I am opening this thread, as the preview is tomorrow night, with regular performances running through the weekend at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater. Any 'intel' on the preparations? What should we expect? It hope that it supplies a lot of warmth to chilly Washington, DC, this week!

Edited to add: No intel? OK - I'll see the program for myself tonight & report here tomorrow. Hopefully others will, too, in the days ahead. Today's weather is even chillier than yesterday's, so I'm definitely longing for some heat from the stage tonight. ;)

Last night's preview of the Washington Ballet's 'Noche Latina!' at the Kennedy Center was an all-around entertaining evening. Warmth was in abundance. Fantastic Latin music, with bands/groups representing several countries. A packed house. Even "La Bamba" was played, to the delight of all spectators! Arriba va!Baila bamba! Just one slight, teeny-tiny problem: not much ballet on view. Details, details.

The show began at 8pm & ended at 10 pm. The first pointe shoe came into view at about, oh, 9:35 pm, in the form of the last work on the program, Webre's fine opus & tribute to his Cuban heritage, "Juanita y Alicia." It followed, if memory serves, a mariachi orchestra, a Carib-Central American jarape band with solo harpist, a Paul Taylor modern tango work, an Andean orchestra, and a bland Nacho Duato work with dancers in nightie-sleepwear prancing in front of a greenish flat that's supposed to represent the Amazon Forest. Within that forest was one very great dance of distinction -- Maki Onuki's gut-wrenching solo, full of clear, sharp jabbing movements -- plus some fabulous leaping by Jason Hartley.

So "Arriba!" to Noche Latina. Just not a "noche" at the ballet.

I'd love to know when, aside from Nutcracker, the Washington Ballet will give us a program that relies just on ballet? Not on 'other arts' gimmicks such as Karen Akers cabaret singing or mariachi bands or Sweet Honey in the Rock or the next one (Carmina Burana in late March) with the Washington Chorus sharing the stage...but only ballet? No disrespect is intended towards those vocalists and instrumentalists. However, I remember when Washington Ballet used to present only ballet -- maybe not always the best ballets but often some wonderful works -- but pure ballet, from curtain up to curtain down. If they don't watch out, they'll soon become The Washington Variety Show, rather than Washington Ballet.

In sum: "Arriba!" As a general night of fun and warmth, 'Noche Latina!' is a sure winner.

(Falling off my chair laughing)...

Well, Natalia, Septime mentioned from the stage this afternoon that the run was sold out... so I guess that gives us a hint. :-)

Mike, I suppose that DC is not a town for 'pure ballet' unless it's for one of the huge visiting European troupes? Yup - 'Ed Sullivan-Webre' knows how to pack-in the masses! That's the bottom line.

Thank goodness for $35 round-trip 'Chinatown Buses' to NYC for just-plain-ballet enjoyment. Or our DVD collections at home.

I had to buy standing room to see the final show yesterday afternoon...well worth it for Luis Torres' splendid solo & pdd w/ Elizabeth Gaither in "Juanita y Alicia." I'm sorry that Runqiao Du was indisposed and that the 'percussion pdd' from that same ballet was excised, though. Hey -- but that meant one more 'variety number,' as the Cuban-French band Sin Miedo offered an instrumental number in its place. Arriba!

If you book a Greyhound/PeterPan r/t ticket online, you can get the same price, with the amenity of a bus terminal on both ends to protect you from the elements. At Greyhound.com, under Travel Deals, click "Fare Specials," then "e-Savers."

Also, Vamoose bus offers a $35 r/t fare (curbside service in the style of the Chinatown buses) that serves Bethesda and Arlington, if they are more convenient on the DC end.

Thanks, Carbro! Very nice to know, for travel originating at either end of the route. I know that several New Yorkers will be coming here for Bolshoi, for ex.

Further tip - the Peter Pan buses are more pleasant than the Greyhound buses, with somewhat wider seats. You can tell which will operate on the Greyhound schedule by either the initials "PPP" or "GLI."