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A Holiday Treasure Reinvented

“The Nutcracker”
Ballet West
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
December 6, 2018
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2018 by Ashley McKean

Ballet West’s splendidly refurbished “Nutcracker” is as warm and welcoming as a cup of holiday spiced tea on a cold winter evening. This company's version of the holiday classic is no stranger to Washington audiences (having visited in 2012 and 2014), but this year’s production boasts a lofty $3 million overhaul that delightfully blends the old and the new: old-world charm framed with state-of-the-art sets, vintage choreography adorned with glimmering costumes, and a fairy-tale story complemented by imaginative special effects. Any worries that the lavish embellishments might overshadow the heart and soul of Ballet West’s production — Willam Christensen’s historic choreography from the first “Nutcracker” created in the United States in 1944 — are quickly put to rest by enchanting color palettes and tastefully jeweled costumes that envelop the dancing with elegance.

Artists of Ballet West in "The Nutcracker." Photo © Luke Isley

Time Stands Still

“Don Quixote”
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
May 29, 2018
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2018 by Ashley McKean

The Ballet Nacional de Cuba returned to Washington to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of its United States debut (at the Kennedy Center in 1978), giving balletgoers a glimpse of a living legend — renowned ballerina, founder and artistic director, Alicia Alonso — and her legacy.  The evening showcased the company’s spirited and classically Cuban “Don Quixote,” originally staged by Alonso in 1988. After an opening video tribute to the prima ballerina, Ms. Alonso, looking stunningly agile for her 97 years, rose from her first-tier box and waved to the audience with gracious port de bras, welcoming the dance. Her presence was palpable throughout the evening, and her influence was never more evident than in the dancing of the company’s principal ballerina, Viengsay Valdés (Tuesday evening’s Kitri), herself a veteran in her 28^th year with the company. Valdés won the audience over immediately with her endearing energy, innate sense of drama and effortless quality of movement.

Viengsay Valdés and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in "Don Quixote." Photo © Teresa Wood

Strauss's Forgotten Treasure

“Whipped Cream”
American Ballet Theatre
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
February 1, 2018
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2018 by Ashley McKean

Alexei Ratmansky's “Whipped Cream” stirred up a concoction of whimsy and merriment that lifted the mood and lightened the spirit of balletgoers on Thursday. The production’s fast-paced frenzy of activity was both delightful and dizzying. Danced assuredly by a stellar cast, this ballet is less a showcase for the dancers than a platform for Mark Ryden’s fetching costumes and visual designs. The audience’s warm reaction made it hard to believe that the ballet upon which “Whipped Cream” is based — "Schlagobers,” that premiered in May of 1924 at the Vienna State Opera with music by Richard Strauss and choreography by Heinrich Kröller — was a total failure. Ratmansky is no stranger to resurrecting old works. His “Whipped Cream” underscores the value in doing so, including the re-discovery of Strauss’s largely forgotten musical score played with care by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. If not a masterpiece, the music is lighthearted and melodic, layered and complex. Ratmansky’s imaginative, musical choreography revealed the score’s danceability, bringing to fruition Strauss’s hope for “Schlagobers”: to create joy at a time when joy is needed.

American Ballet Theatre in "Whipped Cream." Photo © Gene Schiavone

Rebirth

“Giselle”
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Washington, D.C.
March 1, 2017
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2017 by Ashley McKean

Change is in the air at the Washington Ballet: the troupe’s revival of “Giselle” revealed a transformed company and a new star. After last fall’s celebration of the arrival of Julie Kent, who took the reigns as Artistic Director along with her husband, Victor Barbee, as Associate Artistic Director (both hailing from ABT), “Giselle” offered the first real glimpse of the impact these two can have on the company. Kent’s traditional vision for the company — evident from her programming, additions to the roster, and the welcome return of the Washington Ballet Orchestra (valiantly conducted by ABT’s Charles Barker) — is a departure from the company’s eclectic past.

The Washington Ballet in "Giselle." Photo © media4artists, Theo Kossenas

Esprit de Corps

“Swan Lake”
American Ballet Theatre
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
January 25, 2017
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2017 by Ashley McKean

American Ballet Theatre’s “Swan Lake” is like a cherished, old pair of slippers: a bit soft, tattered around the edges, but with all the comforts of home. This version of the iconic classic — staged by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie after Petipa and Ivanov — has been no stranger to D.C. audiences since its world premiere here in 2000 (it was subsequently filmed for television at the Kennedy Center in 2005 and returned in 2009). Still, Washingtonians flocked to the theater on Wednesday night, seeking refuge in the familiar, yet mystical otherworld of “Swan Lake.” ABT’s production tells the well-known story of love, loss and deceit fairly clearly, uniquely including a prologue that depicts the despicable Von Rothbart (guised as a handsome young man) luring Odette and subjecting her to his curse. But this version’s much-abbreviated Act IV (which can look comedic without the right dramatic buildup), among other shortcomings, threatens to lessen the ballet’s impact, pinning its success on the ability of the dancers to fill the gaps. Although Wednesday’s central couple, while physically quite beautifu, didn’t fully live up to the challenge, the immaculate dancing of the ethereal swan corps, together with the powerful strains of Tchaikovsky’s score, gave the audience a magical escape.

American Ballet Theatre in "Swan Lake." Photo © Gene Schiavone

Joffrey's Christmas Legacy

“The Nutcracker”
Joffrey Ballet Chicago
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
November 25, 2015
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © by Ashley McKean

Joffrey Ballet Chicago’s endearing “Nutcracker” ushered in the holiday season on Thanksgiving Eve at the Kennedy Center, giving D.C. audiences one last chance to see Robert Joffrey’s original production before it takes its final bow (next season Christopher Wheeldon will create a new “Nutcracker” for the company). The production had its premiere in 1987, a few months before Joffrey’s death, and was the last ballet he envisioned for his company. It’s an old world “Nutcracker” with modern touches: elegant, classical choreography inspired by the 1940 “Nutcracker” of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, mixed with bits of flash and flair in the central waltzes for the snowflakes and flowers, typical of Gerald Arpino’s choreography. (Arpino, who choreographed the waltzes, is one of several choreographers who contributed to Joffrey’s production.) Although danced somewhat unevenly on opening night, there was much to relish. Joffrey’s heightened attention to detail infuses the ballet with magic and believability, emphasizing the relationships between the characters that create a cohesive, distinctly human version of the well-known story.

Joffrey Ballet Chicago in "The Nutcracker." Photo © Cheryl Mann

Latin Flavors and Spices

“Latin Heat”
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Washington, D.C.
October 15, 2015
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © by Ashley McKean

The Washington Ballet opened its season with a feast of Latin flavors that showcased the versatility and passion of its dancers. The program launched Artistic Director Septime Webre’s new “Project Global,” an international festival celebrating the influence of global cultures on dance and on this unique company, whose 26 dancers hail from 12 different countries. It was a “mash up” (as mentioned by Webre in his opening remarks), with so many styles and influences—tango to ballet to salsa to flamenco, and a mariachi band to boot—that it was easy to forget we were at the ballet. But the dancers delivered with their usual enthusiasm and virtuosity, once again showing that this troupe can do anything thrown at them.

The Washington Ballet in "5 Tangos." Photo © Theo Kossenas

A Little Bit of Everything

“Tour-de-Force: Serenade”
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Washington, D.C.
May 14, 2015
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2015 by Ashley McKean

Balanchine's "Serenade,” curiously pro- grammed at the end of the Washington Ballet’s long, gala-style evening, arrived like a tranquil sunset after a very hectic day. The program felt like two separate evenings in one: the first, a hodge-podge of bits and pieces (a few bravura pas de deux, various excerpts from ballets performed during the last two seasons, and two short premieres), and the second, a retreat into the spiritual world of “Serenade.” The company’s versatile and extremely busy dancers, who also performed “Alice in Wonderland” during the same week, were the glue that held the evening together. Despite the enormous amount of energy required to get through it (making “Tour-de-Force” a fitting program title), they managed to conserve enough stamina to allow “Serenade” to soar, closing the season’s final performance run on a high note.

Photo: The Washington Ballet in "Serenade." Photo © Theo Kossenas

Comfort Food

New York City Ballet
“Serenade,” “Agon,” “Symphony in C”
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
April 7, 2015

by Ashley McKean
copyright ©2015 by Ashley McKean

Balanchine’s “Symphony in C” is like a delectable, four-course meal that’s consumed in 32 short minutes: one only wishes it could be savored a bit longer. Its four movements contain enough dancing to fill an entire evening, which on Tuesday was shared with two other Balanchine masterpieces, the ethereal “Serenade” and the modernistic “Agon.” “Symphony in C” made the greatest impression of the evening, not just because it’s a rousing program closer, but because the other two works were more unevenly performed. Still, the New York City Ballet’s opening night program as a whole was radiantly danced, filling the theater with warmth and familiarity, and providing comfort that even while the company valiantly embraces new works (as performed on its second mixed bill that opened on Wednesday evening), Balanchine’s legacy thrives.

Ashley Bouder and the New York City Ballet in “Serenade.” Photo © Paul Kolnik

More is Less

“Sleepy Hollow”
The Washington Ballet
Eisenhower Theater

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Washington, D.C.
February 20, 2015
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright ©2015 by Ashley McKean

Washington Ballet’s “Sleepy Hollow”—the third segment in Septime Webre’s series of original ballets inspired by American literature— was as busy as a three-ring circus. A notable musical performance took place in the orchestra pit, where composer Matthew Pierce both conducted and performed (as a member of the orchestra) his original score, together with choristers from the Washington National Cathedral Choir. Another show was put on by the ever-changing multi-media sets designed by Hugh Landwehr and inspired by landscapes and portraiture at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, complemented by life-size puppetry designed by Eric Van Wyk, dynamic lighting by Clifton Taylor, and plenty of eye-popping special effects. On top of all this, the dancers were tasked with conveying a complicated storyline based loosely on Washington Irving’s short stories. Although the production brimmed with creativity, the dizzying effect of all the embellishments was too much of a good thing, and I wondered if the concept underlying this ballet might have been better fit for a Broadway stage or a movie theater, where the dancing could comfortably take a backseat to the theatrics. Even so, moments of stellar dancing by the company’s ever-committed dancers offered respite throughout the evening.

The Washington Ballet in "Sleepy Hollow." Photo © Theo Kossenas