Featuring a suite of contrasting masterworks by two of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century, George Balanchine and Sir Frederick Ashton, BALANCHINE + ASHTON showcases three TWB Company premieres, soaring sounds by The Washington Ballet Orchestra, and a special guest appearance by Marcelo Gomes, an international ballet star and former principal dancer with ABT.
“George Balanchine and Sir Frederick Ashton are two of the most notable choreographers that embodied our art form in the 20th century. The fact that their works are still relevant, engaging, and entertaining to audiences today is a reflection of their true genius. Balanchine’s two pieces in this program show his prowess as a full spectrum choreographer. Ashton’s Birthday Offering is a powerful opportunity for seven soloist women to showcase their technical virtuosity. In BALANCHINE + ASHTON, we are honored to absorb and display this artistic knowledge, weaving an important ballet lineage.” – Julie Kent, Artistic Director
Read the review in The Washington Post
Défilé
In the spirit of Mary Day and in honor of The Washington School of Ballet’s 75th anniversary, Artistic Director Julie Kent has created her own miniature ballet showcasing students from TWSB.
Birthday Offering
Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton
Music by Alexander Glazunov, arranged by Robert Irving
Birthday Offering premiered in London on May 5, 1956 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Royal Ballet. Seven couples perform a variety of variations, solos, and a robust mazurka for the male dancers climaxing in an elegant finale danced by the entire ensemble.
Read MoreSir Frederick Ashton choreographed Birthday Offering in 1956 to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Royal Ballet. This one scene, 13-movement piece was designed to showcase the technical virtuosity of seven soloist females, and seven male dancers and is set to music by Alexander Glazunov, arranged by Robert Irving. From bravura to elegance, climaxing with the full cast in a grand finale, this technically challenging ballet with sumptuous sets and charming costumes is a powerful testament to Ashton’s creativity as a choreographer. Birthday Offering is a TWB Company premiere.
Birthday Offering casting:
Wednesday, February 19, 8:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Victoria Arrea | Lope Lim
Maki Onuki | Alexandros Pappajohn
Brittany Stone | Oscar Sanchez
Sarah Steele | Tamas Krizsa
Adelaide Clauss | Nicholas Cowden
Stephanie Sorota | Stephen Nakagawa
Thursday, February 20, 8:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | ANDILE NDLOVU
Ayano Kimura | Alex Kramer
Ashley Murphy-Wilson | Javier Morera
Adelaide Clauss | Oscar Sanchez
Kateryna Derechyna | Tamas Krizsa
Brittany Stone | Corey Landolt
Victoria Arrea | Masanori Takiguchi
Friday, February 21, 8:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Vicotria Arrea | Lope Lim
Ashley Murphy-Wilson | Javier Morera
Adelaide Clauss | Oscar Sanchez
Kateryna Derechyna | Tamas Krizsa
Brittany Stone | Corey Landolt
Stephanie Sorota | Stephen Nakagawa
Saturday, February 22, 2:00PM:
AYANO KIMURA | ANDILE NDLOVU
Victoria Arrea | Lope Lim
Maki Onuki | Alexandros Pappajohn
Alexa Torres | Oscar Sanchez
Sarah Steele | Tamas Krizsa
Adelaide Clauss | Nicholas Cowden
Stephanie Sorota | Stephen Nakagawa
Saturday, February 22, 8:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | ANDILE NDLOVU
Ayano Kimura | Alex Kramer
Ashley Murphy-Wilson | Javier Morera
Adelaide Clauss | Oscar Sanchez
Kateryna Derechyna | Tamas Krizsa
Brittany Stone | Corey Landolt
Victoria Arrea | Masanori Takiguchi
Sunday, February 23, 2:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | ANDILE NDLOVU
Ayano Kimura | Alex Kramer
Ashley Murphy-Wilson | Javier Morera
Brittany Stone | Oscar Sanchez
Kateryna Derechyna | Tamas Krizsa
Adelaide Clauss | Nicholas Cowden
Stephanie Sorota | Stephen Nakagawa
Sunday, February 23, 7:00PM:
AYANO KIMURA | ANDILE NDLOVU
Victoria Arrea | Lope Lim
Maki Onuki | Alexandros Pappajohn
Alexa Torres | Oscar Sanchez
Sarah Steele | Tamas Krizsa
Brittany Stone | Corey Landolt
Stephanie Sorota | Stephen Nakagawa
*Casting is subject to change without notice.
Méditation from Thaïs
Choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton
Music by Jules Massenet
The hauntingly romantic music for this delicate pas de deux was originally composed as the entr’acte for the opera Thaïs. The two dancers are connected to the movement through the music that mirrors the choreography. This ballet premiered on March 21, 1971 in London.
Read MoreMéditation from Thaïs premiered in London on March 21, 1971. The melancholy of the music for Méditation from Thaïs, composed by Jules Massenet as an entr’acte for the Opera Thaïs, is reflected in the choreography of the sensuous pas de deux. “It’s a bit of a fantasy pas de deux, a romantic otherworldliness you don’t get a lot of these days. Audiences will see something of beauty and they’ll feel they’ve been transported somewhere else…even for just five minutes.” remarked Grant Coyle, a répétiteur with The Royal Ballet who staged the piece for TWB. Méditation from Thaïs is also a TWB Company premiere.
Méditation from Thaïs casting:
Wednesday, February 19, 8:00PM:
AYANO KIMURA | TAMAS KRIZSA
Thursday, February 20, 8:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Friday, February 21, 8:00PM:
MAKI ONUKI | ANDILE NDLOVU
Saturday, February 22, 2:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | MARCELO GOMES
Saturday, February 22, 8:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Sunday, February 23, 2:00PM:
AYANO KIMURA | TAMAS KRIZSA
Sunday, February 23, 7:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | MARCELO GOMES
*Casting is subject to change without notice.
Allegro Brillante
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Vigorous, precise, structured, and swift, this 13-minute ballet for 10 dancers is a sparkling example of Balanchine’s famous balletic style.
Read MoreGeorge Balanchine described Allegro Brilliante (© The George Balanchine Trust) as “everything I know about classical ballet in thirteen minutes.” Ten dancers in and out of constant motion, convey the pure joy of dance through the beauty of ballet. It is a classic that reflects Balanchine’s artistry and range as one of our most enduring choreographers. Set to Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Op. 75 this vigorous, dynamic ballet is like a flash of quick brilliance. Allegro Brillante debuted in New York, March 1, 1956. Vigorous, precise, structured, and swift, this 13-minute ballet for 10 dancers is a sparkling example of Balanchine’s famous balletic style.
Allegro Brilliante casting:
Wednesday, February 19, 8:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | ALEX KRAMER
Samara Rittinger | Stephen Nakagawa
Brittany Stone | Javier Morera
Adelaide Clauss | Oscar Sanchez
Sarah Steele | Masanori Takiguchi
Thursday, February 20, 8:00PM:
MAKI ONUKI | MARCELO GOMES
Jessy Dick | Lope Lim
Helga Paris-Morales | Gilles Delellio
Alexa Torres | Rench Soriano
Lucy Nevin | Alexandros Pappajohn
Friday, February 21, 8:00PM:
KATHERINE BARKMAN | ALEX KRAMER
Samara Rittinger | Stephen Nakagawa
Brittany Stone | Javier Morera
Adelaide Clauss | Oscar Sanchez
Sarah Steele | Masanori Takiguchi
Saturday, February 22, 2:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | COREY LANDOLT
Peyton Anderson | Stephen Nakagawa
Andrea Allmon | Nicholas Cowden
Aurora Mostacci | Oscar Sanchez
Audrey Malek | Masanori Takiguchi
Saturday, February 22, 8:00PM:
MAKI ONUKI | MARCELO GOMES
Jessy Dick | Lope Lim
Helga Paris-Morales | Gilles Delellio
Alexa Torres | Rench Soriano
Lucy Nevin | Alexandros Pappajohn
Sunday, February 23, 2:00PM:
EUN WON LEE | COREY LANDOLT
Jessy Dick | Lope Lim
Helga Paris-Morales | Gilles Delellio
Alexa Torres | Rench Soriano
Lucy Nevin | Alexandros Pappajohn
Sunday, February 23, 7:00PM:
KATERYNA DERECHYNA | GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Peyton Anderson | Stephen Nakagawa
Andrea Allmon | Nicholas Cowden
Aurora Mostacci | Oscar Sanchez
Audrey Malek | Masanori Takiguchi
*Casting is subject to change without notice.
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Choreography by George Balanchine
© The George Balanchine Trust
Music by Richard Rogers
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue was the first full-scale ballet in a musical and the first dance number on Broadway that contributed to advancing a show’s plot.
Read MoreGeorge Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (© The George Balanchine Trust), another TWB Company premiere, takes audiences to a story within a story. Balanchine originally choreographed his jazz-age tale of star-crossed lovers for Act II, Scene 4 of the musical On Your Toes, which premiered in 1936. The show was a parody of Broadway, Russian ballet, and the mob. It is the story of a jealous Russian premier danseur who hires a mobster to kill a rival during the premiere of a new ballet, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue was the first full-scale ballet in a musical, and the first dance number on Broadway that contributed to advancing a show’s plot. The piece was later re-worked and became part of New York City Ballet’s repertoire in 1968. This sensational spoof breaks down boundaries of genre and convention, mixes bitter with sweet, fuses tragic with comic, and is sure to close the BALANCHINE + ASHTON program with a bang.
Slaughter on Tenth Avenue casting:
Wednesday, February 19, 8:00PM:
Striptease Girl: SONA KHARATIAN
Hoofer: DANIEL ROBERGE
Big Boss: GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Gilles Delellio
Policemen: Rench Soriano, Lope Lim, Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Tamas Krizsa
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Lucy Nevin, Helga Paris-Morales, Abigail Granlund, Stephanie Sorota, Samara Rittinger, Sarah Steele
Gentlemen: Oscar Sanchez, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Nicholas Cowden, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Thursday, February 20, 8:00PM:
Striptease Girl: SONA KHARATIAN
Hoofer: DANIEL ROBERGE
Big Boss: OSCAR SANCHEZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Nicholas Cowden
Policemen: Gilles Delellio, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Corey Landolt
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Nardia Boodoo, Kimberly Cilento, Peyton Anderson, Andrea Allmon, Aurora Mostacci, Audrey Malek
Gentlemen: Rench Soriano, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Tamas Krizsa, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Friday, February 21, 8:00PM:
Striptease Girl: VICTORIA ARREA
Hoofer: GILLES DELLELIO
Big Boss: GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Nicholas Cowden
Policemen: Rench Soriano, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Corey Landolt
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Nardia Boodoo, Kimberly Cilento, Peyton Anderson, Andrea Allmon, Aurora Mostacci, Sarah Steele
Gentlemen: Oscar Sanchez, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Tamas Krizsa, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Saturday, February 22, 2:00PM:
Striptease Girl: BRITTANY STONE
Hoofer: ALEX KRAMER
Big Boss: GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Gilles Delellio
Policemen: Rench Soriano, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Tamas Krizsa
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Lucy Nevin, Helga Paris-Morales, Abigail Granlund, Stephanie Sorota, Samara Rittinger, Olivia Lipnick
Gentlemen: Ryan Ward, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Nicholas Cowden, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Saturday, February 22, 8:00PM:
Striptease Girl: SONA KHARATIAN
Hoofer: DANIEL ROBERGE
Big Boss: OSCAR SANCHEZ
Bartender: Stephen Nakagawa and Nicholas Cowden
Policemen: Gilles Delellio, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Corey Landolt
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Nardia Boodoo, Kimberly Cilento, Peyton Anderson, Andrea Allmon, Aurora Mostacci, Audrey Malek
Gentlemen: Rench Soriano, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Tamas Krizsa, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Sunday, February 23, 2:00PM:
Striptease Girl: BRITTANY STONE
Hoofer: ALEX KRAMER
Big Boss: GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Gilles Delellio
Policemen: Rench Soriano, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Tamas Krizsa
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Nardia Boodoo, Kimberly Cilento, Peyton Anderson, Andrea Allmon, Aurora Mostacci, Audrey Malek
Gentlemen: Oscar Sanchez, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Nicholas Cowden, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
Sunday, February 23, 7:00PM:
Striptease Girl: VICTORIA ARREA
Hoofer: GILLES DELELLIO
Big Boss: GIAN CARLO PEREZ
Bartenders: Stephen Nakagawa and Nicholas Cowden
Policemen: Rench Soriano, Lope Lim, and Alexandros Pappajohn
Morrosine: Corey Landolt
Gangster: Harry Warshaw
Ladies: Lucy Nevin, Helga Paris-Morales, Abigail Granlund, Stephanie Sorota, Samara Rittinger, Olivia Lipnick
Gentlemen: Ryan Ward, Javier Morera, Masanori Takiguchi, Tamas Krizsa, Matteo Garattoni
Security Guards: Ariel Martinez and Lucas Castro
*Casting is subject to change without notice.