African-American culture in 1920s New York City is discerned through the poetry of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Claude McKay, seen through the eyes of painter and muralist Aaron Douglas, and told through the voice of art historian David Driskell in Of Ebony Embers: Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance. These iconic figures form an ensemble […]
Through songs and discussion, Horace Scruggs reveals messages, maps and signals in A View from a Train: Decoding the Stories and Music of the Underground Railroad. In this original presentation, Scruggs traces the geographical path and the contributions of abolitionists, including Harriet Tubman, William Still, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Frederick Douglass, whose remarkable work aided […]
Charlottesville Ballet’s The Nutcracker is a skillfully choreographed, engaging take on tradition for all ages. The story begins when Clara receives a wooden nutcracker as a holiday gift, and it comes to life along with other toys that accompany her on a journey through an enchanted land filled with dancing dolls and evil mice, guided […]
Ever seen a cake go up in flames, or bamboo bathed in blue beams? At PVCC’s Let There Be Light, an illuminating art gallery celebrating the winter solstice, 26 artists present 21 light-centered art installations, creating a magical glow that cuts through winter’s early nightfall. Bring a flashlight to find your way through the diverse […]
You know that rock band. The one you can recognize immediately because of its iconic style and utter uniqueness? Well, you may be surprised to hear that if you trace that sound back through the years, you’ll likely find Native American influences at its roots. Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana bring this often-overlooked topic to […]
Shakespeare may have formalized the tale of star-crossed lovers on stage, but the heart of tragic romance stretches back to antiquity. Directors Boomie Pederson and Brad Stoller take the Bard’s script and push it forward with Romeo and Juliet—Reconstruction of Love, a modern retelling that pulls from a range of dance styles, accompanied by an […]
Even though she lives in the nation’s capital now, Lisa Parker Hyatt can’t leave Miami behind. “I spent most of my life in Miami,” explains the artist, whose richly colored paintings are included in collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the archives of the National Museum of Women in the Arts […]
With Greg Kennedy, juggling is more than a talent—it’s a spectacular feat of modern engineering. Watch him juggle wickedly angled geometric props in Spherus, the coolest circus you’ve ever seen. The show also features aerial dancers Rachel Lancaster and Christine Morano, soaring through the air in a flurry of ribbon, as well as surreal video […]
Producer-choreographer Brad Stoller and his team put a neo-Victorian steampunk costume on the classic musical Cabaret, while using the original themes and context to explore the effect of politics on everyday lives, and the parallels in the current political climate. Set in 1930s Berlin, Germany, the plot unfolds in song around the Kit Kat Club, […]
Escape to the theater with Charlottesville Ballet as the company presents the airy, romantic Chopiniana, along with new works by Julia Mitchell, R. Colby Damon, Ty Cooper and Maggie Small. Presented in several variations over the past century tracing back to 1892, Chopiniana is revered as one of the earliest ballets to convey just mood […]