Dances of Commemoration and Celebration

 

Five ice-skaters skate towards the camera leaning forward.

“Three Nights of Lights” will feature three “Carte Blanche” performances by Montreal-based ice-dancing company Le Patin Libre, three partial WaterFires, a series of events centered around the illumination of many of Providence’s murals from The Avenue Concept, and at least two holiday tree lightings. Thursday, December 1 at 6, 7 & 8 PM at BankNewport City Center, The Providence Rink. The final 8 PM performance will be followed by an hour-long, public Ice-Skating Dance Party, open to all.

 

Illustration of multiple people of different ages, abilities and ethnicities surrounding a tree with many lamps.

Thursday December 1, Jenny Barber, Danit Ben-Ari, Amy Jill, Lisa Guisbond, Mariana Hardy, Jody Leader, Jodi Narahara, and Clara Sandler perform work by Lynn Modell as part of Brookine First Light. Four performances happen on the patio to the left of Zaftigs between 6 and 7 PM. 

 

Graphic with red banner reads ScroogeCo. Holiday Office Party and shows five line dancers in different holiday hats (Santa, reindeer etc.)

Beau Tease Burlesque offers a 21+ immersive evening of entertainment, dancing, and party games at the ScroogeCo Holiday Party. Singing, burlesque, and more December 2-10 10PM at Chelsea Theatre Works.

 

Nut/Cracked Comes to KitteryThe Bang Group brings David Parker‘s distinctive, percussive and often very funny version of the holiday classic to The Dance Hall Friday, December 2 at 7:30 PM. Expect tap dancing, singing and some unusual pointe shoe activity.

 

Illustration of a pig in a tutu, crown and ballet shoes holds a wand and bows under a spotlight.

Walnut Hill School for the Arts Community Dance Academy teams up with local children’s author David Ira Rottenberg to bring his popular children’s book Gwendolyn’s Nutty Nutcracker to life! This fun child friendly ballet performance choreographed by Dance Academy Director, Melanie Atkins features beloved Nutcracker music and an intermission meet and greet with the characters and the author. Autographed books available. Saturday, December 3, at 12 & 3 PM at the Keiter Center for the Performing Arts, 146 Bacon Street, Natick, MA.

 

Three young dancers in Victorian dresses look into a box and seem surprised by its content

New England Ballet Theatre under the direction of Courtney Hingston takes you on a magical journey with their heart warming Christmas tradition of The NutcrackerSaturday December 3, at 12 & 4 PM at the Lawrence School in Falmouth, MA.

 

Bosoma Holiday Spectacular poster with two dancers on either side of the poster. On the left side, a dancer in white lifts one leg behind them; on the right another dancer in black and purple leaps with both legs extended away from each other.

The BoSoma Youth Company, pre-professional dance company of BoSoma School of Dance (BSD) in Hamilton & Georgetown, is proud to present their family friendly winter concert “A Holiday Spectacular.” Holiday-themed classics include How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Nutcracker and more Saturday, December 3 at 6 PM & Sunday, December 4 at 2 PM, at Shore Country Day School, 545 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA.

 

Red background for Cuban flag illustration with two dancers and "Rueda! Son! Casino! Rumba! Guateque Cubano!" written on it.

Clave in the holidays! Join Guateque Cubano for a special holiday dance social. Get your Cuban dance on and enjoy a thirty-minute dance lesson at 7:30 PM and the rest of the night to dance. Sunday, December 4, 6-10 PM, at 351 Summer St, Somerville, MA. Parking available on site.

 

 

 

 

photo of someone's arms extended out as if receiving something.

Gaga people are reversing their curves on Tuesday, November 29 and giving back to the community with a free online gaga class at 11 AM EST. Places are limited – grab your spot to enjoy a groovy class with Saar Harari.

 

 

Flamenco Night poster with event information displayed over photo of Isaac De Los Reyes with one hand up and another on his chest.

Flamenco Night at Tasca Restaurant in Brighton. Watch the internationally acclaimed Issac De Los Reyes in two shows on Tuesday, November 29 at 5:30 PM and 8:00 PM. Reservations required. Call (617) 730-8002. 1612 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton.

 

Black and white painting of people dancing in a large ballroom

New Klezmer Dances at the Boston Festival New Jewish Music! BFNJM’s first dance party features the musicians of Ezekiel’s Wheels Klezmer Band with special guests Grant Smith of the Klezmer Conservatory Band and dance leader Adah Hetko, with brand new klezmer dance music. Free and open to the public. Wednesday, November 30, 7-9 PM at BackRoom at The Boston Synagogue, 55 Martha Road, Boston.

 

Photo of Kairos Dance Theater's previous performance at Medicine Wheel. Nine dancers are moving on different levels through and with white fabric on the floor at the BCA's Cyclorama.

SPOKE/Medicine Wheel’s 31st Annual Day Without Art installation in honor of World AIDS Day 2022  transforms the Boston Center for the Arts’ Cyclorama for a 24 hour vigil of remembrance and resilience. The event begins with Days Without Art Healing Walk from City Hall beginning at 10:45 PM Wednesday November 30 and continues through midnight December 1.  Dance participants include KAIROS Dance TheaterTaylor Rose Mickens, Ingrid Schatz, Bayar Tuvshinjargal, Peter DiMuro, J. Michael Winward, Christine Bennet-Richard with Curry College students, and Matt Scarlet.

 

Querida Remedios poster with photo of female-presenting person looking out into the distance with her hair pulled back and dark eye make-up.

The Dance Complex welcomes María Aliaga for the next 2022-23 DIY Performance Series event of the season with Querida Remedios, a dance film in tribute to Remedios Varo who was a female Spanish painter from the first half of the 20th century. With imperative contributions to the Surrealism art movement, Remedios Varo used to write letters to strangers, but never received a response in return. This film is a letter, written in dance, where the audience will write and exchange letters to each other. Thursday, December 1, 7 PM at Complex@Canal, 650 E. Kendall St. Cambridge, MA.

 

ALRIGHT poster with a photo of someone's face with eyes closed and hand behind head, and another photo of forearm and hand on mud.

ALRIGHT, led by Poet Laureate Porsha Olayiwola and creative and curator Cierra Peters, is an interactive arts experience and show that engages a conversation around the Black Diaspora and climate change. Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s lyrics, “We gone be alright”, this art experience uses an Afro-futurist pedagogy to frame the role Black individuals have in writing and claiming a future we want to and can live in by their own design. The event will feature music from DJ Real P, dance vignettes choreographed by KiKi at 4 Star Dance Studio, poetry from Crystal Valentine, a live performance from Fanta Vibez, and more.  The ALRIGHT event is free and open to all, and attendees are encouraged to dress in the theme of “enchanted garden”. Thursday, December 1, 7:30 PM at BCA’s Plaza Theatre.

 

Refract/Reframe poster with event information displayed over colorful edit of a photo of Olivia Moon reaching one arm up and one arm out to the side while crossing legs.

Refract/Reframe: Reflections on Loss, Love and Light,” the latest offering by dance collective The Click and is an intimate contemporary dance performance that explores beauty and joy amidst an undercurrent of loss through solos, duets and ensemble work. Featuring work by Leah Misano Abbott, Angelina Benitez, Lonnie Stanton, Decent Dance and Kristin Wagner. Friday, December 2- Sunday, December 4 at the newly opened Foundry in Cambridge, MA.

 

Ballerina shadow sketch over music sheet

Integrarte Winter Dance and Music Showcases — both in person and virtually December 2-17– include classical dance repertory danced by Integrarte’s pre-professional ballet students along guest artists from Infinity Dance Collective directed by Tara McCrystal, Baroque Dance directed and danced by Ken Pierce and Camille Finlay, and the Adult Jazz ensemble directed by Victoria Kickham. 

 

Black and white photo of a dancer in a wheel chair reaching rounded arms out to the sides and looking up.

Heidi Latsky Dance invites you to honor the United Nations’ International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Saturday, December 3. Each year, local leaders cross time zones and borders to create a live viewing of human sculpture courts in their cities viewable both in-person and on Zoom. Twenty-five local dancers will move at their own pace in Memorial Hall on the Harvard campus.

To perform virtually contact Jamie@heidilatskydance.org.
To support as an audience member or share the event, follow them on social media (TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube) or subscribe to their newsletter to receive the Zoom link and streaming information before December 3.

 

Dancer steps one foot forward in a lunge and raises one arm over head. Dancer wears black pants and lilac long sleeve top. Dancer is in a hard wood floor space with a bright blue wall.

Join High Street Studios for a NIA Somatic Journey workshop with Alice Heller. Nia is the art of movement the body’s way, delivering fitness, health, power, and beauty through techniques based on the intelligent design of the body. It is a sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts, and healing arts. Through a specific choreography to music, it helps people of all shapes and sizes connect their bodies, minds, emotions, and spirit  Saturday, December 3, 2:00-3:10 PM.

 

Boston Loves Bachata poster with event information layered over photos of Bachata instructors and Evolucíon Latina Dance Company

Moves n’ Vibes is partnering with Evolución Latina Dance Company to bring you  Boston Loves Bachata. There will be workshops followed by a social with DJ Dougy Fresh and DJ Abeatz. Saturday, December 3, 2-6 PM Workshops and 9 PM-1 AM Social at Moves & Vibes Dance Studio. 44 5th St. Cambridge, MA.

 

Bhangra Dancers on stage in a deep bend of both knees while legs are wide and reaching arms forward.

The Boston Bhangra Competition is back! Boston Bhangra hosts 12 of the best bhangra teams from North America  will competing to be crowned the Boston Bhangra Champions. Special guest performances by US Bhangra superstar G Sidhu whose mega hit songs include Credit Card, Sat Sri Akaal, Limited Edition, Candlelight and many more! Saturday, December 3, 6 PM at the Strand Theatre.

 

Maria leaps with right leg straight and left leg bent behind them; left arm bent over head and right arm straight to the side. Maria wears a black cropped shirt  and black spandex shorts and is in a white space with white fabric hanging all around.

Nozama Dance Collective presents DISSENT, an evening-length concert of contemporary dance. The in-person performance will include multiple world premieres, Nozama repertory works, and guest artists from the greater Boston dance community. Amplifying the diverse and intersectional voices across the collective, Nozama will showcase a powerful set of works surrounding the theme of Dissent.  Saturday, December 3, 7:30 PM, at the Boston University Dance Theatre, 915 Commonwealth Ave.

 

Photo of bare feet walking in sand and stones.

Authentic Movement Workshop with Paula Josa-Jones in person with COVID precautions. Authentic Movement is a meditative, intuitive, improvisational movement practice involving a mover and a witness. It is a practice of listening, attunement; slowing and opening to a deeper sensing of body and psyche. Sunday, December 4, 1-4 PM at Berkshire Pulse, 420 Park Street, Housatonic, MA.

 

 

Fourth Dimension Tap Company Audition poster with black background and orange and white lines, dots and splats on the corners. Poster has audition information.

Fourth Dimension Tap Company will be holding auditions on Saturday, December 3, 2:30 – 4:00 PM at Mass Motion Dance Boston, 100 Holton Street, Brighton. Their mission is to create, engage audiences, and extend the reach of tap dance through new works, collaborations, and performances. They also aim to expand the boundaries of what is expected and present work that ignites the interest of die-hard tap dancers as well as the general public, and draws new audiences to the art form. ​Register for auditions and plan to bring a headshot and dance resume with you to the audition.

 

Umbrella Stage Company in Concord seeks a BIPOC choreographer for the upcoming production of The Color Purple. Rehearsals begin April 18, with performances running May 12-June 4. Experience working with a large ensemble of diverse performers, as well as a comprehensive understanding of the material and its historical and artistic context is required.

 

Holidays got your head spinning? That can be its own magic.

 

December holidays and commemorations bring out the best in our community, and provide reasons to gather — in person where possible, and online where especially safe and convenient! Take advantage of the depth and breadth of dance in the Boston metropolitan area, and get into the holiday spirit.

With this week’s Giving Tuesday, Boston Dance Alliance turns to you, our community, to keep us going strong into the New Year. If you appreciate BDA’s dedication to all forms of dance, all ages and all abilities all year long, please consider making a donation. Your support lets us lift up and share great things happening here.

Donate today!

 

Thank you so much!

__________
Debra Cash, Executive Director