Arts & Entertainment

Russian adventures

Dance legend’s time abroad explored in new work

Published

13 years ago

May 2, 2013

‘Once Wild: Isadora Duncan in Russia’
Today through Sunday
Word Dance Theater
Georgetown University’s Davis Performing Arts Center
37th & O Streets, NW
$10-$25
202-687-ARTS
worddance.org

Cynthia Word as Isadora Duncan in ‘Once Wild.’ (Photo by Teresa Castracane, courtesy Theo Kossenas, Media 4 Artists)

Isadora Duncan’s spectacular life is often reduced to a cautionary tale: long, flowing scarves and convertibles don’t mix. But there’s much more to the glamorous mother of modern dance than her ungraceful death and Word Dance Theater, a D.C.-based cross disciplinary company dedicated to carrying forth Duncan’s work, is doing its best to make sure that the world knows it.

Word Dance Theater is joining forces with Georgetown University’s Davis Performing Arts Center to present “Once Wild: Isadora in Russia,” a compelling slice from Duncan’s groundbreaking legend.

Penned by Norman Allen, who is gay, “Once Wild” reimagines Duncan and her adopted daughter Irma’s time in Russia during the early days of the Bolshevik revolution. It follows the American dancer’s efforts to introduce iconoclastic choreography to young Russian dancers; the challenges they encountered opening a dance school amidst a background of sweeping social changes and Isadora’s tumultuous romance with volatile Russian poet Sergei Esenin (danced by Helen Hayes Award-winning, out actor Philip Fletcher).

The story — an original work based on historic facts — is told from Irma’s point of view. Because the production combines both theater and dance, Allen says, there are two Irmas on stage throughout the show — an older Irma who sits in a wheelchair (Kimberly Schraf) delivering all of the 80-minute work’s dialogue, and company member Ingrid Zimmer who silently dances as the younger Irma, embodying the memories and essence of Duncan’s choreography.

“Once Wild” isn’t Allen’s first foray into the world of dance. Early in his career he scored a big success with “Nijinsky’s Last Dance,” a one-man show about the legendary, gravity-defying Russian ballet dancer. He’s also written a libretto for the Washington Ballet. “With ‘Once Wild,’ the dance and words are interwoven and overlap,” Allen says. “As always with any work, the toughest part was finding the structure. How do you make sense of five years of historical tumult and two women doing amazing things? (Director Derek Goldman) and I have tried to make this play a reliving rather than a looking back. Old Irma speaks to young Irma. It’s much more alive this way.”

Cynthia Word, Word Dance Theater’s artistic director and the show’s choreographer, plays Isadora.

“Though I’ve been interested in Duncan for many years, dancing and choreographing her work, this is the first time I’ve ever portrayed her. It’s a big responsibility. Isadora, I think, would only want that I dance my truest self.”

Duncan, who died from a broken neck at 49 in 1927 on the Côte d’Azur after her trademark long scarf became entangled in the spokes of her chauffer-driven Bugatti, was a genius who single handedly altered the entire concept of dance. Unlike classical ballet that left audiences in awe, she preferred organic, relatable movement. Her work incorporated timely issues. She danced to music composed by the great masters and incorporated themes of current issues on stages stripped of unnecessary spectacle. She and her dancers dressed in comfortable, loose-fitting tunics (the theme song for the ‘70s sitcom “Maude” describes Isadora as “the first bra burner”). “I doubt she ever wore a bra to start with,” Word says.

“Once Wild” includes a lot of Duncan’s own choreography. Other than some flickering images, there’s no film of Duncan dancing, Word says. But fortunately for today’s choreographers, Duncan was a star on the between-the-wars Paris art scene, so there are many photographs and paintings of her in dance poses which give important clues about the dance. Archived reviews describing her work have proved very helpful too. “Lineage from dancer to dancer has also become very important,” says Word whose teacher was taught by one of Duncan’s students. “How close you can get to the source is important. Being close to the source makes the work more real.”

Duncan was still performing and very active until the end. “She had premonitions about her death,” Word says. “But it didn’t help. Isadora loved to go fast.”

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Galleries

BMA celebrates enduring influence of Henri Matisse

Exhibit features iconic works juxtaposed with gay artist’s paintings inspired by French legend

Published

19 hours ago

March 14, 2026

Kevin Naff

‘Tom’ by Louis Fratino (left) and ‘Large Reclining Nude’ by Henri Matisse (right) reveal the ways in which the legendary French visual artist influenced the young American painter, from the use of light and pattern to the choice to focus on everyday subjects.

The Baltimore Museum of Art is on a roll.

After landing the coveted Amy Sherald “American Sublime” exhibit (through April 5) when the National Portrait Gallery attempted to censor her work, the BMA is debuting a breathtaking and thought-provoking new exhibit, “To See This Light Again” featuring master works by Henri Matisse paired with new paintings by Louis Fratino, who is inspired by the French modernist legend.

Fratino, who’s gay, was born in Annapolis and studied at Baltimore’s Maryland Institute College of Art. As an art student, he found himself spending lots of time in the BMA’s Matisse galleries, the largest collection of his works in the world, encompassing more than 1,600 paintings, drawings, and illustrations. At just 33, Fratino has enjoyed a “meteoric” rise in the art world, according to BMA Director Asma Naeem, who introduced Fratino at an event previewing the exhibit last week. This is Fratino’s first major U.S. exhibition, but he was featured in the 2024 Venice Biennale and his paintings can be found at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and elsewhere.

The exhibit aims to explore Matisse’s lasting influence by juxtaposing his works with Fratino’s.

“It’s the idea that art manifests a kind of attention or a vision for your life, that it can be a beautiful life despite certain circumstances that may be happening around you,” Fratino said in a statement released by the BMA. “In Matisse’s case, he lived through the First and Second World Wars. Painting can confirm that life is beautiful and that it’s worth looking at.”

The influences are apparent, from the use of light and pattern to the choice to focus on everyday objects and subjects. And the exhibit is unabashedly queer with male couples depicted in a couple of paintings. Fratino told the Blade that as an out gay man, it was important to embrace that visibility.

He describes a “joy of looking” at the male form, just as Matisse portrayed female figures that often celebrated the tradition of painting nudes.

In “Tom,” Fratino captured his subject in casual repose that includes a bowl and spoon in the foreground. It is presented alongside Matisse’s iconic “Large Reclining Nude.” Tom’s checkered shirt echoes the blue and white grid background of the Matisse work and both figures are holding casual, relaxed poses.

“Fratino and Matisse: To See This Light Again” runs through Sept. 6 at the Baltimore Museum of Art (artbma.org.)

For Matisse lovers, the BMA has another exhibit debuting March 29 titled, “Matisse in Vence: The Stations of the Cross” featuring more than 80 drawings revealing how the artist “shaped his late‑career masterpiece, the Stations of the Cross mural, for the Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, France.”

Books

Laverne Cox, Liza Minnelli among authors with new books

A tome for every taste this reading season

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2026

Terri Schlichenmeyer

Spring is a great time to think about vacations, spring break, lunch on the patio, or an afternoon in the park. You’ll want to bring one (or all!) of these great new books.

So let’s start here: What are you up for? How about a great new novel?

If you’re a mystery fan, you’ll want to make reservations to visit “Disaster Gay Detective Agency” by Lev AC Rosen (Poisoned Pen Press, June 2). It’s a whodunit featuring a group of gay roommates, one of whom is a swoony romantic. Add a mysterious man who disappears and a murder, of course, and you’ve got the novel you need for the beach.

Don’t discount young adult books, if you want something light to read this spring. “What Happened to Those Girls” by Carlyn Greenwald (Sourcebooks Fire, June 30) is a thriller about mean girls and a camping trip that goes terribly, bloodily wrong. Meant for teens ages 14 and up, young adult books are breezier and lighter fare for the busy grown-up reader.

If you loved “Boyfriend Material” and “Husband Material,” you’ll be eager for the next installment from author Alexis Hall. “Father Material” (Sourcebooks Casablanca, June 2) takes Luc and Oliver to the next step. First was dating. Then was marriage. Is it time for the sound of pitter-patter on the kitchen floor?

Maybe something even lighter? Then how about a book of essays – like “The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay” bycomedian and writer Eliot Glazer (Gallery Books, Aug. 11). It’s a book of essays on being gay today, the irritations, the joys, and fitting in. Be aware that these essays may contain a bit of spice – but isn’t that what you want for your reading pleasure anyhow, hmmm?

But okay, let’s say you want something with a little more heft to it. How about a biography?

Look for “Transcendant” by Laverne Cox (Gallery Books, June 9), or “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This” by Liza Minnelli (Grand Central Publishing, March 10), and “Every Inch a Lady” by Audrey Smaltz with Alina Mitchell (Amistad, July 14). Keep your eyes open for “Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge” by Harvey Brownstone (ECW Press, May 26) or “The Double Dutch Fuss” by Phill Branch (Amistad, June 2).

Then again, maybe you want some history, or something different.

So here: look for “Queer Saints: A Radical Guide to Magic, Miracles, and Modern Intercession” by Antonio Pagliarulo (Weiser, June 1) for a little bit of faith-based gay. Music lovers will want “Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000” by Barry Walters (Viking, May 12). Activists will want “In the Arms of Mountains: A Memoir of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America” byformer Idaho state Sen. Cole Nicole LeFavour (Beacon Press, May 26).

And if these books aren’t enough, then be sure to check with your favorite bookseller or librarian. They’ll have exactly what you’re in the mood to read. They’ll find what you need for that patio, beach towel, or easy chair.

Music & Concerts

Gaga, Cardi B, and more to grace D.C. stages this spring

Shake off your winter doldrums at a local concert

Published

2 days ago

March 13, 2026

Evan Caplan

Lady Gaga plays Capital One Arena on March 23. (File photo courtesy of Might Real Agency)

D.C. shakes off its winter blues this spring as the music scene pops off. We all know the big star is coming: Lady Gaga will perform at Capital One Arena on March 23. But plenty of other stars, big and small, will grace D.C. stages, including many LGBTQ and ally artists.

March

3/15, 9:30 Club, St. Lucia – Indie electronic music project known for its synth-pop sound, which blends ‘80s influences with electronic and indie rock elements.

3/31, Lincoln Theatre, Perfume Genius – Indie/pop singer/songwriter Mike Hadreas, also known as Perfume Genius, has toured with a full band, but he is stripping things back for this tour.

April

4/8, Capital One, Cardi B. Cardi B, from New York, unapologetic and proud, is the first solo female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. This year, she’s on her Little Miss Drama Tour, in support of her second studio album, “Am I the Drama?”

4/13, Lincoln Theatre, The Naked Magicians. Australia’s The Naked Magicians are two performers who deliver live magic and laughs while wearing nothing but a top hat and a smile.

4/18, Capital One, Florence and the Machine. Longstanding indie rock back from Great Britain, much-loved for lead singer Florence’s powerful vocals. On their Everybody Scream Tour.

4/16, Capital One, Demi Lovato. Singer/songwriter from Texas, who came out as nonbinary, is traveling on her “It’s Not That Deep Tour.”

4/21, The Anthem, Calum Scott. Platinum-selling gay singer/songwriter Calum Scott released his latest project, Avenoir, last year. Scott rose to fame in 2015 after competing on Britain’s Got Talent, where he performed a cover of Robyn’s hit “Dancing on My Own“.

4/26, Atlantis, Caroline Kingsbury. American queer pop musician from Los Angeles. She released her debut album in 2021, and has two additional EPs. She’s played Lollapalooza 2025 and All Things Go 2025, as well as gone on a co-headlining U.S. tour with MARIS. Shock Treatment is her latest EP.

4/26, Anthem, Raye. This bisexual artist, known for her current chart-topping “”Where Is My Husband!” single, blends pop, jazz, R&B, and more.

4/30, Union Stage, Daya. This bisexual singer/songwriter is on her “Til Every Petal Drops Tour,” touring the album of the same name that was released last year.

May

5/1, The Anthem, Joost Klein. Eurovision comes to D.C. in Joost Klein: Originally a Youtuber, he was selected to represent the Netherlands at Eurovision in 2024 with his song “Europapa.” He released a new album on New Year’s Day.

5/1, Fillmore, MIKA. MIKA is on his Spinning Out Tour. Born in Beirut and raised in both Paris and London, MIKA sings in multiple languages and has co-hosted Eurovision.

5/7, 9:30 Club, COBRAH. Clara Christensen, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and club queen, making electronic dance music.

5/19, Atlantis, Grace Ives. New York-born singer/songwriter, known for her high-energy synth/electronic, bedroom-pop-style music.

June

6/2, The Anthem, James Blake. English crooner got big from his self-titled debut album in 2011. He won two Grammys and just released his 7th album,Trying Times, in March.