Wednesday, March 30

[dirac]

American Ballet Theatre opens at the Kennedy Center.

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Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter greeted the audience with a toast to McKenzie who began his training at the Washington Ballet School, under the guidance of Mary Day. He later went on to perform leading roles for the Washington Ballet (where this writer first discovered his talent). Today, he is considered one of the foremost directors in the world.

George Jackson's review of ABT for danceviewtimes.

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The farewell came off splendidly.  McKenzie is somewhat of a local lad, having been trained and polished at the late Mary Day's ballet academy and company - The Washington Ballet - prior to his joining the Joffrey Ballet and then American Ballet Theatre as dancer and then directing ABT. Tuesday's program showed ABT to be in good form., but were the new works worthwhile?  

 

[dirac]

The artist Eva LeWitt is chosen to create an installation for the latest in New York City Ballet's Art Series.

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She will fabricate 10 sculptures for a special one-night-only spring Art Series event on April 29, where attendees will be able to view her work both on and off the stage. The evening’s program includes Justin Peck’s Winter 2022 world premiere ballet Partita, for which Eva designed the sets.

 

[dirac]

A review of Ballet Black and BalletBoyz by Louise Levene in The Financial Times.

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Pancho can put enchaînements together prettily enough, but the writing sometimes feels trite. The dancers take turns to display their classical credentials with lots of fouettés, frisky beaten steps and a general air of Why Walk When You Can Bourrée? The lighting by David Plater is plentiful (always a pleasant surprise) if a little over-assertive. Gobos — those fancy filters that stencil the light into pretty floor patterns — are all very well in their place but you can have too much of a good thing.