dancing | ARLnow.com

BalletNova Drafts Former Redskin For Program Kick-Off

Published April 4, 2017 at 4:45PM

A Super Bowl-winning former linebacker joined the BalletNova Center For Dance to kick off a new community engagement program today.

Former Washington Redskins linebacker Andre Collins joined BalletNova for its “M.O.V.E” residency session at Hoffman-Boston Elementary School in the Arlington View neighborhood Tuesday morning.

M.O.V.E stands for motivation, opportunity, vitality and empowerment. The school-based program uses accessible movements to teach elements of dance and develop sophisticated choreography, while challenging children physically and mentally. For most students participating in the M.O.V.E. program, it is their first experience with dance.

The school residencies are six to eight weeks in length, with classes meeting once a week for an hour. Each residency culminates in a performance at the school.

Collins joined the class earlier this morning. He studied dance in college and took classes while playing in the NFL. After graduating from Penn State, he was drafted by the Redskins in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft.

After four years with Washington, including winning Super Bowl XXVI in 1992, he played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions before retiring in 1999.

He is now director of retired players for the NFL Players Association and executive director of the Professional Athletes Foundation.

Photo via Professional Athletes Foundation

Dirty Dancing Leads to Breaking and Entering and Windshield Smashing

By ARLnow.com

Published October 3, 2016 at 12:45PM | Updated October 3, 2016 at 1:57PM

(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) An Arlington resident’s home was broken into and his car was vandalized, all because of some perceived transgressions on the dancefloor.

The incident happened early Sunday morning, according to Arlington County Police, at a residence on the 4500 block of N. Carlin Springs Road, near Ballston.

“At approximately 3:52 a.m. on October 2, officers responded to the report of a disorderly subject,” said an ACPD crime report. “Upon arrival it was determined that a female subject entered a residence and damaged a door and door [jamb]. The subject then moved outside to a vehicle and smashed the windshields and slashed the tires.”

The motive for the crime was dancing-related, said police spokeswoman Ashley Savage.

“The victim and the subject were at a nightclub earlier in the evening and a verbal altercation ensued over the subject dancing with other individuals,” she told ARLnow.com

Annapolis, Maryland resident Tiffany Mason, 28, was arrested and charged with destruction of property and breaking and entering, according to police. She was held without bond.

Crystal City Sip and Salsa Event Returns Sunday

By ARLnow.com

Published September 9, 2016 at 1:15PM

Crystal City’s annual outdoor food and wine festival, Sip and Salsa, will return on Sunday.

The event, held from 2-6 p.m. in the parking lot next to 220 20th Street S., features “delicious wines from Spain, Portugal, and Argentina together with food tastes from restaurants in Crystal City and the region.”

There’s also live Latin jazz, wine lessons from the Washington Wine Academy, and free salsa dancing lessons from Columbia Pike’s Salsa Room.

Crystal City says Sip and Salsa ” is the D.C. region’s only inside the Beltway, outdoor wine festival with the ease of safe and responsible transit access.”

Food and drink tickets are $20 online, while food-only tickets are $10.

The local professional football team, it should be noted, won’t be playing Sunday — the Redskins will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 1, 2016 at 9:15AM

It’s March 1 — Not only is today the first day of March, with spring (March 20) and Daylight Saving Time (March 13) around the corner, but it’s also the Super Tuesday presidential primary day here in Virginia. Arlington’s 52 polling places opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. [Arlington County]

Committee of 100 to Discuss Racial Tensions — On Wednesday, March 9, the Arlington Committee of 100 will hold a discussion entitled “Are Arlington’s Police and Justice Systems Prepared to Respond to Community and Racial Tensions?” Among the speakers are Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos and Police Chief Jay Farr. [InsideNova]

Bowen McCauley Dance Performing at Kennedy Center — Arlington’s Bowen McCauley Dance company will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with performances at the Kennedy Center later this month. [WJLA]

It’s a Good Time to Lease an Office in Arlington — D.C.-based commercial real estate firm West, Lane & Schlager is advising companies to consider leasing office space in Arlington in the near future. The firm says the D.C. area is definitely a tenant’s market at the moment, but the tide will eventually turn. With vacancy rates stabilizing, companies can take advantage of lease concessions now, before the market turns in favor of landlords, the firm says. [Patch]

Four Courts Four Miler Coming Up — The popular annual Four Courts Four Miler race will take place Saturday morning, March 12. Registration is currently $40 and will, in part, benefit the Arlington County Police Benevolent Fund. As in previous years, those who beat the runner dressed up as a leprechaun — Ireland’s Four Courts manager Dave Cahill, a 3:10 marathon runner — will get a special gift from the pub. [Pacers Running]

Va. Square Church to Hold Cultural Series

By Heather Mongilio

Published October 23, 2015 at 3:45PM

A Catholic church near Clarendon is holding a series of films, dances and concerts as part of a new cultural series called Forum Arlington.

Every Friday, the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (3304 Washington Blvd) will hold either a music concert, dance class or film screening. The Forum kicked off last week with a performance by Marie Miller and will hold a film screening tonight.

All events start at 7 p.m. with a happy hour followed by the film, concert or dance class at 8 p.m. Tickets can either be purchased online or at the door, depending on the event.

Forum Arlington also has a photography exhibition about South America from Oct. 16 to Dec. 18.

The idea for the cultural series came from the church’s pastor, Father Donald Planty, who wanted to do more cultural outreach, said Terrence McKeegan, the head of Arlington Forum.

“He had this idea to have a cultural series that is a cultural outreach program for Arlington residents,” McKeegan said.

McKeegan has helped organize multiple cultural events, including large music festivals, and realized he and the pastor had the same vision. Together, they worked to find different acts and films, drawing from McKeegan’s wide network, he said.

“We try to pick bands or films or dance instructors and types of dances that appealing to widest range,” McKeegan said.

The events are held in the church’s gym, which McKeegan and church staff spruced up to make it look more like an event space instead of a typical gym, he said.

The concerts, dances and films will continue through the winter. For the spring, Arlington Forum will introduce a lecture series in addition to the concerts. McKeegan did not know at this time if the films and dance classes would resume in the spring.

Forum Arlington is open to the entire Arlington community, McKeegan said.

“The target audience is the entire community,” he said. “It’s not all the parishioners or an age demographic.”

Another AWLA Viral Cat Dancing Video

By ARLnow.com

Published August 3, 2015 at 10:15AM

Last year, two kittens rescued by the Animal Welfare League of Arlington became Internet sensations thanks to a viral video of them dancing to the hit song “Turn Down for What.”

This year, another AWLA kitten is getting some Internet love. Winnie, a foster kitten, stars in a video of her “dancing” to the tune of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars’ pop hit “Uptown Funk.”

Since the video was uploaded to YouTube in May, it has received more than 600,000 views.

The AWLA wasn’t able to provide much information about Winnie, but did confirm that she was a foster kitten and has apparently since been adopted.

“Our foster coordinator recognizes the video kitten as one we had in the spring,” said league COO Susan Sherman.

Sherman said the organization, through its foster program, helps to rescue hundreds of kittens over the course of the summer. More kittens like Winnie, along with adult cats, are currently available for adoption.

“Kittens go to foster care when they are too young and sometimes too unsocial (feral) for adoption,” she said. “Once they reach two pounds in weight and are socialized to people, they come back to the shelter for adoption. We currently have nine kittens up for adoption and 24 in foster care who will be available in the next few weeks. Every summer our foster families help 200-300 kittens.”

Asian Dance Showcase This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published October 28, 2014 at 10:15AM

The holiday celebrations are starting early, with Dance Asia‘s fifth annual “Colors!” holiday showcase taking place this weekend.

On Saturday (November 1) from 7:00-9:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Auditorium (125 S. Old Glebe Road), 11 dance groups featuring more than 100 performers will present dance pieces designed around a particular color. The dancers — who range in age from 5 to 60 years old — designed the performances to reflect their culture, traditions and identities.

A couple of goals for the event are to showcase the diversity of Asia and raise awareness of the intricacies of Asian dance forms. The performers come from diverse backgrounds, including East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Middle Eastern and Pacific. There will also be featured guest performers of Latin American and African heritage.

Before the dancing begins, starting at 6:00 p.m., visitors can browse through a mini craft market to mark the beginning of the holiday season.

This cultural free event is for people of all ages, and advanced tickets can be reserved online. Donations are welcome.

Dance Celebration Planned for Colombian Independence

By Morgan Fecto

Published July 15, 2014 at 11:45AM

The dance ensemble El Tayrona will showcase “folklore in a passion of feelings,” at the annual Colombian National Day event at Gunston Arts Theater One (2700 S. Lang Street) this Saturday.

The event celebrating Colombian independence will start with Colombian cuisine from Restaurante Monserrate at 3:00 p.m. before dance performances begin at 6:00 p.m. The dances will depict Colombian folklore by reflecting its different regions, El Tayrona founder and choreographer Marta Chiari said. Some dances will embody the Andean region and the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.

Tickets cost $15 before Saturday — there’s a $50 special for groups of four that buy before Saturday — and $20 at the door. El Tayrona is selling tickets for the event by phone, at 571-435-5527.

This will be the 28th Colombian National Day event hosted by Chiari and El Tayrona, and it will include a new addition to the performance lineup.

The Colombian instrumental trio Confónica will perform for the first time in the event’s history. For the second year in a row, “Los Tayronitas,” the children’s ensemble of the El Tayrona dance group, will perform a dance routine and sing.

“All of them have been memorable,” Chiari said of the annual celebration. She and her mother have organized the events since the beginning after founding El Tayrona in 1981. “But they have been very special since the children have started performing.”

Colombia National Day celebrates Colombia declaring its independence from Spain on July 20, 1810, with the formation of the People’s Junta.

Photos courtesy of Marta Chiari

#dancing

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published February 18, 2014 at 9:00AM

Board to Consider $6.6 Million Homeless Shelter Contract — County staff is recommending that the Arlington County Board approve a $6.6 million contract for construction of the new year-round homeless shelter in Courthouse. The contract includes a $1.1 million construction contingency to cover overages. The contract is “within budget,” a county spokeswoman said. The new Homeless Services Center will include 50 year-round beds, 5 medical respite beds and an additional 25 beds for winter months. [Arlington County]

Hike in ART, STAR Fees Proposed — Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan has proposed a hike in fees for the county’s ART and STAR transportation systems. The base fare for ART buses would increase from $1.50 to $1.75 under Donnellan’s proposal. [Sun Gazette]

Ebbin Reflects on Va. Marriage Ruling — State Sen. Adam Ebbin, the first and only openly gay member of the Virginia General Assembly, had mixed emotions after last week’s ruling that the Commonwealth’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. “I always thought if you were gay, you could never get married, you’d never be able to have children,” he told the Washington Post. “I didn’t know you could be gay and be happy.” [Washington Post]

Belly Dancing in Shirlington — Aladdin’s Eatery (4044 Campbell Avenue) in Shirlington will be hosting regular belly dancing shows, starting on Thursday. The shows will be performed by faculty from Saffron Dance, which is based in Virginia Square. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Noise Complaint Targets Church — Even God is not safe from noise complaints in Arlington. Police were called to the 2400 block of Shirlington Road in Nauck on Monday night for “a loud church service in the area.” No word on whether officers found an actual violation of the county’s noise ordinance.

Flickr pool photo by Robpc

No Grinding Allowed At Upcoming Homecoming Dances

By ARLnow.com

Published October 2, 2013 at 2:00PM

Arlington high school students will have to refrain from “grinding-like dancing” at their upcoming homecoming dances.

The grinding ban is nothing new, according to Arlington Public Schools spokesman Frank Bellavia. The policy, which appears on a list of “dance policy and rules” for Saturday’s homecoming dance at Wakefield High School, has actually been in place for 8-9 years, he said.

Bellavia said that Washington-Lee and Yorktown, which have homecoming dances this Saturday and Oct. 19 respectively, have similar policies in place.

A grinding ban made some national headlines last year after the website Gawker published an impassioned email from a student whose high school, outside of Pittsburgh, had just outlawed the sexually-suggestive form of dance. But such bans aren’t uncommon. Arlington isn’t the only school system in the area to have rules against grinding, according to this Washington Post article from 2011.

Other rules in place for the Wakefield homecoming include:

Students and their guests must arrive together
Guests older than 19 years old not allowed
Students in violation of the rules can be kicked out of the dance or subject to other disciplinary action

Photo via @WakefieldProbz

Performance Artists to Invade Rosslyn This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Published June 4, 2013 at 12:00PM

A large-scale performance art festival is coming to office lobbies, rooftops, parks and other public places in Rosslyn this weekend.

The SUPERNOVA Performance Art Festival, sponsored by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District and produced by Pink Line Project, will take place from Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9. Events range from an “art sports competition” to a large-scale grass painting project to an “outrageous” dance party.

“SUPERNOVA is a multi-site, multi-day, transdisciplinary, anti-conventional festival that will include and not be limited to: performance art, live art, body art, relational art, action art, happenings, actions, interventions, works-as-yet-undefined, and those never-to-be defined. Or whatever you want, or refuse, to call it,” according to the festival website.

More than 75 local, national and international artists will take part in the festival.

Performance schedules for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are posted online. Tickets to Saturday’s “Big Bang Dance Party,” which is being held from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd), are $15 and available online.

With the exception of the dance party, all events are free and open to the public.

Disclosure: Rosslyn BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser