I would like to welcome you to a free, public art event. At this art happening, people of all ages can view (and dance on) my new art installation of interactive dance platforms. A DJ will play Iranian dance music mixed in with familiar dance floor anthems. There will also be Persian poetry, and an art activity table. The event will take place on Saturday June 27th, 5-8 PM, at MoCA Arlington, 3550 Wilson Boulevard, in Arlington, VA, 22201 (indoors, in the museum’s Tiffany Room).
This event, and the dance platforms, are part of an ongoing art project that I call, Y’All Go Rhythm.
About Y’All Go Rhythm
Y’All Go Rhythm is an art installation of interactive, light-up dance platforms inspired by vibrant patterns in Iranian art and architecture. Why an Iranian-inspired dance floor? Because Persian patterns are dynamic and exuberant, just like Iranians dancing at Persian holidays and gatherings. Iran’s dance floor-loving culture runs counter to misconceptions and endures against all odds.
Growing up in the US, my immigrant parents organized Persian New Year parties for the Iranian Diaspora in the 80s and 90s. I witnessed people of all ages dance joyfully together, and shed pain, amidst traumas of losing their country and migration. In countess other dance floors, with people from other cultures and subcultures —I have observed people similarly dancing to shed pain, and to feel joy and connection. In challenging times, I seek the wisdom and light of these experiences.
Through this project, I hope to bring some light in darkness, and create an embodied understanding of ways in which humanity and cultures are interconnected. More broadly, Y’All Go Rhythm is a call to action, to get on the floor and dance; to preserve tactile, hand-made creativity in this digital era, and to insist on higher values of uplifting, welcoming, and coming together.
This project is supported in part by an individual artist grant from Arlington County through the Arlington County Cultural Affairs division of Arlington Economic Development and the Arlington Commission for the Arts.
Above Photos by Jamie Kimball, 2025. Artwork Copyright Negar Ahkami 2025- present All rights reserved,