MONDAY, APRIL 9
MUSIC The Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts present the second annual SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras featuring performances at the Center and various venues throughout DC. The festival will highlight four American orchestras: Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and National Symphony Orchestra. It’s more than performances, too—each group will present educational and community events around the District. The full-orchestra performances will be in the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. Through April 15. $25 for each Kennedy Center performance.
FOOD & BOOKS Kick off the week with an evening of food and conversation at Zaytinya. Over a four-course dinner, listen to a conversation among Greek food writer Aglaia Kremezi (Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts), author Joan Nathan (King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World), and Washington Post Deputy Food and Recipe Editor Bonnie Benwick. You’ll taste signature dishes from Kremezi’s and Nathan’s cookbooks, paired with Mediterranean wines. Cookbooks will be available for purchase. $85, 5:30 PM.
TUESDAY, APRIL 10
MUSEUMS Ocean engineer Grace Young develops underwater technology to improve ocean exploration, including underwater robots and camera systems for recording fish populations. She will be at the National Geographic Museum discussing the marine life images she’s encountered and the technologies she’s working on creating. $25, 7:30 PM.
BOOKS Marine Lieutenant Colonel Kate Germano took command of the all-female Fourth Recruit Training Battalion at Parris Island. Despite improving the group’s low performance in less than a year, she was fired. In her book, Fight Like a Girl: The Truth Behind How Female Marines Are Trained, Germano and co-author Kelly Kennedy delve into the bias in the Marines, the only service to segregate by gender during basic training. Germano and Kelly will discuss their experiences at Politics & Prose at the Wharf. Free, 7 PM.
PERFORMANCE The performing arts company Shen Yun highlights Chinese dance and culture. The group’s performances this week at the Kennedy Center will delve into five thousand years of Chinese culture and history through one of the oldest traditional dance forms. Through April 15. $80-$250.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11
FILM The seventh annual Czech That Film Festival starts on Wednesday at The Avalon. Wednesday’s opening film, Ice Mother, tells the story of a mother/grandmother in her 60s whose life changes when she saves an ice swimmer, and falls in love with him, which won Best Screenplay in an International Narrative at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Accompanying Thursday’s screenings will be a Czech dinner prepared by Bistro Bohem; a screening of Barefoot will be followed by a Q&A with Czech director Jan Svěrák. Through April 12. Individual films: $12.50; Thursday all-access pass: $30.
MUSIC Not to be confused with hip-hop duo Kris Kross, yacht rock singer Christopher Cross is most famous for his lilting song “Sailing” and the theme from the 1981 movie Arthur. He won five Grammy Awards in 1980—including Best New Artist—and continues to release new music. Hear songs from his most recent album, last year’s Take Me As I Am, as well as his classic hits at the Birchmere. $45, 7:30 PM.
