Dance Institute of Washington's Annual Spirit of Kwanzaa Celebrates Three Decades of Excellence - Washingtonian

"" The Spirit of Kwanzaa is always such an amazing event for DIW," says Executive Director Kahina Hanyes. "It's a perfect opportunity to bring the community together while celebrating everything enduring and beautiful about Black culture and creativity. In this moment when we see rights being rolled back, funding for the arts being cut, and racism normalized at the highest level, it is more important than ever to preserve the creative invention, resilience and artistry of our culture.""

"The Spirit of Kwanzaa is the Dance Institute of Washington's most popular and longest-running cultural arts and dance production (since 1995). Kwanzaa is an African American winter holiday celebration that draws on the agricultural ceremonies of Africa. DIW has adapted the principles of Kwanzaa to convey the struggles and creativity of the Black diaspora. The production highlights the holiday's principles with dance, song and spoken word and is more than a performance-it is a living archive of Black creativity, resilience, and brilliance."

"The powerful cultural rite of passage that is The Spirit of Kwanzaa was created by the late DIW founder, Fabian Barnes. For three decades, The Spirit of Kwanzaa has connected young artists to their sense of belonging, identity, and purpose through the arts. This 30th anniversary year will be a culmination that celebrates DIW's mission to nurture young artists, share stories with intention, and ensure the enduring power of Black artistry shapes the future."

Dance Institute of Washington (DIW), a minority-led pre-professional dance equity organization in Washington, D.C., will present The Spirit of Kwanzaa with four performances December 19–21 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. The production, in continuous run since 1995, adapts Kwanzaa principles to portray struggles and creativity of the Black diaspora through dance, song, and spoken word, serving as a living archive of Black creativity, resilience, and brilliance. Created by founder Fabian Barnes, the rite of passage connects young artists to belonging, identity, and purpose. The 30th anniversary production celebrates DIW's mission to nurture young artists and ensure the enduring power of Black artistry. Early bird tickets are $25.

Read at Washingtonian - The website that Washington lives by.