“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.
Continue reading "Washington Ballet's ¡Noche Latina!" »
"The Four Temperaments," "Sonatine," "A Midsummer Night’s Dream"
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
January 22-25, 2004
(January 22, 2004)
By Alexandra Tomalonis
Copyright 2004 by Alexandra Tomalonis
The Washington Ballet has performed Balanchine works since it was born back in 1976; often in its early days, there was a Balanchine ballet on every program. So this all-Balanchine evening, programmed by Artistic Director Septime Webre to honor the great choreographer on his 100th birthday, is very much a part of the company’s tradition, not a one-time gesture. And the company did the ballets proud.
Continue reading "The Washington Ballet Celebrates Balanchine" »
Washington Ballet
October 2-5, 2003
Eisenhower Theater
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
By Alexandra Tomalonis
copyright © 2003 by Alexandra Tomalonis
The ballet audience is becoming more and more fractured, one reads. It’s difficult for companies to come up with repertory that will please many different tastes. Washington Ballet has its older fans, who remember the Choo-San Goh years and would like to see some of Goh’s works again. The company also wants to reach out to a new audience, too, and, it seems from recent offerings, to balletomanes and families as well. Artistic Director Septime Webre chose a line up of ballets for the company’s season opener that hit all the bases, then threw in a couple more for good measure: a Choo-San Goh revival; one of William Forsythe’s most popular works; a story ballet with a ballerina in a tutu and kids in the crowd scene; a new pas de deux (by Webre); and a solo choreographed and danced by company member Jason Hartley. It all seemed put together from an audience response survey, and so it’s not surprising that the program didn’t jell. Perhaps because the dancers were pulled in so many directions, the program lacked the powerful wallop of last season’s opener, but there was much good dancing from different casts on Thursday and Friday nights.
Continue reading "Something For Everyone" »
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.