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.
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.
Avon Dews will provide live music and the Soul in Motion Players will offer an African dance and drumming performance. Kids can enjoy face painting, balloon art and making art projects while adults check out the vendors.
Anyone interested in taking in the history of the High View Park neighborhood can join in a cultural walk starting at 2:30 p.m. The group will stop at significant locations along the route, where walkers will be encouraged to share memories about the neighborhood, its residents and its traditions.
Volunteers are needed for a number of opportunities around Arlington, from helping with Spanish immersion classes to participating in a dance performance. More information about these opportunities and others can be found online.
The D.C. area belly dance studio Sahara Dance is putting on a show at Artisphere on Saturday, Aug. 18 from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Entitled “Carnival,” the show is billed as “Mardi Gras meets Middle Eastern moulid,” and will feature dance performances; variety talents; live music; games, prizes and raffles; beer, wine and festival food; henna tattoos; and tarot card and palm readings.
More than 100 bellydancers from around the D.C. area will participate in the performances. The event will also feature a special performance by Mohamed El Sayed, a noted Egyptian dancer and musician.
As a non-profit cultural organization now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Comité Pro Bolivia will showcase eight large Bolivian dance and music ensembles. Each performance will vary from Suri Sicuris, which is traditionally performed before the ostrich (suri) hunt, to the Tinku dance of strength and agility.
The event is free, open to the public and will begin at 8:00 p.m. It’s being held at the Lubber Run Amphitheater at North Columbus and 2nd Street North (two blocks north of Route 50). The amphitheater is wheelchair accessible.
The Virginia leg of the Southern Regional Pole Dance Fitness Competitions will take place at the hotel from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. More than 20 women will compete for the title of Ms. Virginia.
Emphasizing fitness and form over eroticism, the competition is drawing both professional competitors and amateur competitors from pole dance fitness studios across Virginia. The finalists were chosen via YouTube video submissions.
The original application requested a permit for live music and dancing from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. every day. However, after receiving advice from county staff, the permit request was revised to be in line with other similar permits around the county. It now says live entertainment would run until 12:00 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and until 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, with exceptions on certain holidays.
The application also requests outdoor seating on the sidewalk along N. Glebe Road. A separate application was filed for a 70 square foot canopy sign.
The whole family can enjoy the free event at the Langston-Brown Community Center (2121 N. Culpeper St) from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Visitors can taste soul food and browse vendor displays while being entertained by various types of music and dancing teams, in addition to a comedian. Children’s activities such as arts and crafts, face painting and balloon art will keep little ones occupied.
On the more serious side, the “Hall of History” will display photos and artifacts from Arlington’s historically black neighborhoods, along with African Americans in the Civil War. There will be a WalkAbout of the Hall’s Hill/Highview area. Visitors can also take advantage of health services, from free screenings to flu shots.
Jackie Carter was charged with disorderly conduct following an incident on April 30, 2011, in which she booed a Bowen McCauley Dance Company performance at Kenmore Middle School. The incident was detailed by the Afro newspaper last week, and then picked up by the Washington City Paper on Friday.
The performance, which featured live music by a Kenmore Middle School band, included a dance number that Carter said she found to be “racist and offensive to African-Americans and African American women especially.”
Circuit Court Judge to Retire — Arlington Circuit Court Judge Joanne F. Alper, the first woman appointed to the Arlington Circuit Court, has announced her retirement. Alper plans to retire on May 31, 2012, after serving on the circuit court since 1998. “Judge Alper developed a reputation as a tough, fair, hard-working Trial Judge,” the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s office said in a press release. “She enjoys complex litigation, challenging legal issues, and is known as a champion for Victim’s Rights.”
Adios, Artisphere Salsa Tuesdays? — Tonight may mark the end of Salsa Tuesdays at Artisphere, one of the few regularly-scheduled features of the financially-challenged arts facility in Rosslyn. Artisphere’s new business plan calls for the facility to be closed to the public on Tuesdays. Salsa dancing at Artisphere may return, however, on different days. [Washington City Paper]
The annual wine and food festival known as Vintage Crystal: A Taste of Wine and Jazz was held Sunday afternoon in Crystal City.
The event featured tastings of more than 30 types of Spanish and South American wines, as well as free food samples from local eateries like Jaleo, Ruth’s Chris Steak House and Kora. There was also live performances of Latin jazz, rumba, salsa, and samba music — complete with dancing.
