EVEN IF YOU have a man, you might want to ditch him the day before Valentine's Day for the "Single Ladies" workshop at Joy of Motion Atlas. The two-hour class this Saturday will teach choreography inspired by Beyonce's hit song.
Leave the rings at home, although you might want to bring a pair of high heels -- they're recommended, but not mandatory.
» Joy of Motion Atlas, 1333 H St. NE; Sat., Jan. 13, 6 p.m., $25 in advance, $30 at the door; 202-399-6763.
MONDAY:
» FreshFarm Markets Benefit Happy Hour, Mon., Feb. 8, The Passenger, Northwest D.C. (Mount Vernon Square)
TUESDAY:
» "Bright Star," Tue., Feb. 9, Library of Congress, Southeast D.C. (Capitol South)
WEDNESDAY:
» Dinner for Kids, Wed., Feb. 10, Citronelle, Northwest D.C.
» "Mortified," Wed., Feb. 10, Town Danceboutique, Northwest D.C. (Shaw)
» "Je l'aimais," Wed., Feb. 10, Maison Francaise, Northwest D.C.
SUNDAY:
» Burlesque-A-Pades, Sun., Feb. 14, Birchmere, Alexandria.
ONGOING:
» Open Mic, Fridays, Busboys and Poets, Northwest D.C. (U St.-Cardozo)
» Trivia Night, first and 3rd Tuesday of every month, Little Miss Whiskeys, Northeast D.C.
» Salsa Dancing, Tuesdays, The Barking Dog, Bethesda. (Bethesda)
» "suicide.chat.room," through Feb. 13, Flashpoint's Mead Theater Lab, Northwest D.C. (Gallery Place)
» "Don't Look Now," through Feb. 13, Civilian Art Projects, Northwest D.C. (Mount Vernon Square)
» "In the Red and Brown Water," through Feb. 14, Studio Theatre, Northwest D.C. (Dupont Circle)
» "Three Sisters," through Feb. 21, Source Theatre, Northwest D.C. (U St.-Cardozo)
» "Versailles," through Feb. 27, C. Grimaldis Gallery, Baltimore.
» "Antony and Cleopatra," through Feb. 28, Shakespeare Theatre, Northwest D.C. (Gallery Place)
» "I Am My Own Wife," through March 7, Signature Theatre, Arlington.
» "Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor," through March 31, National Geographic Museum, Northwest D.C. (Dupont Circle)
» "IndiVisible," through May 31, National Museum of the American Indian, Southwest D.C. (L'Enfant Plaza)
» "Strange Comfort," through Aug. 8, National Museum of the American Indian, Southwest D.C. (L'Enfant Plaza)
» "Echoes of Elvis," through Aug. 22, National Portrait Gallery, Northwest D.C. (Gallery Place)
» "Hawaii," permanent, U.S. Botanic Gardens, Southwest D.C. (Federal Center SW)
WEDNESDAY: You could always Netflix that foreign film you missed — but let's be honest, you've got all the "Star Trek" movies in your queue and it might take a while. So check out the French Embassy's screening of "Je l'aimais," in which an elderly man tells his jilted daughter-in-law about the passionate, illicit love affair that changed his life.
And yes, there are English subtitles.
» Maison Francaise, 4101 Reservoir Road NW; Wed., Feb. 10, 7 p.m., $8 or $5 for students and seniors; 202-944-6090.
WEDNESDAY: "Mortified" is well-named. The ever-changing show consists of people reading excerpts from their adolescent diaries. They'll be embarrassed, you'll be embarrassed for them, people walking near the theater will be embarrassed and not know why. That's how powerful shame is. Good thing the show is also hysterically funny.
» Town Danceboutique, 2009 8th St. NW; Wed., Feb. 10, 8 p.m., $10 in advance or $15 at the door; 202-234-8696. (Shaw)
Photo by Juana Arias/The Washington Post
MONDAY: The Passenger's usual Monday happy hour will benefit FreshFarm Markets, a non-profit that sets up local farmer's markets, tonight.
Since you haven't actually made it to a farmer's market since it got really cold, you can assuage your buy-local guilt with $5 beer, wine and punch — 10 percent of it goes to FreshFarm.
» The Passenger, 1021 7th St. NW; Mon., Feb. 8, 5 p.m.-8p.m., free; 202-393-0220. (Mt. Vernon Square)
Photo by Bonnie Benwick/The Washington Post
SUNDAY: Don't have any Valentine's plans, yet? Score tickets for the Burlesque-A-Pades at the Birchmere. The show will include live music, dance, acrobatics, comedy and performances the World Famous Pontani Sisters and other burlesque stars. Miss Exotic World will preside.
» Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria; Sun., Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m., $29.50; 703-549-7500.
Written by Express' Sarah Mimms
Photo by Orlando Marra
WEDNESDAY: Does your kid love foie gras? Bond with other baffled parents at a book signing/dinner centered on Nancy Piho's "My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything" at Citronelle. The four-course meal includes lobster burgers, risotto and a chocolate bar.
» Citronelle, 3000 M St. NW; Wed., Feb. 10, 6:30 p.m., $95 adults, $37 children under 12; 202-625-2150.
Written by Express' Sarah Mimms
Photo by Allison Dinner/The Washington Post
ONGOING: A modern dance/punk music performance piece about suicide is a tough sell, but "suicide.chat.room," an odd, emotional play about Internet groups for those pondering killing themselves, has an inventive and earnest heart.
Keep an open mind and gamble the $10 for a ticket.
» Flashpoint's Mead Theatre Lab, 916 G St. NW: through Feb. 13, $10; 202- 261-6612. (Gallery Place)
Photo by Evy Mages/The Washington Post
ONGOING: Don't you wish you could take all the movies that shaped your childhood — "Back to the Future," "The Sound of Music," whatever — and turn them into edifying works of art? That's what artist George Jenne has done with "Don't Look Now," a clever, self-aware take on the cultural touchstones that shaped his life.
» Civilian Art Projects, 1019 7th St. NW; through Feb. 13, free; 202-607-3804. (Mount Vernon Square)
Photo courtesy the artist
TUESDAY: The Library of Congress is getting in on the Valentine's Day action this afternoon with a reading of some love poems and a screening of the film "Bright Star," which is about how John Keats was so romantic that he died of terminal romanticism. Also of historical accuracy.
» Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE; Tue., Feb. 9, noon, free; 202-707-8000. (Capitol South)
Photo courtesy Apparition Films
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