The Atlas INTERSECTIONS Festival is a performing arts festival that presents work that impacts our society, culture, and world by informing, inspiring, educating, and entertaining. INTERSECTIONS is about presenting excellent art that inspires a connected community, engages artists and audiences alike, and creates a vibrant neighborhood, city, and world. We are interested in unique perspectives and art that connect us to the many facets of our humanity. The Atlas Intersections Festival presents artists that look to explore the ideas and issues of our time through their work.

Schedule

February 3, 2024

8:00 PM : Tara Hoot: A Hoot in the Holler

A Hoot in the Holler: From Small-Town Kid to Mid-City Drag!  A night of stories, songs, and radical emotional availability!  
Join Tara Hoot for this one-night-only performance! She’ll share favorite stories, songs, and life moments to help lift your spirits and get us all through the darkness of winter. What more could you want? Darlings, you’re GORGEOUS!
Ages 13 and Older

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February 18, 2024

5:00 PM : Glade Dance Collective: NACHMO DC 2024 Sampler Showcase

The NACHMO DC Sampler Showcase presents a selection of local choreographers who have created a new work in one month during the NACHMO January Challenge.

Each year, the NACHMO January Challenge energizes the DC dance community by challenging local choreographers to create short works in the concentrated period of one month. The NACHMO DC Sampler Showcase presents a selection of pieces from the 2023 January Challenge to debut their new pieces.
All Ages

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February 23, 2024

7:00 PM : This is Everything Concerts: Pop-up Cabaret

We are straight, queer, BIPOC, white, and our musical project This Is Everything Concerts offers performances from diverse musical genres: Classical, Blues, Musical Theatre, R&B, New Age – along with our diverse human stories.

Ages 13+

Artist

DC’s Queen of the Blues, Carly Harvey is a Wammie winner for Best Blues Artist and a two-time DC’s Battle of the Blues Winner. She represented DC in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and headlines in the most coveted venues throughout the DMV including Blues Alley & Kennedy Cente.

Rebekah Eden, coloratura soprano & new age singer-songwriter has been nominated for vocal album of the year by the two most high-profile New Age music awards. In addition to her catalogue of New Age albums Ms. Eden has had a classical performing career throughout Europe and the US.
 
Soul and R&B soloist Dana Nearing has starred in cabarets & musical theatre at Keegan Theatre DC, and played Curtis Taylor Jr. in DreamGirls with Baltimore’s ArtsCentric Theatre. A perennial soloist in Gay Mens Chorus Washington’s Mainstage shows, Mr. Nearing also performs solo shows throughout the DC area.

Gabriel Lopez has throughout a professional singing career explored a wide-ranging repertoire including musical theatre, gospel, pop, R&B. Mr. Lopez received a degree in classical voice from Ohio State, then toured 55 countries performing on cruise lines. He is currently a mainstage & cabaret soloist with the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington as well as a soloist with GMCW’s small gospel-inspired ensemble “Seasons of Love”.

Award-winning pianist James Hillis is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory and former private student of Veda Kaplinsky, the current head of the Juilliard Piano Division. Mr. Hillis has performed throughout the DC area both as soloist and collaborative pianist, and founded the Capital Piano Conservatory, a pre-college training program for young pianists.

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Moveius Contemporary Ballet: Voices from Within

7:30 PM : Diverse choreographic voices from the nation’s capital.

Presenting new choreography that highlights diverse issues, the program specifically centers BIPOC and female choreographic voices, featuring work by three longtime-DC residents created specifically for Moveius. Through movement’s power to spark kinesthetic empathy and connect audiences, these pieces create dance grounded in urgent and real world experiences.

All Ages

Moveius Contemporary Ballet’s mission is to catalyze new choreography in the National Capital area and to increase opportunities for dancers, audiences, and students to experience dance and the performing arts. Moveius develops and presents fresh dance works in the contemporary-ballet style that bring current themes to life.

Moveius Contemporary Ballet pushes the boundaries of ballet to tackle and speak to political and personal issues affecting the nation. The art of ballet and modern are used as a medium to invite thoughtful reflection on universal experiences in our ever-changing world.

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8:00 PM : A.F.R.O.B.A.M. presents Rock & Soul

Live musical performance of songs by past and present legendary artists who have been inspired by Soul and/or Rock music.

Artists from various backgrounds have incorporated elements of Rock and Soul into their music, creating hybrid genres and expanding the boundaries of musical expression; A.F.R.O.B.A.M. represents such artists.  So, get your tickets, get on board, and Jam with the Bam!

All Ages

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February 24, 2024

7:00 PM : Capital City Symphony: Battles Within

An emotionally charged concert portraying the journey of veterans post-conflict, unveiling their struggles and resilience as they navigate the challenges of reintegration into civilian life.
Experience the powerful musical narrative of veterans’ post-conflict journey, capturing their challenges, resilience, and pursuit of normalcy upon returning home. An emotional tribute to their struggles and triumphs in resuming everyday life.

All Ages
 
Artists

Based at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in the H Street Corridor, Capital City Symphony (CCS) serves both audience members and orchestra members. By engaging with CCS, our audience members support our musicians, hear high-quality live music at a reasonable price, and enjoy our concerts in a fun, intimate environment. Our orchestra members volunteer with our orchestra in order to have the opportunity to engage with the joy of symphonic music-making. CCS draws over 80 orchestra members annually from Washington, D.C.’s unique pool of talented amateur musicians – many of whom have extensive training through the college or conservatory level – providing them with an opportunity to reconnect with their passion for music-making. Under the leadership of Artistic Director and Conductor Victoria Gau, the orchestra performs fun, challenging, and exciting repertoire from the 18th century to today!

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7:30 PM : Ney Mello: The Great Musical Muse and The World

Featuring Ney Mello, Shulin Song, E.B. Brooks and Charlize Primich

A musical trip into the all-inclusive multi-style manifestation of the musical muse that brings living expression to all artists.

A musical trip into the all-inclusive manifestation of the musical muse that brings living expression to all artists. Featuring Jazz-fusion, Bossa Nova, Classical, Blues, Rock, and atmospheric film music, manifested by the group as one single living musical being on stage.

All Ages

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8:00 PM : Silk Road DC: Nowruz! Navruz! Nevruz! Dancing into Spring

Inspired by ancient Spring rituals and traditions of the Silk Road, this concert celebrates Nature’s awakening with exuberant, colorful dances of Turkic and Persianate cultures.
Although somewhat new to many Americans, the holiday of Nowruz  – also Navruz and Nevruz – marks one of humanity’s oldest celebrations, long a part of Central Asian and Persian heritage. Festive, joyous, and colorful dances connect to past rituals honoring Nature’s renewing energy, bringing hope for a better future.
All Ages

Artist

The award-winning Silk Road Dance Company (SRDC) presents women’s dances from the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, China and the Caucasus. Founded by Artistic Director Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray in 1995, the ensemble’s performances offer a unique glimpse of the life, culture, and art of little known regions.

SRDC has won deep respect from the members of the communities represented by the company’s repertoire. They were the first American dance ensemble to win an invitation to perform in Samarkand, Uzbekistan at the UNESCO-sponsored Sharq Taronalari International Festival; they were also the subject of a special on Uzbek television.

SRDC has been featured performers at events for the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Egypt, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Russia. They are frequently engaged by numerous cultural organizations in the local Turkish, Iranian, and Arab communities for festivals and celebrations.
In 2003, SRDC won the International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance Award for Best Dance Company. That same year they presented Egypta: Myth, Magic, and Mystery as part of The Kennedy Center’s Prelude Festival and Local Dance Commissioning Project. A Joy of Motion Community Arts Partner, the ensemble has been a six-time finalist for the Metro DC Awards. Artistic Director Gray won the 2006 Metro DC Dance Award for Excellence in Costume Design.

SRDC has performed nationally at Warner Bros Studios, Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Chicago’s Field Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, North Carolina State University, and the New York Metropolitan Club, Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum, the Agha Khan Foundation in Atlanta, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Miami Iranian Festival, and the Asia Society of New York. The ensemble has appeared at some of the most prestigious venues and festivals in DC, including the White House. Kennedy Center, the Harman Center for the Arts, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the State Department, the National Theater, the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center, National Geographic Society, the National Press Club, the Library of Congress, Georgetown University, the Textile Museum, Lisner Auditorium, and Dance Place.

Ethnically diverse, the ensemble’s dancers have mastered a wide range of styles. Some rare pieces are part of the company’s Legacy Repertoire, dances that are seldom now performed in the countries of origin. People’s Artists of Uzbekistan Qizlarhon Dusmuhamedova and Qadir Muminov have passed on a precious legacy of Central Asian dances to SRDC. Dusmukhamedova taught month-long residencies with the ensemble each summer.

Recognized for the beauty, authenticity, and imagination of its productions, SRDC has enchanted audiences with productions like SHAHNAMEH:Legends from the Persian Book of Kings; Remembering the Legends, 3,000 Years of Women of the Silk Road; The Lion and the Sun: Dances of the Old Persian Empire; Haft Paykar: Seven Beauties; An Evening on the Silk Road; Gul Bahaar: A Celebration of Uzbek, Indian, and Persian Dance; Legends of the Silk Road; Raqaset Shaabia: Folkloric Dance of the Arab World; Hooray for Bollywood; and An Edwardian Evening on the Silk Road.

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February 25, 2024

5:00 PM : Jane Franklin Dance: Bounce

Bounce is a tidy prompt to generate multiple meanings.  Choreography by Ryan Bailey (premier), Jane Franklin (intergenerational premier), Gabriel Mata (premier), Horizon Miquel (premier), Robert J. Priore (premier), Christopher Saunders exalt in joy, ricochet and respond off of something or to someone else.   Whether associated with gender, communication, intergenerational, losing or being lost, dances connect to familiar experiences and to the motif: Bounce.

New works are filled with physical storytelling, narrative and optimistic glee; performed by some of the DMV’s finest movement artists alongside community contributors and intergenerational pairs.
All Ages

Artist

Jane Franklin Dance crosses disciplines in partnership with music, media, visual artists and community participants.
A vibrant part of the Washington DC/Northern Virginia cultural community, Jane Franklin Dance has been presented at multiple venues and festivals and internationally in Mexico. A recipient of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region Creative Communities Award, Jane has developed innovative and collaborative projects combining dancers with the round wall skateboarding community, with a life size kinetic sculpture, with the architecture of a specific site, with dogs & owners, and with interactive live video and sound for numerous public art projects. Jane Franklin is a recipient of the American Association of University Women Elizabeth Campbell Award for the Advancement of the Arts in Arlington, and her video work Four Mile Run Footbridge was selected for PHOTO/VIDEO 13: Juried Mid-Atlantic Exhibition. Jane Franklin Dance has been recognized by Virginia’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. The company tours for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Paul Mellon Arts in Education Program and the Virginia Commission’s Tour Directory.

Collaborative projects have received funding in multiple years from the Virginia Commission, the Alexandria Commission, and the Arlington Commission for the Arts, American Composers Forum – Washington DC Chapter and from foundations including Arlington Community Foundation and Washington Forrest Foundation. Forty+ and workshops for older adults provide adult dance programming such as free healthy movement workshops at senior centers, classes for active older adults and rare performance opportunities for dancers over age 40. Performances for children delight young audiences with imaginative storytelling. Camps provide intensive learning. After school projects increase physical skills over time.

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5:30 PM : Dr. Janaki Rangarajan: YONI

“YONI” is a dance/spoken word endeavor that explores the myriad shades of female energy to question our (mis)understanding of female existence today.

“YONI” is a conversation to create an awareness about what female energy is as represented in various Indian traditional texts and to dispute what is seen with the colored lenses of sexuality, gender, and other extrinsic factors that have been carefully imposed over many thousands of years.”

All Ages

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6:00 PM : Semilla Cultural: La Cosecha: 10 Years

Semilla Cultural celebrates 10 years of sowing Puerto Rican bomba! Come celebrate with us and our community the impact of our programs! We will bring some of our favorite bomba songs, dancing and drumming, joined by the harvest: our students and community members with whom we have been building community.

Artist

Semilla Cultural (Cultural Seed) is a non-profit organization developing and cultivating a community that embraces Puerto Rican culture and arts in the Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia region. We focus on raising cultural awareness by teaching and performing the Puerto Rican musical genres of Bomba and Plena, as well as educating the community as to the historical events that shaped this music.

Semilla Cultural was founded in January 2014 with the goal of giving back to the community what always belonged to them: Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance. We are a team of volunteers united by our love and respect for Puerto Rican culture who are committed to preserve and disseminate this legacy left by our ancestors.

Semilla Cultural connects with the community by using the arts as a medium of unity and empowerment. We also collaborate with other artists and groups to forward this mission. We are a grassroots organization, and although we are still growing, we are committed to educating and representing with pride and respect our love for Puerto Rican arts, culture, and traditions.

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March 1, 2024

7:00 PM : Gisele Jackson: Soule Live

Through different musical genres and recording artist life lessons and the artist’s journey is told.
The music of artists such as Nina Simone, The Staple Singers, and KoKo Taylor as original songs by the artist are brought together to tell the story of the artist’s journey. There are stories shared regarding tradition and inspiration.
All Ages

Artist

Brooklyn Raised – Baltimore native Gisele Jackson toured as a “Raylette” with legendary musician Ray Charles, shared many a stage with the incomparable Donna Summer and grooved with James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. She has performed in 35+ countries; covering 4 continents: Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. She has performed solo at leading jazz houses in the U.S. and been the opening act for Tito Puente, Bette Midler, The Commodores, the B-52’s and a host of other music giants across a variety of genres. A most memorable performance was at Carnegie Hall with the NY Pops, Marvin Hamlisch, Conductor. Ms. Jackson’s worldwide smash hit “Love Commandments” reached #3 on Billboard’s Dance chart and today is a bona fide “Club Classic”. Other performances include international music festivals, major openings, numerous celebrity weddings, corporate events for Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood premieres, and award ceremonies. She was requested to perform at the Inauguration of U.S. President William H. Clinton, and so she did!

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7:00 PM : Too Much Damn Theater: Chupachocolata

“Chupachocolata” follows Joceleyn, an up-and-coming Latine pastelería (bakery) owner. To be successful she must balance crazy customers, frustrating employees, a suspicious health inspector, an overbearing mother, and being a chupacabra. Jocelyn cannot let all these pressures interfere with her dreams. It is a story of identity, family, and work-life balance.

Script edited by Johana Vargas Arias
Original Dramaturg: Santi Tonauac Castro
Written by Johana Vargas Arias, Marketa Nicholson, Raechel Patrese, and Dara Gold

Ages 13 and Older

Artist

In 2017, three Fearless Warrior Women of Planet Earth came together wanting to create incredible theater that promoted women’s voices. Too Much Damn (“TMD”) Theater is proud to tell rich stories where strong complex female leads are center stage and brought to life by a women-led creative team. Our leaders create performances that persuade audiences to love and fight for theater as much as they do. TMD Theater achieves its vision with every women-lead production, in every aspect of the creative process. TMD Theater ignited its vision in July 2017 with its first production – a summer campfire themed radio play series. After that TMD Theater made its first short film in as a part of the 48-Hour Film Project. TMD Theater checked off more goals when it produced its first full production in the 2018 Capital Fringe Festival – “Painted Ladies – Bosses of the Wild West” where its first Junior Producer joined the production team. Since then, TMD Theater has produced plays at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and Arena Stage. TMD Theater has produced full-length staged productions, stage readings, musical theater, digital theater (Zoom/online platforms), a web series, and short films. TMD Theater takes pride in its collaborations with other local theater companies, its Junior Producer Program, playwriting challenges, and community building conferences and workshops. TMD Theater enjoys immersing itself in a myriad of genres for its works including; fantasy, magical realism, horror, historical fiction, comedy, drama, dramedies, and contemporary fiction.

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7:30 pm : Rachael Coad

A contemporary ballet/modern dance performance inspired by the works of poet Mary Oliver and the photographs that will be projected on the cyc, taken by Dennis Pikus. The dances will be accompanied by a live string quartet playing “Quartet for The End of Time” by Messiaen, along with selected songs by singer/songwriter Josh Coad.

This show is funded, in part, (and with gratitude), by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Artist

Rachael Coad has always been in movement. She grew up dancing in Northern Virginia and attended the prestigious Virginia School of the Arts for high school, under the direction of Petrus Bosman of The Royal Ballet. She also worked with amazing guest choreographers such as Keelan Whitmore, Kathy Brenner, Jennifer Medina, and Christopher Huggins. She received her BFA with Honors in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University where she trained under Li Chou Cheng, Elizabeth Gillaspy, and Susan Douglas Roberts, among others. She performed in works by renowned choreographers such as Kanji Segawa, Er **** Hu, Loretta Livingston, and Alexandra Bellar. During her time at TCU, she was honored to perform “Soaring,” an original work of Doris Humphrey; as well as Jessica Lang’s “Confessions” in the American College Dance Festival Association National Gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She has attended intensives at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Ballet Austin. She has been a dance educator for the last twelve years at many schools and studios across the DFW Metroplex, as well as in the DMV area: most notably The Texas Ballet Theater, The Washington Ballet, and Joy of Motion Dance Center. She currently performs throughout the DMV with UpRooted Dance, The Lion’s Den, and Aru Dell’Arte. She was blessed to be a part of the Printz Dance Project’s February 2020 choreography residency at The Kennedy Center’s REACH Program. She enjoys choreographing works for all ages and levels of dancers. Her main passions and areas of exploration are on the human relationship to nature, mental health (particularly in relationship to anxiety), and the mental load of motherhood. She is also a part time event planner under THE GROUND FLOOR PROJECT for luxury apartment communities across the East Coast, curating events to bring together these communities and celebrate local artists and small businesses. Lastly, she is a proud wife and mum to two young daughters and of all her jobs, she takes the most pride in the one that makes her absolutely no money.

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8:00 PM : ASMITHMUSIC LLC presents Sankofa: A Journey to At Last

Sankofa: The Journey to At Last is an inspirational musical work with spoken word and dance that discusses the African-American’s journey to belonging. The music that will be performed will help paint the picture of the journey of the African-American from being enslaved to the hopeful state of At Last. In this work, you will experience music spanning from different genres including classical, spirituals, jazz, and arrangements of popular music performed by The Sam Bonds Chorale.

The Sam Bonds Chorale consists of musicians throughout the DMV area who love Sacred and Inspirational choral music and wish to maintain its legacy, as shown to them by Samuel L. E. Bonds.  The mission of the chorale is to help educate the community on the necessity and importance of Sacred and Inspirational Music. By inspiring patrons of the arts to experience music through a variety of concerts, recitals and other creative gatherings, we engage the audience both emotionally and mentally. The chorale works with arrangers and composers in an effort to workshop and premiere new works. It is important that the music of the past and the future have a voice in the present so that all music can be appreciated. The chorale also seeks to introduce different composers and compositional styles through the various works performed.

All Ages

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March 2, 2024

7:00 PM : The Artist Network: Collide-A-Scope

Four Spoken Word Artists from four different Lifestyles will give a 16-minute set each using their infused forms of Verbal Art (Poetry and haiku, Poetry & Lecture, Poetry and motivational speaking, and Poetry & Hip Hop). Each artist will address a different challenge they’ve overcome in life.

Artists include:

StefMarie Cole
DJ Art.is
Nerd The Poet
Miko Reed

Artist

The Artist Network was created for artistic development & business opportunities for the artist by providing exceptional talent to organizations for their special events.

Our artists are seasoned professionals with various accolades such as DMV Renaissance award winners, authors, stadium seat fillers, celebrity guest openers, local radio featured guests, magazine spotlights, headliners for showcases and more!
Our artists also specialize in advocating for special causes such as mental health, domestic abuse, human rights, community outreach and other causes to promote emotional health.

With over 40 artist within our network that includes a collection of comedians, singers, poets, rappers and musicians; we have the talent you need to turn your event into a memorable life experience.

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7:00 PM : Vincent Stovall: The Truth According to Uncle Vinny

Uncle Vinny is that unfiltered funny uncle who says whatever he feels and has an opinion on a wide range of topics. As he tells his truth, Uncle Vinny will make you laugh while he compels you to think.

Uncle Vinny was first introduced last year at the Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of Vincent Stovall’s one-man show, i Got Somethin’ To Say and i’m Gon’ Say it! Vincent is an actor, poet, and stand-up comedian. He has been featured in commercials, films, and theater productions and has performed throughout the DC metropolitan area. Vincent is also an accomplished musician and composer whose works include the popular song, The Other Side of the Rainbow, written for Grammy-nominated recording artist, Melba Moore.
Ages 18 and Older.

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7:30 PM : Sound Waves: A Percussive Tap Dance Journey

Every sound wave tells a story, from its origination to its drift into silence.  What are your sound waves?  Join us on a percussive tap dance journey from Dinah Washington to Anderson.Paak, from a tap shoe to a harp, including an interactive experience creating your own sound waves.  Prepare for the unexpected and delightful, and for an experience through sound and sight.
 
Artist

Capitol Tap, District Tap, and Monumental Tap or Percussive Discussion are cultivating tap’s next generation of musicians, dancers, technicians, historians, improvisors, performers, and educators of all ages. With a repertoire including historical works from Bojangles, Eddie Brown, and Buster Brown to contemporary works from Michelle Dorrance, Caleb Teicher, and Heather Cornell, they’ve collaborated with a 50-piece orchestra in an evening-length program, garnered two award nominations their first season, and were chosen by Capital One Small Business for a marketing campaign with an online ad and multi-week print inserts in The Washington Post. They’ve been co-presented by Dance Place in Washington, DC with three evening-length productions (2017, 2018, 2019). Ensemble members have been awarded merit-based scholarships, booked for professional gigs and tours, and selected for the prestigious School at Jacob’s Pillow for tap dance. Directors Lisa Swenton-Eppard and Baakari Wilder. www.capitoltap.com

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8:00 PM : Dissonance Dance Theatre: X Marks The Spot

An evening of contemporary ballet to cinematic and pop scores.
Dancing between precision and off-balance majesty, X Marks The Spot innovates contemporary ballet counterpoint to themes of human connections, time, and rhythm. An evening of athletic dance, Dissonance Dance Theatre brings classical and cinematic musical scores together creating unforgettable moments for the whole family.
In the spirit of intersectionality, X Marks The Spot addresses the form of classical ballet against the musical sound that has become familiar to popular moviegoers – finding connections from dance’s regal past to its possible new reality.
The dance work dives into asking the question of “How does ballet fit into a world of TikTok and secular music?” Through investigation X Marks The Spot provides a “sum” of contemporary ballet that diversifies, entertaining today’s theatre patron as well as the balletomane.

Additionally, through a racially diverse array of music and cast. Dissonance Dance Theatre strives to bring ballet to new audiences through the lens of 2023.

All Ages

Artist

Dissonance Dance Theatre has been an INTERSECTIONS participant for more than eight years.

DDT is the Resident Ballet of Ngoma Center for Dance. Named “One of the 11 small-but-mighty dance companies outside of LA and NYC” by Dance Spirit Magazine, Dissonance Dance Theatre is a Washington, DC-based professional dance company founded in 2007 by Shawn Short. Since its inception, Dissonance Dance Theatre has performed for local and national audiences on the east coast and in the mid-west states.

Starting as a project of dear friends, Dissonance has grown to house artists from across the US and beyond. A contemporary ballet that blends “classic” modern styles such as Horton, Graham, Limon with nuances of classical ballet, Dissonance is becoming known for its theatrical presence and exceptional artistry.

Evoking emotional experiences in the audiences we touch, Dissonance’s cutting-edge repertoire features works that are socially and visually appealing to audiences while remaining true to its mission; challenging audience’s assumptions about the human experience through dance.

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March 3, 2024

4:30 PM : Empath Concerts: Off Limits

This string quartet program is designed to open the door to conversations about topics that are traditionally “off limits” like politics, gender, and race.
The main objective for this string quartet program is to show how art is inspired by or sometimes created despite the things that we experience in our “real world”. We use classical music as the catalyst to have conversations about topics like politics, gender, and race.

All Ages

Artist

Empath is a concert series that aims to cultivate an open-minded dialogue about current and social affairs through music. Evenings include live classical music and thoughtful discussions that bridge music history and modern topics. Empath Concerts is a concert series whose purpose is to bring people together to experience art, start conversations about important issues, and gain a better understanding of each other. We hope that audience members leave feeling inspired to continue these conversations in their day-to-day lives.

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5:00 PM : Fuse Ensemble: Both Sides of the Mirror

Both Sides of the Mirror, by electroacoustic classical group Fuse Ensemble invokes the mirror as the intersection of self-reflection and imagined mystical dimensions.

Human reflection, re/presentation and portals to mystical dimensions are richly explored in Both Sides of the Mirror by Fuse Ensemble. Their performance of electroacoustic classical works from a diverse group of composers, AI/human interaction and original films by Also Sisters and by Michael Edwards conjure an exciting evening for all.

Ages 13 and Older

Artist

Fuse Ensemble Director Gina Biver is a signatory of New Music Equity Action, a group of composers, performers, directors who are committed to dismantling the inequitable status quo in new music. As of 2022, Fuse Ensemble is supported by Fuse Ensemble Arts Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance the awareness of, and opportunities for, composers and artists in underrepresented groups. Fuse Ensemble aims to expose audiences to a wide range of artistic perspectives and insights while encouraging the growth of a more just, inclusive and vibrant new music community.

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5:30 PM : Elements Dance Company: Wonderland Reimagined

Embark on a thought-provoking journey, where whimsy intertwines with the stark realities of today’s youth. “Wonderland Reimagined,” delves into themes of identity, peer pressure, self-doubt, and loss of innocence. While suitable for all audiences, some aspects may be better suited for ages 10 and over.

Ages 10 and Older
 
Artist

At EUAC, we focus on community and cultivate a place our students can proudly call ‘their dance home.’ Individualized education, building relationships with parents, and investing in more than just dance steps is our goal. Smart, kind, responsible and talented dance artists are our desired outcome.

6:00 PM : Project Fusion Saxophone Quartet: Fresh Produce

Presenting dynamic works for saxophone quartet, written by a diversity of composers born in the 1990s.

FRESH PRODUCE—a play on the title of the first work, Orchard, by Tyler Kline—is an apt description of the works throughout the program: the most delicious, carefully cultivated, and harvested chamber works, written by creators who are amongst us and share our experiences, aged 45 and younger.

All Ages

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March 8, 2024

7:00 PM : Blue Basement is an original work for jazz trio inspired by film noir.

He dropped the gun beside her on the bed and walked out. Then he crossed the street and into the Blue Basement Bar. Nursing a shot of rye, he thought about what started six months ago. And about his bad luck with women. Bad, bad luck.

All Ages

Artist

The Bill Barner Trio, a jazz trio with Bill Barner playing clarinet and saxophone, Pete Chauvette on vibraphone, and Carl Wallace on bass, will present a concert of original jazz music inspired by film noir.

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7:00 PM : Andrew Simpson Ensemble: Buster Keaton’s OUR HOSPITALITY

In Buster Keaton’s classic family-feud comedy, OUR HOSPITALITY, a young man blunders into the house of his family’s enemies. Luckily, the 19th-century code of honor prevents their killing him — so long as he is their guest.
The film is accompanied by Andrew Earle Simpson’s new bluegrass-inspired instrumental score.
 
Pictured above: Andrew standing in front of the historical velocipede that Keaton actually rides in the film (and Keaton donated that bike to the Smithsonian American History Museum), which is where he is posing for the photo.
 
Artist

Andrew Earle Simpson is an acclaimed composer of opera, silent film, orchestral, chamber, choral, dance, and vocal music based in Washington, DC. His musical works make multi-faceted, intimate connections with literature, visual art, and film, reflecting his own interest in linking music with the wider world, an approach which he calls “humanistic music.”His concert and theatrical works have been performed at such venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Music Center at Strathmore, National Gallery of Art, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Museums of American Art, American History and Freer-Sackler Gallery, Getty Museum, and many others
One of America’s foremost silent film accompanists, he has performed across the United States, Europe, and South America. He is Resident Film Accompanist at the National Gallery of Art and a resident accompanist at the Library of Congress’ Mt. Pony Theater in Culpeper, VA. Simpson also conceived and co-founded Atlas Performing Arts Center’s Sounds of Silence Film Series, for which he is curator and resident musician, entering its sixth season in 2023.

The Andrew Simpson Ensemble is a chamber group with a varied roster of professional instrumentalists that premieres and performs new scores for silent film. Andrew Earle Simpson is ordinary (full) professor and director of the Master of Music, Stage Music Emphasis program at the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music, Drama, and Art of The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

For more information, works lists, and recordings, visit www.andrewesimpson.com

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7:30 PM : Motion X Dance Company: Polyscope

“Polyscope” is a multimedia dance performance examining a common human experience: the lifecycle of the wildfire we call “passion.”
If this spark is found in childhood, what does dancing around the flame look like throughout a lifetime? “”Polyscope”” will strike the match, dance recklessly, and harness the power of passion.

All Ages

Artist

Motion X Dance Company (formally Motion X Dance DC) is a contemporary dance company based in Northern Virginia. The company was founded in 2013 by Stephanie Dorrycott with the goal of creating a contemporary modern company that supports the individuality and artistic development of dancers. Motion X creates relatable dance pieces that reflect on the human experience, illustrating the real world from an artistic point of view. Our mission is to share innovative and thought-provoking dance works to all kinds of people, presented from choreographers that value each artist and offer a safe and collaborative working environment. The artists of Motion X use their technical skill as a base to explore further, discovering unique and distinct styles of movement. Through this process, our repertoire opens up a deeper connection to the community and is visually appealing to the widest audience possible. Motion X has been presented along the East Coast in many venues including the Atlas Performing Arts Center, The Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center, The Grace Street Theater in Richmond, VA, and The Charlotte Ballet Theater in Charlotte, NC. The company was selected to perform Dorrycott’s work, “Turning Point,” at the 36th Annual Choreographer’s Showcase at the University of Maryland in 2019. Most recently Motion X was invited to be a part of the Kennedy Center REACH Opening Festival and presented “The Fate of Choice” at the 2020 Atlas Intersections Festival with high acclaim. After a brief hiatus, Motion X is making their return to the stage and has kicked started their Open Class Series as a way of providing high quality dance training to their community. Motion X is now a resident company of the Greater Washington Dance Center in Reston, VA.

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8:00 pm : Next Reflex Dance Collective & SONOVA: Elements of Earth

Next Reflex Dance Collective and Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia collide in music and dance circling the “Elements of Earth” in a multilayered visual event.  Each element will be artistically explored highlighting Earth, Air, Water, and Fire accentuating the varied and sometimes tumultuous components of each.

Artists are often drawn to the natural wonders of our world and this collaboration is no exception.  “Elements of Earth” is a real representation of The Intersections Festival theme of “Where the Art World and Real World Intersect.” We are taking the real world and finding ways to highlight and create an artistic universe on the stage.  The perfect orderly world we live in could not exist without the elements; pushing our world along, creating, destroying, and nurturing.  The collaboration of the 4 elements can be found in almost every state on earth.  Our artistic collaboration is a mirror in a way of these elements; artistic entities working together to create.

The performance will be in four parts. Taking the opportunity to highlight each element in music and dance.  Earth, highlighting layers of rock and minerals found in the musical and movement elements of solid group foundations while finding the layers of artistry.  Water, provides ideas of opposite charges, creating fluid and meaningfully rippled movement throughout the world. Air, pure and voluminous, fueling, creating, and breathing; artistically highlighting the artist’s breathing and movement together. Finally, fire brings with it destruction and combustible energy, providing intense and quick actions that move quickly and with virtuosity.”

All Ages

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March 9, 2024

7:00 PM : AreteArts: Afroprophetic: Art transforming minds and nature

A selection of African artworks is displayed, accompanied by musical performance and spoken word. Audience engagement through interactive live posting, with artists from across Africa.

Sheila sings while a visual display of African artwork is narrated by Steph and other African artists participating in Arete Arts community. Each piece will bring to life a story/insight about our natural world – damaged and hopeful, connecting us to our natural heritage and a futuristic vision.

All Ages

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7:00 PM : Christion Ty Edwards: “The Sad Life Of A Happy Man”

This piece peels back the facade of showmanship and personifies what happens when a man confronts the fractured parts of himself to realize his purpose for living. When he tries to uncover this purpose, he is tossed into the throws of depression, and suicidal ideation, and must figure out if it’s all worth it before the clock runs out. A storyteller broken into pieces. If you had the chance to peer inside the mind of an artist on the brink of disaster… would you do it?
CONTENT NOTE: Possibly disturbing material that includes suicide, self-hatred, depression, some F-bombs, and other colorful language.

Ages 13+.

My Mission: For as long as I perform this show, half of all profits earned will be donated to a mental health organization doing real, impactful work for those who are struggling. This performance will directly support The JED Foundation. YOU will be helping make a difference with your ticket purchase. Thank you for supporting me in this mission!

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7:30 PM : Capitol Movement Inc. Oeuvre

Oeuvre is the total output of an artist.  This evening CMI shares the inspiration behind each of the artists’ work performed.  Experience the behind the scenes creation of dance and art woven through live performances on stage to present all of Capitol Movement’s body of work through bodies at work.

All Ages

Artist

Capitol Movement has been a Washington DC nonprofit since October 2005, offering dance class, and performance opportunities to adults, teens and kids. Our studio offers classes to motivate, challenge and mentor dancers of all ages. Capitol Movement was founded to create better lives through dance – spanning hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and more.

We provide teaching and choreography opportunities, and programs for everyone, regardless of socioeconomic barriers and skill level. We also offer master classes, workshops, outreach, scholarships, and community engagement. Our Adult Company and studio classes provide a creative outlet for dance passion – truly empowering through artistry.

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8:00 PM : Black Leaves Dance Company: “Shadows & Silhouettes”

A contemporary multi-act ballet where the leaves will unveil, unpack, and unmask the Black Man all while finding a way to overcome the obstacles to the life their fathers dreamed.

Artist

Black Leaves Dance Company is an all-Black, all-male, queer-inclusive dance company specializing in modern ballet, highlighting the stories and perspectives of Black men in America. We explore themes related to identity and self-actualization: questions of masculinity, sexuality, religion, and race.

Growing up as Black boys wanting to explore Western dance techniques, we often found ourselves as the only Black dancer and/or the only male in the studio. We created the space we wish that we had had: a modern ballet company rooted in Western dance technique, fused with African traditions, that not only welcomes Black men but centers Black men. Through our work, we empower communities to connect with and show compassion for the unique and complex journeys of Black men in America.
Dancer, choreographer, teacher, director, and activist, Founder/Artistic Director Steven Wilson has over 20 years of experience in arts entertainment. He attended Morehouse College, with concentrations in Dance and Marketing. CEO and Founder of the award-winning OASIS Dance Company, Steven has served on the boards of The Dance Express Dance Company, Wanda Alston Foundation, and X Rae Dance Company.

A native of Washington, DC, and graduate of the University of Maryland, Assistant Director Camal “C-Note” Pugh has been choreographing and dancing for the past 13 years. A signed dancer with Bloc Talent Agency, Camal founded the first dance department at Charles Hart Middle School in Washington DC.

A native of Baltimore, MD, Rehearsal Director DeVonté began dancing at five years old, and is a graduate of Estelle Dennis Boys Program at Peabody Preparatory, where he studied ballet and modern, amongst other styles. After spending five years training at Peabody, DeVonté went on to train at the Baltimore School of the Arts, Pennsylvania Ballet, School of American Ballet, and The Colburn School. After completing his pre-professional dance training and graduating high school, DeVonté joined Tucson Ballet as a company member.

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March 10, 2024

3:30 PM : LOCATOR: You Are Here

‘You Are Here’ by LOCATOR is an interactive, evening-length work that unites the audience’s movements with modern classical cello, electronic soundscapes, and audio-reactive visuals.

‘You Are Here’ by LOCATOR fuses modern classical cello, electronic soundscapes, and visual projection inspired by nature. Through real-time audience interaction and immersive design, it transcends conventional boundaries, crafting a collaborative journey that resonates with human emotion, unites shared experiences, and challenges the traditional confines of art and performance.

All Ages

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4:00 PM : Gutowski-Sim Duo: Righting Wrongs

Concert of works for Flute and Piano by composers of underrepresented groups.
Carl Gutowski and Keng Siong Sim form a flute/piano duo dedicated to performing classical chamber music, with an emphasis on underrepresented composers. Classical music has been rightly criticized for its historic lack of representation of various groups, including BIPOC and women composers. We will perform great works by overlooked composers over the history of classical music. Composers to include William Grant Still, Mel (Melanie) Bonis, Marianne Martinez, Debra Kaye, Katherine Hoover, Celso Marchado and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

All Ages

Artist

Carl Gutowski is a flutist with deep roots in Washington, DC, where he lived and taught for many years at Georgetown Day High School. He performs regularly in solo and chamber music settings. Highlight performances over the past few seasons include return engagements at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall; Troy Savings Bank Music Hall; the Cultural Center of Cape Cod; the Cape Cod Museum of Art; and the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center. He has commissioned and premiered new works for the flute by composers Debra Kaye, Jonathan Russell, Richard Wilson and Mina Esary. His live performances have been broadcast on WQXR (NYC), WMHT (Albany, NY), WPRB (Princeton, NJ), and WOMR (Provincetown, MA). His recording of Debra Kaye’s “Call of the Dance” can be found on Navona Records. He is the first prize winner of the National Flute Association competition (2022); third prize winner (and audience favorite award) of the World Bach Competition (2020, Instrumental Community); and finalist in the Syrinx Competition (London, 2020).
Winner of the 2012 Washington International Piano Artists Competition, Keng Siong Sim was born in Singapore and started playing the piano at 11. He was awarded a scholarship to the University of York (UK) and studied piano with Kaoru Bingham and Ka-Kit Tam. Keng has also studied with Nadine Shank and Estela Olevsky at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he obtained his Master of Music. In addition, he holds the ARCM (Associate of Royal College of Music, UK) and LTCL (Licentiate, Trinity College of Music, London) in piano performance. A chamber music enthusiast, Keng has been awarded the Advanced Certificate in Cello Performance by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. He enjoys ensemble playing and is a current member of Washington’s Friday Morning Music Club and Capital City Symphony.

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4:30 PM : Ronnique Antoinette: Let The Church Say Amen

This enduring classic is a tribute to the African-American traditional spirituals,this suite fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.
A powerful soundtrack by Tasha Cobbs, Jekalyn Carr, Kirk Franklin, & more. Ronnique’s brings her personal experience of her spiritual journey from oppression and sorrow to freedom and triumph.

All Ages

Artist

Ronnique Antoinette , Choreographer, Dancer, Creative Director & Dance Educator is a native of Washington, D.C. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she received her Bachelor’s Fine Arts in Dance & Choreography. She is a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Ronnique has had the opportunity to perform in works by Daniel Gwirtzman, Judith Steel, Scott Putman, Roger Lee Dance Company, LLC, Maverick Lemon Dance Project, Kyoko Ruch, Snoop Dogg, BREathe Dance Project & Step Afrika! In 2010, Ronnique was featured in a reconstruction of the seminal work ‘Shelter’ by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Founder of The Urban Bush Woman Dance Company which aired in a documentary on PBS station. She has choreographed as well as co-choreographed for various dance companies, dance productions, competitions, dance films, showcases, pageants, & arts education programs/workshops for local elementary/middle & high schools. Ronnique is Founder/Artistic Director of The Ramdance Movement dance collective. Her choreographed works has been premiered at The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Intersections Festival, Barnstorm Dance Festival (Houston, TX) & The Kennedy Center (Millennium stage). She is currently serving as a professional Creative director, Dance Educator, Dancer & Choreographer in DC/MD area.

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5:00 PM : CityDance Conservatory: The Nobel Mind Chronicles

The Nobel Mind Chronicles Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah will unearth the poignant story of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah choreographically and theoretically. “I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me.” This project will show the rich culture of the Ghanaian people.

Artist

Citydance Conservatory

With a vision for preparing students for 21st-century careers in dance, Founding Artistic Director Lorraine Spiegler launched the CityDance Conservatory in 2007. Through her unique eye for identifying talent and her passion for revealing the strengths of young dancers, the Conservatory quickly established itself as a leader in professional dance training. Today the Conservatory persists with its core belief that excellence is achieved when each student’s talents are nurtured, valued, and challenged.

Adjetey Klufio

Adjetey Klufio credits his early training to the National Dance Company of Ghana, where he trained for over ten years. In five of those years, he was named the company’s principal dancer and soloist. He is now Assistant Professor of Dance at Coker University in South Carolina and was previously the artistic director of the Anne Arundel Community College Dance Company. His performing credits with the National Dance Company include the opportunity to perform for three United States presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. In 2012, Klufio performed with Dance Africa at the BAM Theatre in New York City, where the New York Times described his performance as “spectacular and subtle.” In 2018, The Baltimore Sun described his performance at Afrotempo’s Afrodance Revolution for two years, where he had the opportunity to present various works. He has been a faculty member for many years at CityDance, as well as other dance programs across the DMV. He founded the AfroNdani Dance Company in 2014, which has become sought after with its original style of Afrobeat and traditional dance styles.

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April 27, 2024

5:00 PM : Furia Flamenca Dance Company: Recordando La Alhambra

Discover how the Arab-Islamic world fused with the culture of Granada in Spain to help give birth to the gypsy dance form of flamenco. Furia Flamenca dancers will be joined by Barrio Andalusi, a string and percussion ensemble under the direction of Guillermo-Juan Christie, including oud, piano and Middle Eastern percussion with a special guest appearance by Middle Eastern Yillah Natalie.

The cast is joined by flamenco guitarists Maestro Torcuato Zamora and Juan L. Romero, flamenco percussionist Henry L. Rodriguez and singer Margarita Ossorio-Goldman to showcase the Northern American and Middle Eastern roots of flamenco.  Discover how the Arab-Islamic world fused with the culture of Granada in Spain to help give birth to the gypsy dance form of flamenco. Furia Flamenca dancers will be joined by Barrio Andalusi, a string and percussion ensemble under the direction of Guillermo-Juan Christie, including oud, piano and Middle Eastern percussion with a special guest appearance by Middle Eastern Yillah Natalie. The cast is joined by flamenco guitarists Maestro Torcuato Zamora and Juan L. Romero, flamenco percussionist Henry L. Rodriguez and singer Margarita Ossorio-Goldman to showcase the Northern American and Middle Eastern roots of flamenco.

All Ages

Artist

Furia Flamenca Dance Company, an award-winning dance company, brings the ferocity and passion of flamenco to the stage and transports audiences to Southern Spain in technically refined, emotionally explosive, and dynamically choreographed dancing. Its unique style combines the traditional gypsy with the more modern flamenco to create a perfect balance. The most sought-after flamenco dance company in the DC Metro area, the company has performed in some of the most prestigious venues throughout the DC Metro area including the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and Terrace Theater, Lincoln Theatre, National Theatre, Wolf Trap, Baltimore Lyric Opera House, Publick Playhouse, Dance Place and Alden Theatre, to name a few. The company is regularly invited to perform at some of the biggest Metro DC festivals, such as the Washington Folk Festival, INTERSECTIONS: A New America Arts Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, Cherry Blossom Festival, Dance DC Festival, Velocity DC, Taste of Bethesda, National Dance Day and the annual Washington, DC’s Feria de Sevilla. The company’s choreographies have been selected to participate in the areas most prestigious choreographer’s showcases including Dance Bethesda, World Dance Showcase, ARTSCAPE and Dance Place’s New Releases Choreographer’s Showcase. Their performances and productions have been recognized as some of the best in the DC Metro area with two Metro DC Dance awards in 2009 and five finalist nominations in 2012. The company is committed to sharing the art and passion of flamenco throughout the Metro DC area through performances, educational shows and classes.

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Date: February 3 - April 27, 2024

Location: Atlas Performing Arts Center - 1333 H Street NorthEast, Washington, DC 20002.

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