DancElation 2026

We’re bringing back DancElation for its third edition at Sandy Spring Museum, continuing a growing tradition of community-centered dance while expanding its vision for the future.

Created by Mayur Dance Company to foster connection among dancers and audiences, DancElation celebrates living cultural heritage expressed through movement. Each iteration of the festival has responded to the needs of its moment: the first , in 2021, brought together Indian classical artists from around the world in a virtual gathering during the pandemic; the second , held outdoors in 2023, marked a joyful return to in-person performance for local students and dance communities.

This year, DancElation builds on that foundation by broadening its scope, bringing together artists from multiple cultural traditions rooted in the greater Washington, DC region. In doing so, it preserves the festival’s core spirit of connection and shared experience while embracing a wider vision of cultural exchange.

We are especially excited to partner with Sandy Spring Museum, whose commitment to community, cultural heritage, and shared experience makes it a natural home for this evolving festival.

Audiences are invited to encounter a range of dance practices and artistic voices, each grounded in its own history and community, and brought together here in a spirit of exchange, curiosity, and celebration.