Last year The Dance Institute of Washington suffered a major loss when its founder and artistic director, Fabian Barnes passed away. Featured in DT’s February 2007 cover feature, Barnes who discovered dance after teasing his brother for taking class (he called him “twinkle toes”), spent 15 years dancing with Dance Theatre of Harlem.
He founded DIW while on a summer break from DTH in 1987, with grant money from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to run a summer youth program. For the past 29 years, Barnes has inspired pre-professional and recreational dancers alike.
Today, May 11, 2017, we celebrate the birthday of our late Founder/Artistic Director, Fabian Barnes. Although the D.C. community misses your presence, your spirit continues to remain within us.
It can be said with confidence, that Fabian Barnes, whether you met him or not, impacted each of our lives in an incredible way demonstrated through our present day connection to his organization, The Dance Institute of Washington. So please share in a moment of reflection and thanks to a man without whom none of this would have been possible. Happy Birthday Fabian Barnes, DIW will continue to make you proud.
– Kahina Haynes
