Press Release Martha Wash to headline CommuniTea Dance, the Arsht Center's annual free Pride Celebration - June 4

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County
Presents

COMMUNITEA DANCE
South Florida’s LGBTQ+ community and allies are invited to kick off Pride Month at the Center’s FREE annual celebration

TEA DANCE HEADLINED BY MARTHA WASH
The original Weather Girl, platinum-selling recording artist and
two-time Grammy Award nominee

Sunday, June 4, 2023
All-ages celebration from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
18 and over tea dance and concert from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Tickets: Free with RSVP
Thomson Plaza for the Arts – Ziff Ballet Opera House

Miami, FL – April 28, 2023 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) is proud to invite the South Florida community to kick off National Pride Month on Sunday, June 4 at the sixth annual COMMUNITEA DANCE, the Center’s FREE LGBTQ+ Pride celebration.

Tickets to COMMUNITEA DANCE are FREE and can be reserved now at arshtcenter.org.

Hosted on the Center’s Thomson Plaza of the Arts, COMMUNITEA DANCE is a free event honoring South Florida's vibrant LGBTQ+ community. From 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., guests of all ages are encouraged to explore the event’s Pride Marketplace which spotlights local organizations, artisans, creatives and small businesses. Attendees will also enjoy family-friendly performances, interactive moments for children, storytelling, and sing-alongs.

After 3 p.m., the event will transform into an 18 and over tea dance celebration featuring tunes by Deejay Smeejay (DJ at Sky Sundays at Esme Hotel, OUTShine Film Festival, Miami Beach Pride), a marketplace, performances by local artists and a rousing show headlined by MARTHA WASH, the original Weather Girl, platinum-selling recording artist and two-time Grammy Award nominee. Ms. Wash, also known as “The Queen of Clubland” and lauded for her distinctive and powerful dramatic soprano voice, will delight fans with mega-watt hits such as “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real),” “It’s Raining Men,” “Strike It Up,” “Everybody Everybody” as well as C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Food and drink specials will be available throughout the day.

COMMUNITEA DANCE is supported by OutClique.

ABOUT MARTHA WASH
MARTHA WASH is a two-time Grammy-nominated singer who began her musical career at the age of two in her parents’ church in San Francisco, and since then has been lifting the spirits of audiences for decades. Initially at the forefront of the disco movement of the late ’70s, performing powerful background vocals for the iconic, flamboyant star Sylvester of “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” fame, Martha went on to storm the ’80s as one half of The Weather Girls with their mega-hit “It’s Raining Men.” The ’90s moved Martha’s already prolific career into high gear with her awe-inspiring recording of “Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” the highlight of C&C Music Factory’s career, which sold 10.5 million copies worldwide.

With the creation of her own recording label Purple Rose Records, and working closely with manager James Washington, the twenty-first century has seen Martha continue to evolve in exciting ways in music and beyond. In music, Martha released the critically acclaimed Something Good album in 2013.  Beyond music, Martha’s popular entertainment/talk television show, “10 Minutes with Martha Wash,” is now entering its second season. She’s also created a digital publication, FLOD Spotlight Magazine, and continues to support charitable organizations, such as “QSAC Inc”, a non-profit organization providing comprehensive services to individuals with Autism and their families. Martha’s also worked tirelessly for people affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States.

Martha Wash’s latest album, Love & Conflict, promises to take fans in a fascinating and perhaps unexpected new direction. Released by Ms. Wash’s label, Purple Rose Records, this eclectic collection of mesmerizing blues-rock and adult contemporary songs is a stylistically adventurous journey for the legendary vocalist, entrepreneur and producer, whose spectacular achievements in the music industry are nothing short of staggering. But breaking new ground is something that shouldn’t surprise anyone who is familiar with Martha’s amazing past including her 14 Number One hits!  Martha’s been doing it from the very beginning.

For more information on Martha Wash, please visit: www.marthawash.com.

@ArshtCenter              #ArshtCenter

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Additional fees may apply. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

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AboutUs
Set in the heart of downtown Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is committed to welcoming and connecting ALL people to the arts, to the Arsht Center and to each other. Our stages are alive year-round with artists from around the world, innovative programming from our resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and arts education experiences for thousands of Miami children each year.

Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been recognized as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area, a leader in programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, a host venue for historic events and Miami’s hub for arts education.

Each year, we serve more than 60,000 young learners and offer more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs — many enhanced by the Arsht Center’s relationship with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local teaching artists and Miami-based arts organizations.

The Arsht Center is also a home stage for three resident companies — Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony — and a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage. Our 300+ events each year include the Center’s Signature Series of classical, jazz, Broadway, local theater and much more. We present a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. In addition, our Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, CommuniTEA LGBTQ+ celebration and Heritage Fest are among dozens of free events that bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org.