6PM: "A Winter's Eve," Celebrating the Season's Holidays With Dance!

Join us for an unforgettable evening of dance at the Bender JCC of Greater Washington in Rockville, Maryland! A Winter’s Eve will combine excerpts from the timeless and traditional ballet, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” with an original adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ short story, “The Snowman.” This production will unite a Christmas classic with broader cultural representation, transporting the audience into a wondrous world of seasonal celebrations! Join the Snowman as he introduces his young friend to other cultures celebrating Kwanzaa, Dia de Reyes, Hannukah and Diwali, featuring traditional and contemporary ballet, modern African, and traditional Bolivian, Israeli and Indian dance! This magical and inspiring celebration of the season's holidays makes this the perfect seasonal family event!

HGCBT believes it is essential to make our productions significant and familiar to our entire community. In order to provide accurate representations of a variety of holiday celebrations, we have partnered with four guest choreographers to create dances that are entertaining and authentic. We hope you enjoy their work!

Heinz Adjakwah , Kwanzaa: African/Modern

Heinz is a dancer and actor originally from Ghana. He has performed with Baltimore Dance Project, Howard County Ballet, and as an actor with ArtsCentric in Baltimore. His choreography has been presented by the American College Dance Association.

Gaston Blanco, Dia de Reyes: Traditional Bolivian

Based in Arlington Virginia, Gason has over a decade of experience as a teacher and choreographer. With a background in folkloric dance, bachata, and salsa he brings versatility, passion, and joy to every dancer he teaches.

May Kessler, Hanukkah: Traditional Israeli

May is a physical therapist and dance medicine specialist who has been dancing for over 65 years. Her video dance work has been shown internationally. Both her parents are holocaust survivors and she has collaborated with her father on multiple performances.

Sefali Raja, Diwali: Traditional Indian

Trained in the Indian classical dance form Kathak, Sefali is the founding choreographer of the Sahiyar Garba group, a dance troupe dedicated to performing folk dance. She has choreographed performances for Diwali and Holi celebrations across the County.

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