NEXTsteps – The Washington Ballet

Championing the relevance and advancement of dance in the 21st century, The Washington Ballet continues its commitment to the creative process. The Washington Ballet’s 2019.20 Season opener, NEXTsteps—a program debuting new, never-before-seen ballets in the heart of the nation’s capital—features works by emerging and acclaimed choreographers Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, John Heginbotham, and Jessica Lang. NEXTsteps supports the evolution of both ballet and the dancer and celebrates the evolving beauty and resonating power of our art.

 

A sneak peek into the show:

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Delusional Beauty is an ode to Salvador Dali’s surrealist world.  “As a child, I used to collect postcards with Dali’s paintings and one of them was La femme à la tête de fleur. While making the work, it struck me that I could still watch and enjoy his images while as a creative myself my art evaporates into the realm of memory once it happens, leaving merely a sensation.”

Jessica Lang’s Reverence is a variation on a theme of Robert Schumann’s Symphonic Etudes. Comprised of eight dancers (four men and four women), the 11-movement piece evokes the beauty and full dynamic of classical ballet. Lang has focused on the etudes (live piano performed by Glenn Sales) and costumes (by fashion designer Jillian Lewis) defining her vision to combine music and movement into a single focus. There is no story. But audiences can expect to be transported into a world of beauty. Lang considers the audience part of the experience.

John Heginbotham’s RACECAR is a palindrome, both in its title and musical/choreographic structure. The 20-minute neoclassical piece is set to percussion music composed and performed live by Jason Treuting and members of Sō Percussion. 16 dancers explore themes of organized chaos, balance, symmetry, and asymmetry. The movement is organic, human, and rhythmically complex, incorporating classical ballet technique and pointe shoes. Heginbotham draws on his background as a modern dancer in creating this athletic, structured, and exciting work.

 

More information about the choreographers and dancers can be found here.