In Darius Milhaud’s 1923 composition The Creation of the World, symphonic tradition meets ’20s Harlem jazz, ragtime, and African folklore. Today, the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra performs Milhaud’s masterwork in conjunction with a ballet-influenced modern dance interpretation in which movement and color depict the creation of life: The earth, symbolized by a mass of human bodies, cracks open and releases life forms onto the stage. With angular motions, dancers morph into insects. Bold color combinations—red, green, and orange—symbolize the physical world, while black, gray, and white hues represent the metaphysical. “It’s a climactic visual representation,” says choreographer Diane Yates-Biggs. “It gives people the freedom to get inside the work and do what they will with their own minds.” Call-and-response narration is also included in the multimedia performance, which is appropriate for children as well as adults. At 2:30 & 4 p.m. at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria. $5. (703) 845-8005. (Nefretiti Makenta)