Whole Lotta Dancing Going On

I can’t believe I’ve lived here 10 months and didn’t discover Artful Afternoons til now.   Turns out this city-run monthly event is a well attended and well loved, and I could see why.

The theme of this month’s event was Greenbelt Dances! Expo with performances and super-fun workshops.

These dancers performed are: Greenbelt Dance Studio, alight dance theater, Ultimate Groove and the Jayamangala School of Dance.

Greenbelt Dance Studio, alight dance theater, Ultimate Groove, the classical Indian dancers of Jayamangala.

Workshops – that’s teaching dance – were given by: Gretchen Schock of Bee Fusion Yoga, Ultimate Groove with Chelsea Calhoun, Classical Indian dance with Jayamangala dancers and Hip Hop /Street Jazz with alight dancer Valerie Branch.

Also, Crafts!

I’m learning that whatever the theme of the Artful Afternoon, there’s also some crafting going on for kids and grown-ups.  This week participants created their own felted beads with Artist in Residence Russ Little.

Also, Art!

And there was as new art exhibit in town – “Shifting Bloom: Sculptural Garments” by fashion designer and fiber artist Stephanie Marie Santos. 

Chelsea Calhoun leads Groove Fitness.

I was an avid participant in Chelsea’s jazz dancing.  (Is jazz correct?)  And I’ll definitely be trying the full class.  She teaches at the Community Center Saturday mornings at 9:00, and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 7:00, for an hour each time.

This type of yoga is harder than it looks.  Quite a work-out, as Chelsea Calhoun reported  here on Greenbelt Live.

Above, that’s Nicole DeWald, Greenbelt’s Arts Supervisor, chatting with crafters on the far left.   I understand she’s primarily responsible for programming these fabulous events, about which I heard several residents brag that no other town they knew did something this cool.

Here’s one crafter’s dragon-in-progress.  I found it inexplicable that felt would hold together like this by simply being wet down with soapy water.  So I learned something, too, just by watching.