The Lula Washington Dance Theatre (LWDT) has built an international reputation for the earthiness, vitality, energy, and humanism of its repertory — most of it by its legendary founder/artistic director Lula Washington. The company’s trade mark is passion, power, and pulse. This dance company moves. It rocks. It is highly physical with gorgeous dancers who know how to interpret dance and get to the soul. This is a company that makes audiences feel...
Along with great dancing, this company does fantastic out-reach, master dance classes, school shows and residencies. This company likes working in education and communities. Lula’s “Reflections In Black” educational concert is a favorite with teachers across the country. It is a curriculum-based program that covers aspects of American and African-American history in 55 minutes. LWDT has danced in more than 100 US cities and at major venues including: the Kennedy Center; Jacob’s Pillow; the New Jersey Performing Arts Center; the Ordway Theater; the Joyce; and Lincoln Center Out of Doors. LWDT has grown recently into the international arena. It danced in Kosovo in 2008; Guadalajara in 2009; Russia (18 cities) in 2010; China (12 cities) in 2011; and in Brazil in 2011. The repertory tells stories drawn from African-American culture and life. These include Lula’s “We Wore The Mask”; “The Little Rock Nine” “The Movement”; “Ode To The Sixties”; “Global Vil-lage” and “For Those Who Live And Die For Us.” Guest choreography includes: “Reign” by Rennie Harris; “Songs of the Disinherited” by Donald McKayle; “Love Is…” by Christopher Huggins; and “Beautiful Venus and Serena” by Tamica Washington-Miller.
LWDT typically performs with its percussionist, Marcus L. Miller, and his Freedom Jazz Movement band. The company is composed of well-trained athletic dancers, many of whom grew up in the LWDT School under the tutelage of Lula Washington. They embrace her style, which mixes every form of dance, topped with exquisite charisma, theatricality, athleticism and control. These dancers bring magic to every dance.
LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE will tour the region in 2011 and 2012:
Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville, TN October 23 - Master class with Belmont College dancers
October 24 - Afternoon and early evening classes
October 25 - Concert, 7:00 PM
Hardin County Schools Performing Arts Center, Elizabethtown, KY February 28 - Rotary Lunch Guest Speaker
February 28 - March 1 - Elementary and Dance Residencies
March 2 - Flash Mob
March 2 - Guitar concert
March 4 - afternoon -"Lunch with Lula" including a chorus performance
March 4- evening - Performance followed by a Q&A and meet and greet
