Don’t call it a comeback, but several artists and companies dance fans might have been missing are set for a triumphant return to area stages. Two very different Philly-based companies — the Philadelphia Ballet and contemporary ballet troupe Ballet X — both unseen in the DMV since before the pandemic, dance back into our embrace with programs at the Kennedy Center.

Closer to home, D.C.’s Dissonance Dance Theatre Company, led by Shawn Short, is back for a robust season of contemporary ballet performances at Atlas Performing Arts Center. The company will offer a “fresh alternative” to The Nutcracker with Winter Stories, featuring world-premiere works inspired by the cold of winter.

We’ll see several world premieres to go along with Nutcrackers performed in every style, from ballet to cirque. And humor and joy pirouette throughout the season, which also portends intriguing turns into the shadows with productions like American Ballet Theatre’s Crime and Punishment at the Kennedy Center, and Manassas Ballet Theatre’s Dracula at Hylton Performing Arts.

Bursting with ballerinas and acrobats and tap-happy Santas, it should be a killer fall and winter for dance around D.C.

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

1333 H St. NE
202-399-7993
www.atlasarts.org

• Dissonance Dance Theatre: Fall Forward — Shawn Short’s contemporary ballet company kicks off their busy season at the Atlas with a mixed-bill of world premieres choreographed by Short, including soft-shoe ballet Groove Downbeat Twig (10/19, Lang Theatre)
• Café Flamenco 2024 — The Café reopens for another edition of this cabaret-style celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring dancers of Furia Flamenca moving to live music by guitarists Maestro Torcuato Zamora and Juan L. Romero, and percussionist Henry Rodriguez (10/27, Lab Theatre II)
• VOCA Presents Deaf BIPOC Solo Shows II — Three solo performances by Deaf and Hard of Hearing BIPOC individuals from the Visionaries of the Creative Arts (VOCA) ensemble recounting their unique life experiences through music, dance, poetry, multimedia, and storytelling (11/1-17, Lab Theatre II)
• Dissonance Dance Theatre: Winter Stories — Offering a fresh alternative to The Nutcracker, the contemporary ballet company explores “dance surrounding stories inspired by the cold of winter” in an evening of world premiere works, featuring performances by dancers from the Ngoma School (12/8, Sprenger Theatre)
• Natividad Flamenca — Furia Flamenca Dance Company reups this evening of holiday traditions celebrated in Spain and Puerto Rico, with musicians Maestro Torcuato Zamora, Juan L. Romero, and Guillermo Juan Christie on flamenco guitar, and Margarita Osorio and Jorge Porta on vocals (12/14, Lang Theatre)
• Dissonance Dance Theatre: Black Kinesphere — DDT hosts an evening of contemporary and classical works showcasing Black choreographers Shawn Short, DDT resident choreographer Kareem B. Goodwin, Kameron N. Saunders, Kevin McEwen of Kafago NYC, DMV’s Marcus Isaiah, and Shawn Rawls of Emotional Physical Theatre NYC (1/18/25, Lang Theatre)

BALLETNOVA CENTER FOR DANCE

3443 Carlin Springs Rd.
Falls Church, Va.
703-778-3008
www.balletnova.org

• The Nutcracker — A family holiday tradition with members of BalletNova’s Junior and Conservatory divisions dancing a full theatrical staging (11/21-24, Kenmore MS, Arlington)

BALTIMORE BALLET

10534 York Road
Cockeysville, Md. 21030
410-667-7974
www.baltimoreballet.com

• The Nutcracker — The company’s 24th annual production of the Tchaikovsky classic, featuring guest artists, and a Sunday pre-show “Tea with Clara” meet-and-greet for kids (11/30-12/1, Goucher College Kraushaar Auditorium, Towson)

BALTIMORE THEATRE PROJECT

45 West Preston St.
Baltimore, Md.
410-752-8558
www.theatreproject.org

• Fall Mixer of Dance — Five exciting dance companies hit one stage as BAD Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Dance & Bmore, Full Circle Dance Company, and VTDance assemble as the Professional Dance Collective of Maryland for this spectacular one-night team-up (9/17)
• Elevations East — New York-based contemporary company SHIFT, Dance. Arts. & Media. swings through Baltimore on its six-city tour of works by artistic director Cherri Nelle Thompson, Diane Hutchinson, and Evelien Schut (10/5)
• Loco 7: Lunch with Sonia — Written & co-directed by Federico Restrepo & Denise Greber, a dance puppet theatre piece on serious themes of love, loss, and dying with dignity (11/21-24)

CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT

CDP Media Lounge
700 12th St. NW
202-499-2297
www.chamberdance.org

• Quartet Concert and Reception — Chamber Dance Project’s resident string quartet performs and discusses the music, from Phillip Glass to Arvo Pärt, that will score the company’s upcoming ballet season (10/8, Lyceum, Alexandria)
• SLAM! in the Round — CDB brings its signature ballet SLAM!, plus two other fan favorite works, to the round of Arena’s Fichandler Stage (1/4, Fichandler Stage, Arena Stage)

THE CLARICE

Dance Theatre
University of Maryland
College Park, Md.
301-405-ARTS
www.theclarice.umd.edu

• Fall MFA Dance Thesis Concert — A showcase of “stunning and provocative choreography” by M.F.A. candidates in the UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, Christina Collins, Daniel Miramontes, and Peter Pattengill (10/12-15, Dance Theatre)
• Far From the Norm: BLKDOG — British dance artist Botis Seva and the dancers of his Far From the Norm troupe pair hip-hop with contemporary for this Olivier Award-winning “physical reflection of our modern mental turmoil” (10/28, Kay Theatre) Far From the Norm: Post-Show Conversation with Botis Seva — Far From the Norm choreographer Seva breaks down the BLKDDOG experience (10/28, Kay Theatre)
• TDPS Experimental Performance Series #1 — A collection of self-produced works, including new plays and choreography, presented by undergrad and graduate students (11/2, Dance Theatre)
• TDPS Experimental Performance Series #2 — A second student collection of new and established works (12/7, Dance Theatre)
• TDPS Experimental Performance Series #3 — A whole other program of works by those talented TDPS students (2/1, Cafritz Foundation Theatre)
• Deepe Darknesse — Can’t be sure what to expect of this “physical theater performance combining dance, theater, and experimentation,” but the title, “dee-pee dark-ness-ay,” offers a hint of the intended oddball humor (2/6-7, Kogod Theatre)
• Spring MFA Dance Thesis Concert — M.F.A. candidates Kevin Clark, Mher Kandoyan, and Kae Lawrence get their chance to present stunning new choreography (2/14-16, Kogod Theatre)
• A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham — Dancing at the intersection of Black and Queer stories, MacArthur Genius Award-winning choreographer Abraham and his contemporary company present work that “entwines a sensual and provocative vocabulary with a strong emphasis on music, text, video, and visual art” (3/5-6, Kay Theatre)

DANCE PLACE

3225 8th St. NE
202-269-1600
www.danceplace.org

• Spanish Embassy Residency: Jesús Benzal — For this year’s Artist Development Residency, co-sponsored by the Embassy of Spain, dance artist Benzal explores his latest work Knock, investigating the link between short-term memory and contemporary dance (9/19-27)
• Dance & Disability Residency: Donald Lee — This residency supporting the growth and vision of artists who identify as disabled offers a platform for Lee’s work Element of Danger/Donald/untitled specific-specific performance (9/30-10/6)
• MK Abadoo/MKArts: Hoptown — An immersive, intergenerational work inspired by the parallel lives of Hopkinsville “Hoptown,” Kentucky natives: bell hooks and Regina Bowden, mother of company leader MK Abadoo (10/14-18)
• Family Spooky Halloween Disco — Costumes are encouraged for this all-ages, family-friendly Halloween disco with a DJ, games, snacks, and spooky crafts (10/26)
• BigKid Dance: if i die before the revolution — Contemporary company from Philly develops this work-in-progress, “an imaginative portrayal of survival, love, and solidarity within the queer community” in the wake of the AIDS epidemic (10/28-11/1)
• AIR TIME: Season Party — Join artist-in-residence Ronya Lee Anderson and one of our faves Bambi on the dance floor for a season party with a DJ and pop-up performances (11/2)
• Jessica Featherson: A Soft Place to Land — Featherson’s love letter to Black women, exploring “historical and contemporary meanings of radical self and communal care” (11/8-9)
• Matthew Williams: Warming Up, I’m Ready — A dance-theatre performance that asks, “What does it feel like in your body to be ready…to express yourself, to be present with others, to be in creative process?” (11/15-16)
• Technical Residency: ANANYA Dance Theatre — The company’s work-in-progress ANTARANGA: Between You and Me, addressing themes of intimacy, connection, trust, and community among BIPOC women/femmes (11/17-21)
• DC Casineros — An electrifying night of international dance, rhythm, and passion culminates with the DC Cuban Social (12/6)
• Marcus Isaiah — Debut show for this company led by three D.C.-based choreographers exploring the concept of Effervescence in three very different ways (12/7-8)
• Kwanzaa Celebration presented by Cowaba Dance Theater — Cowaba brings the spirit of Kwanzaa to life with soul-stirring live-drumming and dance (12/14-15)
• KanKouran West African Dance Company: ORIGIN — Embark on a spiritual journey back to Africa with an elaborate showcase of choreography celebrating the long ancestral line from Africa to the world abroad (1/18)

DANCE LOFT ON 14

4618 14th St. NW
2nd Floor
202-621-3670
www.danceloft.org

• The Nutcracker — Dance Loft’s annual production (12/7-8, 12/13-14)

DISSONANCE DANCE COMPANY

Atlas Performing Arts Center
www.ngcfddt.org

• Fall Forward — Shawn Short’s contemporary ballet company kicks off their season at the Atlas Atlas Performing Arts Center with a mixed-bill of world premieres choreographed by Short (10/19, Atlas, Lang Theatre)
• Winter Stories — In a fresh alternative to The Nutcracker, the company explores “dance surrounding stories inspired by the cold of winter” (12/8, Atlas, Sprenger Theatre)
• Black Kinesphere — An evening of contemporary and classical works showcasing Black choreographers Shawn Short, DDT resident choreographer Kareem B. Goodwin, Kameron N. Saunders, Kevin McEwen, Marcus Isaiah, and Shawn Rawls (1/18/25, Atlas, Lang Theatre)

GMU CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Concert Hall
4373 Mason Pond Drive
Fairfax, Va.
888-945-2468
www.cfa.gmu.edu

• Artists in Conversation: Dance workshop with Ballet Hispánico — Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with an interactive social dance workshop led by the “smashingly theatrical” dance company (10/4, Sherwood Community Center, Fairfax)
• Ballet Hispánico — Mason’s Artist-in-Residence company presents an evening of three works, including Sombrerísimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Club Havana by Pedro Ruiz, and Buscando a Juan by artistic director Eduardo Vilaro (10/5, Concert Hall)
• Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble — Accompanied by the MMDG Music Ensemble, the world-renowned troupe performs audience favorites and rare gems, including Pacific, Going Away Party, and Rock of Ages (10/19, Concert Hall)
• Fall: New Dances 2024 — An evening of faculty and student work showcasing the talented dancers of the School of Dance (11/8-9, Concert Hall)
• Fall: Dance Innovations 2024 — School of Dance students present their own choreography in an evening of adjudicated works (12/6-7, Harris Theatre)
• Versa-Style Street Dance Company: Rooted Rhythms — L.A.-based dance company marks its 20th anniversary with a mixed repertory program of its most popular works, paying homage to street dance styles such as whacking, popping, and house dance (2/15, Concert Hall)

HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Merchant Hall
10960 George Mason Circle
Manassas, Va.
703-993-7759
www.hyltoncenter.org

• Kollywood Night 2024 — KC Dance brings a night of Nepalese music, laughs, and performances, presented entirely in Nepali (9/28, Merchant Hall)
• Manassas Ballet Theatre: Dracula — A chilling and sensual production of Stoker’s classic, with an original score by Kim Reynolds, performed by The Kim Reynolds Band (10/18-20, Merchant Hall)
• Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque — Inspired by daily life in company founder Yamoussa Bangoura’s native Guinea, a unique fusion of African arts and European circus traditions featuring daring acrobats and dancers accompanied by a live Afro-jazz ensemble (11/16-17, Merchant Hall)
• Virginia National Ballet: The Nutcracker — The company’s perennially popular traditional production brings spectacular backdrops and scenery, beautiful costumes, and world-class choreography and dancing (11/29)
• Northern Virginia Ballet: The Nutcracker — Talented, international dancers lead an enchanted journey through waltzing snowflakes and the Kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy in this traditional version of the holiday classic (11/30, Merchant Hall)
• Manassas Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker — Featuring the professional dancers and musicians of the MBT taking all ages on a “dreamy journey of fantasy and sweets” (12/18-23, Merchant Hall)
• Manassas Ballet Theatre: Love — Kim Reynolds’ new contemporary ballet, performed by The Kim Reynolds Band, set to original choreography by Ahamed Nabil (3/7-9)

JOY OF MOTION DANCE CENTER

Atlas Peforming Arts Center
1333 H Street NE
202-813-9505
www.joyofmotion.org

• Salsa Workshop with Mr. Edwin Sorto — In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, “DC’s finest instructor” leads a salsa workshop for dancers ages 5-15 (9/22)

KENNEDY CENTER

202-467-4600
www.kennedy-center.org

• National Dance Day — Coinciding with the fifth anniversary of The REACH, the annual celebration of dance returns with FREE activities, classes, performances, and parties for all ages, as this year’s event explores how dance builds and strengthens community wellbeing (9/21, The REACH)
• Fantasy of Korea — A vibrant cast of 36 talented artists present a concert of traditional Korean dance and music, including pansori and gayageum performances (9/21, Terrace Theater)
• Gaga/dancers with Shamel Pitts — Kennedy Center’s Mindful Movement dance masterclasses highlight the movement language Gaga, developed by choreographer and former artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin, leading two classes open to professionals and students (10/26, Studio F at The REACH)
• Laboratory Dance Project — Blending martial arts, hip-hop, and contemporary dance, this high-energy Korean ensemble, founded by choreographer Shin Chang Ho, brings the rush of two new works, MOB and Ash, that promise to “leave your heart racing” (10/31-11/2, Eisenhower Theater)
• Philadelphia Ballet: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker — Last seen at the Kennedy Center over ten years ago, the Philly company (formerly the Pennsylvania Ballet) steps up for the Kennedy Center’s annual presentation of the nation’s best Nutcrackers (11/27-12/1, Opera House)
• Ballet X — Years since its sold-out 2019 Kennedy Center debut, Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet returns with a program of works by Jodie Gates, Takehiro Ueyama, Matthew Neenan, and Justin Peck, whose Become a Mountain, features Baltimore-native composer and musician Dan Deacon performing alongside members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra (12/4-7, Eisenhower Theater)
• National Ballet of China: Chinese New Year (A Ballet in Two Acts) — Fusing western ballet with Chinese culture, the renowned company sets the story of a family’s Chinese New Year celebration to Tchaikovsky’s treasured Nutcracker score (1/29-2/2, Opera House)
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater — Presenting mixed repertory programs of signature Ailey classics and new works, the iconic company is sure to spin a world of modern dance delights and revelations (2/4-9, Opera House)
• American Ballet Theatre: Crime and Punishment — ABT takes an intriguingly dark turn performing an adaptation of Dostoyevsky’s psychological thriller by choreographer Helen Pickett and director James Bonas, featuring music by Isobel Waller-Bridge (2/12-16, Opera House)
• Shen Yun — The New York-based company famed worldwide for representing traditional Chinese culture through dance returns with an all-new epic production and live orchestra (2/20-3/2, Opera House)
• The Washington Ballet presents transcenDANCE — An evening highlighting diverse choreographic and innovative styles, with works choreographed by Ulysses Dove, company artistic director Edwaard Liang, and Jennifer Archibald, presenting her world premiere fusing hip-hop, ballet, and contemporary modern (2/20-23, Eisenhower Theater)
• Paul Taylor Dance Company — Led by former company member Michael Novak, the PTDC commemorates 70 years of extraordinary dance with a program including Paul Taylor classics Airs and Esplanade, plus a world premiere by Kennedy Center’s Artistic Advisor for Dance Education, Hope Boykin (2/27-3/1, Eisenhower Theater)

THE MEYERHOFF

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
1212 Cathedral St.
Baltimore, Md.
410-783-8000
www.bsomusic.org

• Cirque Nutcracker — Troupe Vertigo joins the BSO for a high-flying twist on Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic, with jaw-dropping acrobatics and astonishing choreography (12/13, Music Center at Strathmore, 12/14-15, Symphony Hall)
• The Nutcracker: A Magical Tale in Mount Vernon — Dancers from the Baltimore School for the Arts perform to Tchaikovsky’s score in a reimagined version of the classic choreographed by Amy Hall Garner and set in the Baltimore neighborhood of Mount Vernon (12/18-19)
• Holiday Spectacular — A chorus line of tapping Santas are a highlight of this annual extravaganza featuring the BSO conducted by Stuart Chafetz, plus guest artists and audience sing-alongs (2/24-25)

STRATHMORE

5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, Md.
301-581-5100
www.strathmore.org

• MALEVO — As seen on America’s Got Talent, the sensational all-male Argentinian ensemble, created by choreographer-dancer Matias Jaime, returns to share that malambo beat, reinventing the traditional folk dance originated by gauchos, adding elements of flamenco and live percussion (10/27)
• Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet — Talmi Entertainment presents an international all-star cast in a world class ballet with puppets, lavish costumes, and stunning acrobatics (11/30)
• Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert — Ring in 2025 with Maestro András Deák leading the Strauss Symphony of America, as dancers from the Budapest Ballet and international Ballroom champions enliven timeless Viennese melodies like The Blue Danube waltz (12/29)
• State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine: An Evening with Swan Lake — A full-scale production featuring Tchaikovsky’s legendary score, bringing the choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov to life (1/18)

SYNETIC THEATER

www.synetictheater.org

• Hamlet — In this award-winning spectacle, first performed in 2002, director Paata Tsikurishvili reimagines Shakespeare’s masterpiece as a visceral, wordless, movement-based experience, starring Vato Tsikurishvili as Hamlet (9/28-10/13, Thomas Jefferson Theatre, 125 S Old Glebe Rd., Arlington)

THE WASHINGTON BALLET

3515 Wisconsin Ave. NW
202-362-3606
www.washingtonballet.org

• Dance for All @ Dupont Underground — TWB honors new artistic director Edwaard Liang with an immersive showcase of his emotive and innovative choreography, performed by the Studio Company and set to an original score by Emmy-winning composer Blake Neely (10/3-5), Dupont Underground)
• when WE take flight — Evoking a flock of birds in Edwaard Liang’s Murmurations, the company also takes on 18+1, choreographed by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, and George Balanchine’s ballet set to Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto (10/24-27, Warner Theatre)
• Dance for All @ National Building Museum — For children ages 3-8, a collaboration with the Building Readers Club takes a whimsical read-aloud journey with Clara and The Nutcracker (11/9, National Building Museum) The Nutcracker — TWB celebrates twenty years of Septime Webre’s D.C.-themed production with dancing cherry blossoms, cardinals, and famous figures like Betsy Ross, Harriet Tubman, and George Washington as the Nutcracker (11/30-12/29, Warner Theatre)
• transcenDANCE — An evening highlighting diverse choreographic and innovative styles, with works choreographed by Ulysses Dove, Edwaard Liang, and Jennifer Archibald (2/20-23, Kennedy Center, Eisenhower Theater)

WEINBERG CENTER FOR THE ARTS

20 W. Patrick St.
Frederick, Md.
301-600-2828
www.weinbergcenter.org

• Tablao Flamenco — Dancer and artistic director Raúl Ortega leads a cast of D.C.’s “most sought-after flamenco artists” in a night of flamenco, transforming the theatre into an intimate Andalusian nightclub (9/15, New Spire Arts)
• Loudoun Ballet Performing Arts Company: The Wizard — Nobody tell JKR, but this one-of-a-kind ballet inspired by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone opts for a gender-swapped version centered around a bespectacled female wizarding student (10/19, Weinberg Center)
• World Ballet Company: The Nutcracker — A multinational cast of 50 professional dancers in radiant hand-crafted costumes perform Lev Ivanov’s noted choreography set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score (12/1, Weinberg Center)
• Maryland Regional Ballet: The Nutcracker — Joined by guest artists from the New York City Ballet and students from the Frederick School of Classical Ballet, a transporting performance set to Tchaikovsky’s beloved score (12/6-8, Weinberg Center)

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