MUSIC FROM THE HILLTOP: On Sunday, Voices of Change will debut a new work by SMU assistant professor Xi Wang. The piece, called Echo× Poem× Image, involves music, dance and visual imagery. And it’s a minor miracle that she was ever in a position to compose it in the first place. Scott Cantrell traces Xi’s musical journey – from receiving her first piano in China, to discovering her playing limitations, to embracing composing – on dallasnews.com.

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: Women rule many styles of dance, but break dancing has traditionally been a male-dominated endeavor. Still, an all-female crew in Fort Worth – Femme Fatale – is doing its best to change that. The crew members spoke with dfw.com about breaking in a man’s world and why, “Some b-boys don’t like b-girls.”

AN ADULT CHRISTMAS: SceneShop’s A Fifth of Christmas has become a Fort Worth tradition. The show mixes serious and silly sketches with monologues and music. But the theme that carries throughout is that Christmas isn’t just for kids. “For children, it’s all about the present moment, being right there with the gifts and the decorations,” SceneShop co-founder Steven Alan McGaw tells fwweekly.com. “For adults, it’s about memories and the baggage you’ve acquired. Some of it’s good, and some of it’s not, but you’re at the point in life where you wouldn’t change anything.”