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 or Swan Lake, I get it. But dance is so much more than that. These fall events will show you the range of the District’s dance scene, from contemporary ballet to social dance and step. 

District Choreographer’s Dance Festival Closing Performances at Edgewood Arts Center on Sept. 14 and 15

Dance Place’s fourth annual festival, titled “Being Alive: Brave & Startling Truths,” celebrates the local dance community with a week of performances, classes, and conversations. Take a journey through various site-specific and theater performances, plus a postshow social mixer on Saturday and artist talk on Sunday. Inspired by Maya Angelou’s poem “A Brave and Startling Truth,” this year’s theme invites eight local choreographers to explore the vulnerability of living authentically. The show starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Edgewood Arts Center, 3415 8th St. NE. $38.

Extended Play at at Mess Hall on Sept. 15 

Last month, WCP contributor Ella Feldman took us inside the wave of underground dance parties taking over a loading dock in Edgewood. Extended Play is one of these DJ-hosted parties creating a safe, welcoming space to dance like … well, only a few people are watching. Catch their second-to-last party of the year featuring iconic DJ King Britt, who was at the forefront of shaping Philly’s house scene in the ’90s and now teaches a course on Black electronic music at the University of California, San Diego. It’s a great option for tapping into the transformative power of social dance in a judgment-free zone. The party starts at 5 p.m. at Mess Hall, 703 Edgewood St. NE. $30.

Hamlet … the rest is silence at Thomas Jefferson Theater, opens Sept. 28

Synetic Theater, known for its visceral, wordless adaptations of the Bard’s works, is bringing back the show that put the theater on the map in 2002—Hamlet. Its Helen Hayes Award-winning production tells the classic story of a tragic prince on his quest for vengeance. Earlier this year, WCP theater critic Ian Thal gave its adaptation of Romeo and Juliet a rave review, so this should be a compelling return to its movement-based roots. Hamlet … the rest is silence opens Sept. 28 and runs through Oct. 13 at  Thomas Jefferson Theatre, 125 S. Old Glebe Rd., Arlington. $35-$65.

Dance for All at Dupont Underground starts on Oct. 3 

The Washington Ballet’s new artistic director, Edwaard Liang, and Emmy Award-winning composer Blake Neely have crafted a site-specific work for the abandoned trolley station under Dupont Circle. I imagine the juxtaposition of subterranean grunge and sleek lines of contemporary ballet could rival the motorcycle-riding, red-pointe-shoe-wearing closing performance in Center Stage (if you know, you know). The show runs from Oct. 3 through Oct. 5 at Dupont Underground, 19 Dupont Cir., NW. $25–$50.

Dissonance Dance Theatre: Fall Forward at Atlas Performing Arts Center on Oct. 19

Dissonance Dance Theatre’s annual fall show features three contemporary ballet works from the company’s founding director (and Howard alum) Shawn Short. For the uninitiated, contemporary ballet blends the technical foundations of ballet with the athleticism and freedom of modern dance styles. Set to everything from John Legend and house tracks to Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, the three works are sure to keep you on your toes. The show starts at 8 p.m. at Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St. NE. $50.

when WE take flight at Warner Theatre opens on Oct. 23

Ballet fans are watching closely to see what direction Liang will take TWB, and when WE take flight offers some clues. The program opens with George Balanchine’s 1972, no-plot-just-vibes “Stravinsky Violin Concerto,” followed by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s playful “18 + 1,” and ends with Liang’s new work, “Murmuration,” inspired by the flight patterns of starling birds. The mixed-bill showcases the company’s range and gives audiences a crash course in the evolution of neoclassical ballet, from Balanchine to Liang. The performances start on Oct. 23 and run through Oct. 27 at Warner Theatre, 513 13th St. NW. $25-100.

The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence at Richmond’s Modlin Center for the Arts on Oct. 26 

For 30 years, Step Afrika! has been preserving and performing step, a dance form rooted in West African folk dancing and popularized by historically Black colleges and universities. Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence traces the forced migration of Black Americans from slavery through the 20th century, with Lawrence’s paintings projected above the stage. If you missed Arena Stage’s production in July, catch it in Richmond this fall, featuring the gospel quintet the Legendary Ingramettes. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Modlin Center for the Arts, 453 Westhampton Way, Richmond. $22-$62.

Check out more of our 2024 Fall Arts Guide here.