Dance With Somebody—Or Watch: These Events Showcase the Range of the District’s Dance Scene
Why trust me, a mere City Paper social media editor, to recommend dance events? Twenty years of ballet-induced trauma, permanently deformed metatarsals, and a BFA from New York University’s Tisch Dance (shout-out to my fellow survivors). Dance gets a bad rap for being esoteric, exclusionary, and expensive. If your opinion is based on The Nutcracker…
Emma Copley Eisenberg, John Early, and William Gropper Top Our Arts Writers’ Fall Must-See Calendars
City Paper’s contributors have their fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in and around the city. These arts events, however, could be overlooked if you aren’t paying attention. Lucky for you, we are. Below you’ll find some comedy, a folk fest and craft show, and two book talks—Emma Copley Eisenberg discusses Housemates and Bob Boilen…
The 2024 Fall Arts Guide Is Here: New Look, Same Great Recs
Welcome to City Paper’s 2024 Fall Arts Guide. This year’s roundup of recommended events began the usual way, but it ended up very different. As we grow more accustomed to being an online-only publication, we’ve learned to do away with (some) print traditions. We no longer put out a weekly issue, so why contain an…
Puppets and Politics: Pointless Theatre Co. at Transformer Wonders if It’s Democracy’s Last Hurrah?
In this action-packed election year, it seems like there’s no shortage of political theater, and anxieties about the future of the United States are at a fever pitch. A multipronged project by Pointless Theatre Co. at Transformer, Democracy’s Last Hurrah?, faces these election year worries and the decline of American institutions head-on. Part gallery show,…
Looking for a Good Dance Party? Try the Loading Dock
On a quiet block in Edgewood, just around the corner from the Dew Drop Inn, sits a loading dock that belongs to culinary incubator Mess Hall. One Sunday evening a month, the industrial space opens its dock door and fills with a small crowd. Folks mingle in the half inside, half outside space over cocktails…
Drag Performer JaxKnife Complex Wins the Fourth Annual HAUS AWARD
For D.C. drag performer and producer JaxKnife Complex, all the world’s a stage and every night is an opportunity to perform. From the moment Jax greets you at the front door of their home bar Trade (where they also work security) to the time you exit, not a second is wasted in fully immersing you…
Step Afrika!’s Remounted Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence Is Still Good, Could Be Better
In the 13 years since D.C.-based Step Afrika! debuted Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence, the field of percussive dance has grown by leaps and bounds. Black performing artists have benefited from an influx of support, including millions from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Meanwhile, many historically White arts organizations are continuing to increase racial diversity, both onstage…
Beyond the Divas: This Pride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Celebrates Daily Queer Life
“Nine artists, nine composers, nine choreographers, one GMCW” is how Thea Kano, the artistic director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, introduces the group’s almost-Olympic undertaking for its upcoming performance Portraits. The groundbreaking and multidisciplinary project is a nine-movement oratorio, featuring commissioned visual artworks brought to life by original music and dance performances. Timed…
Step Afrika! Celebrates 30 Years of Black Culture and Dance in the District
Butter yellow may be the color of summer, but bright, lemony yellow was the color of Step Afrika!’s 30th Anniversary Gala at Arena Stage on June 4. The invitation called for “elevated, colorful, creative, cocktail attire”—and guests answered in Crayola solids and drapey, multicolored prints. One guest wore a yellow gown with a bejeweled cape…
Dance Institute of Washington Receives $2 Million From MacKenzie Scott
In her divorce from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, MacKenzie Scott received a 4 percent stake in the online behemoth. As a result, her net worth ballooned (Forbes estimates its $34.9 billion). Stunningly, she pledged to give the majority of this fortune away to organizations supporting everything from perinatal health to LGBTQIA rights. Her financial gifts…
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