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Beyond the Beat

Maia Maiden will be at Dance Place for the Jack Ya Body Dance Series. (Dance Place)

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Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday at 9:30 p.m. Studio Theatre, 1501 14th St. NW; 202-332-3300.

Four short stage productions, including "Boom Bap Meditations" by Baba Israel, a New Yorker who recounts his immersion into hip-hop culture, and "Southside," a drama by the District's John Muller, about a community's struggle with violence.

Hip-Hop Theater Shorts II

Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. Studio Theatre.

Local troupe Sol Y Soul takes the poetry of William Carlos Williams and Elizabeth Bishop and transforms it into a genre-bending meditation on the issues of contemporary urban life. Dancer, actor and poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph, a National Poetry Slam champion, also performs.

The Word Begins

Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m.

Studio Theatre.

Steve Connell and Sekou (tha Misfit) weave a dramatic journey through childhood, manhood and the modern world in this spoken-word play. A fall run at Signature Theatre prompted Washington Post critic Peter Marks to write that, at its best, the performance "stomps outrageously."

Jack Ya Body Dance Series

July 11 at 8 p.m. Dance Place,

3225 Eighth St. NE; 202-269-1600.

Hip-hop-inspired choreography by local dance troupes, including Boogie Bots, Maia Maiden Works and Urban Impact. Tickets are limited.

HIP-HOP THEATER FESTIVAL Tuesday through July 12 at various locations. 202-724-5613. For a full schedule of events, visithttp://www.hiphoptheaterfest.com. Free.

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