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Category / Dance Reviews

What’s Up With Those Chairs? Company | E at Atlas INTERSECTIONS by Ashayla Byrd

A sculpture of grey office chairs sits piled at the center of the Sprenger Theater; the curtains are wide open. Their arrangement, though intentional, looks haphazard and disheveled. The stark, white spotlight shining down on them creates an eerie feeling, at least for me. The pile is flanked by two handheld, industrial lights. I enter this experience feeling intrigued. Given the job market and the political sphere, the sight of more than two desk chairs in any locality just skeeves me out. I know that I am about to witness Company | E, but what’s the deal with these chairs? 

The Breeze and The Sunbeam: How Two Friends Made Halo-Halo by Ashayla Byrd

Jadyn is a gentle breeze that compels blades of grass to sway, nudging crisp dewdrops down from the blades’ tips toward thirsty soil. We interned together at Dance Place in northeast DC before I went full-time. A Dickinson College alum, they were probably one of the only people I knew that could tastefully rock a mullet. A calm, soothing spirit, they handled Dance Place’s constantly energetic kids like an expert kitten-wrangler. 

Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary! – Furia Flamenca at Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival by Ashayla Byrd

I am only mildly embarrassed to share that my first and most significant frame of reference for flamenco dancing came from Esméralda’s character in Disney’s animated film adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This was based on a book originally published in 1831 by Victor Hugo. At a young age, and for reasons unbeknownst to me, I understood Quasimodo, the titular character, and his enchantment with Esméralda. A French Roma dancer, Esméralda’s dazzling smile, hypnotic movement, tambourine, and ferocious pursuit of justice enamored me.

Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company by Sylvana Christopher

I arrived at Woolly Mammoth Theater (641 D St. NW for future reference) in the nick of time for their inaugural residency, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company presents three signature works for audiences to simmer: Leaving Pusan, Becoming American and Hyphen. I am proud that I was a student of Burgess while studying at The Washington School of Ballet. My family have long been fans of Burgess, noting the company’s commitment to crafting refined dances informed by a keenly observant cultural lens. 

American Ballet Theatre : Crime and Punishment at the Kennedy Center by Jacqueline Akhmedova

"Crime and Punishment" by Fyodor Dostoevsky is profoundly steeped in Russian psychology and the concept of the soul's debt. Dostoevsky embarks on an intricate journey through the moral and psychological struggles of his characters, vividly portraying their internal conflicts and the profound effects of their actions on their souls.

I’ve Been Here Before…Or Have I? Alvin Ailey at The Kennedy Center by Ashayla Byrd

I’ve been here before. At the age of 25–which is 50 in dancer years–Ailey isn’t new to me anymore. It wasn’t until I sat down to write this review that I realized I reviewed one of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts at this exact time last year. This year, I am joined by my partner, someone who is quite bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when it comes to all things dance. Taking a page from her book, I decided to come into this performance with somewhat fresh eyes. 
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