He is curator of Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor at the Museum of the City of New York. This blockbuster, first-of-its-kind exhibition explores more than 200 years of social dance history. Urban Stomp expands what curating means—who is included, the stories that are told, and how communities interact with museums.

One of his earlier exhibitions, Rhythm & Power: Salsa in New York (2017), was the first major museum exhibition to frame salsa as an activist cultural movement. It was accompanied by an expansive program series that connected with communities across New York City through art.

Dr. Washington has also curated community-centered experiences at the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center of the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall Citywide, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and United Nations Human Rights, where he helped transform how the institution uses art as a tool for resilience, visibility, and connection.

His long history with Dancing Classrooms includes the Rhythm & Power International Family Day of Dance (2017), Urban Stomp’s intergenerational gathering at Harlem’s historic Abyssinian Baptist Church (2018), lecture at the Day of Learning (2020), and judging the Colors of the Rainbow Team Match (2025).

Recognized by The New York Times, NPR, Artforum, and author of Inside Urban Stomp, Dr. Washington continues to center communities—sharing traditions while opening new futures.