Arlington-based Ebony Day Dance Company was founded in 2014 by choreographer, Ebony Day, who has danced since age 16 and earned a Master’s in dance performance from American University. When launching the company, Day wanted to create a space where others in the community with a passion for dance and music could express their talents, creativity and release frustrations.
“I wanted to create a culture where people could express themselves through art,” Day says. “Dance is communication, and we believe in the power of dance and the messages that it can [convey].”
The dance company has performed in a variety of shows across the DMV since their debut at the African American Civil War Museum in D.C., including a performance at the African-American Heritage Festival in Arlington, but Day says the dancers’ most memorable performance was on the steps of Robert E. Lee Memorial at the Arlington House.
“It was somewhat spiritual, because we were dancing as the church bells were starting to ring and we became overwhelmed with emotion,” she says.
Day says that what sets their performances a part from other companies is the dialogue they hold after each show. “We want the viewer to be a part of the process and critique us,” she says. “The dialogue is just as important as the performance, because people can ask us what it was like to perform the piece.”
The dance company will hold its next performance—a dinner, performance and discussion—on Dec. 4 at the Bus Boys and Poets in Shirlington.
