The VIVA School

What A Weekend!! RESONANCE

Across three sold-out performances, our students took the stage with poise, commitment, and artistry—reflecting the depth of their training and the continued evolution of their artistic voice.

We are grateful for the community that continues to support this work—those who joined us in the theater and those who champion VIVA in ways both seen and unseen.

We carry this momentum forward with purpose and intention✨



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Tickets for Friday, May 1 & Saturday May 2 8pm performances for RESONANCE are SOLD OUT!

Due to strong demand, a matinee performance has been added on Saturday, May 2 @ 1pm.

Don’t miss out! Purchase your tickets for the matinee performance today!!



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RESONANCE: The VIVA School in Concert

May 1 & 2 | 8pm
Doors open @ 7:30pm

Purchase your 🎟️ today!!! Link in bio.



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We have been so honored to welcome .christie as our 2025/2026 Guest Choreographer. In a two-part exchange beginning in December, Rachel guided our young artists in over 25 hours of experimentation and conjuring in her work ‘The Cross Between’, a piece of extraordinary physicality and cerebral depth. Thank you Rachel for pushing our dancers beyond the familiar. This process shaped something special and we can’t wait to share☺️

Rachel Harris is a dancer, choreographer, and director for stage, film, and theater based in New York City. The USC Kaufman graduate’s performance credits include Parsons Dance, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre, NVA and Guests, Traverse City Dance Project, Life and Trust, Monica Bill Barnes & Co, Metropolitan, Los Angeles, and Chicago Lyric Operas earning her recognition as Bessie Award “Outstanding Performer” Nominee. Rachel’s work has been commissioned by Howard University, Traverse City Dance Project, and The Kennedy Center and gained acclaim as Gibney Dance Converge2Emerge Film Grant Recipient, Dual Rivet Film Festival Finalist, and Professional Choreography Finalist for New Century Dance Project. www.rachelcharris.com

The VIVA School is auditioning young dancers ages 6-16 seeking entrance into our pre-professional dance training and creative leadership development program. Accepted students train on a full-merit scholarship and will begin enrollment in summer 2026.

Pre-Registration link in bio.
Questions? email [email protected]
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Tomorrow, Saturday Feb 28 will perform ‘milk and honey’ choreographed by Artistic Director for Intersections Festival DC. Inspired by Tyler Mitchell’s Idyllic Space and Washington, DC’s living culture, the work answers the question, ‘what makes you feel ‘vital, joyful, present?’

In a dynamic triple bill with and Urban Steps: DC, NYC, and Tokyo explores how cities and cultures shape our identity. Join us for a powerful evening of dance inspired by home.

We were honored to partner with and for the . The experience was both deeply meaningful and artistically rich for The VIVA School. Our performance ensemble presented “The Returns”, choreographed by , alongside an extraordinary group of soloists, schools and companies. This was a moment rooted in connection and collaboration helping to define well-rounded artists.

As we celebrate MLK Day and the continued imperative for equity, we want to amplify the legacy of four pioneers in dance and honor their trailblazing work. Through tenacity and grace Carmen de Lavallade, LaVerne Reed, Toni Pierce-Sands and Judith Jamison created space for a new generation of dancers to discover, belong and become.

Toni Pierce-Sands led an illustrious performance career in the US and overseas. She performed with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as a soloist in many signature works. She founded TU Dance to create access and opportunity—a platform for performers, students and audiences to engage in the remarkable art form of dance.

Carmen de Lavallade shattered barriers as one of the first black prima ballerinas to perform with major American companies, helping shape theater and dance for six decades. A founding artist of the Lester Horton Dance Theater, she later starred alongside her friend Alvin Ailey in House of Flowers (1954). She appeared in film and television, worked with leading choreographers and staged numerous musicals, plays and operas. Her legendary career earned her multiple lifetime achievement awards and honorary doctorates from SUNY Purchase and Juilliard.

Judith Jamison, a trailblazing dancer, choreographer, author and Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1989-2011. She brought the company to unparalleled success, including two historic performances in South Africa and a 50-city global tour. Her distinguished career reflected the nation’s highest artistic honors, including the National Medal of Arts. Ms. Jamison’s enduring legacy is one of courage, resilience, relentless excellence and vision.

LaVerne Reed was a dancer, actor, choreographer, playwright, director, producer and educator who innovated Washington, DC’s theater and arts scene. She created the LaVerne Reed Dancers in 1976, which included VIVA’s own Robbin Tasha-Ford, and worked with Stephanie Mills, Melba Moore, Cicely Tyson, and Esther Rolle. Reed’s influence inspired generations of young black artists and leaves a powerful creative legacy in Washington, DC and beyond.

We are stepping into the new year with two exciting performances with our family at
We are thrilled at the opportunity to showcase the work of VIVA and share the stage alongside so many other great performers in support of the

With gratitude and warm wishes for a season filled with joy. Happy Holidays from The VIVA School.

How did you spend your 2025? We’re happy to highlight just a few moments and milestones from The VIVA School that reflect the countless hours our students and professional staff invested in learning, creating, and pushing what’s possible together.

We’re incredibly proud of what was accomplished in 2025 and energized by what lies ahead. We look forward to connecting with you in 2026 as we continue to challenge the status quo and advance our work.