Dance of a Lifetime
Tuesday 2
Founded in 1958 in New York City, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has brought the power and beauty of Black modern dance to more than 25 million people around the world. Audience members at the Flynn in Burlington witness the storied troupe firsthand with a performance that draws from works by the late Ailey as well as choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Kyle Abraham and Robert Battle.
Your Ma-jazz-ty
Saturday 29
Legendary jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and his band Ekaya wrap up the Middlebury College Mahaney Arts Center’s performing arts season with a stunning performance at Robison Concert Hall. The musicians mark both South African Freedom Day and International Jazz Day with songs of protest, hope and home.
War Songs
Thursday 27 & Friday 28
National Poetry Month isn’t over yet. Lovers of verse flock to the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, where poet Tarfia Faizullah stops for two evenings. The award-winning author of Seam and Registers of Illuminated Villages, two collections that deal with loss, memory and violence in the Middle East, gives a reading on Thursday and leads a Craft Talk on Friday for those interested in the art of writing.
Sugar, Sugar
Friday 28-Sunday 30
The town of St. Albans overflows with liquid gold during the Vermont Maple Festival, a three-day shindig celebrating all things sugary. The festivities offer something for everyone to tap into, from the annual parade and Sap Run to baking contests and tastings of maple-infused wine and beer.
Soup’s Up
Saturday 29
Slow Food Vermont focuses this year’s World Disco Soup Day on the climate crisis, what we can do about it and how sustainable eating can help. Volunteers meet up outside 149 Cherry Street in Burlington (Food Not Bombs’ distribution site, for those in the know) for an afternoon of discussion, dancing and chopping veggies for the Salvation Suppers free meal program.
Heal Thyself
Saturday 29
An acclaimed Maine performance artist brings her latest one-woman work in progress, Sara Juli’s Naughty Bits, to Putney’s Next Stage Arts Project. Dance, comedy and surreal set design collide in this powerful, thought-provoking story about healing from childhood sexual assault. Audience discussion of themes and the creative process follows.
Rooting for You
Ongoing
In collaboration with the Middlebury Tree Committee, Sparrow Art Supply presents “A Celebration of Trees.” This group show, featuring work by 80 local artists, depicts our arboreal friends in every season, via various mediums and styles. The exhibit also includes educational displays on the importance of trees to the planet and human communities.
This article appears in Apr 26 – May 2, 2023.
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