40 years has taught us a lot, but nothing could have prepared us for the new realities of physical distancing in response to COVID-19. In spite of our inability to gather for live performances in our beloved theater at this time, Dance Place remains rooted in our Brookland-Edgewood neighborhood, as well as in the national and international dance community.
We’re happy to share with you FORTITUDE’s September and October performances and events. This Fall begins with an Introduction to our second cohort of Artists In Residence, followed by our first-ever Virtual Gala, and continues with two brand-new commissions for DMV-based Physically Distant performances.
These free programs are just the beginning of what is to come for the rest of the year! Dance Place will remain nimble, responding to the needs and artistic desires of artists and community members.
Meet the AIRs
September 24-25, 2020
8:00pm EST
Free virtual event
Join us for this virtual event as we welcome our second cohort of incoming Artists in Residence: Tariq Darrell O’Meally and Britta Joy Peterson. You’ll meet these phenomenal artists, sample their past works, and join them in a lively discussion with outgoing Dance Place Artist In Residence Sarah Beth Oppenheim. If you can’t make it to the live event, there will be a rebroadcast on Friday, September 25th.
October 2, 2020
6:30pm EST
Free; Sponsorships available
Join us for an evening of free virtual dance performances and community connections to celebrate Dance Place’s 40th Anniversary, FORTITUDE! Look forward to performances by Culture Shock DC, Project ChArma, Tzveta Kassabova, Bill Shannon, and the Dance Place Youth Company as we toast our 40th year and dance the night away while raising funds to support Dance Place, now and in the future.
Physically Distant Commission Recipient: Ronya-Lee
October 8-11, 2020
*FREE safe and physically distant gathering, reservation required
Monumental Bodies investigates the pain, passion, promise and particularities that reside in the Black body, inviting viewers into sacred witness from multiple vantage points and in fullness. With a global pandemic and socio-political unrest as foregrounds, what does it look like for the Black body to engage in the continued assertion of the complexity of her humanity? Drawing on poet Caroline Randall Williams’ piece “My Body is a Confederate Monument,” the work presents for consideration ALL American Black bodies as monuments or sites of herstorical significance.
Physically Distant Commission Recipient: ANC: artist neighbor collective
October 24-25, 2020
*FREE safe and physically distant gathering, reservation required
ANC: artist neighbor collective’s SHOW I is a collaborative multidisciplinary immersive experience for a socially distant world. It’s a traveling tour of performances, visual art, and joyful collaboration that connects curators, performers, visual and performance artists and neighbors. Conceived by artist-neighbors in the Bloomingdale neighborhood, SHOW I is a walk-able, drive-able, scoot-able, bike-able visual and performance art gallery, with unique happenings at each artist’s home space. A reminder that we are stronger when we are together, SHOW I moves its audience through parks and alleyways, connecting the creative soul of a neighborhood to its visitors.
*Stay tuned for more information to reserve FREE tickets to these events and to learn about COVID-19 safety protocols for these gatherings.
Check our website in the months ahead to learn about our Winter / Spring programming, including a special film presentation on Founding Director Emerita Carla Perlo, more physically distant gatherings, and our 34th annual DanceAfrica, DC Festival.
Header photo by Jonathan Hsu.