextreflexdc.com

*The Dinner Party: Final Showing of Fieldwork for Mixed Disciplines

Time: April 28 from 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Location: DC Arts Center – 2438 18th Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: Info available online at ilanaspace.com or email dinnerpartyinfo@gmail.com.

This Dinner Party, a monthly performance series for artists to show works in progress, will feature the Spring 2010 Fieldwork artists. Fieldwork is a process that supports the development of new artistic works. At each session, artists of any discipline show works-in-progress and exchange feedback with their peers in a format designed by artists. The Field/DC is presented by The Dinner Party & Dance Box Theater. We will also have an open session on Monday April 26 at DCAC 7-9pm if you would like to come and observe the process.

Ronald K. Brown and Evidence, A Dance Company

Date: April 30 at 8:00 p.m.  and  May 1 at 8:00 p.m.

Location: Sidney Harman Hall, Harman Center for the Arts – 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $20.00 – $75.00. Info and tickets available online at wpas.org.

Presented by Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS).

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Brooklyn-based Evidence focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. Through its work, the company provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. Reserve your seats now and see why The Washington Post praises Ronald K. Brown and Evidence for being at “the forefront of modern dance.”

*Random Selection Concrete Choices – AVADance/ImproVolutions

Time: April 30 from 1pm & May 2 at 2pm

Location: Calvary Baptist Church – 755 8th Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: FREE. Info available online at avadance.com or by phone at 301.704.2935.

Site Specific Outdoor Improv Performance

Shen Wei Dance Arts

Time: April 29 & 30 at 8pm

Location: The Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater – 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22.00 – $60.00. Tickets available online at kennedy-center.org.

Known for visually rich compositions, Shen Wei Dance Arts presents Re- (Parts I, II, and III), a choreographic journey through Tibet, Ankgor Wat, and the new Silk Road.

*Deviated Theatre – SWAY

Time: April 30 at 8pm dress rehearsal (exclusive tickets available), May 1 at 8pm & May 2 at 7pm

Location: American Dance Institute – 1570 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD

Tickets: $22, general admission; $15 students. Tickets available online at deviatedtheatre.org or by phone 301.984.3003.

Co-Directors Enoch Chan and Kimmie Dobbs Chan announce their new dance-theatre piece entitled Sway. This is the first project by this creative pair since their acceptance into Dance/MetroDC’s Forward 5 pilot program.

Sway is set in a seedy club, with elements of jazz and cabaret, where the regulars never really leave. In the dimly lit club, one character swears she recognizes someone from her past. As she approaches him he blurs into the club scene and she finds herself instead exposed in a bright club spotlight–or perhaps the light of a higher being pointing her towards repentance. The club itself tears open old wounds–chests opening and closing, arms reaching and retracting–until she finally realizes what is truly at play in this dark little club.

*Peter and the Wolf and Other Works

Time: April 30 & May 1 at 7:30pm & May 2 at 2pm

Location: Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre – 125 South Old Glebe Road, Arlington, VA

Tickets: $7 – $22, depending on the section. Special discounts for students, seniors, and for groups of ten or more. Tickets and more info available online at balletnova.org, by phone at 703.778.3008, or email info@BalletNova.org. There is a pre-performance education program, Behind the Scenes, at noon on Sunday, May 2 for a small fee of $5. Designed for 5 – 12 year olds, attendees learn about the production, watch part of a rehearsal, and hear about different styles of dance. Girl Scouts can earn credit toward their Dance Badge.

This delightful and eclectic evening of dance includes two premieres of original works and two revivals of BalletNova (formerly Center Dance Company) favorites:

• “Peter and the Wolf” choreography by Artistic Director Nancie Woods. A ballet set to the familiar music that introduces the instruments of the orchestra, combining music and movement to tell a story.
• “Airs de Ballet” by Paul Wegner. Set to a little-known score by Camille Saint-Saens, this features three distinctly flavored dances that follow a brief introduction. The score is from a play by Jane Dieulafoy entitled “Parysatis.”
• “Icescape” by Constance Walsh. Creating the glacial landscape through movement and Himalayan prayer wheels are the inspirations for this new modern dance piece.
• “Grande Tarantelle” by Nancie Woods. A fast paced virtuoso classical ballet piece for 12 dancers set to the exuberant music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Grande Tarantelle displays the technical proficiency of the company.

*Mason/Rhynes Productions presents “Black Expressions: Dance!!!”

Time: April 30 at 8pm

Location: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Performing Arts Center – 7995 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD

Tickets: $22 general admission, $18 students and dance pass holders, $15 children (2-17 with adult) and groups of 10 or more. More info and tickets available online at mason-rhynes.org.

Mason/Rhynes Productions presents “Black Expressions: Dance!!!”. Join us for an evening of exciting, innovative & cutting edge dance by emerging artists: NYC-based choreographer and one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch in 2009, Kyle Abraham, Derrick Sellers, Washington Ballet soloist Andile Ndlovu, EDT Company member Nkosinathi “Natty” Mncube, and Baltimore-based company Shange Dance Productions. ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Interactive Dance Performance with Sustaining Movement Dance Company

Time: April 30 from 12-1pm

Location: Children’s National Medical Center, Main Atrium – 111 Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: FREE.

Celebrating National Dance Week at Children’s National Medical Center as dance is a new healing art culture in the hospital!

*DIW & Friends Performance Event

Time: May 1 at 4:30pm

Location: Dance Institute of Washington – 3400 14th Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: FREE. Info available online at danceinstitute.org

Featuring Dance Institute of Washington Youth Ensemble, and DIW’s Community Partners, Urban Artistry.

Dance Fusion Jazz Project & Step Ahead

Time: May 1 at 8pm

Location: The Jack Guidone Theater – 5207 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $15 general admission, advanced purchase
. $12 senior Citizens and children under 12. 
$20 general admission, at the door (cash only).
 
More info and tickets available online at joyofmotion.org

Come watch Joy of Motion Dance Center’s teen jazz company, Dance Fusion Jazz Project, and our teen outreach program performance company, Step Ahead, showcase pieces from various styles including jazz, West African, Afro jazz, modern and hip hop.

*CityDance2 in Concert

Time: May 1, 2010 at 8pm & May 2, 2010 at 4pm

Location: Music Center at Strathmore, Room 405 – 5301 Tuckerman Lane, N. Bethesda, MD

Tickets: $20 general admission. Tickets available online at strathmore.org or by phone at 301.581.5204.

Join CityDance2 as they partner with Dance/MetroDC’s Dance is the Answer to present Contact, an exciting concert that’ll bring you up close and personal with a collection of dancers you won’t want to miss. Performing dances by Paul Gordon Emerson, Kate Jordan, Delphina Parenti, Eric Hampton and more — plus special live musical accompaniment by the ever-soulful Bottomland — CityDance2 will leave you stirring in your seats and eager for more. Join us for the Dance Is The Answer closing night reception following the Sunday matinee performance!

*Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company

Time: May 1 at 8pm & May 2 at 7pm

Location: Dance Place – 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22 general admission; $17 members, seniors, students, teachers and artists; $8 children (17 and under). Tickets available online at danceplace.org or by phone at 202.269.1600.

In keeping with Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company’s mission to present a broad array of dance, the company showcases Anna Sokolow’s pivotal work Rooms and a collaborative piece Karna in the Bharata Natyam style.

Choreographed in 1955, Rooms is a powerful portrayal of the terrifying loneliness that afflicts even people living in the closest proximity to each other. Karna is performed in the classical Indian dance style of Bharata Natyam, and explores the popular myth of Karna. The story is told from the perspective of Surya (the sun god), who is Karna’s father and also serves as the silent witness to his struggles on earth.

*Youth Dance Ensemble at The Kennedy Center

Time: May 2 at 6pm

Location: The Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center – 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: FREE.

This concert is free and open to the public!
JOMDC’s Youth Dance Ensemble (YDE) will present a concert at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

This magical and powerful dance performance will feature choreographic works by YDE core faculty members Elana Anderson, Daniel Burkholder, Kathleen Weitz, Julia Smith and Helen Hayes, YDE Program Director. Senior and Junior level company members will dance works created by guest artists Benjamin Levy, Heidi Schimpf and Kelly Moss-Southall.

Ballet Teatro Internacional Dance Institute Fundraiser

Time: Sunday, May 2 at 5-7 p.m.

Location: BTI Dance Institute – 1515 14th Street #200, Washington, D.C

Tickets: To RSVP for this event, please email info@internationalballettheatre.org or call 202.714.4093. Semi-formal attire.

Be part of the birth of the most innovative educational dance center in the heart of Washington, DC! Come and join us for the Ballet Teatro Internacional Dance Institute Fundraiser to benefit our transformational dance training programs in the United States and Central America.

The evening’s events will include a reception hosted by Founder Alvaro Maldonado, special guest Michael Kahn, Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and dance performaces by:

• From The Broadway production of “Cats”: Sarah Marchetti.
• From the Broadway Production “Wicked”: Samantha Zack.
• From Austria Acrobat: Carlo Schobel.
• From The Juilliard School: Spencer Ramirez.
• From “Roxy Ballet”: Julia Cobble

VelocityDC partners Peter DiMuro, Director of Dance/MetroDC, and Jeff Parks, Director of Programming at Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS), recently caught up with Evidence’s Founder and Artistic Director Ronald K. Brown to discuss the company’s upcoming performance as well as their experiences in Africa as participants in the U.S. State Department’s DanceMotion USA program.

Peter DiMuro: Thanks for talking with us, Ron. We’re really excited that you’re coming back to town.  During VelocityDC, it was so fun to see the work and it reminded me that 25 years is a long time. It seems like yesterday you were first starting with the company.  Do you have any big plans for the 25th anniversary?

Ron K. Brown: It was great to be in DC, and we’re looking forward to coming back.  It also feels like just yesterday – except for the gray hairs and my younger siblings being 31 and 27 – so it’s like ‘OK, it’s been awhile.’

For the 25th, we are doing the company premiere of Ife/My Heart which we’ll do in DC. It’s a piece I created for the [Alvin] Ailey Company in 2005, and it’s been great to have it in our rep.  We did it in San Francisco earlier this year and in Nigeria, so DC will be the next time we get to do it.

I’m also excited about doing our men’s piece, Two-Year Old Gentlemen, which we premiered at NJPAC in 2008. Though we’ve been performing the piece with recorded music, we’ll have Mohammad Camera and Ismael Bangoura, the musicians that helped me create the piece, performing with us.  Then, we’ll also perform Grace and we haven’t done that in a while in DC, so we’re looking forward to it.

Peter DiMuro: Tell us a little bit about the piece, Two-Year Old Gentlemen. What inspired you to make it?

Ron K. Brown: In 2006, I was working on this piece called One Shot and I developed a trio for three men.  When Baraka Sele from NJPAC came and she saw the work in progress, she said,”You know, you need to do a men’s piece”.  So, I said ‘OK’.  I had another piece called Better Days which celebrated men’s sexuality and masculinity, and I knew that there was something about the camaraderie in the trio that she was really noticing and speaking about.

I was also spending lot of time with my new nephew, who was 2 years old at the time, and my paternal grandfather, who was maybe 82.  And in spending time with the two of them, they were both teaching me something about unconditional love. So, the idea of this piece, Two-Year Old Gentlemen, is about brotherhood and how we should and can rely on each other.

Preview “Two-Year Old Gentlemen” via Vimeo

Peter DiMuro: When we think of dance – primarily with a dance company – you’re a certain age.  You’re young, you’re fit, but you’re certainly not 2 years old  and most often, you’re not 82 years old either.  Were there things that the men discovered in the company because of this subject matter?

Ron K. Brown: The youngest person in the company (and the piece) was 22 at the time and said, “Well, I’m the two-year old gentleman.” (laughs) It’s as though all of us need that element.

For instance, if I was with my nephew, he’d say, “Uncle, let’s take a nap. Let’s eat. Let’s rest”. And my grandfather was the same way – “You work all the time. Let’s rest. Let’s be together.” There was something about that that was so special.

There are solos in the piece where we the invite the next person into the space and we dance together. There’s something about the element of brotherhood and when [Evidence dancer] Tiffany Quinn’s husband saw it, he said, “Thank you. I don’t see men working together like that.”

That’s what I want to do, I want to have people see men working together, being strong, relying on each other, encouraging each other, and renewing each other with strength.

Peter DiMuro: That’s great. To hear you talk about how this piece was revelatory for the people who created it with you and danced in it, it all sounds really amazing.

You mentioned that you’ve been in Africa. Were there different kinds of revelations that were happening in that work over there?

Ron K. Brown: It was interesting. We didn’t do the men’s piece there, but expectation of what we were going to do as artists from the States was very, very interesting.  In Senegal and Nigeria, I kept getting questions like ‘Are you going to tap dance?’ or ‘Do you break dance?’.

Also in Nigeria, there was the question of ‘What is contemporary dance?’  So, this conversation started, and after we talked about it, one young man in the group of 50 artists said, “You know, I’ve been doing contemporary African dance for 15 years. Just show us what you do. We’re talking too much.”

So, we did the opening of  Upside Down which we did in DC earlier last year and he said, “Oh! We didn’t know what you were going to do, but you came to show us dances we would recognize.” As we went along, I began to understand that the traditional artist elders in the community wanted the younger artists to use traditional material to make contemporary work and that was one of the major lessons there.

I also remember discussing Walking Out The Dark and I was talking about how I made the piece because of a conversation I was having with my sister. A 16-year old in the audience said, “I didn’t know you could make work about your family!”  So, I think there’s something about people coming to see Evidence and understanding that the work is going to be about them, that they will see a reflection of themselves.

Peter DiMuro: It’s interesting because it’s like coming to a foreign country. There’s something about going to a place like Senegal where you’re on your best host and guest dialogue.  I think we have to do that here in the States as well. We have to pretend like we’re in a foreign country sometimes to make sure that we’re not making assumptions about what my expectations are and what your dance will give us.

Jeff Parks: Ron, could you tell us about your experience with the State Department’s DanceMotion USA program? What were some things that resonated for you and the company?

Ron K. Brown: We were there for 28 days. We started in Senegal and went to South Africa and Nigeria. In the middle of the trip, we stayed in Grahamstown and did a workshop in the township of Joza.

When we arrived at the church to teach, there were 20 young people, ages 6 to 12, singing.  So, we got out of our van and went inside the church and there were 70 people about to take this class. These young people came in singing, went up on stage, changed into costumes, performed for us and then took the class. And then we talked after, but there was something really remarkable about being greeted like that.

Then there was a young man whose father had given him a house which was  a one-room cinder block building. It served as his kitchen and bedroom, but he used the house to work with 40 young people in the township. He also pulled together seven people to make a theater company.

So, we went to his home. Some of the parents of the young people made food for us and seven people from this company he formed performed in his yard. That was in one day, but we had many days like that where we were met with such warmth and generosity. And then, of course, we were able to share as well. This kind of exchange never ended. It was beautiful.

Peter DiMuro: Was the trip what you expected? What blew you away?

Ron K. Brown: It was more than we expected. Everyday felt like ‘Nothing can top this. This is amazing!’ and then you’d have another adventure.

When we were in Senegal, we were in Dakar first and our Associate Artistic Director Arcell [Cabuag] and I taught simultaneously. We worked at three different cultural centers where they invited dancers from the companies that rehearsed in those facilities to participate in the program.

So, we had 25 people each and at the end of the classes there was a break and it would turn into a different kind of sharing. They setup a sabar, a kind of party, in the front of the cultural center where we got to dance. It was a social party.

This also happened in a fishing village where choreographer Germaine Acogny has her compound. We said, “It’s interesting that we were able to have this sabar experience” and she said, “Oh no, we organized it for you.” So, we walked from her compound to the major part of the fishing village and over 100 people were there. We had young kids, preteens, young adults, and elders dancing – and we stayed until midnight. I had to teach at 9 a.m., so I said, ‘OK, company. We’ve gotta go!’. We didn’t think we’d be teaching, performing, and then receiving those kinds of social offerings. It was more than we expected.

Peter DiMuro: The reverence that people hold for you as an artist, translator, and communicator seems much more more pronounced when you are somewhere different, I think. It sounds like that was definitely the case over there.

Ron K. Brown: That was interesting because it felt like all the walls were broken down; it was like being familiar. We were working with the artists in Germaine Acogny’s space who said ‘Oh, you’re bringing us Brooklyn style!’. It was great to have that kind of familiarity.

In Nigeria, a woman who runs a traditional dance company said, “Look at these artists who have dedicated their lives to working with this one person.”   She was trying to speak to the fact that you can’t learn ten steps, you know, and think you can be a choreographer. Don’t join the company and then leave after a year – dedicate yourself to the work.  So, I think they viewed our presence as a way to actually deal with some of the issues that were real to them. We realized that we were being used to help with the dynamics of their artist community.

Jeff Parks: Ron, thanks again for taking time to chat with us. Before we wrap up, we’ve got one more question for you. What would you like newcomers to know who are interested in seeing Evidence this weekend?

Ron K. Brown: The name of the company comes from the idea that we represent our families, ancestors, and teachers and that we need to do that with a sense of accountability and responsibility. The work is about lifting people up. That’s reflected in the music – there’s such a wide range with poetry by Nikki Giovanni and music by poet Ursula Rucker. So, there’s traditional music and then there’s house music – all are forms of music that speak to people. And then the dancing is passionate and generous, so I think when people see the work they’ll say ‘I recognize myself’ or ‘I recognize my family and it makes me want to dance’ or ‘It makes me feel good’. That’s the experience that I enjoy when I go to the theater – when you go there and you get something that lifts you up and you leave feeling good.

Ronald K. Brown and Evidence, A Dance Company will be performing  on Friday, April 30th and Saturday, May 1st at Sidney Harman Hall – Harman Center for the Arts.

Want to see them LIVE? Don’t miss out – get your tickets now!

Presented by Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS)

Date: Friday, April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.

Location: Sidney Harman Hall – Harman Center for the Arts

Cost: $20.00 – $75.00. Info and tickets available online at wpas.org.

NOTE: * indicates that these local dance companies/performances are eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards. Click here to nominate or visit dancemetrodc.org. Nominations are accepted after performances have taken place.

*Shoogie, The Tail of my Wiener Dog

Time: April 23 at 7pm, April 25 at 1pm, April 24 & May 1 at 3pm and 6pm, April 24, 25 & May 1 & 2 at 6pm, April 25 & May 2 at 3:30pm

Location:  The Washington Ballet’s England Studio Theater – 3515 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $20 and up. Tickets available online at washingtonballet.org.

Join The Washington Ballet Artistic Director Septime Webre as he returns to the stage for the first time in 15 years in this hilarious nod to his Texas upbringing. Webre’s adventuresome ballet is brought to life by the Washington Ballet’s Studio Company in an entertaining trip down memory lane, complete with coming-of-age stories from the Lone Star State.Song of the Earth – Part of “America Sings in the Nation’s Capital Festival”

*Hymnody of Earth: A Ceremony of Song for Hammered Dulcimer and Choir, Percussion and Dance

Time: April 23 at 8pm

Location: The Music Center at Strathmore – 5301 Tuckerman Ln, North Bethesda, MD

Tickets: Tickets available online at strathmore.org.

Malcolm Dalglish’s “Hymnody of Earth: A Ceremony of Song for Hammered Dulcimer and Choir, Percussion and Dance” evokes the splendor of nature and draws on a world of musical traditions including Celtic, Shaker songs, early American shape-note hymns, and more.

Inspired by the poetry of Wendell Berry, this soaring musical celebration features Dalglish on hammered dulcimer, Moira Smiley and VOCO (cello, banjo, and lush vocals), N. Scott Robinson on frame drums and percussion, composer Joshua Kartes on piano, Andrea Hoag on fiddle, Irish step dancers, Appalachian cloggers Matt Olwell and Emily Oleson, Shizumi and the Kodomo Dance Troupe, and ASL interpreter /dancer Rachel Schlafer-Parton. Gisele Becker will be directing the George Washington University Singers and a choir formed just for the occasion!”

*Dallas Black Dance Theatre

Time: April 23 at 8 pm & April 24 at 2 pm

Location:  Publick Playhouse – 5445 Landover Road Cheverly, MD

Tickets: $20/person. More information available online at pgparks.com.

The annual visit of the fabulous Dallas Black Theatre to the Playhouse is a highlight of the Washington area dance season. Don’t miss this wonderful performance of modern dance.* DancePass offer to this performance.

*Falla and Flamenco

Time: April 23 at 7:30pm

Location: Sidney Harman Hall – 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $25, $35, $45. For $10 student tickets, call 202.547.1122. More information available online at shakespearetheatre.org.

Pre-concert film presentation on Falla and Flamenco at 6:30 pm

Ramón Oller, one of Europe’s pre-eminent choreographers, creates this new production incorporating elements of modern and flamenco dance featuring dancers from Barcelona’s Passatges Dansa and New York’s Peridance Ensemble. Also to be conducted by Angel Gil-Ordóñez at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, it is part of the international celebration

*Bellydance Gala Show with Live Music

Time: April 23 at 7pm

Location:  Hilton Arlington - 950 North Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22203

Tickets: SHOW ONLY (no food, General admission): $15/reserve in advance or pay at door. DINNER & SHOW/VIP seating: $60.00 (If you are having dinner, you MUST make reservations by Thursday 4/22 to Faten Salama at fatensalama@hotmail.com). Doors open 7pm, dinner at 7:30pm, show starts at 8pm. Open dancing with live music during intermission and after the show. More information online at fatensalama.info.

In honor of the legendary Raqia Hassan of Egypt – who will be visiting and teaching workshops on Saturday and Sunday this GALA show features some of the best professional bellydancers in the region dancing to LIVE music of HISHAM AL ANMARY band.

See a traditional bellydance show (aka Raqs al Sharqi) Egyptian style! Dancers include: Saphira, Lotus Niraja, Habiba (Philadelphia), Roxana, Katrina, Latifa, Shahrzade, Kostana, Joy, Noor Jihan, Stephanie, Suzana, plus ALMASSRAWEYA dance group performing traditional folkloric dance of Egypt as choreographed by Faten Salama (Former member of the National Folkdance Troupe of Egypt).
Plus open dancing with live band!

*Choreographers Collaboration Project Spring Concert

Time: April 24 at 7pm

Location: George Washington Middle School - 1005 Mount Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA

Tickets: $10 adults; $5 kids 12-17, kids under 12 free. admission at the door. More information at ccpdance.org, email ccpdance@gmail.com, or by phone at 703.683.2070.

“fresh takes” — DC’s unprecedented weather has not deterred our choreographers from creating! Our spring concert features all new work by Silvia Burstein-Hendi, Danielle Greene, Sara Lavan, Alicia Luchowski, Mary Jo Smet and Janet Stormes.

*olive Dance Theatre

Time: April 24 at 8pm & April 25 at 7pm

Location: Dance Place – 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22 general ddmission; $17 members, seniors, students, teachers and artists; $8 children (17 and under). Tickets available online at danceplace.org or by phone at 202.269.1600.

olive Dance Theatre’s ‘Swift Solos’ is an evening-length series of vignettes based on the choreographic legacy of seminal Breakin’ innovator Ken Swift. This collection of solo and ensemble offerings will celebrate Ken Swift’s choreographic body of work from battle and cipher to the concert stage. Pivotal to the globalization of the American folk form known as breakdancing Swift’s work as a master choreographer spans over 30 years, crossing borders of race, age, culture, genre and venue. oDT’s reconstruction of Swift’s work focuses the company’s phenomenal hip-hop prowess (Philadelphia Inquirer) on presenting audiences with a comprehensive retrospective outlining the breadth and magnitude of this Breakin’ Master and potential of this Hip hop dance form.

*Bowen McCauley Dance World Premiere Choral Tours de Force Stravinsky’s Mass (Featuring the Cantate Chamber Singers)

Time: April 24 at 7:30pm

Location: Kennedy Center – 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Ticket: $38.  Tickets available online at kennedy-center.org. Post-Event Reception: 9:30PM at 600 Restaurant at the Watergate (located at corner of F Street & New Hampshire Avenue, adjacent to The Kennedy Center)

The Kennedy Center will play host once again when Bowen McCauley Dance (BMD) premieres an original, never been done choreography to the musical works of Igor Stravinsky’s Mass, accompanied by Washington’s critically acclaimed Cantate Chamber Singers.

The newly commissioned piece will consist of a cast of 5 – 7 dancers capturing the rich atmosphere of solemnity and reverence felt by Lucy Bowen McCauley, Artistic Director and Founder of BMD. The drama inherent in the liturgical texts nudges the piece toward the divine while Stravinsky’s music evokes human longing: that tension will be the crux of this work. Lucy plans to dedicate this performance to the late Daniel West, one of her long time professional dance mentors and well-known dance choreographer, who passed away late last year.

The evening will conclude with a festive post- performance party at 9:30PM at 600 Restaurant at the Watergate (located at corner of F Street & New Hampshire Avenue, adjacent to The Kennedy Center) to help raise funds to support the award-winning dance company.

Ballet Teatro Internacional Dance Institute Fundraiser

Time: Sunday, May 2 at 5-7 p.m.

Location: 1515 14th Street #200, Washington, D.C

Tickets: To RSVP for this event, please email info@internationalballettheatre.org or call 202.714.4093. Semi-formal attire.

Be part of the birth of the most innovative educational dance center in the heart of Washington, DC! Come and join us for the Ballet Teatro Internacional Dance Institute Fundraiser to benefit our transformational dance training programs in the United States and Central America.

The evening’s events will include a reception hosted by Founder Alvaro Maldonado, special guest Michael Kahn, Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company, and dance performaces by:

From The Broadway production of “Cats”: Sarah Marchetti.
From the Broadway Production “Wicked”: Samantha Zack.
From Austria Acrobat: Carlo Schobel.
From The Juilliard School: Spencer Ramirez.
From “Roxy Ballet”: Julia Cobble

NOTE: * indicates that these local dance companies/performances are eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards. Click here to nominate or visit dancemetrodc.org. Nominations are accepted after performances have taken place.

*Arachne Aerial Arts – The Places In Between (excerpt)

Time: April 13 at 7pm

Location: Corcoran Gallery of Art – 510 17th Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $35 museum members; $40 public. More information available online at corcoran.org.

In the spirit of Muybridge’s studies of motion and bodies in space, Arachne Aerial Arts returns to the Corcoran’s atrium with Washington’s dynamic chamber ensemble, the Kenyon Piano Quartet (Grace Hong, Judie Lieu, Chase Maggiano and Jeremy Rissi) to perform excerpts from “The Places In Between.” The program conjures places real and imagined, and the spaces in between – from a sail down a winding river to a journey through the desert. Featuring new and restaged works by Arachne Aerial Arts set to live music by Johannes Brahms and Kronos Quartet and recorded music by Seattle’s KGB and DC’s The Low End String Quartet. Chamber music performed live by the Kenyon Piano Quartet creates a lush score for the great places and spaces of our lives.

*Bolero(+)

Time: April 14-17 at 8pm, April 17 at 2:30pm, April 18 at 1pm & 6pm

Location: Harman Center for the Arts, Sidney Harman Hall – 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $20 and up. Tickets available online at harmancenter.org.

The Washington Ballet’s Bolero(+) celebrates the marriage of music and dance, featuring the works of two of ballet’s most in-demand choreographers. Set to Maurice Ravel’s iconic score, Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero showcases musicality in movement, with crescendos to match Ravel’s enthralling rhythms. A dynamic world premiere from renowned choreographer Karole Armitage- who draws inspiration from classical ballet, post-modern dance, and the visual arts- partners TWB dancers with the Washington National Opera’s Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists in this high-velocity collision of melody and movement. This exciting triple bill also includes George Balanchine’s landmark modernist work, Four Temperaments.

Dance Is The Answer

Time: April 15 – May 2, 2010. Official launch party on April 15th at 6 p.m.

Location: Various.

Tickets: Various FREE and ticketed events. More information available online at danceistheanswer.org. RSVPs for the official launch party suggested. RSVP via email to info@dancemetrodc.org.

As seen in The Washington Post, Dance/MetroDC’s Dance Is The Answer is an annual convergence of dance-related events that includes performances, classes, video showings and other special happenings in April to coincide with National Dance Week.

Dance Is The Answer hopes to inspire you to see dance as your answer to keeping fit, enriching your social life and touching your soul. In its 4th year, VelocityDC partner Dance/MetroDC joins forces with over 55 artists, companies and venues to showcase the strength and vitality of dance in the Metro DC area.

The festival kicks off with the official Dance Is The Answer 2010 launch party at Busboys and Poets (1025 5th Street NW, Washington, DC) on April 15th at 6 p.m.

*UM Department of Dance Maryland Dance Ensemble

Time: April 15-17 at 8pm & April 18 at 7:30pm

Location: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center – University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Tickets: $25 general; $9 student. Tickets available online at claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

An adjudicated concert of undergraduate and graduate student works performed by the repertory ensemble.

*Ballet Theatre of Maryland – Pirates of the Chesapeake

Time: April 17 at 7pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts – 15200 Annapolis Road, Bowie, MD

Tickets: Tickets available by phone at 410.224.5644. Pre-performance Pirate Party for ticket holders at 6PM.

Buried treasure, swashbuckling swordfights and a shipwreck all come together with history to create an adventure for the entire family.

The Ballet Project

Time: April 17 at 7pm

Location: Community College of Southern Maryland’s Theatre – 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata, MD

Tickets: $5 general admission. More information available online at csmd.edu.

The Ballet Project is running for its third year at the Community College of Southern Maryland. Directed by Oscar Hawkins. This event includes many artists from DC and around the world. It is an event that is stimulating and educating the community here in Southern Maryland and in Washington DC. The Ballet Project includes original choreography and music by local artists as well as classical ballets.

*ClancyWorks in Concert

Time: April 17 at 8pm

Location: Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, Performing Arts Center – 7995 Georgia Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland

Tickets: $7 to $18, available at the door with cash or check. To reserve in advance,  call 301.984.4229 or email info@clancyworks.org

A part of Dance/Metro DC’s Dance is the Answer 2010.

An evening-length concert that highlights their professional dance company members, as well as their work with elementary, middle, high school and college age students.

The Washington Post has described Adrienne Clancy’s choreography as “a tour de force of unpredictable partnering”. This dynamic partnering will be demonstrated with the premiere of Webmasters. This piece will incorporate a physical web as well as video from the virtual web, creating a thought provoking piece. The program also includes On Taking Steps to Climbing Mountains, a recent work that demonstrates what the Albuquerque Journal hailed as a “top-notch technical and dramatic performance”.

*Deborah Riley Dance Projects

Time: April 17 at 8pm & April 18 at 7pm

Location: Dance Place – 3225 8th Street NE, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22 general admission; $17 members, seniors, students, teachers and artists; $8 children (17 and under). Tickets available online at danceplace.org or call 202.269.1600.

As First Lady Michelle Obama enlists the nation’s children to get moving and eat nutritiously, it’s also a call to adults to face our own understanding of food and nutrition. Chew on This, performed by Deborah Riley Dance Projects, is a commentary on world hunger, the food industry, nutrition and “eatertainment”.

Through dance, spoken word and a surprising use of Dance Place’s studio theater, Deborah Riley, Co-Director of Dance Place, premieres this new work with appeal to anyone that enjoys food. Deborah Riley Dance Projects is joined by fourteen members of the Dance Place Repertory and Performance class as they turn the theater topsy turvy. From a grassy hill to choir risers, corn fields to Afghanistan, the performance space is re-imagined. Peter DiMuro, Executive Director of Dance Metro DC, will join the performers in his role of MC, audience facilitator and chef.

*Soles of Steel & Groove Elements Showcase

Time: April 17 at 8pm & April 18 at 7pm

Location: The Jack Guidone Theater – 5207 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $15 general admission, advanced purchase; $20 general admission, at the door; $12 seniors and children under 12. More information available online at joyofmotion.org.

Come watch JOMDC’s youth hip hop and teen tap companies tear the floor up in their annual showcase. See the latest styles of hip hop and tap in this fun-filled showcase that will keep you dancing through the night!

*Divas of Distinction Tribute Show

Time: April 17 at 2pm

Location: Harmony Hall, John Addison Concert Hall – 10701 Livingston Rd., Ft. Washington, MD

Tickets: $20 adults, $10 seniors, students, and children 5-12, under 5 FREE. More information available online at frankeesunshine.com, by phone at 301.292.7509, or email info@frankeesunshine.com or positivepat@hotmail.com.

Celebrating Mama Evelyn Clark Whitehead (Frankee’s Mother) 90th Birthday.

*Move Me! Arts Experience Festival

Time: April 17 from 2-5pm

Location: Kenmore Middle School – 200 S. Carlin Springs Rd, Arlington, VA

Ticket: $10 in advance/ $15 at the door. $5 students, children (18 & under) and seniors. More information and advance tickets available online at bmdc.org.

Art and diversity will be celebrated by people of all ages when Bowen McCauley Dance (BMD) presents its first annual Move Me! Arts Experience Festival, a creative community collaboration celebrating the arts and culture in local communities.

The Move Me! Arts Experience celebrates dance, visual, music, theatre, and literary arts for young people, families and seniors. Arts, culture, education, diversity will be the theme of the festival. Event partners will include BalletNova, Wayras Bolivian Dancers, Arlington Community Band, Potomac Arts Academy, Synetic Theatre, Encore Stage & Studio, Educational Theatre Company, The Reading Connection, Lightbulb Learning Services, Arlington Independent Media, Arlington County Public Schools – all delivering a diverse array of our community’s arts and culture, live and under one roof.

VelocityDC partner Dance/MetroDC, in collaboration with several hundred dancers and choreographers, will hold live rehearsals and post YouTube videos of each dance. Participate in one, two or all seven flash mob dance performances populating the Metro DC area during this year’s Dance Is The Answer from April 15 – May 2, 2010!

For an event schedule and more information, check out Dance/MetroDC on Facebook, Twitter, danceistheanswer.org or email them at info@dancemetrodc.org. You can also check out the flash mob practice videos via our YouTube channel.

To RSVP, sent an email with FLASHMOB in the subject line to info@dancemetroDC with your name, email and dance code name(s) or just show up!

Dance Is the Answer is an annual convergence of dance-related events that includes performances, classes, video showing and other special happenings that happen in April that coincides with National Dance Week. Dance artists and organizations in the metro region collaborate in offering low cost and free events to create more awareness with over 55 artists, organizations & venues partners offering great classes and performances year round.

NOTE: * indicates that these local dance companies/performances are eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards. Click here to nominate or visit dancemetrodc.org. Nominations are accepted after performances have taken place.

*Ballet Theatre of Maryland – Director’s Choice Repertoire

Time: April 10 at 7pm & April 11 at 2pm

Location: Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts – 801 Chase St, Annapolis, MD

Tickets: Available online at tickets.marylandhall.org and balletmaryland.org or by phone at 410.263.8289.

A riveting program of music fused with classical and contemporary ballet including a world premiere by choreographer Meagan Helman and two world premieres choreographed by Dianna Cuatto.

*Outside/In – Jane Franklin

Time: April 10 at 8 pm & April 11 at 2 pm

Location: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company – 641 D St NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: Available online at janefranklin.com or by phone at 703.933.1111. $22 reduced price tickets are on sale for the Sunday matinee performance, must be purchased in advance over the phone or online to receive discount.

Outside/In – gathers together dynamic female performers and distinctive female music, media and visual artists for “Minds Wide Open” Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts.

The performance will include recent repertory including Indistinct Boundaries (media by Byran Leister), The Floor Is Sticky (poetry by Kim Roberts), and Of Bones and Bridges (visual art by Novie Trump) and Zenda (art by JMU’s Susan Zurbrigg).

Contra-Tiempo

Time: April 10 at 8pm & April 11 at 7pm

Location: Dance Place – 3225 8th St NE, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22 general admission; $17 members, seniors, students, teachers and artists; $8 children (17 and under). Available online at danceplace.org or call 202.269.1600.

CONTRA-TIEMPO, a non-profit, Los Angeles-based activist dance company founded and directed by Ana Maria Alvarez, celebrates their 5th anniversary with a return to Dance Place after last season’s success. The company will perform three signature works, I Dream America, Plastico and Against The Times.

I Dream America (2007) Salsa was originally created as a cultural voice and form of expression for working class people, yet it is laden with social and political contradictions. In more recent times, the overly sexualized representations of women have become more extreme, especially in styles that have been popularized by ballroom dancing and Hollywood films. The cast of CONTRA-TIEMPO will flip the script on who leads whom. Together they will move resistance from being adversarial to being the fundamental key for communication and empowerment between partners.

Co-presented by Reston Center Stage and appearing at Reston April 7, 2010. Supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Dance Place is a NPN partner of the National Performance Network (NPN). This project is made possible in part by support from the NPN Performance Residency Program. Major contributors of NPN include the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency), the MetLife Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation.

*Youth Dance Project

Time: April 10 at 8pm

Location: The Jack Guidone Theatre – 5207 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $15 general admission, advanced purchase; $20 general admission, at the door; $12 senior citizens & children under 12. Available online at joyofmotion.org.

Dance Project engages young choreographers throughout the DC area by providing a platform to present new works of all styles. Performances will range in styles from hip-hop to modern and jazz.

The performance features choreography by Jasmine Andrews, Carolina Azcuna, Alexandra Ballance, Tricia Brown, Katie Creed, Cecily Lo, Perry Lum, Natalie Pagenstecher, Emma Reeder, Hallie Turner, Nicole Turchi, Leah Valtin-Erwin, Devan Wallace and Kristen Weymouth.

Spring into Art: Dance and Music

Time: April 10th at 7pm

Location: The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) – 545 7th St SE, Washington, DC

Tickets: Suggested contribution of $10 at the door. Info available by phone at 202.547.6839 or online at chaw.org.

The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) is presenting “Spring into Art: Dance and Music” with choreography by Alvin Mayes. This informal, one-hour concert will include two premieres of new works by Mayes, including “Orbiting the Self” and “First Line.” In addition, Soprano Nicole Lamm and Guitarist Jesse Crites will perform a series of Spanish songs including: “Siete Canciones Populares” by Manuel de Falla and several Seguidillas by Fernando Sor.

The concert immediately follows a reception and gallery opening (5:00-7:00 PM) for an unthemed exhibit of mixed media arts by members of the Capitol Hill Art League, a program of CHAW. The mixed media show is juried by Berthold Schmutzhart.

*Shifting Focus

Time: April 10 and 11 at 8pm

Location: American University, Greenburg Theatre – 4200 Wisconsin Ave, Washington, DC

Tickets: More info available online at american.edu.

American University’s annual concert of faculty and student choreographed works, representing fresh and seasoned perspectives on contemporary and classical dance.

Melanie George, Artistic Director. Choreography by Vladimir Angelov, Lauren Christie, Adrienne Clancy, Melanie George, Carolyn Kamrath, and Amanda Smith. Guest Artists: Fidel Garcia and Reggie Glass.

Friday: Post-concert discussion with choreographers, moderated by Peter DiMuro, Director of Dance Metro/DC. Saturday: Post-concert dessert reception

*Actual People: They Don’t Snap Shut

Time: April 10th at 8pm

Location: Joe’s Movement Emporium – 3309 Bunker Hill Rd, Mt Rainier, MD

Tickets: $10 general admission, $5 seniors and kids. For reservations and more info,  call 301.699.1819.

Joe’s Movement Emporium and Dane Performance Group present “Actual People: They Don’t Snap Shut”. Choreography by Nancy Havlik. Dance, live music, and theatre.

*CrossCurrents Dance Company Presents an Evening of Dance

Time: April 11 at 5pm

Location: Nolan Center for Performing Arts on the Campus of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School – 1524 35th St NW, Washington DC

Tickets: $20 suggested donation.

CrossCurrents Dance Company presents an evening of dance including works by Resident Choreographer Tiffany Haughn, Company members Carolyn Kamrath and Colleen Hutchings and guest artist Whitney Fetterhoff.

*Arachne Aerial Arts – Family Day: Lights, Camera, Action!

Time: April 11 at 10:30am, 11:30am & 12:30pm

Location: Corcoran Gallery of Art – 510 17th St NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: FREE. More info available online at corcoran.org.

Arachne Aerial Arts (Andrea Burkholder and Sharon Witting) joins Cirque-Tacular Entertainment and American Magic Lantern Theater for a celebration of art, illusion, light and motion at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Audiences of all ages are invited to express themselves through art-making activities, experience the magic of illusion in the theater and tour the museum’s newest special exhibitions Helios: Eadweard Muybridge in a Time of Change and Turner to Cézanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales.

Performing three times during the day, Arachne Aerial Arts will present one aerial duet from the company’s repertory, followed by ribbon dancing, acrobatics and a 30-minute family theater performance.

Dance on Video: “New Dance, Movement and Animation from Argentina”

Time: April 11 from 3 – 4:30 pm

Location: Ring Auditorium, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden – 7th Street and Independene Ave SW, Washington, DC

Tickets: More info available by phone at 202.633.1240 or online at www.latino.si.edu.

Screenings of the best of Argentine video danza—choreography produced specifically for video. Onstage conversation with the Argentine Secretary of Culture (ASC) Jorge Coscia (confirmation pending) and Silvina Szperling, Director of the Festival Internacional VideoDanzaBA. This program is free and open to the public. Auditorium doors open 30 minutes before the show – Arrive early to ensure a good seat!

Partners: Smithsonian Latino Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Secretariat of Culture of the Nation of Argentina

NOTE: * indicates that these local dance companies/performances are eligible to be nominated for the 2010 Metro DC Dance Awards. Click here to nominate or visit dancemetrodc.org. Nominations are accepted after performances have taken place.

Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre In Concert

Time: March 22 at 7:30pm

Location: Tyler Auditorium, Northern VA Community College – 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria, VA

Tickets: FREE. Parking: $1/hour.  More info available by phone at 703.413.3811 or online at khgdt.org.

KHGDT presents Le Jardin Suspendu to the organ music of Jehan Alain, Baroque Excursions to music by Johan Sebastian Bach, and a preview of the Age of Denishawn which looks at the work of modern dance pioneers Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn in the early 20th century. It is set to a new score by local composer Bill Barner.

*Gesel Mason: Women, Sex & Desire: Sometimes You Feel Like a Ho’, Sometimes You Don’t

Time: March 25-27 at 8pm

Tickets: $37 general; $9 student.  Tickets available online at claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

Location: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center – University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Contains nudity, adult themes and language. Not recommended for children under 18.

Through dance, personal stories and video images, Mason tackles powerful personal and political issues. Women, Sex, and Desire challenges pre-programmed cultural assumptions, examines our belief systems and reflects the struggle, humor and pleasure we encounter as sexual beings — whatever our erotic choices may be. By combining real stories, real people, pop culture, humor and a diverse movement vocabulary ranging from post-modern to hip-hop to pole dancing, Women, Sex, and Desire is at once entertaining, insightful, honest, risky and risqué.

Co-commissioned by the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Join us after each performance for a post-performance Talk Back with the artists.

ColorStruck: With the Skin I’m In!

Time: March 25 at 11:30 (schools, senior citizens, & city officials) and 7pm & March 26 at 7pm

Location: THEARC Theater – 1901 Mississippi Ave, SE, Washington, DC

Tickets: March 25, 11:30 show – $7. Groups of 15 or more must RSVP by March 20.  All 7pm shows – $20 per person, $25 at the door.  Tickets and info available via phone at 202.388.1274 or online at nepag.net.

ColorStruck is a thought provoking dance musical wrapped in the effervescence and energy of the electrifying Northeast Performing Arts Group. How are today’s youth challenged by decades of lack of knowledge? Come experience an educational expression of history, human behavior, images of color and change. See how today’s youth overcome the destructive forces of color bias and create hope for embracing humanity.

This musical embraces the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. challenge to accept people based on the content of their character and NOT by the color of their skin and is told through the eyes of children though dance. Come to be entertained, educated, and uplifted by performers ranging from ages 3 thru 25 years of age.

Dirty Dancing: B’more Style

Time: March 26 – 28 at 8pm

Location:The Annex Theater, 419 E. Oliver Street, Baltimore, MD

Tickets: Reserving tickets ahead of time is recommended but tickets will be available at the door if the show does not sell out. Tickets and info available online at effervescentcollective.org.

Local dance organization celebrates Motown and gettin’ down with new rendition of a dance classic.

Effervescent Collective, a dance collaborative rooted in Charles Village, looks for alternate ways to understand everyday rituals and popular culture while connecting dancers with dance-making opportunities in Baltimore City. A high-spirited and hilarious re-creation of Dirty Dancing that included local musicians, actors, and visual artists fit right into the organization’s profile.

The original plot is left more or less intact, satirizing the archetypal dance film plot also found in Flashdance, Center Stage, and Step Up of dancing-as-good vs dancing-as-evil, establishment vs anti-establishment, romance that transcends class boundaries and the requisite musical montage of training, sweating, and leg warmers.

The Peabody Dance Spring Showcase

Time: March 27 at 7:30pm & March 28 at 3pm

Location: Friedberg Hall, The Peabody Institute

Tickets: $14 adults; $7 students/seniors/groups. Tickets available via the Peabody Box Office at 410.234.4800. More info available online at peabody.jhu.edu.

Presenting new works choreographed by Meredith Rainey, Katherine Morris and Carol Bartlett, with notable guests, including dancers from the Pennsylvania Ballet, and senior Peabody Dance students. The works use music by Beethoven and John Adams, and Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata will be performed live by Peabody Dance pianist Mark Williams for one of the pieces.

Peabody Dance is exceedingly proud of its nine-year association with the Pennsylvania Ballet, developed through Barbara Weisberger, Peabody Dance Artistic Advisor and the founder of the PA Ballet.

Lionel Popkin

Time: March 27 at 8pm & March 28 at 7pm

Location: Dance Place – 3225 8th St. NE, Washington, DC

Tickets: $22 general admission; $17 members, seniors, students, teachers and artists; $8 children (17 and under). Tickets available online at danceplace.org.

The elephant is a rich and contradictory image that choreographer Lionel Popkin puts front and center in There Is An Elephant In This Dance. Set around a human-size elephant costume, Popkin refers to both the obvious and the unspoken—from religious iconography to personal cultural heritage to the arrival of parenthood. The work is an evening-length dance in which choreographer/performer Lionel Popkin is interrupted by and entwined with his own group of dancers as well as local DC dance artists. The piece features original music by Obie and Bessie winning composer/cellist/vocalist Robert Een.

Popkin’s dances are characterized by his blend of humor, subtle sensuality, precision, sly wit, and raw physical power that The Village Voice says, “yields first to the senses” and then to “intimate adventures”. His work comes from a deeply sensory and unabashed kinesthetic curiosity that places vibrant individuals within an imagistic or abstract landscape.

Mary Buckley, George Washington University Professor and former Board Member of Dance Place, will dance the elephant part.

We find ourselves in good company. All of the VelocityDC partners were also selected as finalists in the following categories:

• Excellence in Service to the Arts – Dance/MetroDC
• Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education –  CityDance Ensemble, The Shakespeare Theatre Company, The Washington Ballet and Washington Performing Arts Society

In addition, one of our artists, Helanius J. Wilkins, is a finalist in the Outstanding Emerging Artist category. Wilkins serves as Founder and Artistic Director of EDGEWorks Theater. He and his company performed during VelocityDC 2009.

The Mayor’s Arts Awards are the highest honors conferred by the District of Columbia in recognition of artistic excellence and service among artists, arts organizations, and arts patrons in the city. Congrats to all!

For more details on the finalists, see the official DC Commission on the Arts blog.