After too long a time, we once again have season tickets to the ballet at the Kennedy Center. Repetition of programs and rising costs had driven us away but last year I purchased a solo ticket to see the Mariinsky Ballet and was hooked again.
The playbill for our performance on Sunday, 2/2/19, pictures dancers in the show Tap Dogs - definitely not what we saw. Here's our program:
The ballet was Harlequinade. It had been ages since I had seen a full ballet - think opera without the singing. I had seen the male lead solo ages ago in Austin danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov. While that performance is burned into my brain - I was mesmerized - I couldn't compare any other performance to that one. Obviously no one had explained gravity to Baryshnikov - he would leap and just HANG in the air. The performance by the lead with American Ballet Theatre was more than adequate, but rather mechanical.
We had just recovered from a winter storm - snow, extremely cold, etc., - so it was a delight to stroll along the balcony overlooking the Potomac before the performance without need of a coat.
The spires of Georgetown University in the distance.
The neighborhood of Georgetown with all the condos and offices overlooking the river. In the far distance you can see the bell towner of the National Cathedral - 2nd from right.
The 1st expansion of the Kennedy Center is under way. Besides rehearsal halls and classrooms, there will be an outdoor amphitheater.
While waiting for the ballet to begin, I took a few shots inside the Opera House.
Our tickets are 2nd tier - not the nose bleed section, but close. 1st tier are the box seats with waiters, etc. La-de-da. I think the only way to see ballet is from the balcony - you want to be able to look down and see the entire stage so you don't miss any of the patterns, etc.
I look forward to many more performances of great dance.
If you get to visit your nation's capital, keep in mind that the Kennedy has free concerts daily at 6 pm - check the web site for the schedule of performances. For many it's a great way to end the work day before fighting rush hour traffic and there's a free shuttle to and from the Foggy Bottom Metro Station.
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On April 4th we saw the NYC Ballet. One of the benefits of attending the Sunday matinee series is seeing all of the future ballerinas.
Posing for photos Enjoying the terrace
The crowd in front of the Opera House
The first ballet was Composer's Holiday which was first performed in 2018. The music was by Lukas Fosses and called Three American Pieces of Violin and Piano. The exciting element was the choreographer - Gianna Reisen. This was her first commissioned ballet for a professional company - not a bad start to any career - and she is the youngest choreographer to make a ballet for NYCB.
I was so enthralled watching the two leads. Picture two dancers, one standing just behind the other, do exactly the same steps but the one in back is exactly one beat behind. The concentration required was extreme. The entire production was lovely.
The Opera House during intermission
The 2nd ballet was Kammermusic No. 2 which premiered in 1978 in New York. George Balanchine was the choreographer and watching the performance, there was no doubt who created this lovely but challenging piece for the dancers. I do admit it didn't move to the top of my favorite Balachine ballets.
Next was Opus 19/The Dreamer with choreography by Jerome Robbins. I tend to think of him as a Broadway dancer, but this was in the modern classical style and fine in presentation.
Last was Symphony in C, another Balanchine piece. The audience was apparently eager for a more traditional ballet and when the curtain went up and everyone saw dancers in tutus and formal dance costumes there was an audible reaction of pleasure.
On the drive home we saw proof that the cherry blossoms were at peak and volley ball had returned to the Mall. All the traffic to see the cherry blossoms meant I was driving so slow I could take shots out the window.
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April 14th we saw The Mariinsky Ballet from St. Petersburg.
I had seen the company a few years before but this was the first time to see them perform a full length ballet, Le Corsaire. It premiered in 1863 and it's so very 19th Century - pirates, a shipwreck, white slave traders, harem dancers. What else could you want?! Well, fabulous dancing for one and we got it. Forget the silly story and just enjoy the performance.
Before the first act, we enjoyed just walking around the Kennedy Center.
Before the first act, we enjoyed just walking around the Kennedy Center.
The weather was nice enough for people to be gathering outside.
The views along the Potomac are always nice.
The Kennedy duck didn't seem to mind the crowd. For years a cat lived at the Kennedy but it disappeared and the staff has assumed it found a nice place to go and take its last breath.
We seldom to selfies, but why not. The spires in the background are at Georgetown University. Below is a closer look.
The gift shop wasn't going to let the presence of a Russian company go unnoticed. Lots of Russian influenced items available to purchase.
There was a gentleman taking digital photos from people and turning them into Russian "icons" for those who think they're saints, I guess. I moved on.
Views from the 1st tier balcony during intermission:
The gift shop wasn't going to let the presence of a Russian company go unnoticed. Lots of Russian influenced items available to purchase.
There was a gentleman taking digital photos from people and turning them into Russian "icons" for those who think they're saints, I guess. I moved on.
Views from the 1st tier balcony during intermission:
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Sunday, February 2, 2020
The National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada
Not sure why, but I failed to post items about the ballets we saw in the Fall. I'll try to keep posting in the future.
The National Ballet of Canada presented the full length The Sleeping Beauty with choreography by Rudolf Nureyev. Since he was dancing in the production back in the 70's when this production was originally done, the dance was definitely aimed at his bravado. I found the entire production technically excellent but I didn't get a sense of any emotion coming from any of the leads. The Washington Post definitely disagrees with me (https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/national-ballet-of-canada-gets-it-right-in-the-sleeping-beauty-its-whats-inside-that-counts/2020/01/31/1df8626a-4361-11ea-abff-5ab1ba98b405_story.html).
I was fortunate to be sitting next to a young woman who seemed very intent on watching. During the 2nd intermission I struck up a conversation and discovered she had come down from NYC just for the day to see her sister perform. Turns out her sister is in her 1st year as an apprentice, the lowest of the low in the ballet hierarchy, sort of like a spear bearer in Shakespeare or opera, but she was on stage during the finale, standing at the very back. It was fun to have a connection to her and hope she'll work her way up in the world of ballet.
