Review of National Dance Day - Kennedy Center

Location: Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

July 27, 2013

website:  http://www.kennedy-center.org/index.cfm

Attractions: Dance Performances and Demos

Price: Free

How we got there: Metro, get off at the Foggy Bottom Stop and take the free Kennedy Center bus

Best For: Kids who love to dance, kids older than 8

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Most Interesting thing that I learned: Someone invented National Dance Day

National Dance Day

I thought it would be different.  I thought they would have several performances or lessons going on at once so you could choose.  They had one stage, dancers would do a dance and then demonstrate steps to the audience.  They needed to separate the people that wanted to watch the dance from the people that wanted to learn to do the dance.  I couldn't always see the instructors as people who just wanted to watch were standing in the way. Sometimes with little kids on their shoulders. This year was the first year they did it, so I'll try it again next year to get the entire scoop.

Here was the schedule, the jazz dance section was the best.  We left before 6 as it was going to rain.

EVENT SCHEDULE
1–5:30 p.m. on the South Plaza
Free performances, dance lessons, interactive dances with Jeannie "Kitty of the City" Jones as MC
Dizzy Feet - Everybody Dance and Hip-Hop Master Class dance routines with Joshua Allen, 2008 winner of So You Think You Can Dance
Esperonto Bean and Stefani Thomas – House
DEA Youth Dance Program Partner, CityDance - Modern
Doonya Dance – Bollywood
Flamenco Aparicio Dance Company – Flamenco
Joy of Motion Dance Center's Youth Dance Ensemble – Modern
Just Tap – Tap
Lesole's Dance Project – African
Nomad Dancers – Persian
Dr. Janaki Rangarajan – Bharatanatyam
Smooth & EZ – Hand Dance
The Washington Ballet @ THEARC – Ballet
Doug Yeuell - Broadway jazz class

6–7 p.m. in the Grand Foyer
Founder's Day Celebration: The Manzari Brothers and Culture Shock, a performance that honors James A. Johnson, Kennedy Center Chairman Emeritus and Millennium Stage founder

8–11:30 p.m. on the South Plaza
"Dancing Under the Stars" with live music by Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Tito Rodriguez Jr.
8–9 p.m.: Salsa dance lessons with Eddie Torres and Shani Talmor
9–10 p.m.: Live music and dancing
10–10:30 p.m.: Second salsa lesson with Eddie Torres and Shani Talmor
10:30–11:30 p.m.: Second set of live music and dancing

They had one stage, and everybody stood in front to watch or dance.  These are the Nomad Dancers