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Tag / Ashayla Byrd

Jane Raleigh X Sona Kharatian of The Washington Ballet

Dancing in the District presents an evening with Sona Kharatian! Enjoy a special presentation of former dancer of The Washington Ballet principal dancer and dark-eyed slayer of souls, Sona Kharatian! In this interview, Sona talks to the incomparable Jane Raleigh about her storied ballet career, her family dance lineage and more!

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 energy and comfort hit the spot.  “Of course, it is. You are too kind,” I say, taken with–yet unsurprised by–her thoughtfulness. In the common area of a chic apartment complex, our bodies and minds thaw to begin a new day, one that affords me the opportunity to converse with and briefly shadow Indian-American dancer, choreographer, educator, and human embodiment of serenity–I added that last bit–Chitra Subramanian.

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 drafting Pride itineraries–scroll through their feeds to discover that there are fewer events happening this year than last year. And why are there only Black and Brown hands grabbing items in Target’s TikToks for their spring releases? Don’t they remember that they rolled back their DEI initiatives? Curious. 

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. 
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