Kennedy Center Announces April Millennium Stage Calendar

Through a year-long engagement with the Kennedy Center, Citizen Artists receive a national platform through which to advance their work; performance and career development opportunities; and mentorship from Kennedy Center leadership. On April 26, 2018-2019 Citizen Artist Fellow Rulan Tangen, with her company Dancing Earth, will showcase ...SEEDS: RE GENERATION... This immersive, interdisciplinary, and participatory contemporary dance ritual evolved from Dancing Earth's intertribal artists in exchanges with Native elders, farmers, foragers, seed savers, and food and water justice groups, envisioning the restoring/restory-ing of land and people.

DIRECT CURRENT, the Kennedy Center's two-week celebration of contemporary culture, trains its focus on new works, interdisciplinary creations in which artistic worlds collide, and innovative responses to topical concerns. The 2019 spring immersion showcases some of the most provocative, original, and pioneering voices in the arts today. Each evening during DIRECT CURRENT, free live multi-genre performances will be presented on the Millennium Stage to amplify the wealth of the festival.

DIRECT CURRENT highlights include Laura Kaminsky's chamber opera As One (April 1, part of DIRECT CURRENT) tells the story of a sole transgender protagonist through two voices-Hannah after and Hannah before-in a poignant coming-of-age story with universal themes of identity, authenticity, and compassion. Other highlights include Gato Preto's Afrofuturistic musical paradise, featuring special guests (April 2, part of DIRECT CURRENT); J Hoard's performance of protest and freedom songs by American composers moving chronologically from Negro spirituals to modern pop (April 4, part of DIRECT CURRENT); New Age music pioneer Laraaji with his celestial zither, harp, kalimba, ecstatic voice, and synth improvisation (April 6, part of DIRECT CURRENT); and American Latin-Funk band Brownout (April 7).

Millennium Stage, now celebrating its 22nd season, is a manifestation of the Kennedy Center's mission and vision to welcome all to celebrate our collective cultural heritage in the most inclusive, accessible way possible. Millennium Stage is the only place in the United States to offer a free performance every day of the year that is streamed live on the internet.

Unless otherwise noted, performances will take place in the Kennedy Center Grand Foyer, and no tickets are required. Performances are open to television and radio news coverage. Media crews must request access at least one full week prior to the performance date.

For more information on the Millennium Stage, please visit the Millennium Stage event page or Millennium Stage Facebook page.