The Virginia National Ballet delivered a spectacular trio of performances at their recent “Bohemian Rhapsody” show, showcasing their remarkable versatility and technical prowess through three distinct repertoire pieces.
The evening began with “Tango Nights,” set to the passionate music of Astor Piazzolla. The atmospheric stage design evoked an Argentine nightclub where dancers explored the complex emotional landscape of pursuit, betrayal, and romance. The choreography captured tango’s sultry essence while maintaining the company’s signature balletic precision; a captivating introduction that immediately drew the audience into the performance’s emotional world.
“Moonlight Sonata,” a new world premier by Rafik Hegab, and choreographed to Beethoven’s timeless composition cooled the atmosphere with three phases of the moon.. This piece displayed ballet in its most powerful form, with over fifteen dancers executing intricate patterns across the intimate stage. What struck me most was the remarkable juxtaposition of strength and gracefulness – forceful movements executed with extraordinary finesse. The dancers’ stamina and control were evident as they embodied the music’s emotional journey, with visual elements representing lunar phases complementing the crescendos of both music and movement. Sierra Stipetich delivered a particularly breathtaking performance with her fearless pas de trois featuring gravity-defying lifts and seamless transitions between her male counterparts.
The culminating piece, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” was nothing short of transformative. Choreographer Rafik Hegab, brilliantly fused classical ballet techniques with the electric energy of Queen’s iconic music, creating a synthesis that honored both traditions while creating something entirely new. Six Queen compositions flowed together in a performance that had me repeatedly smiling with sheer delight. The dancers embodied Freddie Mercury’s theatrical spirit while maintaining their classical foundation; a combination that felt organic rather than forced.
Throughout the evening, the company demonstrated remarkable emotional range, transitioning from the moody intensity of tango to the structural elegance of Beethoven, and finally to the bold theatricality of Queen. This versatility speaks to the vision of company founder and managing director, Elysabeth Muscat, and the choreographic genius of Rafik Hegab, who have clearly created an environment where technical excellence and artistic expression flourish equally.
For those who missed this extraordinary performance, there’s one more opportunity to experience it on May 17, 2025, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater in Manhattan. This is a production that deserves to be seen – repeatedly, if possible. It showcases ballet’s timeless ability to evolve while honoring its classical foundations.
The Virginia National Ballet has proven once again that they are a company worth watching, not just for their technical precision, but for their willingness to push the boundaries of what ballet can express.
Photo Credits:Photos by David Pearson, Compliments of Elysabeth Muscat, Managing Director, Virginia National Ballet
Celebrating 75 years of the Washington School of Ballet
Rising Star – Katherine Barkman PC: Screenshot of web production
Ballet lovers from around the world were invited to tune in for the first-ever LIVE online celebration of The Washington Ballet! Performances by The Washington Ballet artists and stories from students and faculty highlighted the event.
Ballet in Washington, D.C., under Artistic Director, Julie Kent, was beginning to soar and rival many American and international ballet companies. Their 2020 season promised to deliver breathtaking performances of classical ballets and repertoire. The season started with their exceptional production of Balanchine + Ashton in February to be followed by the full-length Swan Lake – music by Tchaikovsky. The classic ballet, Coppélia, to the music of Léo Delibes, was scheduled to premiere in May. Casting, choreography, costuming, and rehearsals were in progress. I planned to attend Coppélia and write a blog article about the performance.
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Producing a full length classical ballet is an very expensive and laborious process. The costuming alone, is extremely expensive with a single tutu potentially costing over $3000. The cost of costumes added to the salaries, overhead, and theater rental runs into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Sold out productions, sponsors, grants, and patrons help cover these expenses. What happens when the curtain does not rise? The last Washington Ballet rehearsal was held on March 13 where snippets of a dress rehearsal of Act 3 were filmed.
The company staff and dancers are incredibly supportive, gracious, and optimistic for something wonderful to emerge from the current circumstances. Having been president of a pre-professional ballet company, I am aware of the magnificent cost involved in the production of every ballet.
Ballet Dancer Corey Landolt was honorary Mixologistfor the Gala PC: Screenshot
Tonight’s public virtual Gala was a wonderful way to bring the Washington Ballet to the City and to the world. The Gala were beautifully produced. There was a mix of executive, sponsor, and philanthropic recognitions along with a generous portion of stunning ballet performances. The 75th anniversary of the Washington School of Ballet begun by Mary Day and her mentor, Lisa Gardiner, was celebrated with joy and dignity.
Artistic Director, Julie Kent PC: Screenshot
The growth of The Washington Ballet under Julie Kent in just under four full years, has been remarkable. Like many Company patrons, I was eagarly anticipating the brilliance and excitement of the upcoming season. The Gala was elegant, classic, and was generously shared with the City and the world free of charge. The hope, being that donations would offset expenses and generate funds. During the event, donations came in ranging from just a few dollars to some with a several zeros at the end.
Monica Stephenson, Head of School, Southeast Campus. PC: Screenshot
In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Washington School of Ballet, The Washington Ballet expressed their focus and goal of reaching city dancers and providing teaching and training opportunities regardless of dancers’ economic circumstances. Monica Stephenson, Head of School, Southeast Campus, The Washington Ballet, shared, “For our community of 1200 students, we kindle love, passion, interest and commitment. We encourage talent, creativity and integrity on all levels of the art stressing excellence in the classroom and on the stage. “ The interactive on-line ballet classes are helping students stay involved, active, and healthy. Ms. Stephenson emphasized the goal of, “Engaging in relevant dialogues in an unwavering commitment to our aspiration for the extraordinary. We work toward equitable excellence in artistic education and expanded diversity in classical ballet. It feels wonderful to be a part of dancers’ growth.”
“You can inspire the world with you dancing.” DC ballet student. PC: ScreenshotStudents ofThe WashingtonSchool of Ballet PC: Screenshot
Ms. Kent, in her mild, soft-spoken manner, introduced “An incredible evening of inspired performances.” Five performances, all very different and extremely engaging culminated with the final rehearsal of Act 3 of Swan Lake. At the end of each, I wished for “just a little more,” the mark of an exceptional artistic director.
Pas De Deux – Tamás Krizsa and Maki Onuki Performing “Together Apart” with “Backdrop of the Glorious National Cathedra,” JK PC: Screenshot Rench Soriano from the Philippines is a Washington Ballet Studio Company dancer performing 5 Variations on a theme by David Fernandez PC: Screenshot Women of the Company performing “Summer’s Heat” reliving the “Center Stage” movie experience. PC: Screenshot
Gil Delelio, Corey Landolt, Gian Carlo Perez, and Andile Ndlovu performing final scene from Somberisimo by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa TWB men representing Belgium, America, South Africa, and Cuba. PC: Screenshot
Katherine Barkman and Masanori Takiguchi in rehearsal of Act 3 Swan Lake PC:Screenshot
Ms. Kent closed the evening by saying, “At this time of tremendous loss and vulnerability, dance art is a celebration of humanity. We, at The Washington Ballet are ensuring artistic hopes and careers will live on and thrive. Thank you for your love and support.”
What can we do to support The Washington Ballet? Consider donating The art of dance transforms lives every contribution will help.
The Chamber Dance Project of Washington, D.C. Carries on Their Mission
When circumstances derail plans, creativity sets artists free to experiment with and present exceptional virtual opportunities to even more people than would have originally enjoyed performances. Such is the case for the Chamber Dance Project (CDP) in Washington, D.C.
Artistic Director and choreographer, Diane Coburn Bruning, founded the CDP because she believed that dance should be a collaborative process between dancers, musicians and the audience. That process, she says, “Deepens the audience’s experience.” They have grown to be Washington’s premier contemporary ballet company.
Their ballet season takes place in the summer when other companies and dancers are off. Because of this, CPD attracts and features exceptional dancers. Two such dancers are Austin Powers and his wife, Grace-Anne Powers. They are slated to dance in this summer’s CDP performances.
With theaters being dark now, this is an opportunity to expand creativity and communication with audience and patrons. CPD has moved their Open Rehearsals and Evenings with the Artist to on-line adventures via Zoom.
A recent Evening with the Artist featured Emmy Award – Winning ballerina, Grace-Anne Powers. She is a ballerina with Ohio’s BalletMet in the regular season. Grace-Anne met us from her living room in Ohio where she and her husband built a sprung wood floor upon which to rehearse. Typically, a dance floor is covered with a sheet of plastic called Marley which is both smooth and anti-slip for safe dancing. Resourcefully, the couple covered their floor with a fish pond liner instead. This decision was made based on economics and size of the floor.
The Shoe Must Fit – Grace-Anne Powers via Zoom
Pointe shoes are the quintessential piece of equipment for a ballerina. Pointe shoes are generally pink satin with pink ribbons that crisscross over the ankles. What else is there? Grace-Anne calls them, “The most beautiful and torturous item.” She spoke about the manufacturers, the construction, the fragility, and the importance of perfect fit of the beloved pointe shoe in a recent CDP Evening With An Artist.
Grace-Anne’s favorite pointe shoes are made by Freed of London. Every shoe is handmade by highly skilled craftsmen. The craftsmen each have their own mark that they place on the leather sole of the shoe. The “Butterfly” is the shoe that she finds most comfortable. The shoes are handmade just for her. “When I get a new pair of pointe shoes, I have to prepare them for dancing. The toe box is round. The first thing I do is flatten it so that it sits flat on top of my foot,” she demonstrated the process of putting the perfectly new shoe on the floor and unceremoniously stomps on it with her foot. The process continues with the insoles – tearing and cutting away until the arch is in the perfect place. Elastics and ribbons are sewed on and more maneuvering of the shoe continue until it fits like a glove. “It takes about two hours to prepare a pair of pointe shoes,” she told us.
A pair of shoes costs up to $125. Grace-Anne gets 40 pairs of pointe shoes form her home ballet company. “I have bendy feet that are stronger, so I tend to go through my shoes faster,” she explained. She tries to extend their lives with some unorthodox techniques involving jet glue.
pc: Austin Powers
Customizing The Custom Pointe Shoes Austin and Grace-Anne Powers
There is a fine line between being perfectly comfortable and “dead.” Dead shoes are not fit for dancing and can be harmful to the dancer. Did you know that the life of a pointe shoe is very short? Sometimes it is just a week and sometimes two weeks. Let’s see, they are satin, there is a leather outer sole, the sides are canvas with a satin outer shell. The “box” is made of fabric and cardboard and biodegradable materials like water soluble glue. Perspiration tends to dissolve the hardening materials of the box. For that reason, Grace-Anne has devised to coat inside of her well-fitting shoes with jet glue.
“There can be no movement in my shoe, so I double the elastics to keep them tight against my foot. Also, my ribbons are not just ribbons, I like my ribbons to give a little so they have some stretch and give. After the shoes have been flattened, potions cut out, and glued, Grace-Anne darns the pointe part of the shoe and creates a “box.” That also extends the life of the shoe and provides a flat space to “stand.” She uses a doubled macramé cord to create the rim then sews it onto the satin of the shoe. This further helps save the shoe in the contemporary repertoire when the angles become more exaggerated. “I wear a shoe that is a little larger than my foot to help me pad so that I keep corns and bunions from forming.”
The Life of the Pointe Shoe – from flat to “over-the-top”
Ill fitted shoes can cause blisters, bruised toe nails, bunions, even stress reactions. Properly fitted shoes are key to successful classes and performances. Grace-Anne experimented with different shoes, “Some had plastic in the toe. They lasted longer, but did not give me the correct fit and I could not fully articulate my foot. The Freed of London shoes give me the fit and articulation for artistry that I need. It is hard finding the right shoe. When you find the right shoe, it is no longer a foot inside a shoe, but it becomes a part of you.“
pc: Jennifer Zmuda
pc: Belimnda Carhartt
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pc: Quinn B. Wharton
The Many Shapes of Grace-Anne Powers From Classical to Contemporary en pointe. Images courtesy of Grace-Anne Powers
A world-class ballerina, Grace-Anne, is comfortable with both the classical ballet repertoire and the contemporary realm. She is a perfect fit for CDP with her classical background and ability to extend into the extraordinary. “Contemporary ballet pushes you beyond the vertical and many times off-center. That is when pointe shoes deteriorate even faster since the contact with the floor changes dramatically and parts touch and wear faster,” she explained.
What does Grace-Anne find rewarding in dancing with CDP? “Working in smaller groups is very satisfying. Getting to know the people and the creativity is exciting,” she shared. She likes having the musicians on stage, “They help make dance spontaneous and interactive.” This season she and her husband, Austin, will have the opportunity to dance together. It will be a new experience for them to dance in a partnering capacity.
Grace-Anne Powers pc: Jennifer Zmuda Image courtesy of Grace-Anne Powers
Concluding the evening’s program, Grace-Anne and Austin demonstrated some partnering techniques and the resilience of their new floor. “With a partner, there is greater scope of movement, extension, and reach,” explained Grace-Anne and Austin. They are both able to stay in shape by working together, doing their own barre workouts, Austin works with weights, and there is lots of gardening for the both of them at their new home.
About the 2020 Season, Diane Coburn Bruning said, “I have utmost optimism for our season. For now, we will remain virtual. We are Nimble and creatively flexible.”
Powers’ presentation and Q&A is the first of four planned for May with dancer Julia Erickson discussed transitioning from classical to contemporary ballet roles on May 12. Luz San Miguel and Davit Hovhannisyan will demonstrate classical ballet partnering on May 19 and contemporary ballet partnering on May 26. For further scheduling, please visit the CDP website.
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