Whip out the pink taffeta and watch "Billy Elliot" and "Center Stage" - that's right, it's ballet season at the Kennedy Center. And what a start it had! The Washington Ballet Company opened its seventh season with a show of three pieces: "Serenade," "Carmen" and "Nine Sinatra Songs."
The Washington Ballet must have worked hard during the break between seasons and its shows. The dancers jump higher and do more complex holds. Their pointe is better, they are paying more attention to details and overall they seem to be better, more synchronized dancers. Director Septime Weber is getting very ambitious with his selections and choreography, and it's working well for him.
"Serenade" was, in one word, beautiful. For those who took ballet when they were five, this will come across as the best dance. It opened with a group of ballerinas in elegant, transparent, flowing taffeta skirts set against a calm blue background, setting the gentle tone for the rest of the piece. Set to Tchaikovsky's "Seranade in C Major," this dance was originally choreographed by George Balanchine, the father of American ballet, and staged by Else Borne. The technique and beauty were characterized by synchronized dancing with a focus on symmetry and grace.
Some highlights were when the three principle female dancers, Michele Jimenez, Erin Mahoney-Du and Brianne Bland, fought (ballet style, of course) for Ranqiao Du, the lead male dancer, as he lifted them off the ground one right after the other, as if they were weightless. The finale of the piece was also incredible, as Jimenez was carried off the stage standing straight up in the air while the male dancers lifted her only by her feet, an incredibly difficult move.
"Carmen," on the other hand, was completely saucy. The traditional opera was interpreted in ballet form to tell "the tale of a woman who loves her individualism and freedom at a fatal cost," according to the Washington Ballet program. Weber, the piece's choreographer, told The Washington Post, "many originally assumed Carmen was a wayward, loose woman getting her comeuppance. But I view her as the first modern woman of the theater."
Jimenez, who plays Carmen, exemplified this freely feminist version of the character wonderfully, even making ballet look sexy. Jason Hartley (the Toreador) and Jared Nelson (Don Jos?) were technically great, adding the incredible amount of passion that "Carmen" is known for. The dancing was sharp and edgy, with a tango element as well.
Some highlights were the tavern scene, in which the ensemble did a Spanish style stomp with barstools, dancing to the beat they made. Two other awesome aspects of "Carmen" were the background set, designed by Holly Highfill, done in the style of Picasso paintings; and the costumes, designed by Vandal and Septime Weber, which were elaborate and screaming with Spanish flavor.
"Nine Sinatra Songs" was just plain fun. Set up as a school dance, including an enormous disco ball, it featured seven different couples dancing to Sinatra classics. This mixture of ballet and different ballroom dances, choreographed by Twyla Tharp, was fun to watch and, technically, incredibly challenging. The beautiful costumes, designed by Oscar de la Renta, keep with the classy theme.
The best part, and the crowd favorite, was the drunken dance by Laura Urgell?s and Alvaro Palau to "Strangers in the Night." It was hysterical and technically ridiculous (boys, sit down and take notes on this one). Opening with Palau slowly lowering Urgell?s down his back with one hand, as if she were his coat, it continued onto such craziness as her jumping backwards into his arms and then being swung around his body and over his shoulders, landing safely on the ground. The other stunts they pulled can only be understood by seeing it. The piece ended with all the couples dancing to "My Way," a great way to end a truly incredible show.
"This was the best ever for The Washington Ballet," one patron said on her way out. "The rest of the season could bomb and it wouldn't matter!"
If this ballet is a sign of what's to come this season, then it's safe to expect great things. Those who missed this ballet (it ran Nov. 2 to Nov. 6) should try to get tickets for the next one, because The Washington Ballet is back and better then ever!
