The DC Traveler

Would you love to take your children to see the classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center?  But do you hesitate thinking they might be too young to sit through a lengthy and formal production?  Then take them to a children’s performance of The Nutcracker.
American Dance Institute’s Youth Ensemble will perform a shorter version, just an hour long, of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
Children an experience the magic of the story and dance in  less intimidating setting and more relaxed environment.
The performances will be held in the intimate 140-seat world-class facility, where children can get a close …read more

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The famous Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the world-famous Rockettes, is coming to Baltimore in early December.

As part of a 23 city national tour, the Rockettes, dressed in their famous Babes in Toyland outfits, will delight audiences with their precision chorus line dancing and signature high kicks.
I saw the Rockettes’ show in New York City a few years ago and it is a fun performance.
Radio City Christmas Spectacular 1st Mariner Arena 201 W Baltimore Street Baltimore, Maryland  (map it)
Dates and Times – December 2 – 7, …read more

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A young, innocent and beautiful peasant girl, falls in love with the handsome nobleman, she believes is just a peasant like her.
When she discovers his deceit and that he is betrothed to the daughter of the prince, she is driven mad and dies of a broken heart after her discovering the truth.
She later comes back to protect her former lover by helping him survive the evil spell cast on him by wicked ghosts.
The production of Giselle by the San Francisco ballet is complete with lavish sets and costumes, classic music and world-class dancers that set the standard for romantic …read more

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Lasts night, I  saw one the most unique, powerful and raw dance performances I’ve seen in years.
I normally don’t write a review of a performance that has just two shows, the second being tonight, but David Dorfman Dance’s Underground was 60 minutes of intense, raw energy and primal passion intermingled with question about our existence and how, we as humans, interact with our fellow man. 
Would you kill another human?  Would you kill another human for your country? Would you kill another human to save your family? These are a few of the questions asked in this multimedia dance …read more

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In this heighten political season, David Dorfman Dance presents underground, multi-media dance and visual explosion which examines the boundaries between activism and terrorism.
What makes this performance timely, is that it was inspired by the ultra-left, anti-Vietnam war militant Weather Underground Organization, an spin-off of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). formed in 1969 by Williams Ayers (of the current Obama controversy) and 10 others, the group believed that active militancy and violence would have more of an impact on ending the war than nonviolent protests.  Incidents included over 25 bombings that the group took credit for, including a …read more

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The sensual and fiery emotions of flamenco is said to have started with songs and dances that recall the hopes and sorrows of Gypsies.
Over the centuries flamenco has evolved from folk dancing to a form of passionate performance art.
Ballet Flamenco José Porcel, from Spain, will perform a combination of traditional and modern flamenco works, which combine influences from Gypsy, Arabic, Jewish and Indian cultures.
 
Principal dancer José Porcel, has performed with some of the world’s greatest flamenco dancers.
Ballet Flamenco Jose Porcel
The Center for the Arts at George Mason University
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030 (map it)
Dates and Times – Friday and …read more

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Take dancers from a couple troupes of local professional dancers and have them dance to music from Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, Swan Lake, but not on a traditional stage, but with a collection of Bobcat earth movers as props.

As part of the Festival of Building Arts, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange along with BMD (Bowen McCauley Dance), bring their high energy dance style to the National Building Museum in Washington, DC for three free performances on Saturday.
The dance performances express the relationship between movement, architecture, and the machinery used to build our community.
This revolutionary concept, dancing on and around earth movers should …read more

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Patrick Corbin was a leading member of the well known Paul Taylor Dance Company and went on to form his own contemporary dance company, CorbinDances in New York City.

The company will present works from their recent New York season, at Dance Place in Washington, DC including Romantic Conversions danced to Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto # 2 in C minor.  They will also perform the highly physical Adele’s Skirt, a world premiere, which explores the intimacy of human interactions.
CorbinDances Dance Place  3225 8th Street, NE Washington, DC 20017  (map it) …read more

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Being a Chicago native, I’m fond of many things that come from The Windy City – The Cubbies, The Second City Improv, The Joffrey Ballet, and Chicago’s famous deep-dish pizza, to name just a few.
One other notable Chicago icon that I have seen many times is the high-energy and always entertaining Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.  

I recall the first time I saw Hubbard Street perform, it was while I was still in college.  I knew little about modern dance and after watching that one performance, I was, from then on, both a big fan of modern dance and of Hubbard Street.   The …read more

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