NEWS & REVIEWS
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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…
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Kelly King and Keira Hart-Mendoza lead new Dance Protest on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
Kelly King (@kellyakakk); and Keira Hart-Mendoza organized (@uprooteddance) and choreographed a dancing protest on March 1 5th on the reflecting pool. People joined and the weather wasy foggy, but the dancers danced on!
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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…
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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…
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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…
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So you’ve decided to boycott the Kennedy Center…
I know it wasn’t an easy decision, but, you’re doing the right thing. Don’t worry, it’s natural to question whether or not this is, in fact, the right thing. Sometimes, even doing the right thing brings with it collateral damage, both internally and externally. It’s especially difficult when the right thing directly affects those you…
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Kelly King and Keira Hart-Mendoza Lead Dance Protest of the Kennedy Center
Respected and highly accomplished dance artists/activists Kelly King and Keira Hart-Mendoza organized and choreographed a dancing protest on Monday, the 17th on the Kennedy Center grounds. About 50 local dancers and community members showed up in the 40-ish degree wind in response to the recent takeover of the Kennedy Center by the Trump administration. While…
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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.
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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…
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Kennedy Center issues statement on Trump post
Donald trump took to Truth Social on Friday, February 2nd to make some bold claims regarding the presentations, goals, and leadership of the Kennedy Center. Only a month into his 4 years, this continues Trump’s patterns of claims of hostel and illegal takeovers under the guise of salvation for the American People. The Kennedy Center…
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Nejla Yatkin at CenterStage by Sylvana Christopher
I jumped at the chance to see and review Nejla Yatkin’s latest work; “The Other Witch”. Yatkin is a maverick in many art fields. A visionary, Yatkin fashions theatrical dance work that is revelatory and iconoclastic. She partnered with Reston Community Center which holds a sizable space with an intimate theater, dance studio, woodshop, swimming…
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Philadelphia Ballet’s George Balanchine Nutcracker at The Kennedy Center by Sylvana Christopher
Nothing quite captures the holiday spirit like The Nutcracker, and the Philadelphia Ballet’s Balanchine Nutcracker directed by Angel Corella at The Kennedy Center is a must-see. Conducted by Beatrice Jona Affron, The Kennedy Center Orchestra and Arlington Children’s Chorus provide a stunning accompaniment to the ballet. The flawless ensemble production stars Dayesi Torriente as Sugar…