The Honorable ADRIAN M. FENTY and The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Proudly Present

DC COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIESCelebrating 40 Years of Excellence in the Arts

Millennium Stage Production | The Kennedy Center | Concert Hall Monday, March 23, 2009

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Greetings!It is our pleasure to welcome you tonight as we celebrate those individuals and organizations that will be presented with the highest cultural award conferred by the District of Columbia, the Mayor’s Arts Awards.

This evening’s nominees have made indelible contributions to our cultural com-munity by promoting artistic excellence and elevating the stature of our Nation’s Capitol. By virtue of being here tonight, they are all winners.

Each year, we honor an individual or group of individuals for their outstanding lead-ership and commitment to our field. Tonight we recognize Septime Webre, Artistic Director of the Washington Ballet and Joy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director of the Studio Theatre with the Mayor’s Award for Visionary Leadership in the Arts.

We thank our friends at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and our city leaders and benefactors from the private sector for contributing gener-ously to the mission of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. We thank you for coming!

There is, indeed, much to celebrate as this year marks the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities 40th Anniversary. We look forward to continued success in the years to come.

Best Regards,

GLORIA NAUDEN Executive Director

ANNE ASHMORE-HUDSON, PH.D.Chair

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About The Commission On The Arts And Humanities

Since 1968, the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DC CAH) has developed and promoted local artists, organizations, and activities. The Mission of the DCCAH is to provide grants, programs and education activities that encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities so that all District of Columbia residents and visitors can experience the rich culture of our city.

DCCAH is governed by volunteers who are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council. DCCAH provides financial support and conducts programming in three primary areas:

The Honorable Adrian M. Fenty and The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Proudly Present

Millennium Stage Production | The Kennedy Center | Concert Hall Monday, March 23, 2009

Arts Building Communities(Grants and Programs)

This program provides grants, performances, ex-hibitions, and other ser-vices to individual artists, arts organizations, and neighborhood/commu-nity groups so they can express, experience, and have access to the rich cultural diversity of the District.

Arts Learning andOutreach

This program provides grants, performances, educational activities and outreach services for youth, young adults, and the general public so they can gain a deeper appre-ciation for the arts and enhance the overall qual-ity of their lives.

DC CreatesPublic Art

This program provides high quality art installa-tions and administrative support services for the public so they can benefit from an enhanced visual environment.

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Thank You

The Commissioners and Staff of DCCAH(DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities)

Mayor’s Arts Awards JuryMayor’s Arts Awards Presenters

Raheem DeVaughn and 122 8 Management, LLC

Cynne’ Simpson

Victor ReinosoRoyal Kennedy RodgersCynné SimpsonDavid SutphenDr. Billy TaylorMats WidbomGeorge Worrell

Our VolunteersAndrew Asare

Deborah AyorindeMelissa Best-Nichols

Leris G. BernardFrancesca Britton

Chanelle BrownMelanie Clarke

Carol CoatesKwame Coley

Chanel Compton Kelauni Cook

Kendra Desrosiers

Zon DumasDavani DuretteShawn Frazier

Maryam Fatima FoyeDustin Gavin

Andrea GeraldDarryl Hall

Lynn Jollviette JohnsMarcus Johns

Jaylen JohnsonErin Kelly

The Ladies of Sigma Alpha IotaAlice Laurissa

Kia LawsonVivian LawsonBrittany LesterKiah McBrideTracy MelnickCourtney RamsayShhyidah SalahudinNicole ThompkinsRasheed Van PattenTodd Wesley PriceDara WallaceJon WilliamsDanielle Withers

Congratulations and best wishes to all nominees, finalists, and winners!

UtrechtPotbelly’s Sandwhich WorksHome Depot -Store 2583 The Washington InformerFabian Barnes, Tiffany Hill and Harold Cromartie Dance Institute of WashingtonBobby Marshall, RCM Productions

Mayor’s Arts Awards PresentersDarrell Ayers

Kwame R. BrownFirst Lady Michelle Fenty

Liz HavstadJanice Hill

Marcus JohnsonCandy Lee

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CommissionersAnne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D., Chair

Marvin BowserChristopher Cowan

Lou Hill DavidsonRebecca Fishman

Rhona Wolfe FriedmanRogelio A. MaxwellTendani Mpulubusi

Marsha RallsBernard Richardson

Deborah RoysterMichael R. SonnenreichJudith F. TerraLavinia Wohlfarth

2009 Mayor’s Arts Awards JuryAnne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D., Convener Chair, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities

Abel Lopez, Associate Producing Director, GALA Hispanic TheatreJoy Ford Austin, Executive Director, Humanities Council of Washington, DC

Kehembe Valerie Eichelberger, Associate Professor of Jazz and Classical Voice, Howard UniversityPeter Di Muro, Director, Dance/Metro DC

Scott Kratz, Vice President for Education, National Building MuseumSondra Arkin, Artist and Curator

2009 Mayor’s Award for Arts Teaching Jury Ben Hall, Director of Music, DC Public Schools

Varissa McMickens, Executive Director, DC Arts and Humanities Education CollaborativeLaura Pasquini, Director of Family and Youth Programming, Corcoran Gallery of Art

Paula Sanderlin, Director of Visual Arts, DC Public SchoolsKweli Smith, Artist

David Snider, Producing Artistic Director and CEO, Young Playwrights’ TheatreMarc Spiegel, Artist

DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities StaffGloria Nauden, Executive Director

Moshe AdamsCurtia AshtonBeth Baldwin

Charles BarzonEbony Blanks

Catherine ClearyRachel Dickerson

Deirdre EhlenDolores Kendrick

Carell KentLamont Harrell

Charlese JenningsYuyu KimRod Little

Shyree MezickVictoria Joy MurrayCarolyn ParkerKeona PearsonMasresha TadesseLisa Richards Toney

Mayor’s Arts Awards ProductionLisa Richards Toney, Executive Producer

Victoria Joy MurrayProducer

Jonathan G. WillenDirector

Charles BarzonProduction Associate

Jessica Gabrielle Chambliss Production Assistant

Hyesun ShinProduction Assistant

Glenn Pearson Productions House Band

Gemal WoodsPark Triangle Productions

CPR ProductionsDan Covey

Lighting DesignMillennium Stage Staff

Kennedy Center Office of Accessibility

Ryan HollowayPhotographer

Desiree DavisVideographer

David GayOff Stage AnnouncerMasresha TadesseVideo Voice OverGabrielle FaulconSunRise CommunicationsRod LittleGraphic DesignYuyu Kim Graphic DesignRichman Designs Award DesignJarboe Printing

People

Nominations are submitted on behalf of those individuals and organizations that reside in the District of Columbia. DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Com-missioners and staff are ineligible to nominate or be nominated. The Mayor’s Arts Awards Jury selects finalists and winners based on the following criteria:

THE MAYOR’S AWARD FOR ARTS TEACHING This award is given to outstanding full-time teachers who are employed by a District of Columbia public or public charter school. The Award is given in three categories: Language Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. Teachers may be nominated by school principals, parents, students, arts organizations or department supervisors and should demonstrate the following qualities or achievements: innovative teach-ing; active collaboration with school personnel, artists and/or arts organizations; outstanding leadership in promoting activities involving the arts, especially cross-disciplinary initiatives involving arts and non-arts content areas; and ability to en-gage and motivate students to achieve.

The Nomination Process

Excellence in an Artistic Discipline

A promising individual artist or group of artists that have demonstrated artistic excellence and achieved distinction in an artistic discipline.

An individual or a private, public, or government orga-nization that has demonstrated a substantial history of exemplary leadership, financial support, or other ser-vices vital to the development of the arts in the District of Columbia.

An individual or organization that has demonstrated ingenious use of skills or resources to produce art, art programs, or services.

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A promising individual artist or group of artists that have demonstrated artistic excellence and achieved distinction in an artistic discipline

An individual artist or an organization that has demon-strated a substantial history of extraordinary achieve-ment in an artistic discipline.

Outstanding Contribution to Arts Education

OutstandingEmerging Artist

Excellence in Service to the Arts

Innovation in the Arts

Excellence in an Artistic DisciplineBernard Mavritte

CityDance EnsembleDance Institute of Washington

Duke Ellington School of the Arts Show ChoirRaycourt Johnson

Speakeasy DCThe Studio Theatre

Theater Alliance of Washington, DCWashington Bach Consort

Washington National OperaWashington Performing Arts Society

Helanius J. WilkinsJoyce Wellman

Outstanding Contribution to Arts EducationArts in Foggy BottomCapitol Movement, Inc.Cathedral Choral SocietyCityDance EnsembleCommunity Help in Music Education (C.H.I.M.E.)The Corcoran Gallery of ArtDance Institute of WashingtonDorothy MarschakJanice RankinsJoy of Motion Dance CenterJudith KoreyJulia H. JonesKristian WhippleNational Museum of Women in the ArtsThe Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic ArtsWashington National OperaWashington Performing Arts SocietyWords, Beats & Life

Excellence in Service to the ArtsBonita F. BingLawrence BradfordBelinda CunninghamCapital FringeJazz Night in Southwest/Southwest RenaissanceDevelopment CorporationKendall ProductionsJudith KoreyChris MurrayNational Black L.U.V. FestivalThe Pink Line ProjectKim RobertsAndy Anas ShallalWashington National OperaWashington Project for the ArtsWomen in Film and Video

Outstanding Emerging ArtistAlorious

Christon BaconR. Alexander ClarkBetty Entzminger

Steve FrostTanji Gilliam

Leigh Russell FultonJason Garcia Ignacio

Michael JanisKev-O (Kevin Owens)

Solas NuaDavid Oliver

Copper Rose & BoneShawn Short

Jakari ShermanJeremy Skidmore

Gwydion SuilebhanMark Walker

Innovation in the Arts

Elexia Arbuckle

Arts in Foggy Bottom

Catalyst Theater Company

Dakshina / Daniel Phoenix Singh Company

Festivals DC. Ltd. (Duke Ellington Jazz Project)

Magnificence Productions

Miriam’s Kitchen

Jose Piedra

Smith Farm Center for the Healing Arts

Washington, DC Jewish Community Center

Vera Oye’ Yaa-Anna

Mayor’s Award for Arts Teaching

Language ArtsM. Kamel IgoudjilPatrick McNabbMark A. Williams

Performing ArtsSamuel L. BondsAisha BowdenGregory E. LewisHaewon Moon, Ph.D.Thomas PierreEdmond Saint-JeanRebecca Stump

Visual ArtsJennifer SonkinJudith StromanCarole Whelan

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Septime Webre, Artistic Director, The Washington BalletJoy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director, The Studio Theatre

Mayor’s Award for Visionary Leadership in the Arts

Nominees

Opening Performance

THE DRUM UNITES USAwakening of Days performed by Beat Ya Feet Kings, City at Peace DC, Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Band, Golden Universe Dance Studio, KanKouran West African Dance Company, Mambo Sauce, O’Neill-James Irish Steppers, Silk Road Dance Company, StepAfrika!, Urban Artistry, and Washington Korean Dance Company. Composed and Arranged by Ulysses Owens, Jr. Choreographed by C. Brian Williams and Jakari Sherman.

WelcomeDarrell Ayers, Vice President of Education, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsAnne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D., Chair, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesRhona Wolfe Freidman, Vice Chair, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesMarvin Bowser, Commissioner, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesThe Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, Mayor, District of ColumbiaGloria Nauden, Executive Director, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesCynné Simpson, Mistress of Ceremonies, WJLA-TV ABC

Presentation of Award | Excellence In An Artistic DisciplinePresented By Mrs. Michelle Fenty, First Lady, District Of ColumbiaDr. Billy Taylor, Artistic Director For Jazz, The John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts

Presentation of Award | Outstanding Contribution To Arts EducationPresented By Dolores Kendrick, Poet Laureate Of The District Of ColumbiaDavid Sutphen, Partner, The Brunswick Group, LLC

Performance Washington Improv TheaterMark Chalfant, Artistic Director

Presentation of Award | Outstanding Emerging ArtistPresented ByLiz Havstad, Chief Of Staff, Hip Hop Caucus And InstituteMarcus Johnson, President, Three Keys Music

PerformanceCoral CantigasAmalia Rosa (Venezuela) – Albert Grau Diana V. Sáev, Founder And Artistic Director

Presentation of Award | Excellence In Service To The ArtsPresented ByRoyal Kennedy Rodgers, Interim Chair, Community Advisory Board, Howard University TelevisionMats Widbom, Counselor For Cultural Affairs, The Embassy Of Sweden

Presentation of Award | The Mayor’s Award for Visionary Leadership in the ArtsPresented byAnne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D., Chair, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesSeptime Webre, Artistic Director, The Washington Ballet

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theCORE

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Program

PerformanceThe Washington BalletPas de deux, Cor Perdu Performed by Sona Kharatian and Jared Nelson, Choreographed by Nacho Duato.

Presentation of Award | Innovation In The ArtsPresented ByJanice Hill, Executive Director, Lincoln TheatreGeorge Worrell, CEO, GMW Enterprises LLC

PerformanceRachel Crouch and Rebecca Crouch, Visual ArtistsLive Painting

Presentation of Awards | Mayor’s Award For Arts TeachingPresented ByKwame R. Brown, Councilmember At-Large, District of ColumbiaCandy Lee, Vice President, Marketing, Washington Post MediaVictor Reinoso, Deputy Mayor For Education, District of Columbia

PerformanceLevine School of MusicBeethoven Sonata For Piano and Violin, Op. 12 No. 1 (Rondo Allegro). Danielle Agress, Piano and Rhea Chung, Violin.

Presentation of Awards | Mayor’s Award For Visionary Leadership In The ArtsPresented ByAnne Ashmore-Hudson, Ph.D., Chair, DC Commission on the Arts and HumanitiesJoy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director, Studio Theatre

PerformanceGrammy Award Nominated Vocalist, Raheem Devaughn“Woman”. From The Album, Love Behind The Melody

Closing RemarksCynné Simpson, Mistress of Ceremonies, WJLA-TV ABC

Finale PerformanceDC’s Own…Mambo Sauce “Miracles”

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Program

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FinalistsEXCELLENCE IN AN ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE

CityDance EnsembleCityDance Ensemble is a professional contemporary

dance company based in Washington, DC. Promising its signature power, passion, and purpose at every turn, the

company performs athletic, challenging repertory by choreographers from the United States and around the

world. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Paul Gor-don Emerson, Executive Director Alexe Nowakowski, and

Rehearsal Director & Choreographer-in-Residence Chris-topher K. Morgan, CityDance Ensemble blends strong

technique and physicality with a dynamic mix of energy, emotion, and humor to deliver performances full of in-

tegrity, expression, and life. Since its inception in 1996, CityDance has grown from a group of part-time dancers

to a professional company of nine full-time, salaried pro-fessional dancers who hail from the Juilliard School, New

York City Ballet, and other world class schools and com-panies, earning a reputation as “Washington’s preemi-nent modern dance company” (The Washington Times). The mission of CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.

The Studio Theatre’s mission is to produce the best in con-temporary theatre. Its restless, innovative spirit makes it a leader both in Washington, DC, and in the nation. Artist-founded and artist-driven, The Studio Theatre demands the highest quality production values. In its four-theatre perfor-mance complex, The Studio Theatre brings audiences pro-vocative writing and unparalleled artistry in performance, directing and design. 2ndStage uses raw, flexible staging to create edgy and irreverent productions that complement The Studio Theatre’s season, and our Special Events open the theatre’s doors to one-of-a-kind artists that would not other-wise be seen in Washington. The Studio Theatre provides op-portunities for developing theatre artists as year-long appren-tices and in Studio 2ndStage. The Acting Conservatory offers rigorous professional theatre training in close partnership with the working artists at The Studio Theatre. The theatre is deeply invested in the community and in neighborhood revitalization.

Through the Studio District Neighborhood Initiative, The Studio Theatre opens its doors to the community, welcoming arts groups

and community organizations.

Helanius J. Wilkins, one of the most sought after choreographers and teachers based in the Washington DC area, is a driven and

passionate visionary. A resident of DC for 13 years, he has choreo-graphed over 50 dance works; he has taught thousands of youth,

pre-professionals, and professional dancers through guest artist residencies, and continues to teach weekly at local dance studios.

In 2001, he founded EDGEWORKS Dance Theater – DC’s pre-miere all male contemporary dance company of predominately

Black men. His accolades include being the first and only artist to receive the Kennedy Center’s Local Dance Commissioning

The Studio Theatre

Helanius J. Wilkins

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EXCELLENCE IN AN ARTISTIC DISCIPLINE

Theater Alliance of Washington, DCTheater Alliance’s mission is to present new or rarely

produced work geared towards attracting diverse and alternative audiences to our Northeast community. The-

ater Alliance was founded in 1993 by Paul Douglas Mich-newicz, Adele Robey and Linda Norton with the distinct

goal of producing work that would illuminate the experi-ences, philosophies and interests of DC’s diverse popu-

lations. That goal was furthered when Theater Alliance moved from its home at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop to become the theater-in-residence at the H Street Play-

house. Now, seven years later, Theater Alliance stands at the forefront of a movement, along with other local businesses and organizations, to initiate a new interest in the redevelopment of Washington’s H Street, NE cor-ridor. In our 2003-2004 Season, Mayor Anthony Williams officially designated our 1300 block of H Street Northeast as Washington’s new “Cultural Arts District”, acknowl-edging Theater Alliance’s role in making H Street a des-tination location for patrons. Theater Alliance was 2005 Catalogue for Philanthropy as one of the top 75 charities in the area as a result of our contribution to the renaissance of our community. Theater Alliance has received numer-ous awards including 21 Helen Hayes nominations, a Tier One UPSTART Grant from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and recognition for the Free Theater on H Street program.

Founded in 1977, the Washington Bach Consort is a profes-sional chorus and orchestra noted for its performance of

18th-Century music on period instruments. Its mission is to perform to the highest artistic standards the music of J.S.

Bach and his Baroque contemporaries. As one of the nations’s critically acclaimed and widely recognized performing arts in-

stitutions, it has appeared at numerous festivals and has made three European tours. Recordings include the Bach’s complete

motets, both J.S. and C.P.E. Bach’s Magnificats, the first Ameri-can recording of the F Major and G minor masses, and the soon-

to-be-released three solo soprano cantatas featuring opera su-perstar Elizabeth Futral. The Consort recently completed Bach’s

entire 215-cantata cycle. In association with this monumental achievement, the Library of Congress has welcomed the Wash-

ington Bach Consort performance recording and concert program archives into its permanent collection.

Project award twice (2002 & 2006). He has also led EDGEWORKS in winning 6 Metro DC Dance Awards, and achieving critical success

both nationally and internationally. In 2008, Mr. Wilkins was hon-ored with the prestigious Pola Nirenska Award for Contemporary

Achievement in Dance. In honoring Mr. Wilkins with this award, noted dance historian and critic George Jackson captured Wilkins

and his work by saying, “Understanding and protest are brothers in dance as he lives it. Both inform his choreography, his com-

pany, and his classes. Barriers that have lingered are diminished as he expands horizons for the black male dancer in America.”

Washington Bach Consort

Helanius J. Wilkins

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CityDance Early Arts is committed to revealing the world of the arts, and especially the joy of movement

and dance, to children of all ages and backgrounds. The outreach education division of CityDance Ensemble,

Inc., Early Arts has an unwavering dedication to reaching those communities in the DC metro area where arts edu-

cation is the least accessible and affordable. Through its year-round program of free in-school classes and perfor-

mances, CityDance Early Arts touches the lives of more than 10,000 students annually. Founded in 1998, Early

Arts has become one of the largest outreach education providers in the region. Early Arts employs more than 30

teachers who teach an average of 450 students per week through curriculum based in school residencies and after-school programs. The mission of CityDance Ensemble,

Inc. is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.

Joy of Motion Dance Center (JOMDC) is dedicated to pro-viding unparalleled learning and performance opportu-nities that reinforce the principle Dance is for Everyone. Since 1976, JOMDC has been creating communities that dance and has welcomed a wide spectrum of dancers to explore their place in the dance world. Individuals can take an Intro to Dance class, see a JOMDC concert, learn dance in a public school outreach program, watch a youth company perform at a local festival, or take a workshop with a world-renowned artist. JOMDC’s classes range from Middle East-ern to Flamenco and Hip Hop to Ballet, with over 300 adult and youth classes offered each week. The student population ranges from first-timers to professionals, from 13-month to 90-year olds, and from tuition-paying students to those in Project Motion Community Outreach programs. JOMDC also delivers dance classes directly to groups of children and adults—at one of the 23 schools they serve, at workplaces, at hospitals, and at senior centers. JOMDC makes dance education accessible regardless of financial means, by way of outreach programs, scholarships, senior/student discounts, work-study programs,

and affordable classes. As the largest dance education center in the area, JOMDC makes DC a destination for learning dance.

The nationally-recognized Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts is a leading force in theatre education. Dedicated to providing both

the artistic and the real-life benefits of dramatic arts education to people from all walks of life, The Theatre Lab serves an enrollment

of more than 1,000 children, teens and adults each year. With a distinguished faculty of more than 40 of Washington’s most rec-

ognizable professional actors, directors, and playwrights, The Theatre Lab offers more than 50 courses for adults annually,

an intensive year-long professional training program, summer acting and musical theatre institutes for children and teens,

and an award-winning Life Stories Outreach program for

FinalistsOUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO ARTS EDUCATION

CityDance Ensemble

Joy of Motion Dance Center

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

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FinalistsOUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO ARTS EDUCATION

Washington National Opera (WNO) is recognized as one of the world’s premier opera companies. Under the lead-

ership of Plácido Domingo since 1996, WNO has moved confidently forward since the company’s founding in

1956. Over five decades, WNO has achieved the stature of a world-class company and plays to standing-room-

only audiences at The Kennedy Center Opera House. In 2004, the company changed its name to Washington Na-

tional Opera to reflect its increasingly significant role in the national arts scene and fulfill its 2000 Congressional

designation as the “national opera.” Through the Center for Education and Training, which houses the celebrat-ed Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, the award-winning Education and Community Programs, and the Plácido Domingo Intern and Apprentice Program, WNO is dedicated to broadening the public’s awareness and understanding of opera. WNO reaches a wide-ranging audience through its access initiatives including Genera-tion O, a young patrons program for adults age 18 to 35, and the annual simulcast, which has reached more than 85,000 people with a free, live broadcast of a popular op-era. Additionally, the company’s productions may be heard locally, nationally, and internationally over NPR’s World of Opera and XM Radio broadcasts.

Founded in 2002, Words, Beats & Life (WBL) transforms the lives of youths and their communities through the power of hip-hop. We nourish and support youths by providing them

extracurricular activities through which they hone their artis-tic and academic talents, and by fostering a national commu-

nity of hip-hop advocates dedicated to their success as adults. At the core of the work is the belief that hip-hop can serve as

the filter between hope and despair for D.C. youths. By valu-ing hip-hop culture, we validate the students themselves. WBL

accomplishes its goals through two main program areas‹The Urban Arts Academy, a pre-vocational arts program for youth

ages 5-23 in the District of Columbia serving up to 300 students throughout the year at its five D.C. sites, and The Cipher, a grow-

ing resource for a national/international network of hip-hop based organizations. The Cipher will expand to four geographies

this year‹St. Paul, Minnesota; Chicago, Illinois; San Francisco, CA; and Washington, D.C.‹for its national gathering, Remixing the Art

of Social Change: A Hip-Hop Approach teach-ins. Past teach-ins drew over 150 national organizations previously doing compara-

ble work in isolation from one another.

disenfranchised populations of youth and adults. The Theatre Lab awards more than $45,000 annually in scholarships to children and

adults in need, and offers free drama training programs to incar-cerated and severely at-risk youth, seniors, people living with HIV/

AIDS, and homeless women. The Theatre Lab has been desig-nated one of the 50 “top arts and humanities based programs in

the country serving youth outside of school hours” by the Presi-dent’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and recognized

by The Catalogue for Philanthropy as one of the “best small charities in Washington.”

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts

Washington National Opera

Words Beats & Life, Inc.

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FinalistsOUTSTANDING EMERGING ARTIST

A CityDance company member since November 2007, Jason Garcia Ignacio originally hails from the Philip-

pines where he began his dance training at the age of 12. He trained at Ballet Philippines, Philippine Bal-

let Theater, Steps Dance Studio, and was a member of Earth Savers Dreams Ensemble for five years. In 2001,

Jason continued his dance training in New York City with a scholarship at Ballet Hispanico, where he also served

on the faculty as a teacher. He was a fellowship student at The Ailey School and toured nationally with the Mar-

tha Graham Ensemble. He has performed with the Daniel Gwirtzman Dance Company, Diversity of Dance, Cortez

and Co., Connecticut Ballet, Zig-Zag Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Verb Ballets, and was an apprentice for Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. He has also per-

formed in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats as Mistoffolees at numerous regional theaters in the US and was the princi-pal dancer of the off-broadway musical Traumnovela. In 2008, Jason was named as one Washington, DC’s top 20 “Showstoppers” by Washingtonian Magazine and was recently awarded The Kennedy Center for the Perform-ing Arts Local Dance Commissioning Project Award for his piece The Mountain.

Michael Janis is Co-Director of the Washington Glass School. The Washington Glass School is a unique educa-tional program in the Nation’s Capital, operating as the sculptural glass education resource for the mid-Atlantic re-gion. The artists working at the glass school are moving glass beyond craft and towards full integration and acceptance as fine art. Inspired by ways we transform ourselves, Michael creates glass pieces that have both visual and spatial depth. By layering and fusing sheets of glass with overlapping imag-ery Michael creates an interactive commentary using simple forms with intricate glass powder drawings. Based on his work at the Washington Glass School, Michael has taught workshops at North Carolina’s Penland School of Craft and Istanbul’s Glass Furnace in Turkey. His work will be featured in the Corning Glass Museum’s ‘New Glass Review’ and his work is in the permanent

collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is represented by Washington, DC’s Maurine Littleton Gallery.

Jakari Sherman is an intense performer, percussionist and choreog-rapher of stepping, whose experience in the art form extends over

12 years. Sherman has served as the artistic director of Step Afrika for the past four years and brought new life to the basic equation

of what stepping has become across the Washington DC area and internationally. He has coached and choreographed for nu-

merous successful competitive and community organizations, and directed the NBA’s first step team. Blessed with a pas-

sion and inspiration for stepping, Jakari has shared his craft with students and communities across the globe through

Michael Janis

Jason Garcia Ignacio

Jakari Sherman

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FinalistsOUTSTANDING EMERGING ARTIST

Jeremy Skidmore is currently the producer for the Source Festival, Washington DC’s original city-wide festival for

the arts. For six years he served as the Artistic Director of Theater Alliance where he produced 22 productions

in five years that garnered 22 Helen Hayes nominations. Elsewhere in the DC area, he has directed for Signature

Theatre, Olney Theatre Center for the Arts, Everyman Theatre, Catalyst Theater Company, African Continuum

Theatre, Forum Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, Keegan Theater, University of Maryland, Catholic University, St.

Mary’s College and The National Conservatory for Dra-matic Arts. Outside of Washington, Jeremy has directed or produced in North Carolina, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, London, Galway, Oslo, Tokyo, Macau, Kilimanjaro and Tai Pei. He was also the first American to assistant direct at London’s Globe Theatre. He has worked as a community and political volunteer for Cross Cultural Solutions, DC Commission on the Arts and Hu-manities, DC Public Schools, Cultural Development Cor-poration, VSA Arts International and the Arlington County Cultural Commission. Jeremy is a Member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers and is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Gwydion Suilebhan is the author of Abstract Nude, Let X, The Faithkiller (a 2007 O’Neill semi-finalist), The Butcher, Develop, The Great Dismal, The Treehouse, The Consella-

tion, and the prologue to Cardenio Found. His plays have been produced, workshopped, and read at the Source The-

atre, National Theater, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Rorschach Theatre, Taffety Punk Theatre Company, Theater of the First

Amendment, Capital Fringe Festival, Accokeek Creek Theater, and the Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival. Gwydion

has received two Individual Artist fellowships and a Larry Neal Award from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities

and has been accepted into the Cultural Development Corpo-ration’s Mead Theatre Lab program three times. His work has

been commissioned by the Source Theatre Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Intentional Theatre Group, Taffety Punk Theatre

Company, and Rorschach Theatre. While stylistically diverse, Gwydion’s work consistently engages with the issues and ideas

of paramount importance in the cultural and social fabric of America, from the relationship between science and religion to

the tragic questions raised by the eroding rural landscape to the intersection between politics and personal morality. His focus is

on the creation of theater that serves all people from all walks of life throughout the country.

stepping workshops, master classes, and performances in Africa, Asia, Canada, and the Caribbean. As a choreographer he seeks to

create a body of work that is experimental and challenging for both the dancer and the audience. His latest choreographic cre-

ation, Trane, highlights the merger of stepping with live jazz mu-sic: a first time collaboration for both art forms.

Jakari Sherman

Gwydion Suilebhan

Jeremy Skidmore

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FinalistsEXCELLENCE IN SERVICE TO THE ARTS

The mission of Capital Fringe, is to connect exploratory art-ists with adventurous audiences by creating outlets and

spaces for creative, cutting-edge, and contemporary per-formance in the District of Columbia. Capital Fringe is made

up of two main programs the Fringe Festival and the Fringe Training Factory. Fringe consists of a small and dedicated

staff, a committed 11-member board, 30 venue owner/operators, more than 200 artist groups, hundreds of volun-

teers, and more than 20,000 audience members. The Fringe Festival is often the first opportunity for emerging and es-

tablished artists based in the District to present their work to a wide audience. The Fringe Training Factory is the first place

teenagers in the District learn how to be a Producer. Fringe encourages the economic growth and social well-being of the city and is a major contributor to the cultural life and

character of the District of Columbia

Jazz Night in Southwest is a cultural development project of Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation, a local CDC in Southwest, D.C. organized at Westminster Church to promote the economic and cultural life of the community. For over 10 years, Jazz Night has presented the finest of D.C. jazz every Friday evening in a lively atmosphere welcoming to all. Jazz is a great unifying force, an inspiring art form giving voice to broad cross-sections of American culture. Its great potential for building genuinely inclusive community continues in D.C. through the creativity of our musicians and the supportive partic-ipation of the expanding jazz community which carries the heri-tage forward. Drawing upon this potential Jazz Night works to preserve, promote and perpetuate classical, straight-ahead jazz with memorable performances, educational and outreach pro-grams designed to explore the music, its history and predominant cultural forces behind its creation. The values long advanced by jazz culture are rich, inclusive, inspiring and challenging. We explore them through presentations, discussions, oral histories and creative interpretations offered by a broad range of participants. Jazz Night

is an expression of the jazz community at work, savoring the rich legacy, preparing to extend it to future generations.

Judith A. Korey, professor of music at the University of the District of Columbia, currently serves as music program director in the Depart-

ment of Mass Media, Visual, and Performing Arts. She teaches in the areas of music theory and jazz studies. She is curator of the University’s

jazz research center, the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives and is executive producer of JAZZAlive – the University’s jazz events calendar that cul-

minates each year with the Calvin Jones BIG BAND Jazz Festival. In 2008 she was awarded the Dr. Cleveland L. Dennard Service Award,

which is presented to an individual who has demonstrated a long-term commitment of outstanding service to the University.

Capital Fringe

Jazz Night in Southwest / Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation

Judith Korey

17

EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE TO THE ARTS

Kim Roberts is the editor of Beltway Poetry Quarterly, an

online literary journal and resource bank that has served the greater DC literary community since January 2000. The

author of two books of poems, most recently The Kimnama (published by Vrzhu Press in 2007), she is also a literary histo-

rian whose research focuses on the history of Washington-area writers, such as Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, and

Zora Neale Hurston. Kim Roberts is an active member of numerous arts groups in the area, including Split This Rock Poetry Festival, DC Poets Against the War, DC Advocates for the Arts, the Big Read DC, the Arts Club of Washington, the DC Film Alliance, and the Washington Friends of Walt Whit-man. Her poems have been published widely in journals and anthologies, and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Ger-man, and Mandarin.

Anas “Andy” Shallal is an Iraqi American activist, artist and social entrepreneur. He is the founder and proprietor of Bus-boys and Poets, an activism center and café in Washington DC, which features prominent speakers and authors and provides a venue for social and political activism. Mr. Shallal is a member of

the board of trustees for The Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal think tank. He also sits on several arts and philanthropic boards,

including The Washington Peace Center, The Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at GMU, DC Vote, Think Local First, So-

cial Venture Network, The National Arab American Museum and Split This Rock Poetry Festival. Mr. Shallal has been a featured

speaker at several conferences and panels that deal with Iraqi as well as Israeli-Palestinian issues. He is the founder of Iraqi Ameri-

cans for Peaceful Alternatives. He has appeared on major television and radio shows including CNN, MSNBC, Fox, The News Hour, NPR,

and Pacifica. He has been published in major newspapers and jour-nals, including the Washington Post, NY Times and Christian Science

Monitor. As an artist Andy Shallal has worked with a variety of ma-terials. His murals have been featured in many publications including

the Washington Post.

Professor Korey was also selected as a Mayor’s Arts Award Finalist–2008 in the category of “Excellence in Service to the Arts.” Her goal is

the realization of the Calvin Jones Center for Jazz Studies – a vision that unites an outstanding jazz program, the JAZZAlive events calendar,

education and outreach programs, and the acclaimed Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives – all at the only public institution of higher education in

the District of Columbia. The Center will continue the legacy of the legendary Calvin Jones, Director of the UDC Jazz Studies program

from 1976 to 2004.

Kim Roberts

Judith Korey

Andy Anas Shallal

18

INNOVATION IN THE ARTSFinalists

Arts in Foggy Bottom grew from the desire of three neighborhood residents to make Foggy Bottom a lively

destination as well as the residential origin which it has been since the 1800’s. The goals of Arts in Foggy Bot-

tom are to: (1) enrich the cultural environment of the Foggy Bottom community by providing exposure to the

visual arts, especially sculpture; (2) create educational opportunities for residents, non-residents and students

as they relate to the visual arts; (3) draw the attention of people who live outside of Foggy Bottom to this unique,

historically-significant residential neighborhood; and (4) create a catalyst for energizing and connecting the busi-

ness, educational, and residential communities of Foggy Bottom and the adjacent areas. With the aid of an artis-tic Advisory Committee, and under the auspices of the

Foggy Bottom Association, Arts in Foggy Bottom orga-nized in 2008 a six-month, curated Outdoor Sculpture Ex-hibit with twelve pieces of sculpture by Washington area sculptors mounted in the front yard of private homes. Special events and artist-led tours enhanced the experi-ence. With the great success of the Sculpture Exhibit, Arts in Foggy Bottom is expanding its activities to make Foggy Bottom a venue for all the arts.

Catalyst Theater Company’s mission is to produce the high-est quality productions of plays that reflect a moment of remarkable change and to offer those productions to the public for $10 per ticket. Catalytic plays include everything from classic to contemporary plays that embrace a catalytic spirit by challenging current theatrical conventions. We are committed to producing at least one DC premiere each sea-son. The Company was formed in the summer of 2001 to bring a different kind of theater to DC: “catalytic” plays from the-ater history mixed with newer works that embrace fresh per-spectives and challenge conventions. In fall of 2008, we were thrilled to become a resident company at the Atlas Performing Arts Center and our first production there, a reworking of 1984 broke all of our previous box office records.

Miriam’s Kitchen is a homeless services organization serving over 4,000 homeless men and women in Washington DC each year. In

October 1983, a collaboration of The George Washington Universi-ty Hillel Student Association, Western Presbyterian Church and the

United Church founded Miriam’s Kitchen in recognition of a strong need for a breakfast program for homeless individuals. Miriam’s

Kitchen’s mission is to provide individualized services that address the causes and consequences of homelessness in an atmosphere of

dignity and respect, both directly and through facilitated connec-tions in Washington, DC. As one of the few non-mobile feeding

programs for the homeless population in DC, Miriam’s serves a crucial role in linking its guests to needed support services.

Miriam’s Kitchen

Catalyst Theater Company

Arts in Foggy Bottom

19

INNOVATION IN THE ARTSFinalists

Vera Oye’ Yaa-Anna is a Liberian-born artist who trans-ports her audience to Africa through interactive story-

telling, dance and drumming. Using the transformative power of storytelling, she teaches inmates how to craft

and tell their “illuminating and inspiring” life stories to ease their reentry into everyday life, and cancer patients

and their caregivers how to uplift the soul while dealing with the challenges of illness. Ms. Oye’ is passionate

about her philosophy, work and community. An African proverb says, “A tale in a book is like a drum in a museum;

it is silent and dead.” In her African culture, storytelling is a participatory experience between the teller and listen-ers. She lost her community in Liberia to political strife and immigrated to escape the horrors of civil war in 1990. She believes that introducing one’s self to any new com-munity is never easy. The creative power of storytelling allowed her to share her culture and heritage with the res-idents of the District of Columbia. She helps to motivate and empower individuals to perform and share their sto-ries. She feels that her greatest achievement to date has been traveling to Australia and interacting with Australia’s indigenous people: “Sharing our oral traditions through stories took us on each other’s journeys.”

Founded in 2005 by Grammy Award-winning producer Charles Fishman, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (DEJF) is now the largest music festival in DC; has received wide-

spread praise in the media, and has rapidly become recog-nized within the global jazz community. The festival provides

enriching and entertaining programs, the majority of which are free to the public, that appeal to the broadest possible

demographic. In 2008, the DEJF featured more than 100 per-formances in 47 venues across the city, including six concerts

attended by over 2,000 DC public and charter school students. Total attendance exceeded 55,000. Charles Fishman is a na-

tive of Brooklyn, NY, an alumnus of New York University and, later, “earned two Ph.D.’s at Dizzy Gillespie University,” as the

legendary trumpeter’s personal manager and producer until his death. Mr. Fishman has produced, concerts and tours through-

out the world with many of the jazz genre’s most renowned art-ists. He has also produced concerts and documentaries for televi-

sion that have been aired on PBS, ABC, Bravo, and the BBC. His composition, “Magic Summer,” recorded by Dizzy Gillespie, was

the theme for the film “The Winter in Lisbon”, to which the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performs in “Winter in Lisbon”, a

commissioned homage to Maestro Gillespie.

In 1995, Miriam’s Kitchen started its After-Breakfast Program which provides clients with the opportunity to participate in therapeutic

group activities each weekday morning. The After-Breakfast Pro-gram provides homeless men and women exposure to art experi-

ences and serves an average of 26 guests every weekday morning in each of the 15 therapeutic group offerings, which include art

therapy, creative writing, poetry, and pottery. Arts activities are an essential tool in engaging Miriam’s clients and provide this

underserved population a way to creatively express their feel-ings and experiences.

Miriam’s Kitchen

Vera Oye’ Yaa-Anna

Festivals DC, LTD. (Duke Ellington Jazz Festival)

Ulysses is a native of Jacksonville, Florida and a 2006 graduate of The Juilliard School with a Bachelors of Music

degree with a concentration in Jazz Studies. He has per-formed with many world-class musicians such as Wyn-

ton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Russell Malone, Mulgrew Miller, and many others. He is currently the drummer

for The Kurt Elling quartet, and has toured extensively internationally in countries such as Japan, Netherlands,

Turkey, South Africa, Russia, and other places globally. He is an educator and has served as artist in residence at

Jacksonville University in Florida, and currently is a fac-ulty member at The Calhoun School in New York City. He

also endorses Yamaha Drums, Zildjian Cymbals, and Vic Firth Products. He just completed his debut album “It’s Time For U, and will be releasing it fall 2009. Ulysses feels

incredibly blessed to be granted the vast opportunities that he has accomplished. He feels that He has truly been chosen not only to compose music, but also to perform and educate others of this wonderful creation. Hoping to continue with his philosophy of “Give the gift of music, receive the gift of life. Ulysses thanks his wonderful wife for her support.

C. Brian Williams is the Founder and Executive Director of Step Afrika! A Houston native, Brian is a graduate of How-ard University and learned to step as a member of his frater-nity in 1989. He began to research stepping after living in Africa. Exploring the many sides of this exciting yet under-recognized American art form led to the founding of Step Afrika! Brian has performed, lectured and taught in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and throughout the United States. He is also the founder of the Step Afrika! International Cultural Festival in Johannesburg, South Afrika. The Washingtonian Magazine recently cited Brian as one of the “40 Washingtonians under 40” to watch in the years to come.

20

Step Afrika! C. Brian Williams, Executive Director & Jakari Sherman, Artistic Director

Washington Korean Dance Company Eun Soo Kim, Artistic Director

Urban Artistry Junious “House” Brickhouse, Artistic Director

C. Brian Williams | Step Master

Ulysses Owens, Jr. | Composer and Arranger

Performers

21

Beat Ya Feet Kings Diallo A. Sumbry, Managing Director

City at Peace DC Sandra L. Holloway, Artistic Director

Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Band Malika Coletta, Artistic Director

Golden Universe Dance Studio Yu Jin, Artistic Director

KanKouran West African Dance CompanyAssane Konte,

Artistic Director

O’Neill-James Irish Steppers Laureen O’Neill-James, ADCRG, TCRG

Silk Road Dance Company Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray, Artistic Director

Urban Artistry Junious “House” Brickhouse, Artistic Director

Performers

22

Washington Improv Theater (WIT) is equal parts inspiration, observation and fearlessness. For over 10 years WIT has en-

gaged DC audiences with completely unscripted performances that exhilarate and inspire. Troupes onesixtyone, Jackie, Caveat,

JINX, iMusical and Season Six are the main instruments of WIT’s mad genius, rehearsing and presenting a wide range of shows

throughout the year. Support, agreement, finely honed storytell-ing skills and a militant sense of playfulness are what make WIT’s

stage the place for “some of the most exciting live entertainment in Washington,” according to the Washington Post. Meanwhile

offstage, WIT’s revolutionary training program is igniting the spirit of play for thousands of Washingtonians. Finding a creative outlet,

meeting fun people, boosting your confidence in public speaking, or saving your very soul are all equally likely outcomes when you take a

WIT class. Students and players, donors and volunteers all make up a vast and growing community dedicated to helping DC discover its bril-liant, creative side. Ask anyone in WIT and they’ll tell you: the revolution

will be improvised.

Founded in 1991 by Diana V. Sáez, Coral Cantigas, is the only chorus in the Washington, D.C. area with the mission of increasing awareness and appreciation of the many rich styles of Latino (Latin American, Spanish and Caribbean) choral music, and promoting diversity by uniting com-munities through the joyful and transformative power of music. Coral Cantigas provides artistic excellence in creative programming; educa-tional workshops; and bilingual, cross-cultural and collaborative perfor-mances to national and international audiences. The chorus performs in Spanish, Portuguese, and a variety of American languages and texts. The choir has presented the area and U.S. premieres of Paco Peña’s Misa Flamenca, Antonio Mir’s Misa Coral, Luis Morales Bance’s oratorio Berrue-cos, Ernani Aguiar’s Cantilena and the anonymous colonial Bolivian-work Misa Encarnación. In 2001, the choir opened its 11th season with a tour of Puerto Rico, and in 2006 its 16th season with a tour of Argentina. The choir is named after cantigas (songs), Spanish homophonic songs of the 13th Century that developed from both folkloric music and sacred chant. Coral Cantigas’ repertoire ranges from folk music and popular songs per-formed with folkloric instruments to classical works with orchestra. The chorus performs sacred and secular music of many traditions.

Originally founded as The Washington School of Ballet in 1944 by legend-ary ballet pioneer Mary Day and incorporated as a professional company in 1976, The Washington Ballet (TWB) is one of the pre-eminent ballet organizations in the United States. TWB built an international reputation presenting bold works by choreographers from around the world, and their first artist-in-residence, Choo-San Goh, set the tone for the com-pany’s emergence as a powerhouse among national companies. Contem-porary pieces by Christopher Wheeldon, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp and Nacho Duato expanded the repertoire, as did Neoclassical masterworks and fresh stagings of 19th century classics. Under the leadership of Ar-tistic Director Septime Webre and Executive Director Russell Allen, TWB has embraced a three-part mission: ensuring excellence in its professional performance company; growing the next generation of dancers through its Washington School of Ballet; and serving the community in which it resides through robust community engagement programs, including

DanceDC and TWB@THEARC. For more information, visit www.wash-ingtonballet.org.

“Every good painter paints what he is.” Jackson Pollock, American Ab-stract Expressionist artist. This short phrase speaks to the long soulful

journey of twin artists, Rachel and Rebecca Crouch. These Chicago na-tives, now residing in Washington, D.C., were born of the seasoned

and inspiring brush stroke of artist and mother, Dianne Crouch. As children, they were immediately immersed into the world of art and

had no choice but to develop that natural born aptitude. They both

PerformersWashington Improv Theater

Coral Cantigas

Rachel Crouch & Rebecca Crouch

The Washington Ballet

23

Levine School of Music serves as a vital community resource by embracing two principles that are central to its mission:

excellence and accessibility. One of the nation’s largest non-profit community music schools, it offers music education to

students of every age, ability and background. To maintain the School’s commitment to accessibility, Levine offers an ex-

tensive scholarship and outreach program that this year will provide more than 700 children with free music instruction at a

cost to the School of $700,000. Levine was founded in 1976 in memory of musician and prominent Washington attorney Selma M. Levine. Started by Diana Engel, Ruth Cogen and Jackie Marlin in the basement of a small church, it has grown into one of the country’s leading community music schools. It is one of the few community music schools accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and the only all-Steinway community music school in the world. Levine is also certified by the National Guild of Community Schools of Arts as exemplifying the highest standards of excellence and access in community arts education.

Having perfected his craft as a young artist by releasing numerous mixtapes and performing throughout his hometown of Washing-ton, D.C., Raheem DeVaughn was determined from the beginning to be the best. DeVaughn’s story begins with music—his mother’s vinyl collection to be exact. His father, noted jazz musician Abdul Wadud, was an influence as well. It was the first day of college that would change the course of his life. “I saw a group of guys standing outside singing, Boyz II Men style,” remembers DeVaughn. “I just went up there and started harmonizing with them. Before I knew what was going on, I was in [the] group….” Although the group did not last, the direction DeVaughn’s life was about to take would have a lasting effect on his music. Introduced to a wider audience in 2005

with the release of his debut disc The Love Experience, DeVaughn has always strived to create the perfect hybrid of old school grooves and

new school attitude. With the release of his sophomore project, Love Behind the Melody, it is obvious that Raheem DeVaughn is steadily

moving towards his goal of becoming an eternal soul man for the new millennium.

There are three things that you can only get in Washington D.C., The President, Go - Go Music and Mambo Sauce. This electrifying group

takes their name from the mystery sauce popular at Chinese/Soul Food carry - outs throughout DC. Just as nobody really knows what’s in Mam-

bo Sauce (the sauce), Mambo Sauce’s (the band) musical virtuosity will always keep you guessing as to what’s coming next. Comprised of seven

of D.C.’s most proficient, young musicians, Mambo Sauce has created a new form of music that effectively blends D.C. Go - Go percussion with

well crafted songs, explosive raps and sultry melodies. This talented, young group of musicians has come together with a burning desire to see

Go - Go music make its mark outside of D.C. Mambo Sauce is currently hard at work on their debut album. Recording in Baltimore at Wright Way

Studios (Dru Hill, Mario, Evan Taubenfeld (Guitarist for Avril Lavigne), Fer-tile Ground, Hezekiah Walker, 2 Live Crew, Crystal Waters) with head en-

gineer/producer, Steve Wright and is due for release in 2009.

produce work in varied media using color, texture, movement, and flow. Their pieces are about the impossible and the discovery of promise. Mu-

sic, life, limits, and change are just a few themes prevalent in Rachel’s work. The origin of Rebecca’s artistic premise stem from heartache,

forgiveness, and new beginnings. Their poignant pieces are not only beautifully intoxicating stories, but also timeless works of art. Indulge

in the art of Rachel and Rebecca Crouch, where they tell their stories, one painting at a time. An affair of the senses is only a stroke away.

Performers Levine School of Music

Mambo Sauce

Rachel Crouch & Rebecca Crouch

Raheem DeVaughn | Grammy Nominated Vocalist

1371 Harvard Street, NW Washington, DC 20009Tel 202.724.5613 | Fax 202.727.4135 | artsawards@dc.gov | http://dcarts.dc.gov