Thirty-five people will become United States citizens in a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives Building at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The ceremony will take place in the newly renovated Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives Building.

The National Archives has been holding naturalization ceremonies for more than 30 years, said Susan Cooper, a spokeswoman for the National Archives. The ceremony used to take place on Constitution Day in September, but in the past few years, the event was rescheduled to recognize Bill Day in December.

Cooper said the ceremony is “a milestone event.”

Chief Judge Thomas Hogan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia will preside as the petitioners take the oath of citizenship in front of the Charters of Freedom — The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Along with Hogan, Eduardo Aguirre, director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and John Carlin, the archivist of the United States will speak at the ceremony, which will be followed by a reception.

Co-sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the ceremony will coincide with the 213th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights.

The petitioners seeking U.S. citizenship can invite guests to the ceremony, and a limited number of seats are open to the public. To reserve free tickets, call (202) 501-5313 ext. 245.

Presidential Photo Exhibit Opens at Archives

“The American Presidency: Photographic Treasures of the National Archives,” a new photography exhibit at the National Archives, features a more obscure side of the United States presidents.

The exhibit “showcases little-known photos of the presidents” beginning with James Buchanan and ending with Bill Clinton, said Susan Cooper, a spokeswoman for the National Archives.

Cooper said the exhibit will be a surprise for viewers because it includes “only a few photographs that one might have seen before.” The exhibit is an “opportunity to show off photos that have rarely been seen by the public,” she said.

The exhibit has four themes: Technology and the Presidential Photograph, Presidents on the Move, Presidents at Play and Children in the White House.

A joint project between the National Archives and U.S. News and World Report, the exhibit opened “in tandem of the December 13th issue of ‘U.S. News and World Report,’ which will also feature these photos and some additional ones that didn’t make it into the exhibit,” Cooper said.

Photo editors from the magazine selected the photographs from the National Archives and its Presidential Libraries’ collections, Cooper said. The 40 images are displayed in chronological order, she said.

“The American Presidency” is the first exhibit in the space at the National Archives since it was named the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery at a dedication ceremony Monday night that preceded the opening of the exhibit Tuesday. Michael Beschloss, a historian specializing in the U.S. presidency and American politics, spoke about the role of the president at the ceremony.

The exhibit will be on display at the National Archives until Feb. 21. It is free and open to the public daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Members Participate in ‘D.C. Dances’ Video

New Moves Inc. will present its new dance music video, “D.C. Dances,” to Congressional Members and heads of arts and entertainment industries in a private screening at the Washington City Club at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The five-minute video aims “to celebrate Washington’s culture and tourism through dance and movement, and to promote dance and the performing arts,” said Denise McClellan, founder of New Moves and the director and choreographer of the video.

Guests at the screening will include the co-chairs of the National Arts Caucus, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), McClellan said. Slaughter and Shays also have cameos in the video, she said.

Slaughter is the narrative voice throughout the video, McClellan said. Shays talks about how his mother and father met in the arts.

McClellan said her goal is to “bring dance to the community.”

“My biggest criticism of the arts community is that we’re preaching to the choir,” she said. “We need to create projects and take them to the community.”

New Moves is a nonprofit dance, performing arts and educational organization that aims to bring innovative projects to the public. “D.C. Dances” is the organization’s latest creative, educational and promotional outreach project.

The video includes footage from workshops, performances by local dance groups and people on the street “David Letterman-style,” she said. The people in the video are cheering for D.C. and the arts, she said.

McClellan said she always releases the videos around the holidays. “Kids see the video at the holidays and take it home to show their families that they’re in a music video,” she said.

WRAP Offers Free Cab Rides to Revelers

The Washington Regional Alcohol Program is giving free cab rides home through Jan. 1, 2005, as part of its SoberRide program to prevent drunken driving.

From 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., Washington metropolitan-area residents can call (800) 200-TAXI for a free cab ride home (up to a $50 fare). Cingular customers can call #-TAXI. Users must be 21 years old or older and are responsible for the fare after the first $50.

Rides cannot be reserved in advance. A SoberRide operator will direct your call to the closest participating taxicab company.

The program extends throughout the District, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax, eastern Loudoun and Prince William counties in Northern Virginia.

During this time of year, four out of 10 traffic deaths are alcohol related, according to WRAP.

SoberRide has given 26,693 free cab rides to impaired drivers in the Washington area since 1993, according to WRAP.

The following taxicab companies are participating in the program: Alexandria Yellow Cab, Barwood, Fairfax Yellow Cab, Loudoun Yellow Cab, Manassas Cab Co., Red Top Cab, Silver Cab of Prince George’s County, Tax Transportation Services and Yellow Cab of Prince William County.

For more information, visit the Washington Regional Alcohol Program’s Web site at www.wrap.org.

— Joanna Stein and Sarah Goldstein