Click “Learn More” for additional information about each performance and to register your school. Learning resources are made available approximately two weeks before the event.
Check out our growing collection of on-demand virtual performances, presentations, and events. The virtual performances are part of the Kennedy Center’s extensive Digital Resources Library which also features arts-related classroom lessons, media, and activities.
October 12, 13 & 17, 2022 (REGISTRATION CLOSED) and March 8, 13 & 14, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Dynamic concerto meets animated film! Follow a magical Sprite as it embarks on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra—all set to live music from members of the NSO.
Recommended for grades 3-6
October 19, 2022 (registration closed)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our companies as they prepare onstage for performance. A mother’s tragic past haunts her as she struggles to protect her son in Verdi’s powerful and dramatic masterpiece.
Recommended for grades 9-12
OCTOBER 27, 2022 (registration closed)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our companies as they prepare onstage for performance. Tragedy follows Elektra as she plots revenge against her father’s murderer—her own mother—in Richard Strauss’s epic opera inspired by the Greek tale.
Recommended for grades 9-12
October 28, 2022 (registration closed)
Take a journey through the musical brain with Mother Dance, Father Rhythm, and the Curious Scientist! D.C.’s own Go-go music and brain science come together for this lively show that’ll have kids singing and dancing to the beat.
Recommended for grades K-6
November 3-4, 2022 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Umbrellas fly, fabrics soar over the audience, balloons swallow people, and snow swirls, filling the stage. Air Play transforms ordinary objects into uncommon beauty through a wordless, magical adventure as two siblings journey through a surreal land of air.
Recommended for grades K-5
November 18 – December 15, 2022 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
It’s not easy to take those first steps into a new place where nobody really knows you yet…but somehow you do it. This world premiere commissioned musical is based on one of Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s most popular picture books, a #1 New York Times bestseller illustrated by Rafael López. Adapted by Woodson with music and lyrics by Toshi Reagon, direction by Charlotte Brathwaite, and puppetry design and direction by Emma Wiseman, The Day You Begin is a poignant and heartening musical about finding courage to make new friends, hear new stories, and see your own magic in the world.
Recommended for grades K-5
November 23, 2022 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our visiting companies as they prepare onstage for performance. Kansas City Ballet’s seasonal tradition, The Nutcracker, returns to the Kennedy Center to continue our annual holiday presentation of America’s best Nutcrackers.
Recommended for grades 5-12
November 30, 2022 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our visiting companies as they prepare onstage for performance. Fresh from its world premiere to audiences in spring 2022, Doña Perón is an explosive portrait of Eva “Evita” Perón, one of the most captivating and controversial women in Argentinian history.
Recommended for grades 5-12
January 5, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
In 1944, on a Louisiana Army base, two shots ring out. A Black sergeant is murdered, triggering a gripping barrage of questions about sacrifice, service, and identity in America. The Pulitzer Prize-winning thriller has rocketed back into the spotlight thanks to this 2020 Tony®-winning Best Revival.
Recommended for grades 9-12
January 11-13, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Be inspired by this international all-star breakdance crew of seven of the world’s best differently-abled dancers. No Excuses, No Limits takes audiences on a journey of each dancer’s story through dance, music, audience interaction, and a gained understanding of the limitless possibilities that any person can hold.
Recommended for grades 2-8
February 3-6, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
See NSO principal second violinist Marissa Regni and NSO assistant principal timpanist/percussionist Scott Christian in an exciting program exploring the magic created when the violin and percussion join forces.
Recommended for grades preK-2
February 10, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
For its annual Kennedy Center engagement, the beloved company presents Ailey classics and new works, including Ailey’s signature Revelations.
Recommended for grades 4-8
February 10, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Move, sing, and play in Spanish and English. The Latin Grammy®-winning music duo 123 Andrés, deemed “a rockstar for little language learners” by Billboard, is back by popular demand and on the heels of their recent Grammy®-nominated release!
Recommended for grades preK-3
February 15, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our visiting companies as they prepare onstage for performance. With a depth of talent and the ability to present multiple casts of dancers in leading roles, the celebrated company brings Shakespeare’s tragic play of forbidden love— Romeo and Juliet.
Recommended for grades 7-12
March 2, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our companies as they prepare onstage for performance. Featuring Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with pianist Conrad Tao and NSO Principal Trumpet William Gerlach, and Dalia Stasevska conducting a new co-commission by composer Jessie Montgomery.
Recommended for grades 8-12
March 2-16, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Fovea Munson is stuck working at her parents’ cadaver lab now that her summer camp plans have fallen through. But she is by no means Dr. Frankenstein’s snuffling assistant, Igor! That is, until three disembodied heads, left to thaw in the wet lab, start talking.
Recommended for grades 5-12
March 8, 13 & 14, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Dynamic concerto meets animated film! Follow a magical Sprite as it embarks on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra—all set to live music from members of the NSO.
Recommended for grades 3-6
March 29-31, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Glass Half Full Theatre from Austin, Texas, presents its award-winning “story within a story” using puppetry, Spanish, and English. This captivating bilingual Cinderella for all ages champions cultural heritage, family, and the power of language.
Recommended for grades 1-6
April 27, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Seen by over 130 million people worldwide, witness the epic story of love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.
Recommended for grades 8-12
April 27-28, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson will narrate her unforgettable book Each Kindness onstage for its world premiere as a small ensemble performance with musicians and other special guests.
Recommended for grades 2-6
April 28, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
As part of the Kennedy Center’s new “Green Shoots” initiative to feature up-and-coming chamber artists in the intimate setting of the REACH, we welcome the recent Juilliard graduates of Isidore String Quartet.
Recommended for grades 8-12
May 5, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Discover community, Black history, and culture through a blend of Hip Hop, soul, R&B, pop, and reggae! Fyütch’s live shows are filled with spirited songs, spoken word, and visual storytelling to educate, entertain, and empower the next generation.
Recommended for grades K-5
May 11, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our companies as they prepare onstage for performance. Young love soars with joy and heartbreak through bustling cafés and gritty garrets in Puccini’s tribute to bohemian Paris.
Recommended for grades 7-12
May 18, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Learn how operas are made! This introduction to the art form combines excerpts of WNO’s production with information about music, theater, and the people and technology needed to bring operas to life. Young love soars with joy and heartbreak through bustling cafés and gritty garrets in Puccini’s tribute to bohemian Paris.
Recommended for grades 4-8
May 24, 2023 (REGISTRATION CLOSED)
Enjoy an insider’s look at our visiting companies as they prepare onstage for performance. The Crucible is Scottish Ballet’s exciting synthesis of its signature style—bold, future-forward, and adventurous yet rooted in classical technique—with a time-honored drama you wouldn’t necessarily expect on the ballet stage.
Recommended for grades 7-12
Check out the Kennedy Center’s extensive Digital Resources Library for art-related classroom lessons, media, and activities.
Check Ahead for Availability
The Moonshot Studio at the REACH offers activities for people of all ages to explore their artistry, share their creative voice, and learn something new.
Open Daily, Free Admission
An immersive new permanent exhibit on President John F. Kennedy, his connection to the arts, and the national cultural center that would bear his name.
Arts Across America aims to celebrate, connect, and energize communities and, over time, weave a national story about the power of the arts in communities across our country.
Celebrate another season of free opera broadcasts by joining Washington National Opera at Nationals Park for Puccini’s Turandot on Saturday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. for pre-opera activities!
KCTYA on Tour productions reveals new worlds of excitement, education, and entertainment.
Through the NSO In-School Ensemble program, musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, area youth ensembles and others—provide interactive performances and coaching for students K-12 at schools in the metro Washington, D.C. area.
Hands-on fun with instruments! Children (and their parents) have the chance to get up close and personal with the orchestral instruments they will see professionally played on stage.
The National Symphony Orchestra aims to reach a wide audience through its classical subscription series, pops concerts, and one of the country's most extensive educational programs.
Coming to the Kennedy Center Everything you need to know before your visit
Accessibility & Accommodation for patrons and visitors with disabilities
Digital Resources Library Explore and extend arts learning online
The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.