Lawrence

Virginia Johnson, Benjamin Millepied, and Jennifer Homans discuss race, equity, and otherness in ballet, against a larger backdrop of politics in American and French society today. http://frenchculture.org/books/events/race-equity-and-otherness-ballet-and-society

Aesha Ash left NYCB in 2003. Ms. Boisson is the first AA female since that time to move into the NYCB corps. I think that's pretty sad.

I thought much of the dancing and other elements in Webre's Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises carried over from his other work, a ballet version of The Great Gatsby in 2010. Both ballets have 20s jazz music by Billy Novick, and the same blues singer (she's terrific, btw) in Gatsby was also in Hemingway: TSAR. The staging and choreo of the scenes were virtually the same, particularly the pas de deux between Jake/Brett and Gatsby/Daisy. Ray, you may be onto something with the Webre/ERS connection, since ERS are famous for their version of the Great Gatsby! Interesting coincidences.

This ballet was just a bit disappointing for me and I had high hopes for it. There was more focus on the live entertainment elements (blues singers, video clips/multimedia, flamenco and large puppets) and less on the actual ballet dancing. In fact, this could have been a modern dance or jazz piece without the pointe shoes. I agree with YouOverThere, the first act was a sleeper. It reminded me of Webre's Great Gatsby because it had the very same live entertainment elements (no puppets) in that ballet. But I enjoyed that one more. The flamenco dancer and his musicians were terrific. I will credit Webre for trying to think out the ballet box in trying to create new ballet content, combine ballet with other production elements to reach new balletgoers. It's good to take risks. Whether it will pay off is a different story.

Pardon my naivete, but Is it possible that Osipova's move to RB creates more opportunities for ABT to revamp its lineup of principals (many of whom are leaving or have left) and promote new talent? In other words, win-win-win for all involved-RB-Osipova-ABT?

Agree with YouOverThere. Apparently ABT doesn't have an issue with Vasiliev's build and casting him in the role. It has nothing to do with his talent and ability.

YouOverThere, sometimes it takes an hour to go 8 miles in DC. Welcome to the Nation's Capital! I'd like to point out that the ticketing problems are not the fault of the Washington Ballet's, but the Kennedy Center's. The KC website has been a bit dodgy lately and when there are problems getting tix for one show, everything else on the website is affected. So please don't blame the WB for the KC ticketing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/huge-demand-for-book-of-mormon-tickets-crashes-kennedy-center-website-again/2013/03/14/3228998a-8cb6-11e2-adca-74ab31da3399_story.html Would also like to point out that getting down to the Harmon Center by car is indeed a hassle as others have stated, especially when there is a basketball/hockey/DisneyOn Ice event at the Verizon Center, which was the case when I attended the WB performance. I made myself a parking space in one of the garages and ran to the theater with my daughter in order to be on time for the show! The WB only uses the Harmon Center occasionally; it is not the "home" of the WB. A majority of the WB season performances are at KC, with the Nutcracker at the Warner Theater.

I am a big fan of Ms.Graf-Mack and I'm thrilled that she has returned to dancing. I saw her in Home last year and while I enjoyed her performance, I agree with you abatt, and often feel she is wasting her ballet talents in the Ailey repertoire. That is not a dig on Ailey; I would love to see more of her dancing in classical ballets. I have seen an interview with her where she discusses her past injuries and health history, which don't allow her to do pointe shoes anymore. She is exquisite to watch.