By Dr. Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
For a generation, the Dance Institute of Washington (DIW) has graced the Washington, D.C. community with the “Spirit of Kwanzaa,” the institute’s longest running and most treasured cultural creation. So, as we approach the 2025 holidays, one might ask, with so many cultural and educational institutions backing away from or treading lightly with all things “Black heritage,” what will DIW leaders do about their premier production this holiday season?
The DIW will double down from Dec. 19-21, representing the “culture” full force, and inviting the public to celebrate Kwanzaa and represent together with them. In the 30th year of the DIW’s beloved “Spirit of Kwanzaa” celebration, there was no holding back, said Kahina Hayes, executive director of the Dance Institute of Washington in an exclusive interview with the AFRO.
“This is a moment where courage matters. Institutions across the country are feeling pressure around how they present stories tied to race and identity, but at DIW, our work has never been dictated by politics. It’s dictated by purpose,” Hayes said. “We lean into the principles of Kwanzaa, especially self-determination and collective responsibility.”
The DIW stages an electrifying performance featuring the Washington area’s best young performing dance artists as they recreate the beloved “Spirit of Kwanzaa” production in honor of the Institute’s founder, Fabian Barnes. The show will take place at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, located at 1333 H ST NE in Washington, D.C.
Hayes said it is both a celebration of an institute that has stood the test of time as well as time to step up.
“This year, instead of shrinking back, we’re standing firmly in cultural truth. Dance has always been a language of freedom for our community. That hasn’t changed. We stay rooted in engaging our families, inviting dialogue and ensuring our young people feel seen and supported,” said Hayes. “We don’t respond to political pressure, we respond to the needs of our community.”
Credit: Photo courtesy of Virginia Zandler
The Dance Institute of Washington was founded by the late Fabian Barnes in 1987 as a summer intensive dance program for hearing impaired youth at Gallaudet College. The institution’s excellence in training youth has earned the DIW praise from near and far, ranging from Oprah Winfrey, Congressman Kweisi Mfume and the Points of Light Foundation to recognition and funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and MacKenzie Scott, who gave the organization a $2 million dollar grant in 2024. Scott recognized the organization for “spotlighting dance as a pivotal tool for unity, healing and empowerment, especially for marginalized communities.”
For DIW and the D.C. community, the 30th year anniversary is a “full circle” moment for the Kwanzaa dance celebration. “We’ve watched this audience grow from a tight-knit neighborhood tradition into a regional, intergenerational celebration. We now see parents who once danced with us as children bringing their own kids to the production. That continuity is powerful.”
“What’s even more meaningful is the way the audience has deepened in its connection to the work. People don’t just attend this show, they return to it because it feels like home,” said Hayes.
Performance times are as follows:
Friday Dec. 19: 6 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 20, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m.