Motown Museum launches online dance party, other programs as coronavirus shutdown rolls on

Brian McCollum
Detroit Free Press
Hitsville U.S.A., a museum dedicated to Motown, is on Grand Boulevard in Detroit.

Like so many cultural institutions in Detroit and across the world, the Motown Museum is turning to the digital world to stay connected with patrons and fans as it rides out the coronavirus pandemic.

The West Grand Boulevard museum — housed at Motown Records' original headquarters — has been closed since March 13.

"Even in the most challenging moments, there is room for creativity and connectivity," museum CEO and chairwoman Robin Terry said in a statement. "We hope these programs bring joy, inspiration and fill our fans with a little bit of Motown magic as we navigate this time together. With nostalgia for the past and optimism for a brighter future, we are hopeful these virtual engagements will help us remain connected as we eagerly await the day we can welcome our guests back."

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Among the programs headed online during the next month:

Motown Dance Party, 8 p.m. Friday: DJ Invisible (Carl Hollier) — longtime Detroit fixture and DJ for rapper Xzibit for two decades — will spin classic tunes live on the Motown Museum's Instagram page

Hitsville Honors, April 10: Last year's months-long Motown 60 festivities wrapped up with an Orchestra Hall concert and awards show in September. Performance clips from the event will be rolled out throughout the day on the Motown Museum's social media channels — including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram — featuring Big Sean, the Temptations, Four Tops, Martha Reeves, Kem, Ne-Yo and others.

Motown Mic: At Home, April 11-18: The 2020 edition of Motown Mic, an annual spoken-word competition originally slated to kick off this week and run through May, has been postponed amid the coronavirus battle. For the time being, recorded performances by previous participants will be debuted on the museum's Facebook page in tandem with National Poetry Month.

Hitsville Next, throughout April: Hitsville Next is the name of the Motown Museum's youth and education arm — and also the first focus of the institution's $50 million expansion project, which broke ground in September. Programming and lesson plans geared to arts education for K-12 students will be posted on the museum's Facebook page throughout the month.