Dance: Spring Arts Preview 2019

As the season that sets hearts and hormones racing, spring is an ideal time to indulge in the freedom and spirit of dance, whether sitting back to watch thrilling modern, or thrilling to the beat of Contra-Tiempo’s latest Urban-Latin interactive performance. Whatever your speed, there’s plenty to see throughout the DMV, both from beloved local artists and students, and the hottest talents from around the world.

Enjoy the much-heralded returns of the acclaimed Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company and the American Ballet Theatre, or witness the area debut of vaunted Middle Eastern ensemble Caracalla Dance Theatre. Take your pick from a trove of Tchaikovsky ballets, or tip out for your fill of tap, bhangra, or tango. Step right up — the dance awaits.

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
www.atlasarts.org

• Capital Movement Project — The 14th edition of the Capital Movement Project follows the theme Dance in the Face of…, showcasing styles from tap, jazz, and hip hop to modern and contemporary, in programs that explore overcoming fear and hate by embracing love and hope (3/15-16)

BALLETNOVA CENTER FOR DANCE

Fredgren Studio Theatre
3443 Carlin Springs Rd.
Falls Church, VA
703-778-3008
www.balletnova.org

• Spring Repertory Performance — A program of La Fille Mal Gardée and Martha Graham’s Steps in the Street (5/3-5, Kenmore Middle School, Arlington)
• Pre-School Petite Performance — An imaginative 45-minute program designed to offer the perfect “first ballet” experience for children 5 and under (5/11)
• In-Studio Youth and Teen Performance (6/8)
• Pre-Professional Division Performance — End-of-year program by students in the junior, senior, and conservatory divisions (6/15)
• In-Studio Adult Performance (6/21)

BALTIMORE THEATRE PROJECT

45 West Preston St.
Baltimore, MD
410-752-8558
www.theatreproject.org

• The Collective — In the new evening-length work If/Then, the 17-member, Baltimore-based company of “movers and shakers” examines the social and political impact of personal and life choices, joined for certain performances by special guest artists, including Candace Scarborough, EMpowered Dance Center, and Camille V. Weanquoi (3/22-23)
• Vincent E. Thomas/VTDance — In The Company of…Moving Dialogues aims to surprise and entice audiences with new works and collaborations featuring guest performers Runqiao Du, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Love the Poet, Michael Sakamoto and more (3/30-31)
• Happenstance Theatre — Employing a ’40s aesthetic and live musical score, the Happenstance quintet, and guest Craig Jaster, delve into ancient Greek mythology with Pantheon (4/4-14)
• 10 Hairy Legs — The all-male modern repertory company celebrates Gay Pride, and continues its mission “to advance the understanding of the male role in dance,” by serving up a program that includes works Brian, Friends of Dorothy, and Andy Warhol’s Bleu Movie (6/20-21)

BOWEN MCCAULEY DANCE COMPANY

703-910-5175
www.bmdc.org

• 10th Annual MOVE ME Festival — Over 20 local artists and dance groups, including Prio Bangla, Inc, Encore Stage and Studio, Old Dominion Cloggers, Joy of Motion Dance Center, and The Arlingtones, and more gather for an afternoon of performances and workshops (3/16, Kenmore Middle School)
• BMDC presented with National Chamber Ensemble (5/4, Gunston Arts Center)
• BMDC Spring Performance (5/17-18, The Kennedy Center)

BY THE PEOPLE FESTIVAL

202-796-4240
www.halcyonhouse.org/by-the-people

The 2nd annual installment of this international arts and dialogue festival that focuses on the themes of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness will be curated by Jessica Stafford Davis, founder of online multicultural arts platform The Agora Culture. Events to be announced (6/15-23, Various Venues)

CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT

Sidney Harman Hall
610 F St. NW
202-499-2297
www.chamberdance.org

• New Works + — World premieres of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Rondo Ma Non Troppo and the literary takeoff Prufrock, co-conceived and directed by company Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning and theatre director Matt Torney, highlight a program also featuring Coburn Bruning’s works Songs by Cole and Journey, plus the Washington premiere of Spanish choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo’s evocative duet Extremely Close, set to a score by Philip Glass (6/20-22)

CHRISTOPHER K. MORGAN & ARTISTS

Dance Place
3225 8th St. NE
www.christopherkmorgan.com

• Season Performance at Dance Place — A powerful evening of mixed repertory, featuring works choreographed by Morgan and other artists in which the contemporary company’s “athletic, expressive dancers embody his sinuous and precise movement vocabulary” (4/27-28)

CITYDANCE

301-581-5204
www.citydance.net

• CityDance DREAM Gala — Annual show-stopping event that brings together renowned dancers and companies from around the world in a performance benefiting CityDance’s DREAM tuition-free dance program for students from underserved D.C. neighborhoods (5/11, Lincoln Theatre)

THE CLARICE

Dance Theatre
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
301-405-ARTS
www.theclarice.umd.edu

• Second Season: Shared Graduate Dance Concert — An eclectic collection of works featuring provocative choreography by MFA in Dance students (3/29-30)
• NextLook: Tarik O’Meally — Performed to a haunting musical score, Night Light offers an investigation of what our innermost monsters represent (4/4-5, Joe’s Movement Emporium, Mt. Rainier, MD)
• Dynamic Dance Team: Rip The Floor 2019 — Annual hip-hop dance competition/showcase (4/6, Dekelboum Concert Hall)
• Dancenorth/Lucy Guerin Inc. — Part of the Year of Immigration series, Attractor combines influences from both Indonesian folk ritual idioms and western metal bands for a cross-cultural collaboration between companies Dancenorth and Lucy Guerin, and Indonesian music duo Senyawa (5/4, Kay Theatre)
• UMoves: Undergraduate Dance Concert (5/10-12)

DANCE PLACE

3225 8th St. NE
202-269-1600
www.danceplace.org

• CONTRA-TIEMPO — Led by Artistic Director Ana Maria Alvarez, the L.A.-based company invites audiences to participate in Alvarez’s newest “Urban-Latin” dance theatre work with sound by d. Sabela grimes and songs by Las Cafeteras (3/15-16)
• DC Casineros Social — A late-night dance party for those eager to try out popular Cuban dance moves (3/22-23)
• Ananya Dance Theatre — Choreographer Ananya Chatterjea’s Shaatranga: At the Edge of New Worlds explores relationships among global south communities linked by ancient Indian Ocean trade routes (3/30-31)
• Farafina Kan — Local drum and dance outfit, praised by the Post for their “tight ensemble work and fierce energy,” offers a performance to transport cultural enthusiasts to West Africa (4/6-7)
• Kista Tucker Insights — KTI presents a concert featuring Tucker’s distinctive new works, The Factory Project, reflecting the story of a community within the confines of a factory, and Pitted Post, WY, which elicits the essence of rural Wyoming (4/13-14)
• Heart Stück Bernie & DancEthos — Inaugural Dance Place Artist-in-Residence Sarah Beth Oppenheim premieres new works combining the heart and soul of DancEthos and her own company Heart Stück Bernie (5/4-5)
• NEXTgeneration Showcase — Dance Place’s Kids on the Move students perform African, ballet, tap, hip-hop, step, and more (5/11)
• New Releases Choreographers Showcase — Annually curated showcase featuring some of the best new works by established and emerging choreographers, including 2018 New Releases Commission recipient Jamal Abrams (5/18)
• DanceAfrica, DC 2019 — The 32nd annual festival celebrating the dance, music, and spirit of the African Diaspora, with Mama Sylvia Soumah as Griot, myriad African dance companies, a master class series, free outdoor activities, and an African Marketplace (5/28-6/2)
• Dance Exchange — Science meets modern dance in A Sense of Wonder, an evening of mixed repertory by Elizabeth Johnson, Cassie Meador, and Keith Thompson (6/22-23)
• Global Current: US/Russia — In partnership with Art Omi, this evening of two duets presents collaborations between American and Russian modern dance artists Stephanie Miracle and Anna Shchkleina in Paper Piece, and Gabrielle Revlock & Aleksandr Frolov in Show No Show
• DC Casineros Social (7/5-6)
• Emerging Tap Dance Choreographers’ Showcase — Special guests Capital Tap and District Tap lace up their shoes to debut emerging choreographers’ new works in this showcase highlighting the art of tap dance in its contemporary form (7/13-14)
• John Scott Dance & Guests — Ireland’s John Scott Dance marks the centennial celebration of dance legend Merce Cunningham with two remounted repertory works from Cunningham’s early period, Totem Ancestor and Night Wandering, alongside choreography by Scott (7/27-28)
• Energizers Creative Arts Camp Concert 2018 (8/1-2)

DANCE LOFT ON 14

4618 14th St. NW 2nd Floor
202-621-3670
www.danceloft.org

• Pass the Peace & Dance Urban Showcase — Annual performance presented by BMore Houseful showcasing the best and upcoming soloists, dance crews, dance companies and schools that support Urban dance culture (4/28)

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Concert Hall
4373 Mason Pond Drive
Fairfax, VA
888-945-2468
www.cfa.gmu.edu

• Shen Yun — Only this New York-based troupe maintains the tradition of performing classical Chinese dance, one of the world’s oldest art forms, presented with patented scenographic effects and an original orchestral score (3/12-14)
• Tu Bhi Nachle — A classical-fusion dance competition held between collegiate dance teams from all across the nation (3/16, Harris Theatre)
• 2019 Mason Dance Company Gala Concert — The Mason Dance School’s season-crowning event features works by guest choreographers Nacho Duato, currently artistic director of the Berlin State Ballet, Andonis Foniadakis, who has collaborated with many ballet companies worldwide as both dancer and choreographer, and Lucinda Childs, an American postmodern dancer/choreographer and actress (3/29-30)
• Russian National Ballet — Dancing the choreography of ballet master Marius Petipa, under the direction of Elena Radchenko, the famed company performs Giselle one night, and Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky’s score, the next (4/6-7)
• Spring New Dances — Presenting the next generation of contemporary choreographers (4/11-13, Harris Theatre)
• Parsons Dance — The internationally celebrated, New York-based modern ensemble founded by David Parsons and Howell Binkley continues to spread the joy of dance (4/20)
• Dance Innovations Spring — New work by emerging choreographers (5/3-4, Harris Theatre)

GW LISNER

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

• Bhangra Blowout 26 — In its 26th year, this intercollegiate bhangra dance competition features eight teams vying for the championship (4/6)
• Rhythmaya Annual Dance Showcase: Disney Meets Dance — Over 250 students join the Rhythmaya Dance Company for a journey bridging east and west via the unique influences of Indian music, culture, and costumes, and the magic of Disney (4/7)

HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Merchant Hall
10960 George Mason Circle
Manassas, VA
703-993-7759
www.hyltoncenter.org

• 2019 Mason Dance Company Gala Concert — The Mason Dance School’s season-crowning event (3/31)
• Russian National Ballet — Dancing under the direction of Elena Radchenko, the famed company performs Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet Swan Lake (4/5)
• Asaph Dance Ensemble — The company ushers in New Beginnings with original choreography “that will awaken your heart and inspire your life!” (4/14)
• Virginia National Ballet — Taking on both Bizet’s Carmen and The Eagles, the VNA presents Life in the Fast Lane, a program featuring a dance tribute to the “Hotel California” hitmakers, followed by a one-act ballet spin through Bizet’s classic opera (4/28)
• The Northern Virginia Ballet — The NVB imported Russian sets for this lush, family-friendly performance of Coppelia (5/5)
• Manassas Ballet Theatre — Featuring accompaniment by Manassas Ballet Theatre Orchestra, the ensemble essays its version of the timeless fairy tale ballet The Sleeping Beauty, set to Tchaikovsky’s score (5/17-19)
• The Northern Virginia Ballet — The NVB imported Russian sets for its lush, family-friendly performance of Coppelia (5/26)
• Virginia National Ballet — The students of Virginia National Ballet perform a variety of dance and musical selections (6/1)

JANE FRANKLIN DANCE

Theatre on the Run
3700 S. Four Mile Run Drive
Arlington, VA
703-933-1111
www.janefranklin.com

• EyeSoar — A program highlighting landscapes near the ensemble’s Theatre on the Run homebase in a non-gentrified Arlington neighborhood (4/27, 5/4)
• Complete Dogness — Incorporating spoken word, movement, and music, the focus is on new puppy Barky and his ability to learn new tricks (4/27, 5/4)
• SOAR — A performance of EyeSoar, preceded by a reception and silent auction, and followed by fun at nearby New District Brewing Company (5/11)

JOY OF MOTION DANCE CENTER

Jack Guidone Theater
5207 Wisconsin Ave. NW
202-399-6763
www.joyofmotion.org

• 10th Annual MOVE ME Festival — Joy of Motion joins over 20 local artists and dance groups for an afternoon of performances and workshops (3/16, Kenmore Middle School)
• Classical Repertory Dance Ensemble — 2019 Spring Concert with a diverse program of new and re-staged classical and contemporary ballet works (3/23-24)
• Spilling Ink and Sharanya — Performance of transcend•dance features solo classical Indian dance works exhibiting unique characteristics of personal connections and relationships (3/30-31)
• AU in Motion Concert (4/6-7)
• UpRooted Dance — A site-specific installation and dance performance are just two components of The Legacy Project-Our Lives of Consumption and Waste (4/28, Brookside Gardens, Wheaton)

KENNEDY CENTER

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

• Akiko Kitamura — In Cross Transit, international choreographer and dancer Akiko Kitamura transforms into movement the history of folk culture in Cambodia as captured by photographer Kim Hak (3/19, Terrace Theater)
• Bon Iver and TU Dance — New evening-length performance Come Through features new music from Justin Vernon, of indie folk band Bon Iver, and new choreography from TU Dance (3/25, Concert Hall)
• Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company — Choreographed by Artistic Director and Kennedy Center Honoree Bill T. Jones and Associate Artistic Director Janet Wong, the company makes its return to Kennedy Center in Analogy, three separate evening-length works that delve into the voice of the marginalized in our society, exploring identity, migration, survival, and family (3/28-30, Eisenhower Theater)
• DEMO: Now by Damian Woetzel — The former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer turned director, choreographer, producer, and president of The Juilliard School curates and hosts a program featuring a world premiere by acclaimed choreographer John Heginbotham, among other new works (3/29-30, Terrace)
• Phantom Limb Company — Created in collaboration with butoh dancer Dai Matsuoka, Falling Out addresses the Fukushima nuclear disaster, exploring our changing relationship to nature over time (4/4-5, Terrace)
• Shen Yun — An epic production of classical Chinese dance immersing viewers in stories reaching back to the most distant past (4/17-21, Opera House)
• Lucky Plush — Lucky Plush Productions makes its Kennedy Center debut with Rooming House, a surprisingly humorous dance/theater “whodunit” that marries intimate conversations among friends with the tragic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (5/2-4, Terrace)
• Pan American Symphony Orchestra — Under the direction of Maestro Sergio Alessandro Buslje, PASO presents its signature tango show Eternal Tango, featuring 30 musicians, Latin Grammy-winner Rodolfo Zanetti on bandoneon, two pairs of international tango dancers, and introducing direct from Buenos Aires, Pablo Estigarribia on piano (5/12, Terrace)

THE MEYERHOFF

1212 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, MD
410-783-8000
www.bsomusic.org

• Cirque Goes Hollywood — Troupe Vertigo brings Hollywood flair and extraordinary athletic artistry to the Pops stage, with the group’s acrobats, aerialists, jugglers, and more teaming up with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to dazzle with a program set to the music of Hollywood’s hottest hits (4/4-7)

PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE

5445 Landover Rd.
Cheverly, Md.
301-277-1710
www.pgparks.com

• World Dance Showcase — Annual event celebrating the diversity of the D.C. area will feature colorful costumes and authentic music (3/30)
• Dallas Black Dance Theatre — The DBDT returns with a new program of modern, jazz, and spiritual dance by celebrated choreographers planned especially for the “Sassy Seniors” of the Publick Playhouse (4/25-28)

STRATHMORE

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

• Pilobolus — Internationally renowned dance company Pilobolus invites audiences to engage with childlike wonder at a show featuring classic and brand-new repertory, ranging from the silly to the surreal to the sublime (7/9)

THE WASHINGTON BALLET

202-362-3606
www.washingtonballet.org

• beerballet&bubbly — The Jeté Society hosts one of the Ballet’s popular behind-the-scenes series, which allows patrons to see a working rehearsal of an upcoming production followed by a cocktail reception (3/29, England Studio)
• Three World Premieres — An evening of new, never-been-seen ballets by choreographers Dana Genshaft, Trey McIntyre, and Ethan Stiefel (4/3-7, Sidney Harman Hall)
• SE Spring Performance — This year’s program begins with Class Concert, a TWSB faculty collaboration featuring choreography by Xiomara Reyes to music by Johann Strauss, and closes with the ballet Don Quixote staged by Reyes and Rinat Imaev (5/17-18, THEARC)
• NW Spring Performance — An encore performance of Class Concert, followed by Don Quixote (5/18-19, THEARC)

WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

20 W. Patrick St.
Frederick, Md.
301-600-2828
www.weinbergcenter.org

• The Golden Dragon Acrobats — Regarded as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company featuring awe-inspiring movement, traditional dance, spectacular costumes, ancient and contemporary music, and an overall theatricality of breathtaking skill and spellbinding beauty (3/28)

WOLF TRAP

Filene Center
1551 Trap Road
Vienna, Va.
703-255-1900
www.wolftrap.org

• Caracalla Dance Theatre — The renowned ensemble from the Middle East makes its Wolf Trap debut with the grand musical and balletic trilogy One Thousand and One Night Nights, taking audiences on a majestic journey to a far away and magical land, featuring music from Rimsky-Korsakov’s acclaimed Scheherazade and Ravel’s timeless Boléro (6/12)
• American Ballet Theatre — ABT performs the quintessential ballet Swan Lake, featuring the corps de ballet moving in magical unison as the majestic, glimmering swans (7/11-13)
  For more Spring Arts Dance listings, please visit www.metroweekly.com or follow our new interactive version of the print edition at www.issuu.com/metroweekly.