Arts & Entertainment
SPRING ARTS 2019 DANCE: Pirouettes and arabesques
Dorsey Dance Company’s gender exploration among season’s dance highlights
The Washington Ballet presents “The Sleeping Beauty” through March 3 at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.). The classic tale is reimagined as a ballet with the familiar characters of Princess Aurora, her prince and her wicked fairy godmother Carabosse. Tickets range from $25-160. For more information, visit washingtonballet.org.
Dissonance Dance Theatre performs “Fluid” at the Atlas Performing Arts Center (1333 H St., N.E.) on Sunday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. Set to the music of Ezio Bosso, the dance explores the themes of trust, lost, betrayal and love, through contemporary ballet inspired by physical theater and Afro-modern dance. Tickets are $30. For more details, visit atlasarts.org/events/fluid.
Akiko Kitamura presents “Cross Transit” at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) on March 19 at 7:30 p.m. “Cross Transit” focuses on Cambodia’s folk culture using movement choreographed by Kitamura. The work is inspired by artists Kitamura encountered during his field work in Cambodia provided by funding from the Japan Society. Tickets range from $29-39. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.
Bon Iver and TU Dance present “Come Through” to kick-off the Kennedy Center’s Direct Current series on Monday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. The performance includes new music from Bon Iver bandmate Justin Vernon and new choreography from TU Dance. “Come Through” is a blend of modern dance and classical ballet with African-based movements.Tickets range from $49-189. For more details, visit kennedy-center.org.
The Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) presents the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s “Analogy Trilogy” as part of its Direct Current series from March 28-30. The company will perform “Analogy/Dora: Tramontane” on Thursday, March 28. This show is based on an oral history that Jones received from mother-in-law, a French Jewish nurse and social worker, as she told him about her story of survival during World War II. “Analogy/Lance: Pretty aka the Escape Artist” is on Friday, March 29. This performance explores the struggles of Jones’s nephew Lance as he navigates the club culture and sex trade of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. “Analogy/Ambros: The Emigrant” is on Saturday, March 30 and is inspired by the novel “The Emigrant” by W.G. Seblad. Tickets range from $29-79. For more information, visit kennedy-center.org.
The Washington Ballet presents its annual program “Three World Premieres” in Sidney Harmon Hall (610 F St., N.W.) April 3-7. Audiences can experience three, never-before-seen works by choreographers Dana Genshaft, Trey McIntyre and Ethan Stiefel. Tickets range from $25-100. For more information, visit washingtonballet.org.
Shen Yun returns to the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., N.W.) April 17-21 to perform “5,000 Years of Civilization Reborn,” a performance that recreates the spirit of ancient China. The dance incorporates intricate costumes, a theatrical background and an orchestra to revisit various eras of China’s past up until the present. Tickets range from $80-250. For more details, visit kennedy-center.org.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings its 60th anniversary tour to the Modell Lyric (140 W. Mt Royal Ave., Baltimore) April 23-24. In 1958, Alvin Ailey, who was gay, founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and since then the company has celebrated African-American heritage and other cultures in performances for an estimated 25 million people
On April 23, the dance company will perform “Lazarus” and “Revelations.” On April 24, the company will perform the works “Members Don’t Get Weary,” The Call,” “Pause,” “Juba” and “Revelations.” Tickets range from $36-46. For more information, visit modell-lyric.com.
Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance presents “Tracings” at the National Portrait Gallery (8th St., N.W. and F St., N.W.) on May 4 at 6 p.m. The work, choreographed by Burgess (who’s gay), examines the Korean planation experience in Hawaii. Admission is free. For more details, visit dtsbdc.org.
Impulse Group DC held “10’s Across the Board: A Celebration of 10 Years” at Bravo Bravo (1001 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) on Sunday, Dec. 14. Impulse Group DC is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) and affinity group of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated “to engaging, supporting, and connecting gay men” through culturally relevant health and advocacy work.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Rob Reiner, most known for directing untouchable classics like “The Princess Bride,” “Misery,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “Stand by Me,” died Dec. 14 alongside his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, in their Los Angeles residence. While investigations are actively underway, sources have told PEOPLE Magazine that the pair’s son, Nick Reiner, killed his parents and has been taken into custody.
Reiner was a master of every genre, from the romantic comedy to the psychological thriller to the coming-of-age buddy movie. But in addition to his renowned work that made him a household name, Reiner is also remembered as a true advocate for the LGBTQ community. In 2009, Reiner and his wife co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, helping fight against California’s Prop 8 same-sex marriage ban. They were honored at the 2015 Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas Gala.
In a statement, HRC President Kelley Robinson said: “The entire HRC family is devastated by the loss of Rob and Michele Reiner. Rob is nothing short of a legend — his television shows and films are a part of our American history and will continue to bring joy to millions of people across the world. Yet for all his accomplishments in Hollywood, Rob and Michele will most be remembered for their gigantic hearts, and their fierce support for the causes they believed in — including LGBTQ+ equality. So many in our movement remember how Rob and Michele organized their peers, brought strategists and lawyers together, and helped power landmark Supreme Court decisions that made marriage equality the law of the land — and they remained committed to the cause until their final days. The world is a darker place this morning without Rob and Michele — may they rest in power.”
Reiner’s frequent collaborators have also spoken out as the industry is in mourning, including figures like Ron Howard and John Cusack.
A joint statement from Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest (who starred in Reiner’s “This is Spinal Tap”) reads: “Christopher and I are numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michele Singer Reiner and our ONLY focus and care right now is for their children and immediate families and we will offer all support possible to help them. There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage, and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
While attending the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner, Reiner spoke out about the need for equality: “We have to move past singling out transgender, LGBTQ, black, white, Jewish, Muslim, Latino. We have to get way past that and start accepting the idea that we’re all human beings. We’re all human beings, we all share the same planet, and we should all have the same rights, period. It’s no more complicated than that.”
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington perform “The Holiday Show” at Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St., N.W.). Visit gmcw.org for tickets and showtimes.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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