Events and programming will celebrate community dance and joyful movement across the commonwealth
Charlottesville, Va. — Virginia Humanities, Virginia's state humanities council, is excited to announce our participation in By the People: Conversations Beyond 250, a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils across the United States, its territories, and the District of Columbia in collaboration with local partners. Together, these programs explore 250 years of the nation's cultural life and imagine its shared future. The initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage (the Center), which also produces the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C.
Virginia's program will celebrate community dance and the individuals and groups who steward these traditions across the commonwealth. The Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities will partner with five distinct social dance groups to explore how dance nurtures and connects people while telling a broader cultural story.
"Dance is one of our oldest and most democratic forms of creative expression. How you shake, shimmy, and strut is a story about who you are. Moving your body in joyous community is also good for you," said Katy Clune, Virginia State Folklorist and director of the Virginia Folklife Program. "This is a collaborative exploration into five hotspots for dance in Virginia. We will document community traditions and consider how Virginians can step into the future, together."
More details, including a list of community partners from across the state, will be announced in the weeks to come.
All U.S. humanities councils were invited to take part, and 51 councils — including those from the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories — will participate in local programs designed to foster intergenerational dialogue and highlight culture bearers. These include musicians, artists, performers, poets, craftspeople, workers, cooks, storytellers, and others who will explore the following themes: remembering together, harmonizing together, moving together, and building together.
“This partnership amplifies the voices from communities nationwide and the cultural practices that define them,” said Phoebe Stein, the Federation’s president. “It’s a celebration of the humanities as a living, breathing force in our country — one that has brought people together to listen, learn, and create since the nation’s earliest days.”
Each program will be locally produced by a humanities council with community partners and featured on a multimedia story map produced by the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Content related to or generated by this work will be released throughout 2026 on Smithsonian’s media platforms through a series of articles, short documentaries, and podcasts.
“As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, By the People invites communities to celebrate their stories and imagine a shared future grounded in creativity and cultural understanding,” said Halle Butvin, director of special projects at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. “With voices from every corner of the country, the initiative serves our mission by illuminating what it means to belong to each other, to history, and to the possibilities ahead.”
Learn more about By the People on the Center’s website or on the Federation’s website at StateHumanities.org/bythepeople/.
About Virginia Humanities
Virginia Humanities is the state humanities council. We aim to tell the stories of all Virginians — or, better yet, find ways for people to tell their own stories. We want Virginians to connect with their history and culture and, in doing that, we hope we will all get to know each other a little better. Virginia Humanities is headquartered in Charlottesville at the University of Virginia, but our work covers the commonwealth. Founded in 1974, we are one of 56 humanities councils created by Congress with money and support from the National Endowment for the Humanities to make the humanities available to all Americans. To learn more visit VirginiaHumanities.org.
About the Federation of State Humanities Councils
Founded in 1977, the Federation of State Humanities Councils (Federation) is the membership organization of the 56 state and jurisdictional humanities councils. The Federation supports, connects, and amplifies the work and voices of our members, demonstrating councils’ value for communities and their collective impact on civic health and cultural vibrancy. The Federation envisions a fully resourced, inclusive, and thriving humanities council network. Learn more about the Federation and its member councils at StateHumanities.org.
About the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
The Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage promotes greater understanding and sustainability of cultural heritage across the United States and around the world through research, education, and community engagement. The center is a research and educational unit of the Smithsonian that produces the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the Cultural Vitality Program, the online Folklife Magazine, exhibitions, symposia, publications, and educational materials. It also maintains the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Learn more at Festival.si.edu.
