Where the Wild Things Are @ The Washington Ballet

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 their chairs. But, other children’s stories such as Cinderella and Coppélia have taken to the stage and entertained children without the zaniness of the current production. This is The Washington Ballet meets The Wiggles.

The ballet remains true to the book by following young Max as he disobeys his mother and is confined to his room without dinner. He escapes on an imaginative adventure where he encounters wild creatures and becomes their leader, until he begins to miss home and returns to find a tray of warm food on the bedside table.

The demanding role of Max was danced tirelessly by Jonathan Jordan. Webre added new characters in his adaptation, carving a role for Max’s Mama, danced ably by Chip Coleman. New creatures are also encountered on the journey, most notably the Sea Creatures, Runqiao Du and Brianne Bland, who performed a beautiful pas de duex.