Dear BDA Community,
I hope you enjoyed Earth Day yesterday and took some time to reflect on how you can make a difference in our planet. As artists, I believe we always aim to make a change causing impact and it is always important to consider how everything reflects on our environment.
In recent conversations with community members, I’ve also reflected on how we tend to ignore how we are a part of nature much like every other living being. We tend to ignore or try to overcome how seasons affect us. I invite you to take a moment and let Spring affect you. Take a walk outdoors, admire the flowers blooming and remind yourself that you too are a part of this Earth. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to continue doing incredible work.
There’s a lot happening in the next few days and that is also a source of inspiration for me. Catch a show, a professional development opportunity or simply dance for fun! Read below for all the exciting opportunities to engage with dance in the region!
Warmly,
Carmen S. Rizzo, Operations & Membership Associate
FREE! – Join the virtual info session for BCA Dance Residencies. Andrea Blesso, Director of Dance and Interdisciplinary Arts, and the two current Boston Dancemaker residents, Laila J. Franklin and Simon Montalvo, will give an overview and answer questions about the 2024–25 Boston Dancemakers Residency. Andrea Blesso will also give an overview of the 2024–25 Dance Lab at BCA. Wednesday, April 24, 12-1 PM on Zoom.
FREE! – Dance Caliente offers a Waltz Dance Workshop. Immerse yourself in the elegance of this timeless dance form. Raul Nieves and Eileen Herman-Haase will teach you a bit of Waltz choreography, help you develop your skills to lead and/or follow and show you ways to comfortably glide around the room to the romantic sounds of 3/4 timing. Register online or call 781-395-7950. Wednesday, April 24, 7:00-8:30 PM, Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library, Bonsignore Hall – 2nd Floor, 11 High Street, Medford.
City Ballet of Boston presents Ballet Banquet, a showcase of traditional and modern ballet set to popular children’s stories like Ben’s Trumpet and Sleeping Beauty. It’s a show for audience members of all ages. Friday, April 26, 7 PM, Saturday, April 27 & Sunday, April 28, 3 PM, Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road, Boston. Tickets: $20-$35. BDA members get 10% off! Check your member portal for more information.
Sara Juli‘s Naughty Bits is a dance-play set inside Juli’s memories that examines trauma while finding levity within the tragic. Through movement, text, song, projections and humor, Naughty Bits finds the forgotten bits, funny bits (and wobbly bits) of putting one’s mind and body back together. Friday, April 26, & Saturday, April 27, 7:30 PM at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill Putney, VT. Tickets: $20-$25.
Embark on a journey through time with Fourth Dimension Tap Company’s “Nostalgia,” a captivating exploration of cherished memories and heartfelt emotions. Relive the magic of days gone by through the art of tap dance. Friday, April 26 & Saturday, April 27, 8 PM, and Sunday, April 28, 7 PM at The Dance Complex. Tickets; $25-$35.
FREE! – Join Urbanity at The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston for their Play Date: A Play on Words event! Families can watch Urbanity’s youth crews and companies perform, take a workshop that combines word games and movement led by Urbanity instructors, and visit the the exhibition “Wordplay.” On this day only, museum admission is free for families when accompanied by kids ages 12 and under. Saturday, April 27, 11 AM-12 PM.
Dance Prism Ballet presents Puss in Boots, the whimsical tale of a poor boy, a beautiful princess, & a shape-shifting ogre, all governed by an incredibly devious cat. Following the performance, “Puss” will host a complimentary reception for children and adults to meet and take photos with the character and Puss’s famous fairy tale friends who have come to celebrate the royal wedding. Saturday, April 27 at 2:30 PM, at the Littleton Performing Arts Center, 56 King Street, Littleton. Tickets: $23-$32.
FREE! – Kieran Jordan offers a Polarity Therapy Energy Healing workshop. Get an introduction to Polarity Therapy through lecture, demonstration, and guided meditation, movement, and energy exercises. No experience is necessary. All are welcome. Sunday, April 28, 2:00-3:30 PM at the Irish Pastoral Centre Dorchester, 540 Gallivan Blvd, Boston.
The Milton Community Concerts will present an entertaining and diverse concert. This benefit concert, “In Community: A Concert Celebrating LGBTQ+ Stories”, will support the Transgender Emergency Fund of Massachusetts. The program will feature musical theater favorites, jazz standards, concert songs, arias, and cabaret songs, primarily composed by LGBTQ+ composers also featuring dancers Holly Stone and Michael Winward. Tickets for this concert are pay as you can, available at the door only. A suggested donation is $20 general, $10 senior, and free for 18 and under. Sunday, April 28, 3 PM at First Parish of Milton, 535 Canton Avenue.
FREE! – The ARTS FIRST Performance Fair features a cappella, dance, music of all kinds, poetry, magic, musical theater, opera, comedy and more. Performances run nonstop 1-5 PM and showcase the talent and creativity of Harvard students, faculty, staff and alums. Park yourself at one of the 10 stages in and around Harvard Yard, or wander around to see as much diverse art as you can cram into four hours. DanceFest, a celebration of dance traditions from around the world, takes over the Plaza tent 3:30-5:00 PM. Wednesday, April 24-Sunday, April 28 all throughout Harvard Campus. Performances in the Plaza Tent, Holden Chapel, and Adolphus Busch Hall will be livestreamed at HarvardArts on YouTube.
FREE! – Jacob’s Pillow will livestream Insights: Black Dancers in Ballet – Sharing a Rich Trans-Atlantic Legacy live from New York and London, with The Royal Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Black British Ballet, including a discussion moderated by Norton Owen. The program will feature performance excerpts, a panel discussion, and an interactive Q&A. Thursday, April 25, 2:00-3:30 PM via YouTube and Facebook.
FREE! – The Boston College Arts Festival brings surrounding communities together to celebrate the arts. The family-friendly three-day event features dance, music, theater, studio art, and more. Thursday, April 25-Sunday, April 27 at Boston College, Robsham Theater Arts Center, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill.
FREE! – Join Forecast Public Art and CAIR Lab for a cross-sector discussion of how agencies and organizations are embedding artists as creative partners to address climate issues. Climate Artists in Residence discussion features Benny Starr, Maura Jarvis, sTo LeN and Barry Keppard moderated by Johanna K Taylor. Thursday, April 25, 3:30 PM, virtual.
Boston Ballet presents Jorma Elo’s Carmen paired with one of the most eminent scenes in classical ballet, Kingdom of the Shades, staged by Florence Clerc from Paris Opera Ballet. Thursday, April 25-Sunday, May 5 at the Citizen’s Bank Opera House. Tickets: $30-$225.
This monthly Universal Participation Office Hour offers conversations designed to support Innovation Fund grant recipients. All cultural workers interested in Access as the act of inclusion are invited to attend. A curated discussion with people who work at Universal Participation Designated Organizations will be followed by an open forum and resource sharing. Office hours are held on Zoom and not recorded, but a transcript of the meeting will be available upon request. This session will be focused on productions & performance. Friday, April 26, 9 AM, via Zoom.
FREE! – Gina Marte hosts an open rehearsal of her most recent work as a part of the BCA Dance LAB Residency. Friday, April 26, 7 PM at the Boston Center for the Arts’ Martin Hall, 527 Tremont St
Boston.
GLOWBALL will transform the Armory Performance Hall into an immersive Glow-in-the-Dark Rave created by DJ Saucy Lady with hypnotic visuals by Jay Medina, all in support of The Center for Arts at the Armory. There will be aerial circus performances by Ellen Waylonis and Sophie Kaufman from ESH Circus Arts. Friday, April 26, 7 PM VIP Lounge and 8-11 PM Rave, at the Arts At the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Somerville. Tickets: $40-$250.
Sambanismo Experience is an international dance, music and art event dedicated to combining the energy and rhythm of music with the vibrant essence of Brazilian culture. The 3-day festival is highlighted by a world-renowned teaching panel of experts & pioneers of Hip hop, House, Waacking and Afro Dance teaching dance workshops for all levels. The event will also feature high level Popping, Hip Hop, House dance battles with cash prizes for the winners. Friday, April 26-Sunday, April 28 at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St. Tickets: $400. The after-party features DJ Spinna at La Fabrica Night Life in Central Square. Patrons will be treated to the best hiphop and house music, as well as a DJ set all the way from Brazil from DJ G! Sunday, April 28, 8 PM-2 AM, at 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Tickets: $20.
FREE! – Aftab Dance Group, an Iranian dance group made up of students and young professionals, has been entertaining audiences in the Greater Boston and New England area with their unique blend of traditional and modern Iranian dance for over 15 years. Join them at the Brookline Public Library for a special performance followed by a Q&A session about Persian dance. Afterward, stick around for a fun and interactive dance workshop suitable for all skill levels. The performance and workshop are open to adults and kids of all ages. Saturday, April 27, 2-3 PM, at Brookline Village – Hunneman Hall, 361 Washington Street, Brookline.
North Atlantic Ballet presents Alice in Wonderland. The captivating ballet embodies Lewis Carroll’s classic tale; journey alongside the inquisitive Alice as she explores the peculiar landscapes of Wonderland. Saturday, April 27, 12 & 7 PM and Sunday, April 28, 12 PM, at The Cabot Theater, 286 Cabot Street, Beverly. Tickets: $34.75-$68.50.
Northeast Youth Ballet presents C’est La Vie. There are four different ballets inspired by France on the program. Saturday, April 27, 7:30 PM and Sunday, April 28, 2:00 PM at J. Everett Collins Center for the Performing Arts, Andover. Tickets: $30-$45.
GIMME A BEAT! A love letter to Janet… Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty, premieres this weekend. This 18+ show takes you on a dance-filled escapade through all your favorite Janet Jackson jams. All Janet. All night. Alright. Saturday, April 27 & Sunday, April 28, 8 PM, Crystal Ballroom, 55 Davis Square, Somerville.
The SpeakEasy is an art salon where each performer will do their poetry, dance or music and a fun performance party for dancers, actors, poets and all other performers. Featuring readings by Karen Klein and Liz Heichelbech, dance by Kelley Donovan and Christopher Croucher, A Haunted House Dance Installation by Kelley Donovan and more! Email kelleydonovandance@gmail.com or call (617) 388-3247 for more information. Saturday, April 27, 8 PM, 300 Columbia St., Cambridge. Tickets: $10-20 donations.
Alternativo embraces authenticity. Come as you are, ready to dance and party the night away as it’s meant to be. Immerse yourself in a vibrant mix of electronic and global music, from house to dembow, baile funk, jersey club, and beyond. Dancing is not just encouraged, it’s guaranteed. Saturday, April 27, 10 PM-1 AM, at The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge Street, Cambridge. Tickets: $10.
Maurice Bejart‘s work comes to the Coolidge Corner Theater. In a tribute to the choreographer, the Paris Opera Ballet presents three works initially created during the ’70s. Sunday, April 28, 10 AM, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline. Tickets: $22-$25.
Join Mira Goksel and Olivier Besson for PLAYSPACE, an interdisciplinary improv jam accompanied with live music by Nick Tucker. Email miragoksel@gmail.com to reserve your spot and for more information. Sunday, April 28, 12-2 PM at the SomArt Space @ Armory, 191 Highland Ave. 3rd Floor, Somerville. Registrations $10-$20, no one is turned away for lack of funds.
FREE! – New Bedford Creative offers 27 free training opportunities through our Peer-to-Peer Sessions taking place April 26 to October 15. These are free, mostly online workshops for anyone to participate. Tuesdays 1-2 PM & Wednesdays, June 5, September 4 & October 2, 6-8 PM.
