As Dance Place looks towards the next few months of our FORTITUDE Season, we continue our celebration of 40 years of creation, education, performance, and community with virtual presentations, performances, and events. We remain committed to our Brookland-Edgewood neighborhood, while balancing support for artists in the national field, via new and safe ways of connecting with our Dance Place community. Our ongoing curatorial commitment to support artists at all stages of their careers is evident in these upcoming conversations, showings, and presentations.
In light of the November elections, Dance Place will continue to pursue critical conversations connected to the fight for racial and social justice within the arts, Washington D.C., and beyond – while programming artists whose work is in line with this vision.
We are thrilled to introduce a new digital performance series that will support emerging and early to mid career DMV artists, welcome national artist Charles O. Anderson back to our community, virtualize our annual Kwanzaa Celebration, and so much more.
Dance Place is ecstatic for these next two months that will engage with and address the breadth of our community’s needs as we end 2020 with strength, steadiness, and FORTITUDE.
Where Am I? A Panel of Perspectives on Persistence and Optimism
Thursday, November 5th at 8:00pm EST
Free virtual event
Join us for a virtual panel on confronting fear and finding hope, co-produced by Dance Place and American University. Moderated by Erin Foreman-Murray, Sr Professorial Lecturer, Department of Performing Arts; panelists include extraordinary DC-based artists working across multiple disciplines and genres of dance: Jessica Denson, Anastasia Johnson, Shruthi Mukund, Estela Velez de Paredez and Britta Joy Peterson. All are welcome to attend.
SOLE Defined: Versus with Ladies of Hip-Hop
Live on Saturday, November 14th at 6:30pm EST
Rebroadcast on Sunday, November 15th at 6:30pm EST
Free virtual event
It’s time for a dance battle! Inspired by the popular Versuz Battles, SOLE Defined hosts a virtual battle with the Ladies of Hip Hop. Tap dance and Stepping versus Hip Hop and Lindy hop; each company battles dynamic video clips with on-the-spot dancer commentary. Alongside the battles, audiences can take part in a live interactive dance trivia game and enjoy youth dance artist spotlights. Join SOLE Defined, along with the Ladies of Hip Hop, for this action-packed battle.
Exquisite Frame
Saturday, November 21st at 6:30pm EST
Free virtual event
Exquisite Frame is a digital performance series intended to directly engage ‘early-mid’ career movement artists within the DC-Maryland-Virginia region. Curated and moderated by Dance Place AIR Britta Joy Peterson and Guest Curator Candace Scarborough, this is the first in a three-part series that will take place throughout the 2020-2021 season. Tune in to see new works created by cutting-edge artists.
Applications for submission are available now. All selected artists will be compensated.
Charles O. Anderson: (Re)current Unrest
Live on Saturday, December 5th at 6:30pm EST
Rebroadcast on Sunday, December 6th at 6:30pm EST
Free virtual event
(Re)current Unrest is an evening-length immersive performance installation ‘ritual’ built on the sonic foundation of Steve Reich’s three earliest works: It’s Gonna Rain (parts 1 and 2), Come Out and Pendulum. This work, created over a two-year development period, utilizes movement, media and powerful imagery to meditate on the “American Dream” and Black nihilism, borne of the current racially charged moment. Pivoting in response to COVID-19 from our planned in-person residency with Charles O. Anderson, Dance Place will instead present a reimagined digital iteration of (Re)current Unrest featuring live and pre-recorded video footage as well as a video component featuring DC-based artists.
SOLE Defined LIVE! Conversation
Sunday, December 13th at 4:30pm EST
Free virtual event
In response to the recent and historic violence against Black people and systemic racism in our dance community, SOLE Defined & Community Leaders host a series of live conversations to discuss the current climate of our nation and the response of the dance community. Each conversation will also have an Artist Spotlight, where Black artists who are doing incredible work in the field will be featured.
Coyaba Dance Theater: In Spirit of Kwanzaa
Tuesday, December 29th at 6:30pm EST
Free virtual event
Come join Coyaba Dance Theater West African Dance Company in celebrating 15 years! This high-energy virtual presentation is based on the 7 Principles (Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa: Umoja, Kuchjichagulia, Ujima, Ujamaa, Nia, Kuumba, Imani. Kwanzaa is an African-American holiday from December 26 – January 1. In gathering, we commemorate and recommit to our families, community economics, and Faith. This show will lift your spirits and warm your hearts.
Header photo by Jonathan Hsu.