Emily Berger

Saturday evening’s performance of Mulan: A Legend Reimagined at Capital One Hall was a ninety-minute retelling of the classic Chinese folk story of the young woman who impersonates a soldier and ends up successfully defending her country. This dance-based version presented by Greater Washington Chinese Dance featured young dancers from Xuejuan Dance Ensemble and Rong’s Kungfu Academy. 

What did our critic think of THE WASHINGTON BALLET'S TRANSCENDANCE at Kennedy Center?

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) regularly brings new story ballets to DC for their Kennedy Center performances and this year was no different. Crime and Punishment, based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky, premiered in New York in the fall and is the first full-length ballet by a female choreographer in ABT’s repertory. It’s also a highly complex - and long - story to tell through dance, so I was curious to see if it would be a success. 

What did our critic think of ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PROGRAM C at Kennedy Center?

What did our critic think of ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PROGRAM B at Kennedy Center?

Baltimore-native Jessica Amber Pinkett returned to the Kennedy Center this week for the annual performances of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Thus it was with great fanfare and symbolism that the National Ballet of China’s return to the Kennedy Center took place Wednesday, with performances of Chinese New Year, a reimagining of The Nutcracker story. 

It’s a unique work for young audiences that treats those audiences like adults, ready to experience the joy and also grapple with the loss and confusion that come with adulthood. 

This year's performance was poignant and joyful, featuring more than 40 dancers from the school.

What did our critic think of GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER® at Kennedy Center?

The final show of the XX Fuego Flamenco Festival runs through November 23

Flamenco afficionados and skeptics alike should make every effort to see this performance for its choreographic range and strong performances.

While neither piece of choreography made full use of the dancers’ prowess, Thursday’s opening night performance was nonetheless a captivating and welcome distraction. 

Confounding at times and also beautiful, this traditional puppetry company is wrapping us a US tour. Yes, orchestras may downsize from 30 violins to 25, but it still takes all 25 roughly forty minutes to play Beethoven’s sixth symphony. You could speed up the tempo, increasing “output” with the same number of performers (the orchestra could play it twice in an hour instead of 1.5 times!) but no audience pays to listen to it twice in a row nor wants to hear it played vivace.

Saturday, September 21, 2024 marks the 15th year of National Dance Day, a celebration of artistic expression and the joy of movement.

While Fringe proudly does not screen for quality, from what this reviewer saw, this year's dance offerings including two strong works and another mediocre one.

Directed by John Caird and, for this revival, Katherine M. Carter, the production featured a talented cast of emerging opera stars, Studio Artists (many of whom were in featured roles), additional chorus members and the Children’s Chorus of Washington. This large cast filled the stage with excitement, love, and ultimately profound grief. 

The company's signature athletic partnering and haunting effects were on display across five works whose power was diminished by the same beauty and craft that made them worth noticing.

This outstanding festival featured brilliant new or recent work by five choreographers.

This festival includes performances by Ballet West, Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Goh Ballet featuring dancers from the National Ballet of China, Houston Ballet. Pacific Northwest Ballet, Singapore Ballet, and The Washington Ballet.