Ashley McKeon

“The Nutcracker”
Atlanta Ballet
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
November 27, 2019

Washington balletgoers took part in something special last week when the Atlanta Ballet — a regional troupe never before seen at the Kennedy Center — unveiled a new “Nutcracker” that made an old story glisten with intrigue and wonder. The stunning $3.7 million production, conceived by Artistic Director Gennadi Nedvigin and choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, marries timeless tradition with 21

“The Nutcracker”
Ballet West
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
December 6, 2018

Ballet West’s splendidly refurbished “Nutcracker” is as warm and welcoming as a cup of holiday spiced tea on a cold winter evening. This company's version of the holiday classic is no stranger to Washington audiences (having visited in 2012 and 2014), but this year’s production boasts a lofty $3 million overhaul that delightfully blends the old

“Don Quixote”
Ballet Nacional de Cuba
Opera House
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Washington, D.C.
May 29, 2018
 
by Ashley McKean
copyright © 2018 by Ashley McKean

The Ballet Nacional de Cuba returned to Washington to celebrate the 40^th anniversary of its United States debut (at the Kennedy Center in 1978), giving balletgoers a glimpse of a living legend — renowned ballerina, founder and artistic director, Alicia Alonso — and her legacy.  The evening