Time to Leap Into Dance

Washington and its suburbs are ready to rock -- and tango, plie, shuffle, lunge, jump and skip.

It's all part of Dance Is the Answer, the region's contribution to National Dance Week. Over the next 10 days, nearly 80 companies, studios and individuals across the area will offer dance-related activities, such as free hip-hop classes, choreographer meet-and-greets, lectures, workshops and performances in genres spanning the globe and the centuries.

"This year we're showing our local community as an international world of dance," says Peter DiMuro, director of Dance/MetroDC, the festival's sponsor. "We're really trying to give an international flavor using all locally based artists: You'll see Indian dance next to hip-hop next to aerial dance next to fusion next to modern. It feels like a trip around the world."

Not to be missed, next weekend's "Horse's Mouth" will gather local dance icons to share their stories and choreography from over the years. Led by veteran New York dancer-choreographers Tina Croll and Jamie Cunningham, the program at the Atlas Performing Arts Center will feature artists from diverse dance genres: You may see Melvin Deal, the grandfather of African dance in Washington, next to local classical Indian dance guru Nilimma Devi; or Joy of Motion's jazz-dance maven, Douglas Yeuell, alongside D.C.'s self-described "Tap Lady," Yvonne Edwards, a teacher of old-time rhythm tap for half a century.

" 'Horse's Mouth' is kind of like stringing beads on a pearl necklace: You start to see everyone accumulate on stage," says DiMuro, who danced for 15 years with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. "What's also nice is that no one is ever alone on stage. While one dancer is telling a story, two others are dancing or improvising in different places on the stage."

DiMuro says the intention behind "Horse's Mouth" is to build and cement a community of dancers and audience members, and to preserve local dance history. "We will lose all these generations and legacies if we don't document them," he says. "['Horse's Mouth'] will push us to pause and realize that if we have a history here, that means we have a future here."

For DiMuro that also entails nurturing a younger generation of dancers through classes and family-friendly performances, including "Your World Moves," a showcase May 2 of such youth dance groups as Tappers With Attitude, Joy of Motion Dance Center Very Young Ensemble and the Dancarate performing company.

Dance/MetroDC is also unveiling DancePassKid, a discount and social networking program aimed at the under-13 set. Throughout the year, DancePassKid holders will be encouraged to attend select performances, participate in workshops and even wear their dance passes to shows, the better to meet other like-minded students during intermission. "I hope it becomes like a meet-up group and encourages cross-pollination among our young dancers," DiMuro says.

DiMuro says he also hopes that Dance Is the Answer inspires more people to make dance part of their lives.

"We're in a difficult economic time; we need to ask what's the best bang for your buck. In my mind, it's something that keeps you healthy and sustains you. For me -- and for many others -- that's dance," he says.

"When people hear I'm a dancer, they often tell me: 'You're so lucky you chose dance or that dance chose you.' Well, that choice is there for everybody."

Dance Is the Answer Various locations. http://www.danceistheanswer.org. Through May 3. Most events are free; some are ticketed.