Tonight: Holiday Desserts Around the World at S. Dillon Ripley Center
Food historian and cookbook author Francine Segan has lectured on a true smorgasbord of topics: from the art of dining in Downton Abbey, to the 21st-century breakthroughs in Italian ravioli to the myth-laden secrets of libidinous foods like oysters and ginseng. When it comes to desserts, she can talk to you about the fruity (and brandy-infused) “Election Cakes” women during the late 1700s sold to male voters who needed grub to fuel their exclusive all-day civil affair. She is also an expert on chocolate—another aphrodisiac—and exactly which dessert wines compliment your confection of choice. In celebration of the holiday season, Segan will deliver a lecture on celebratory desserts across the globe, complete with recipe handouts and a dessert tasting to satisfy your cravings after an evening of toothsome descriptions and delectable history. On the menu are lessons from around the world, including the lesser known backstories behind American wintry staples like glossed candy canes or spiced gingerbread houses. The evening will also cover the sweet treats shared during Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, Diwali, and Ramadan. Bonne note: As Rachael Ray said, “Francine feeds her readers well—stomach and soul,” so you just may want to come with an empty stomach, even if that means eating dessert first. Holiday Desserts Around the World: In-Person Program with Tasting starts at 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 14 at S. Dillon Ripley Center, 1100 Jefferson Dr. SW. smithsonianassociates.org. $45–$55. —Emma Francois
Friday and Saturday: The Spirit of Kwanzaa
Back in 2020, City Paper covered what D.C. dance students lost when COVID canceled the holiday performances that, in a typical year, they spend months preparing for. These shows matter because they give young dancers a rare opportunity to perform for audiences wider than their friends and family. One of these shows is The Spirit of Kwanzaa, put on since 1995 by the Dance Institute of Washington, an elite and Black-led dance school in Columbia Heights. The production is a cultural experience that’s rooted in Kwanzaa and the agricultural ceremonies of Africa that the holiday draws from. Through this lens, DIW designed a show that conveys both the struggles and artistry of the Black diaspora. “The Spirit of Kwanzaa is always such an amazing event for DIW,” says Kahina Haynes, the school’s executive director. “It’s a perfect opportunity to bring the community together while celebrating everything enduring and beautiful about Black culture and creativity.” The cast consists of local dancers with support from guest choreographers Earl Mosley and Katherine Smith. The Spirit of Kwanzaa runs at 6 p.m. on Dec. 15 and 16 at Howard University’s Cramton Auditorium, 2455 6th St. NW. danceinstituteofwashington.org. $30. —Mary Scott Manning
Friday: The King’s Singers at the National Cathedral
Grammy-winning British choral sextet the King’s Singers return to the National Cathedral for their 2023 holiday tour. Mere months after releasing Wonderland, their third album of this year, the Singers will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Disney and the 400th anniversary of the death of 16th-century composer William Byrd. The concert will feature music that pays tribute to both. The Singers have had several rotations since their 1968 founding in Cambridge, England, but they’ve maintained the same pitch formation since their debut: two countertenors, a tenor, two baritones, and a bass. Today, the Singers consist of Patrick Dunachie, Edward Button, Julian Gregory, Christopher Bruerton, Nick Ashby, and Jonathan Howard. Speaking with City Paper, Dunachie and Ashby explain that their combination of pitches deepens the sonority, and creates a richness and familiarity to their a cappella music. The holiday tour focuses primarily on Christmas music, but features a selection of works from Byrd and a generous sprinkling of Disney. “For us, Christmas takes us back to childhood, and I think for kids the season is a truly magical time of year,” Ashby says. “Disney pulls in many of those same feelings.” The concert will also incorporate songs from Finding Harmony, a 2020 release that aimed to demonstrate how music can bring humanity together. “The theme pulls in a similar message of togetherness and community, and shows what love can achieve this time of year,” Ashby says. The King’s Singers perform at 7 p.m. on Dec. 15 at the National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW. cathedral.org. $25–$95. —Camila Bailey
Saturday: Dance Club With Kilopatrah Jones at the Owl Room
A body of water ripples in a pinkish looping GIF. “No need to fear the glitches in the quicksand,” says the Instagram flier for the latest installment of Dance Club, the semiregular party thrown by D.C’s Joyce Lim, Tommy C, and Baronhawk Poitier. It’s a typically stylish way of saying “let go, we got you,” by the three DJs, all of them deeply embedded in the city’s globally known dance-music scene. The goal of Dance Club is to “create a haven for the underground LGBTQ and BIPOC+ community,” Lim says. “Everyone is welcome.” What to expect: impeccably chosen house, techno, and club tracks, this time with guest Kilopatrah Jones, a high-energy New Yorker who is the latest out-of-towner to be featured as a headliner. “Our spaces are meant to be playful, so our dance floors are fun,” says Lim, who is also co-founder of D.C.’s 1432R label. (There’s a New Year’s Eve event on the books, too, headlined by locals including Dee Clark.) Dance Club begins at 9 p.m. on Dec. 16 at the Owl Room, 2007 14th St. NW. danceclub.link. $13.60. —Joe Warminsky
Wednesday: A John Waters Christmas at the Birchmere
O come all ye faithless, jailbirds, and rusty trumpets: Filmmaker John Waters is ready to spread some holiday cheer (and a few rounds of antibiotics should clear that up again). The “Pope of Trash” is beloved for his transgressive Baltimore-set films—including Pink Flamingos, Hairspray (and its subsequent Broadway success), Cry-Baby, and Serial Mom—focused on outsiders and featuring his cast of “Dreamlanders” such as Divine and Mink Stole. At age 77, the pencil-mustachioed provocateur remains as busy as ever. He wrote his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance, last year and is currently adapting the screenplay. It will be his first directorial effort since 2004’s A Dirty Shame. (Aubrey Plaza’s name has been circling as the most likely actor to take the lead role.) Earlier this year, Waters received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures hosted John Waters: The Pope of Trash, a comprehensive exhibition of his cinematic contributions, while the Baltimore Museum of Art gave a sneak peek of his museum bequest with the exhibition Coming Attractions: The John Waters Collection. Maybe the “Baron of Bad Taste” is finally in good fashion? All accolades aside, when it’s the holiday season, Waters puts the “X” back into X-Mas with his annual show. Even though Waters distorts family memories and beloved traditions to riff on a variety of topics more naughty than nice, the ribald and raunchy humor is all in good spirit and demonstrates his deep love for the holidays. Each season, Waters revises and updates his not-so-silent script—this year’s revue is titled “Blow It Up!”—and is followed by a lively Q&A session with the audience. A John Waters Christmas: Blow It Up! starts at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. birchmere.com. Sold out. —Colleen Kennedy