The Kirov Ballet: Romeo and Juliet

An established tradition and important cultural event, the annual visits of the Kirov Ballet to the Kennedy Center Opera House are anticipated with high expectations. This year the renowned Russian troupe brought its signature ballet – Leonid Lavrovsky’s production of Romeo and Juliet – in observance of the Shakespeare festival underway in Washington. The Kirov originally produced this ballet in 1940. Among the finest works of the past century, Romeo and Juliet has been in the company’s repertoire since its premier.

The most famous love story of all time has inspired many dance interpretations. Yet Romeo and Juliet attained true popularity only with the magnificent music of Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953).

Read the review at www.Ballet.Co.uk

American Ballet Theater: Othello

Premiered in 1997 at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lubovitch’s Othello is spectacular theater for which modern choreography defies classical ballet conventions. This $2-million production, unprecedented in its scope, has been a major event in the world of dance. Conceived as a three-act ballet, Othello is a unique collaboration among the prominent modern-dance choreographer, Lubovitch; the award-winning composer, Elliot Goldenthal; and two premier American dance companies – American Ballet Theater and San Francisco Ballet. The result of this partnership is a fusion of eclectic, emotionally charged choreography; original music score; and fine dancing.

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America Ballet Theater: The Mixed Program

The mixed program presented by the American Ballet Theater at the Kennedy Center Opera House was a perfect sampler of the company’s classical and modern repertory. No doubt the performance satisfied the most demanding and sophisticated tastes of avid Washington balletgoers.

The evening opened with a ceremonial procession of twenty-four ballerinas in white tutus, slowly descending in a repeated arabesque movement on the moonlit stage. The Kingdom of the Shades is an all-time favorite scene from Marius Petipa’s La Bayadere, and perhaps the most beautiful ballet blanc ever produced. The incomparable master of large ensemble dances, Petipa, deftly utilized symmetry and repetition to create an enchanting, near-hypnotic effect – an illusion where ballerinas appear in multiples or reflected in arrays of invisible mirrors. The choreography is brilliant in its simplicity. At the same time, the scene is an ultimate challenge for the company’s female corps de ballet, requiring intense concentration, stamina and impeccable pointe work from each member of the ensemble. It’s all about balance and coordination of bodies in motion with the symmetry of geometric precision. The visual impact of the imagery can be astonishing if danced well...

Read the review in the February issue of Ballet.Co Magazine.