“Piazolla Caldera,” “Na Floresta,” “Juanita y Alicia”
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater
Kennedy Center Opera House
February 1, 2007
by Alexandra Tomalonis
copyright 2007, Alexandra Tomalonis
The Washington Ballet’s midwinter program, ¡Noche Latina!, was intended as a celebration of Latino culture and succeeded; the evening was as cheerful and energetic as a lively party, with nearly as much music (from Mexico, Bolivia and Cuba) as dancing. A Mariachi band played out front before the show and during the first intermission, and there was more music — much more music — played with infectious zest by Celso Duarte / Jarocho Fusion during the “pause” between the second and third works on the program. The dancers looked terrific and were extremely well–rehearsed. It hardly seemed to matter that two of the works were insubstantial, and the one first–rate piece — Paul Taylor’s “Piazzolla Caldera” — fell short of the mark.
