Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but love is still in the air at the Washington Ballet’s England Studio Theatre. 7x7: Love Duets celebrates its fifth anniversary program of the company’s popular series. Seven choreographers are given the opportunity to create seven different seven-minute world premieres centered on the theme of love. Saturday evening’s performance of 7x7: Love Duets showed that many of the choreographers were aware of often clichéd "ballet love stories" and did......

For dance lovers looking to get into the holiday spirit, The Nutcracker is a must at this time of year. Thankfully, the Washington D.C. area has numerous performances of the beloved ballet from which to choose. While there’s over a dozen performances ranging in size from huge ballet troupes to small dance studios, here's a few that stand out among the rest. American Ballet Theater: Few companies can compete with the size and talents of......

Written by DCist contributor Angela Olson. The Washington Ballet aims to engage families with young children in the world of ballet with its current production of Where the Wild Things Are. Undoubtedly, they achieved this goal with colorful sets and costumes ripped from the pages of Maurice Sendak’s book, and energetic choreography by Artistic Director Septime Webre. It is difficult to criticize such a worthy goal, indeed the children sitting near me were dancing in......

With poignant lines such as "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye," who couldn't love The Little Prince? A French classic by Antoine de Saint Exupery, it has been translated into more than 160 languages and has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, and I was excited to hear that the Washington Ballet was bringing their adaptation to the stage. With choreography......

The tango is a colorful, fiery display of passion and movement, with ballet being its more classical, astute and refined cousin. Now, imagine the two together, and toss some mariachi music into the mix. The Washington Ballet's ¡Noche Latina! does just that, combining the classical, floating movements of ballet with the energy and boldness of tango. Not just a dance show, the night includes live music, including Mariachi Los Amigos, who come in through......

When the posters for the Washington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker hit the streets, accented with cartoon caricatures of George Washington, it was hard not to be skeptical. Would the Capitol dome become a prominent set piece? Would little children running around be designed to symbolize Congress? The possibilities were endless. But the skepticism is unwarranted: Choreographer Septime Webre's production, featuring everything from 19th century carousels to 20th century cherry blossoms, is wonderfully done -......

With over a dozen dancers, three programs and two well-know composers, the Washington Ballet offered a compelling night of dance this past weekend at the Kennedy Center. The troupe displayed their versatility, presenting performances of wildly different styles. Starting the performance was Jerome Robbins’ In the Night, a set of romantic pas de deuxs scored to a few Chopin nocturnes. Robbins is best known for his inventive choreography in the film version of West Side......

FRIDAY: >> After a superb D.C. debut last year in the back room, Pleaseeasaur is returning to theBlack Cat tonight, this time on the mainstage, opening for San Diego's Pinback. J.P. Hasson and his invisible sidekick Thomas Hurley III are apparently taking a break this month from recording a new Comedy Central-sponsored album to perform a number of valuable pubilc service announcements. Did you know, for example, that "Cobras are Totally Cool?" Or, for that......

The labor dispute at Washington Ballet DCist told you about earlier this week has led the company to cancel all of its remaining performances of The Nutcracker, which opened Dec. 2, the Post is reporting. The move could potentially jeopardize the rest of the company's season, as The Nutcracker provides the majority of revenue that funds the rest of Washington Ballet's performances throughout the year. All remaining tickets will be refunded, and instructions on how......

A disappointed reader tipped us off that The Washington Ballet has announced that tonight's performance of The Nutcracker has been cancelled due to what the company is calling a dancer strike. The Washington Ballet released the following statement: Despite the utmost efforts of The Washington Ballet to satisfy the concerns of the dancers of The Washington Ballet - including agreeing to sign an Interim Agreement to enable the parties to continue bargaining without interruption -......

D.C.'s best arts and arts organizations were honored Monday night at the 20th annual Mayor's Arts Awards. The gala ceremony, which took place at the Kennedy Center, was presented by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities and hosted by Mayor Anthony Williams and WRC anchor Jim Vance. Leonard Slatkin (shown at left), music director of the National Symphony Orchestra, was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his imaginative musical programming and......

We have to admit it: we're a sucker for the Sox. And we'll be staying in tonight with a bottle or four of beer to watch the game. But if baseball's not your bag, there are plenty of events to keep you occupied this rainy fall evening: It's the sixth anniversary of Mothertonuge, a spoken poetry event, and they're having a happy birthday at the Black Cat. 8:30 p.m., $7. The first of the monthly......