The Washington Ballet Open 2018.19 Season at the Kennedy Center

The Washington Ballet opened their 2018.19 Season at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theatre last night to a full house of delighted fans and patrons. TWB Welcomes included acclaimed highlights from choreographer George Balanchine as well as iconic masterworks by Alexei Ratmansky and Marius Petipa. The company also played host to four internationally recognized stars of the dance world who shared the stage as special guest artist alongside TWB dancers.

Appearing in these masterworks are Katherine Barkman, principal dancer with Ballet Manila; returning DC area native Connor Walsh, principal with Houston Ballet; Stella Abrera, principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre; and Marcelo Gomes, former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre.

The program runs through Sunday, September 30, 2018.

The Washington Ballet (TWB) was founded as The Washington School of Ballet in 1944 and incorporated as a professional company in 1976. At the helm is internationally acclaimed ballerina Julie Kent. As The Washington Ballet's Artistic Director, Kent's mission is to bring world-class ballet to the Nation's Capital, continuing the tradition of classical ballet and contributing to the evolution of the art form through contemporary works and new commissions.

As the ballet company of the nation's capital, The Washington Ballet reflects the diversity of the community and the nation through its dancers and its repertoire. Kent has introduced into the repertoire seminal works by George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins, Antony Tudor, Justin Peck and Alexei Ratmansky while embracing the work of emerging choreographers including Clifton Brown, Gemma Bond, and Ethan Stiefel, among others. Her commitment to the development of both the dancer and the art form is fulfilled through presentation of beloved classic 19th-century ballets and landmark 20th-century works while reaffirming a commitment to commissioned works that will contribute to the evolution of ballet and its relevance in our times.

TWB's three-part mission: ensuring excellence in its professional performance company; growing the next generation of dancers through its school, professional training programs, and Studio Company; and serving the community in which it resides through community engagement programs will continue to propel TWB to a more prominent place within the nation's capital and beyond.

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