Metro Weekly

Dance

Fall Arts Preview 2008


CLARICE SMITH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

University of Maryland
College Park, Md.
301-405-ARTS
www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

· Tie Shopping with My Father — Kathrine Iacono’s father was a wrestling coach for 40 years in New Jersey, and wrestling has played a significant role in her life. In considering the many manifestations of movement, and its expression in human interactions, she naturally gravitated to the sport, in which movement is as distilled and focused as anything the dance world has to offer. Her new work explores character, sport, human relationships and her own history (9/25-9/26)
· Take Five: Shane O’Hara Solo Dance — ”The Nagrin Project” is a concert of five stunning dances by modern dance master Daniel Nagrin as performed by national solo dance artist O’Hara (9/30)
· David Dorfman Dance — In underground, a multimedia riot of the senses, Dorfman explores the boundaries between activism and terrorism (11/6-11/7)
· 2009 Choreographer’s Showcase — The Clarice Smith Center partners once again with Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to present outstanding contemporary dance from the region. Showcasing six up-and-coming young choreographers (1/31/09)
· David Roussève/Reality Saudade — With equal parts wild humor and grit, Saudade incorporates theater and dance to intermingle stories of the history of African Americans in the southern United States, contemporary and traditional Portuguese Fado music and the exquisite dynamics of an international cast of dancers (2/5-2/6/09)
· Joe Goode Performance Group — In Wonderboy, his new collaboration with master puppeteer Basil Twist, Goode adds another intriguing layer to his innovative cross-disciplinary work. With music by Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi, this remarkable collaboration entwines Twist’s magical puppetry with the Joe Goode Performance Group’s method of storytelling through text, song and dance. Not recommended for children under 18 (5/1-5/2/09)

DAKSHINA DANCE CO.

www.dakshina.org

· Free Performance — Part of the Harman Center for the Arts Lunchtime Series (10/1, Harman Hall, 610 F St. NW)
· Concert for Peace — Sitar concert by Alif Laila (10/5)
· Free Performance — At the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (10/11, 545 Seventh St. SE)
· Indian Festival — Appearing with guest performers The Dhananjayans and Mallika Sarabhai. Dakshina will perform new works by Aniruddh Vasudevan (10/25-10/26, Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW)

DANCE PLACE

3225 Eighth St. NE
202-269-1600
www.danceplace.org

Pure, a Tribute to Hip-Hop Legend Rennie Harris — The season opening fundraiser features a reception and silent auction from 7 to 8 p.m., followed by a performance by Harris and the Dance Place Step Team (9/13)
· Eiko and KomaHunger is the duo’s newest work, created and performed in collaboration with Cambodian visual artists Chakreya So (Charian) and Setheap Sorn (Peace). The work includes an onstage ”action painting” where the artists paint large canvases during each performance (9/20-9/21)
· Dance DC Festival — As part of this citywide, three-day festival, Dance Place hosts a family-friendly performance featuring companies from around the region free of charge (9/27)
· El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea de El Salvador — Directed by Miya Hisaka Silva, the company presents a powerful and elegant contemporary repertory reflecting on poignant Central American issues with an expressive and exuberant style (10/4-10/5)
· Devi Dance Theater — Premiering its new work Mandala (10/11-10/12)
· Alvin Mayes — Featuring new collaborations with Jan Taylor, the University of Maryland Dance Ensemble, Maryland Youth Ballet, Tommy Parlon Dance and Not What You Think vocal ensemble (10/18-10/19)
· A Peace of Daheart — Conceived, written and directed by Diallo A. Sumbry, the show takes the internal battle of an African-American male struggling to find his own identity and personal connection with God on the eve of his birthday and creates a delightful, thought provoking, hilarious and artistically clever stage presentation. For mature audiences only (11/1-11/2)
· EDGEWORKS Dance Theater — D.C.’s all-male contemporary dance ensemble will perform Helanius J. Wilkins’s the determining factor, a multi-media work that examines and explores gender, sexuality and spirituality as well as an adaptation of Gotham Suite that was created for and performed by the Negro Dance Theatre in 1955 (11/7-11/9)
· Moving Higher: Dance Place’s College Festival — Dance students at George Mason University, George Washington University, Howard University, Goucher College and more will show what sets each school’s dance program apart from others. The groups will be performing choreography from guest artists, university faculty and student choreographers (11/15-11/16)
· Carla & Co. — Performances by Dance Place founder Carla Perlo, featuring guest artist Emily Crews (11/22-11/23)
· Tehreema Mitha Dance Company — While based in classical Indian dance, TMDC brings centuries-old technique into the present with a new approach to thematic material and exciting multi-layered choreography (12/6-12/7)
· Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble — The group brings its acclaimed repertoire of percussive dances such as clogging, Irish and Canadian stepdancing and tap (12/13-12/14)
· Urban Foli — Founded and directed by Menes Yahudah, the troupe is an eclectic mix of traditional West African music, jazz, funk, hip-hop, spoken word, dance and truth (12/20-12/21)
· LEVYdance — A selection of pieces (1/3-1/4/09)
· KanKouran West African Dance Company — An annual performance in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. (1/17-1/18/09)
· Karen Reedy Dance — Performing a variety of the company’s lush and musical repertory, including Sleepwalking, which explores the infinite possibilities of the magical world of sleep and dreams (1/31/09)
· DANCEVERT — World-class dancers and choreographers Susana Weingarten and Tom Evert offer a profound program rife with kinetic excitement, dramatic power and artistic beauty (2/13-2/15/09)
· Black Expressions: Hip Hop Festival — This heart-pumping festival features Capitol Movement Project and artists from the D.C. metro area. Here is an opportunity to see what the local hip-hop scene is all about (2/20-22/09)
· Washington Reflections Dance Company — Choreographer Whitney Hunter premieres Bronzeville, the second installment in his Great Migration series. Set to period music out of the spiritual, blues and jazz music traditions, as well as audio and visual documentation about the experience, Bronzeville communicates the desperation, passion and optimism of the people who endured this great American exodus (2/28-3/1/09)
· VTDance — In Witness, the award-winning choreographer explores simple truths in human behaviors and implied truths in human documents from the Pledge of Allegiance to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (3/21-22/09)
· Tania Isaac Dancestuporwoman is an operatic and humorous fairytale of motherhood and parenting in the 21st century featuring the stunning, vibrant movement style of St. Lucia-born choreographer Issac (4/4-4/5/09)
· Keo Woolford — Stunning and definant, I Land is acclaimed actor and hula dancer Woolford’s moving search for the meaning of heritage in a postmodern world. In this semi-autobiographical journey, Woolford discovers his identity as a Hawaiian while he navigates the many worlds where hula lives, from backyard parties, to Hollywood kitsch, to the realm of the sacred (5/2-5/3/09)
· Dakshina Dance Co. — The company premieres two works in celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Month (5/9-5/10/09)
· Cassie Meador — Heavily influenced by her deep Georgia roots, Meador was inspired to create Drift when she saw how a plot of land in her Augusta hometown changed from a farm to a strip mall to a Piggly Wiggly supermarket to a place of worship (6/27-6/28/09)

JANE FRANKLIN DANCE

www.janefranklin.com

· Breaking Ground — dance/video/skateboard performance with the street-style and round wall elements (9/20, Powhatan Springs Park, Arlington)
· Elected! (9/27, Woolly Mammoth Theater Co.)
· The Music Made Me Do It — Low End String Quartet and other live music performances (11/6, 11/8, TJ Community Theater, Arlington)
· Incidence — A dance/music/installation art ”chance” performance (12/4-14, Mead Theatre Lab at Flashpoint)

JOY OF MOTION

202-362-3042
www.joyofmotion.org

· Inside Out: Joy of Motion on Stage — Celebrating 32 years of serving the greater Washington area, Joy of Motion Dance Center leaps out of the studio and onto the stage to present its annual dance concert where art and community come together (10/18, Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE)
· Fall Youth Company Concert (11/22-11/23, Greenberg Theatre, 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW)
· Dance Project — Joy of Motion’s biannual Choreographer Showcase, featuring the latest works of established and emerging choreographers from throughout the region (12/6-12/7, Jack Guidone Theatre, 5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW)
· Fall Adult Performance Class Showcase (12/13-12/14, Guidone)

THE KENNEDY CENTER

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet
The Suzanne Farrell Ballet’s Bonnie Pickard and Michael Cook perform in ‘Stars and Stripes’
(Photo by Carol Pratt)

2700 F St. NW
202-467-4600
www.kennedy-center.org

· The Suzanne Farrell Ballet — Seven performances in the newly renovated Eisenhower Theater are scheduled. The company continues its work on the Balanchine Preservation Initiative, re-mounting the pas de deux from Balanchine’s Ragtime. They will also perform Liebeslieder Walzer and Episodes in collaboration with Ballet Austin. The company will also present ”The Balanchine Couple,” an evening highlighting Balanchine’s art of pas de deux, with onstage narration from Suzanne Farrell (10/8-10/12, Eisenhower)
· Bangarra Dance Theater — One of Australia’s innovative dance companies, Bangarra blends traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture with international contemporary dance (10/15-10/16, Eisenhower)
· Shen Wei Dance Arts — If there is something to write home about in the dance world, it is the startlingly imaginative work of the Chinese-born choreographer Shen Wei. The company, in the third of its five-year Kennedy Center partnership, will perform repertory pieces Map and Re- (10/29-10/30, Eisenhower)

The Joffrey Ballet's 'The Nutcracker'
The Joffrey Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’
(Photo by Sasha Fornari)


· San Francisco Ballet — The 75-year-old company performs Helgi Tomasson’s critically-acclaimed Giselle, as well as an evening of mixed repertory (11/25-11/30, Opera House)
· The Joffrey BalletThe Nutcracker (12/11-12/14, Opera House)
· Kirov Ballet — The company will perform Petipa’s classic Don Quixote (1/13-1/18/09, Opera House)
· Limón Dance Company — Celebrating the 100th anniversary of José Limón’s birth, the company will present a program of the choreographer’s seminal works, including The Traitor, Psalm and Suite from a Choreographic Offering (1/16-1/17/09, Eisenhower)
· Mark Morris Dance Group — Three performances of Mozart Dances, with The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra (1/29-1/31/09, Eisenhower)
· Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater — The company will perform a diverse repertory of Ailey classics as well as new works by today’s most outstanding and innovative African-American choreographers. Opening night will feature a collaboration between the company and the a cappella group Sweet Honey In The Rock (2/3-2/8/09, Opera House)
· American Ballet Theatre — The acclaimed company will perform two programs, including Swan Lake, and mixed repertory, including Twyla Tharp’s Brief Fling and the premiere of George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante (2/17-2/22/09, Opera House)
· New York City Ballet — Three programs, featuring Balanchine’s Vienna Waltzes, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Chaconne and Symphony in Three Movements, as well as the Jerome Robbins-Twyla Tharp collaboration Brahms/Handel (3/4-3/8/08, Opera House)
· Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company — The company will present Jones’ newest work, A Quarreling Pair, a richly textured theatrical adventure (3/24-3/25/09, Eisenhower)
· Paul Taylor Dance Company — Performing a mixed repertory program: two new works, De Sueños and De Sueños que se Repiten, as well as Mercuric Tidings (3/28-3/29/09, Eisenhower)
· Bolshoi Ballet — The company will perform Le Corsaire, the only North American performances of this critically acclaimed work (6/16-6/21/09, Opera House)
· The Royal Ballet — The company will present a mixed repertory including Frederick Ashton’s A Month in the Country, Christopher Wheeldon’s DVG and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. The company will also present Macmillan’s full-length Manon (6/23-6/29/09, Opera House)

LISNER AUDITORIUM AT GWU

Dana Tai Soon
Dana Tai Soon

730 21st St. NW
202-994-6800
www.lisner.org

· Sayat Nova Dance Company — This Boston company presents a visually stunning two-hour performance, showcasing the excitement and energy that defines this Armenian dance company (9/27)
· Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company — The premiere of Burgess’ Exploring the Hyphen, a piece that ”looks at the experience of being a hyphenated American-Asian Americans but also other ethnic Americans and multi-racial Americans-and whether the hyphen connects or separates” (10/24)

MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane
Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
www.strathmore.org

· Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana — The story of Navidad Flamenca may seem familiar, but the cast of characters is refreshingly new (11/30)
· BSO SuperPops: Cirque de la Symphonie — Cirque meets symphony in this dazzling performance. Aerial feats, strongmen, mind-boggling contortionists and juggling acts as the BSO performs orchestral hits (2/5/09)
· Marin Alsop and Savion Glover — BSO conductor Marin Alsop and tap trailblazer Savion Glover collaborate with the BSO to bring a rhythmic and electrifying experience, as Glover’s own choreography and improvisation transform classics by Bernstein, Barber, John Adams and jazz compose James P. Johnson (2/13/09)
· Nrityagram Dance Ensemble — In its ashram-like compound in the Indian countryside, this stunning company eats, sleeps, and breathes classical dance — and their passion shines in every exquisitely polished move (2/13/09)
·

THE WASHINGTON BALLET

Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet

202-362-3606
www.washingtonballet.org

· Genius2 — Featuring works by renowned living choreographers at the vanguard of contemporary dance. Scheduled: Twyla Tharp’s jazz Baker’s Dozen; Mark Morris’ Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes; and Wheeldon’s Morphoses (10/22-10/26, Eisenhower Theater)
· The Nutcracker — Septime Webre’s take on the classic with George Washington as the Nutcracker and England’s King George II as the Rat King (12/11-12/28, Warner Theatre)
· Highland Fling — August Bournonville’s masterpiece La Sylphide is paired with Lila York’s exuberant hit Celts, set to music by The Chieftans (2/11-2/15/09, Eisenhower)
· Peter Pan –– Webre choreographs this timeless coming-of-age tale (4/1-4/9/09, Eisenhower)
· Rocketman — Set to the music of Elton John, with choreography by Webre (5/13-5/17/09, Harman Hall)
·

WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOCIETY

202-833-9800
www.wpas.org

· Savion Glover — With Bare Soundz, Glover merges acoustic syncopations with jazz music. Joined on stage by tap masters Marshall Davis Jr. and Mourice Chestnut, as well as live jazz musicians, Glover uses explosive body language and captivating stage presence to take tap to new dimensions (10/16-10/17, Warner Theater)
· Hispanic Dance Festival — Performances by five local Latin dance companies: D.C. Casineros, Maru Montero Dance Company, Sharna Fabiano Tango Company, Spanish Dance Society and Ziva’s Spanish Dance Ensemble (10/25, Atlas Performing Arts Center)
· MOMIX — Known internationally for presenting work of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of famed choreographer Moses Pendleton, who also co-founded Pilobolus (2/21/09, Warner)

Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism

These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!