March 7
Jam with the Fam
Strathmore’s Saturday Family Jam Sessions are designed to introduce kids to a variety of musical genres through intimate performances with local musicians. At the session focusing on go-go music—Washington, D.C.’s unique homegrown offshoot of funk—Elijah Jamal Balbed will lead a workshop on the swinging feel of the music, how original go-go beats were created and how he blends go-go with jazz. Balbed is a saxophonist and composer who performed with “go-go godfather” Chuck Brown.
Recommended for kids ages 4 to 8.
10:15 a.m., $10, everyone needs a ticket, free for children 2 and younger (special ticket required), The Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda, strathmore.org
March 7
True Colors
In India and Nepal, the Holi Festival celebrates the arrival of spring, and traditionally includes singing, dancing and showering people with colorful paint or powder. Germantown’s Kuchipudi Dance Academy will put on its own Holi Festival of Colors, featuring cultural dance performances inspired by the colors and theme of unity associated with the holiday.
2 to 4 p.m., $20, BlackRock Center for the Arts, Germantown, blackrockcenter.org
March 27-28
What’s Up, Docs?
Established to highlight the work of local documentarians along with the stories and issues important to them, the Bethesda Film Fest presents four short documentaries by regional filmmakers. A jury of professionals from the film and television industries judged nearly 100 submissions. View their top four picks and hear from the filmmakers during question and answer sessions that follow the screenings. The same films will be shown at each screening.
7 p.m. Friday, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday, $10, Imagination Stage, Bethesda, bethesda.org
