Ballet with a Bite

I’ve never been into vampires. The whole Twilight thing escapes me. But, Dracula, by The Washington Ballet stopped my heart. In a good way.

The opening performance of their season is a dark, haunting and captivating look at this tortured soul. I will admit, given my aversion to vampires, I was curious if I would enjoy the performance. Would the “vampire” take over the show? Well, yes he did, but in a good way. Sitting at the back of the orchestra section I could still see the whites of Dracula’s eyes. His movements were forceful but quiet, strong yet slithery, commanding and subtle. And the bites were mostly implied and not forceful or violent.

And while it is a ballet, it is much more than that—which is now what I’ve come to expect from The Washington Ballet. There was just as much acting as dancing in this company premier. Septime, the Artistic Director, is right; it’s ballet with a bite.

Maki Onuki and Luis R. Torres in The Washington Ballet’s Company Premiere of Michael Pink’s ‘Dracula.’ Photo by Steve Vaccariello