The rehearsal hall at Broadway Center for the Performing Arts will be converted into the more intimate Black Box Theatre Jan. 24 for a one-night-only staging of three distinct and original dance pieces by three of today’s most diverse choreographers.

“Color Fast” will showcase performances of short new works by noted choreographers of color who do not fall in with expectations, but rather create dance outside the box of cultural or social assumptions: Ecuadorian choreographer Carla Barragan, Indian Orissi Master Dr. Ratna Roy, and modern dance and ballet veteran Kabby Mitchell.

“For a lot of choreographers there are expectations because of their ethnic backgrounds, but these [choreographers] don’t fit within those lines,” said Luke Smiraldo, associate director of education and community outreach for Broadway Center.

Barragan, Roy and Mitchell are noted for redefining identities on their own terms, using dance and multi-media performances to tell a new, more nuanced story while exploring the challenges facing us in these changing times. For “Color Fast” Mitchell, a graduate of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Dance Theater of Harlem, will dance a solo work about being a black man in a mainly European dance world, and Roy will present a piece that marries traditional East Indian dance with contemporary issues.

The decision to stage “Color Fast” stems from the ongoing series of community dialogs held at the Broadway Center during which participants expressed an interest in seeing the center present more cutting-edge dance by outstanding choreographers of color, particularly emerging and local artists.

“The other aspect we’re looking at that came from those discussions is to create an alternative space for artists to present their work at a limited amount of cost for them to do it,” according to Smiraldo. Hence the center’s rehearsal hall is being transformed into Black Box Theatre with the presentation of “Color Fast” as a way to experiment with that. “We can create a space that fits anywhere from 80-120 seats,” Smiraldo said, with certain amenities like risers to create different levels of staging and incorporating various lighting techniques. “We’re very excited about the prospects and potential for that space.”

The performance of “Color Fast” is also linked to the center’s Graduate Series, a professional development program for local educators who have past experiences or intense interest in theater, poetry and spoken word, or dance education and would like to apply these aspects in the classroom. The Graduate Series shows educators how to integrate arts programs into essential subjects like reading, English, social studies, math and science. The program can be taken for one graduate credit per discipline through Seattle Pacific University or for 10 clock hours through the Puget Sound Educational Service District. The Graduate Series is getting national attention, with funding from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Tickets for “Color Fast,” which starts at 8 p.m., are $8 advance/$10 day of show, and $6 each for a family packet of four. For more information, visit www.broadwaycenter.org or call (253) 591-5894.