NEWS & REVIEWS
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Crossing Boundaries at Glen Echo Park by Luella Christopher
In this multi-purpose venue adjacent to the Potomac River, the outside air couldn’t have blasted any hotter (at least since last summer’s Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in DC) as an auspicious crew of choreographers joined forces again, bringing some new yet some returning faces to perform a kaleidoscope of premieres. The matinee that I attended was noteworthy…
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After you leave this, I hope you are better – Ashayla Byrd reflects on Chitra Subramanian at Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival
“I brought you this from home. I hope that’s okay,” she offers. The ever-prepared mother that she is, her coffee-filled thermos, two cups, cream, and sugar offer me warm, liquid respite from the biting cold of a DC morning in early February. I am in a coffee era at present, and this homemade cup of…
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The Washington Ballet announces its 2025/2026 Performance Season!
The Washington Ballet has announced it’s 25/26 season, and Dancing in the District is happy to report we have been welcomed to return and review!
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Come On In, It’s Hard Outside – New Releases Choreographers Showcase at Dance Place by Ashayla Byrd
Spring has sprung, and I already have whiplash. Choruses of birds harmonize with the rising of the morning sun. Wandering eyes and perspiring bodies search for the perfect, shaded space to lay out their blankets and break bread with those they hold dear. The girls, gays, theys, and their company–freshly outside, equipped with glitter, and…
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Alice by The Washington Ballet at Capital One Hall by Luella Christopher
Capital One Hall bristled with excitement as theatergoers entered in fancy clothes, crowns, and a few rabbit ears for the Saturday noon matinee of ALICE, the creation of Washington Ballet director and choreographer Edwaard Liang. An ambitious visual and dramatic spectacle pummeled the audience, despite characters and a plot line not always easy to follow…
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The April 5th “Hands Off!” protest in Washington, D.C.
We were on site for the April 5th “Hands off!” protest in Washington, D.C.! The crowds were great, and people were still coming in when we had to leave. Resist!
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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…