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Going OUt Guru's list Atlas and one of H Street's Best Bets September 2, 2010 Best Bets on H Street NE
Once upon a time, the H Street corridor of Northeast was one of the biggest shopping and entertainment districts in the D.C. region. Then, like other parts of Washington, the area was torn apart in the riots after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. As recently as five years ago, H Street was still a string of boarded-up storefronts, Chinese carryouts and discount beauty salons.
But then things began to change. The Atlas theater reopened. The Argonaut (itself the victim of a recent fire) and other bars began to move into the neighborhood. The Palace of Wonders offered burlesque and sword swallowing performances, the Red and the Black hosted indie bands before (slightly) growing crowds.
Hipsters started hanging out and getting late-night fish sandwiches at Horace & Dickie's. Then everything exploded, and restaurants and bars began attracting larger and larger crowds.
But H Street has become more than a strip of late-night bars: There's dance, cutting-edge art and even a kid-friendly wine bar. We know we've written a lot about H Street, and if you're a savvy Washingtonian, you've probably putt-putted past zombie presidents at the H Street Country Club and grabbed a pie to go from Dangerously Delicious. But there's more to H Street than novelty stops. Here are some of the destinations that keep us coming back.
The Arts Partners of the Atlas Performing Arts Center share the Atlas' vision of Community and Collaboration and cherish the unique opportunity the Atlas presents to reach new audiences in the most exciting part of town.
The African Continuum Theatre Company www.africancontinuumtheatre.com The mission of the African Continuum Theatre Company (ACTCo) is to sustain and grow African- American theatre by producing new and traditional art forms that contribute to the understanding and appreciation of African-American culture.
American Youth Chorus www.americanyouthchorus.org Sponsored by the Congressional Chorus, the American Youth Chorus is an after-school choral program at the Atlas for students ages 8 to 15 from across the metro region. Founded on the premise that all children, regardless of socio-economic background, deserve high-quality music education, the AYC offers students a performance-based choral/music theatre program that encourages young people to develop their voices, creativity and self-esteem in a healthy, age-appropriate manner through active participation in rehearsals and performances. In addition to performances at the Atlas, The Kennedy Center, and as part of the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival, the AYC's performance at the Children's Inaugural Ball was featured on the CBS Evening News. David Simmons is the founding music director of the AYC.
Capital City Symphony www.capitalcitysymphony.org The Capital City Symphony strives to make great orchestral music approachable by presenting affordable concerts to the public, performing creative programs in a relaxed concert format, and providing a musical outlet for talented amateur as well as professional players.
Congressional Chorus
www.congressionalchorus.org Founded in 1987 to celebrate the spirit, diversity and power of American choral music, the Congressional Chorus, the only chorus in the country that has a congressional charter, performs a wide-range of musical styles and genres. Initially an organization of people who worked on Capitol Hill, this 65 member ensemble now has singers from diverse professions and backgrounds from across the metro region. Since September 2006, the chorus has been led by artistic director David Simmons, who has expanded the chorus' programming to include annual cabaret performances at the Atlas, which have sold out three years in a row. The chorus also performs regularly at The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts and The Harman Center for the Performing Arts and has frequently performed at both The United States Capitol and The White House, including a performance at the U.S. Capitol in December 2008 that was broadcast live on CNN and C-SPAN.
Joy of Motion Dance Center www.joyofmotion.org Joy of Motion Dance Center is an award-winning nonprofit organization known best for its diverse class offerings, commitment to beginners, and dedication to quality dance education. In its four locations in the area including the Atlas, JOMDC offers affordable classes of all levels to Adults and Youth taught by over 100 dance professionals. Adult classes include an Intro to Dance Series, performance classes, and workshops and master classes with nationally and internationally acclaimed guest artists. The Youth Program includes classes, camps, and intensives. Project Motion, JOMDC’s ever-growing outreach program, brings the joy and benefits of dance to numerous children, teens, and seniors who could not otherwise afford dance classes. JOMDC houses 9 Resident Arts Partners, 2 Resident Adult Companies, 7 Youth Companies, the award-winning Youth Dance Ensemble, and the Jack Guidone Theater. At JOMDC, Dance is for Everyone.
Step Afrika! www.stepafrika.org Step Afrika is the first professional company in the world dedicated to the tradition of stepping. Founded in December 1994, the company is critically acclaimed for its efforts to promote an understanding of and appreciation for stepping and the dance tradition's use as an educational tool for young people worldwide. Step Afrika reaches tens of thousands of Americans each year and has performed on many stages in North & South America, Europe, Africa and the Caribbean.
Theater Alliance www.theateralliance.com Theater Alliance is the sole theater in-residence at the H Street Playhouse, just a few doors down from the Atlas, but it joins other arts organizations in the Atlas’s shared office space. Theater Alliance was founded in 1993 with the distinct goal of producing work that would illuminate the experiences, philosophies and interests of D.C.'s diverse populations. The company's mission has evolved into presenting new or rarely produced work geared towards attracting diverse and alternative audiences to our Northeast community.
Tribute Productions Tribute Productions, a division of the Sprenger-Lang Foundation (Paul Sprenger and Jane Lang, Trustees), focuses on producing new and classic works on themes of historical and social significance in America. Tribute has produced a number of well-received theatrical works in Washington DC, including the Helen Hayes award-winning play, Leaving the Summer Land, by Karen L.B. Evans, in 2000. In 2004, Tribute’s world premiere of Beyond Glory, written and performed by Stephen Lang, garnered Helen Hayes recognition for Mr. Lang, and went on to rave reviews in Chicago and NY. Tribute has also produced cabarets and concerts and sponsors the Nathan Miller History Play Contest, a national playwriting contest.
The Washington Savoyards www.savoyards.org The Washington Savoyards makes a unique contribution to Washington’s rich culture by producing a repertory dedicated to light opera, operetta, and musical theatre. It is a diverse Company, working in a diverse neighborhood. It has a sense of humor and gives its audiences musical and physical dexterity. The pit has a full live orchestra. The Savoyards’ mission includes support of local actors, singers, dancers, directors, designers, choreographers, and stage technicians. A Washington Savoyards production utilizes every aspect of the performing arts.
City at Peace www.cityatpeacedc.org City at Peace is a youth development organization located in Washington, DC that uses the performing arts to teach and promote cross-cultural understanding and non-violent conflict resolution. With an emphasis on youth-led programs and artistic excellence, the organization challenges participants to effect positive community change in pursuit of a city at peace.
Dance Place www.danceplace.org The mission of Dance Place/DC Wheel Productions, Inc. is to transform lives through performing arts and creative education programs that inspire personal growth, professional success, physical wellness and community engagement. DC Wheel Productions, Inc. maintains its permanent arts center, Dance Place, which is the home base for its presentations, dance school and youth program offerings. Dance Place is committed to serving diverse populations through a wide variety of affordable and free programs, and actively engaging in community revitalization through partnerships with other organizations.
The In Series www.inseries.org The In Series creates innovative theatrical programming in opera, cabaret, poetry, song and Latino culture, embracing fresh approaches to the classics, blending the performing arts in unconventional ways, and always working with and for Washington area artists. The company’s unique productions start from a musical heart, mostly classical, but frequently embracing folk and pop styles. In Series extensive community work includes bilingual programming for the Latino Community and programs for schools.
Levine School of Music www.levineschool.org The Levine School of Music works with an enthusiastic group of senior singers from Delta and Capitol Hill Towers. The Atlas is pleased to share its gleaming new performance halls for the public performances of this outstanding neighborhood ensemble. In addition to the Senior Choir, the Atlas and Levine collaboration brings several faculty concerts to the Atlas annually for celebratory, free concerts.
Library of Congress www.loc.gov The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections. As part of its public events programs, the Library of Congress presents a series of jazz and world music performances at the Atlas.
Opera Lafayette www.operalafayette.org Opera Lafayette is an American period instrument ensemble dedicated to performances of 17th- and 18th-century operas, particularly the French repertoire. Founded in 1995 by Artistic Director Ryan Brown, Opera Lafayette has garnered critical acclaim and a loyal following for its concert and staged opera productions with well-known American and international artists. Opera Lafayette presents family/community performances of its main stage productions at the Atlas.
Tappers With Attitude www.tapperswithattitude.org Tappers With Attitude’s mission is to preserve and promote tap dance as a percussive art with an emphasis on the jazz tradition, and to foster a new generation to carry on the art. In addition to presenting works by nationally known tap artists, the company commissions new choreography by emerging tap choreographers, and encourages and assists Tappers With Attitude dancers to choreograph, thereby nurturing the creation of new expressions and voices in tap.
The Washington Chorus www.thewashingtonchorus.org The Washington Chorus is noted for its critically-acclaimed performances and recordings of the entire range of the choral repertoire. The Chorus presents an annual subscription series at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Music Center at Strathmore, and other major venues throughout the Washington area, including the Atlas. The Chorus has recorded, been nationally broadcast and internationally televised, performed as part of a motion picture soundtrack, and has performed for presidential inaugurations and to honor world leaders.
Washington Performing Arts Society www.wpas.org One of the leading presenters of the performing arts in the nation, WPAS has connected the community to artists, in both education and performance for more than 40 years. Through live events in venues that criss-cross the landscape of the D.C. metropolitan area, WPAS showcases the complete spectrum of the arts in performances of the highest quality, including classical music, jazz, gospel, contemporary dance, international music and art forms, and works that bend genres in provocative ways.
Going OUt Guru's list Atlas and one of H Street's Best Bets
