Washington Ballet Announces DANCE FOR ALL Free Citywide Classes, Events, and Performances

The Washington Ballet announces the return of Dance For All, one of the company's signature community initiatives, March 22 through April 25. The third annual Dance for All features more than 20 free events and activities for all ages, in all eight wards, including free interactive classes, performances by Company dancers, panel discussions and more.

A full calendar of events follows, and is also available online at www.washingtonballet.org/dance-for-all.

"Dance for All is a wonderful opportunity to spotlight the work that The Washington Ballet does year-round in our communities and in our schools. What better way to celebrate spring and a return to togetherness than by joining together to dance?, " remarked Julie Kent, Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet.

Highlights of Dance For All include:

• Performances as part of the National Cherry Blossom and Sakura Matsuri Festivals
• TWB will Present Company dancer Stephen Nakagawa's "Rising Sun," a celebration of his Japanese and American heritage;
• Ballet dancer and rapper "Lil Tokyo Loco" (TWB artist Tamako Miyazaki) will perform a "Ballet Rap" as part of a children's story hour.
• Free dance classes for any experience level and all ages at both The Washington School of Ballet's Northwest and Southeast campuses.
• Grown-up fun with Barre at the Bar and Brunch and Bar, two social events that pair interactive, no-experience-necessary classes with noshes.

As part of Dance for All, TWB continues its long standing partnership with DC Public Libraries with story-time events at libraries in each ward. Dance for All concludes April 25 with a special event co-hosted by the MLK Library and featuring TWB's own Ashley Murphy Wilson. A long-time featured dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and now a dancer with TWB, Ms. Wilson, other TWB artists and local arts leaders will lead a discussion of DC as a vibrant arts hub and the role that TWB and other dance companies have played in the cultural fabric of the city for more than 75 years.