AWP 2026: Hard Times Require Furious Dancing
Friday, March 6, 2026 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM EST
Location: 4 North Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21201
Cost: Free. Registration required.
Event URL: https://citylitproject.salsalabs.org/hardtimesrequirefuriousdancing/index.html
When the world is heavy, we must find our joy and dance. Come celebrate that one good thing that’s worth the sweat.
Hard Times Require Furious Dancing* is a gathering that is defiant in joy. This free event invites writers, readers, and literary folx to step out of conference mode and onto the dance floor.
A high-energy evening designed to bring together creatives from across the country to celebrate literature, movement, and connection. Music curated by Baltimore’s own DJ Chris Brooks, featuring The Jonathan Gilmore Project, light bites, a cash bar, a photo booth, and plenty of room to dance, meet new people, and reconnect with old friends. Whether you come to move or simply be in the room, this is a space for collective joy and footstompin’ music.
The only thing left to bring is a good vibe and your energy. Registration is required. As you register, we invite you to pause and reflect: What are you celebrating right now? What song makes you get up and dance without thinking twice?
*from Alice Walker’s book of poetry of the same name
ATTIRE: Festive: wear something that moves, shines, or makes you feel seen.
Featured Artist: Yemonja Smalls, “Bahama Mama”
This free event is hosted by CityLit Project * Wexford Science & Technology * BioPark at the University of Maryland * The Loft Literary Center * Kundiman * Pen Parentis * Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance * Furious Flower Poetry Center * Wintergreen Women Writers Collective * George Mason University * Watershed Lit * Hurston Wright Foundation * The Watering Hole * Cave Canem * Obsidian * Mid Atlantic Arts * RAWI
Dance PARTNERS: Baltimore Beat * Baltimore Magazine * BmoreArt * The Clifton House * The Ivy Bookshop * Maryland Institute College of Art * Morgan State University - Department of English and Language Arts * Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse * Scribente Maternum * Yellow Arrow Publishing
