Performance Plus: 2008-2009 Season

Upcoming Events

• Ballet 360: The Great Ballets: Swan Lake

  Jan 11, 2009 at 2:00 PM | Buy Now
  Back by popular demand! Performance Plus™ continues its in-depth look at ballet with some of the form's iconic works. Dance critic Alexandra Tomalonis uses video of Swan Lake.

• Master Class: Limón Dance Company

  Jan 17, 2009 at 11:00 AM | Buy Now
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed) is led by company members from the Limón Dance Company.

• A Great Day in Harlem: Film & Discussion

  Jan 25, 2009 at 4:00 PM | Buy Now
  In this fascinating documentary narrated by Quincy Jones, you'll learn the story behind the world's most celebrated jazz photograph. A Q&A with Benny Golson and director Jean Bach, a veteran radio producer, follows.

• Master Class: Mark Morris Dance Group

  Jan 31, 2009 at 11:00 AM | Buy Now
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed) is led by company members from Mark Morris Dance Group.

• Beyond the Baton with conductor Iván Fischer

  Feb 7, 2009 at 6:00 PM | Buy Now
  Before National Symphony Orchestra Principal Conductor Iván Fischer's concert on Feb. 7, learn about his Bartók and Dvo?ák program and get his perspective on great music.

• Open Rehearsal: American Ballet Theatre

  Feb 17, 2009 at 1:30 PM | Buy Now
  Join dance scholars for an insider's look at American Ballet Theatre as the dancers prepare onstage for performances of Swan Lake and their mixed repertory program. 

• A Taste of the Arab World

  Feb 28 - Mar 14, 2009 | Buy Now
  This three-part mini-immersion takes you on a culinary journey into the various regions of the Arab world, learning about the food, land, the people, and the culture of each region.

• Shakespeare in the Arab World

  Mar 7, 2009 at 5:00 PM | Buy Now
  This discussion examines Arab-Islamic interpretations of Shakespeare and why the Bard's stories work so well within a cultural context so seemingly far removed.

• Master Class: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company

  Mar 23, 2009 at 7:00 PM | Buy Now
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed), is led by company members from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

• Master Class: Paul Taylor Dance Company

  Mar 26, 2009 at 7:00 PM | Buy Now
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed) is led by company members from the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

• But Then, She's Betty Carter: Film & Discussion

  Mar 29, 2009 at 4:00 PM | Buy Now
  Watch a screening of Michelle Parkerson's unforgettable portrait of legendary vocalist Betty Carter. A discussion with artists who shared the stage with Carter follows.

• Ballet 360: The Great Ballets: The Sleeping Beauty

  Apr 5, 2009 at 2:00 PM | Buy Now
  Back by popular demand! Performance Plus™ continues its in-depth look at ballet with some of the form's iconic works. Dance critic Alexandra Tomalonis uses video of The Sleeping Beauty.

• Broadway Up Close and Personal: Sheldon Harnick

  Apr 20, 2009 at 7:00 PM | Buy Now
  In this special evening, join Tony Award–winning lyricist Sheldon Harnick for an intimate interview with ASCAP's Michael Kerker and live performances by special guests singing the best of Sheldon Harnick.

• Theater Look-in: Ragtime

  Apr 29, 2009 at 5:00 PM | Buy Now
  Join company members from Ragtime for an insider's look, complete with lively discussions and opportunities to ask questions of the artists!
  

• 5th Annual Mary Lou Williams in Jazz Competition: Pianists

  May 15, 2009
  The fifth annual competition features exceptional female jazz pianists competing before a jury of internationally renowned musicians.

• Moving With the Spirit: The Sacred Music of Mary Lou Williams

  May 16, 2009 at 6:01 PM
  Mary Lou Williams biographer Dr. Tammy Kernodle and award-winning pianist and composer Deanna Witkowski present a program of performance and discussion devoted to the sacred jazz works of Mary Lou Williams.

• Summer Social Dance Party

  Jun 5 - 26, 2009
  Learn fun social dances from around the world--and then shake your groove thing on the dance floor to live music on the Millennium Stage.

• The Bolshoi Returns

  Jun 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM | Buy Now
  In an intimate discussion with Yuri Burlaka, Bolshoi Ballet's new Artistic Director, hear first-hand about the legacy that has made the Bolshoi great and the vision that will take the company into the future.

• Open Rehearsal: Bolshoi Ballet

  Jun 16, 2009 at 1:30 PM | Buy Now
  Join dance scholars for an insider's look at Bolshoi Ballet as the dancers prepare onstage for performances of Le Corsaire.

• Open Rehearsal: The Royal Ballet

  Jun 23, 2009 at 1:30 PM | Buy Now
  Join dance scholars for an insider's look at The Royal Ballet as the dancers prepare onstage for performances of Manon and a mixed repertory program.

• Theater Look-in: The Color Purple

  Jul 8, 2009 at 5:00 PM | Buy Now
  Join company members from The Color Purple for an insider's look, complete with lively discussions and opportunities to ask questions of the artists!
  

• Theater Look-in: Spring Awakening

  Jul 15, 2009 at 5:00 PM | Buy Now
  Join company members from Spring Awakening for an insider's look, complete with lively discussions and opportunities to ask questions of the artists!
  

Past Events

• Dancing Under the Stars

  Aug 30 - Sep 27, 2008
  Enjoy live music and dancing under the stars when some of the finest local dance orchestras take to the South Plaza Stage: Eric Felten (8/30); Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (9/6); the Godfather of Go-Go, Chuck Brown (9/13); salsa powerhouse Bio Ritmo (9/27).

• Roadhouse

  Sep 8 - 29, 2008
  Performance Plus™ and Millennium Stage present four evenings highlighting different American social dances.

• Behind the Scenes: Mermaids, Monsters, and the World Painted Purple

  Sep 20 - Oct 4, 2008
  Get the inside scoop on how a theater production comes together, from start to finish, by following the creation of a new original production for young people.

• Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell FOR ADULTS!

  Oct 5, 2008 at 1:00 PM
  From pliés to pirouettes, discover how it feels to dance as Suzanne Farrell leads this unique and inspirational movement class for non-dancers.

• Ballet: The Body in Motion

  Oct 5, 2008 at 4:00 PM
  Ballet meets science and technology in this video demonstration and panel discussion featuring high-definition, slow-motion video of dancers.

• Broadway Up Close and Personal: A Tribute to Cy Coleman

  Oct 7, 2008 at 7:00 PM
  Join Tony Award–winning lyricist David Zippel, ASCAP's Michael A. Kerker, and special guest artists for an evening of songs and stories celebrating the life and creativity of the late composer Cy Coleman.

• Open Rehearsal: The Suzanne Farrell Ballet

  Oct 10, 2008 at 2:30 PM
  Join dance scholars for an insider's look at The Suzanne Farrell Ballet as the dancers prepare onstage for performances of two all-Balanchine programs.

• Ballet 360: The Great Ballets: Giselle

  Oct 19, 2008 at 2:00 PM
  Back by popular demand! Performance Plus™ continues its in-depth look at ballet with some of the form's iconic works. Dance critic Alexandra Tomalonis uses video of Giselle.

• What to Listen for in Wagner, with Saul Lilienstein

  Oct 27, 2008 at 7:00 PM
  Popular music lecturer and Wagner Society awardee Saul Lilienstein presents an in-depth look at Richard Wagner.

• 13th Annual Multicultural Children's Book Festival

  Nov 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM
  Celebrate Family Literacy Day and bring the entire family to meet your favorite authors, listen to celebrity book readings, and enjoy performances, participatory workshops, illustration demonstrations, and more.

• What to Listen for in Shostakovich, with Yvonne Caruthers

  Nov 2, 2008 at 4:00 PM
  To introduce you to Shostakovich's masterful string quartets, Nos. 9 through 15, and place them in context alongside the composer's other works, NSO cellist Yvonne Caruthers presents a musical-visual lecture.

• Ballet 360: The Great Ballets: The Nutcracker

  Nov 16, 2008 at 2:00 PM
  Back by popular demand! Performance Plus™ continues its in-depth look at ballet with some of the form's iconic works. Dance critic Alexandra Tomalonis uses video of The Nutcracker.

• Living Jazz in DC, with Dr. Billy Taylor & Frank Wess

  Nov 22, 2008 at 4:00 PM
  Join jazz luminaries Dr. Billy Taylor and Frank Wess as they share memories of growing up in the nation's capital, their musical coming of age, and the people and places that are indelibly linked to the world of jazz.

• Duke Ellington's Washington: Film & Discussion

  Nov 23, 2008 at 4:00 PM
  View a screening of Hedrick Smith's historical documentary, a dynamic blend of the music and pictures that illuminate both young Duke Ellington and the hometown that nurtured him. A discussion with members of DC's jazz community follows.

• Open Rehearsal: San Francisco Ballet

  Nov 25, 2008 at 1:30 PM
  Join dance scholars for an insider's look at San Francisco Ballet as the dancers prepare onstage for performances of Giselle and a mixed repertory program.

• Master Class: Martha Graham Dance Company

  Dec 8, 2008 at 7:00 PM
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed) is led by company members from the Martha Graham Dance Company.

• Master Class: Merce Cunningham Dance Company

  Dec 13, 2008 at 11:00 AM
  This participatory class for adults (sorry, no observers allowed) is led by company members from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.