The Washington Ballet’s Dracula

If you’re looking for one last Halloween spook, you might want to try The Washington Ballet’s Dracula. This show sent more than one tingle up my back, and I’m not the only audience member who nearly screamed. As is typical of the Washington Ballet, the choreography amazes, the dancing is exquisite, and the sets and costumes were loaded with creativity. Not as usual was the suspence that filled the audience, the pure gore of some of the final scenes, and the creepiness factor. All planned, of course, and played perfectly.

The dance adaptation of Bram Stroker’s Dracula will be at the Kennedy Center until November 4 – so don’t sit around waiting to purchase your tickets. Figure out what night you and your partner are free and grab a babysitter. (Though there were a few children in the audience this is, in my opinion, an adult production. My kids wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week if they saw the show and I’m not ready to start explaining the sexual themes to them!)

I won’t spoil the surprise for you, but I will say that occasionally characters disappear from the stage and there was one point where I was taken back to the scene in Sweeney Todd where patients at an insane asylum creep out of the sewer system. Moments later, I thought I’d been transported to the carefully calibrated choreography of the Thriller video. But no, as high as I might have jumped out of my seat, I was still at the Kennedy Center.

If you have time to grab a bite to eat before the show, I treated myself and my children to the Kennedy Center Cafe. I attended a Millenium Stage show with my children before Dracula, where I handed them off to my husband for the evening. The food is not cheap, but the salmon entree we had was delicious and the salad bar was loaded with good things we all enjoyed. Possibly my children’s favorite part of the meal was the monster cookie that ended the meal. We’ll definitely go there again.

I received two free tickets to the show Dracula. Opinions are my own.

When Elaine’s heart is not beating so fast, she blogs about her children at Connor and Helen Grow Up!

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By Elaine|2012-12-12T16:26:28-04:00November 2nd, 2012|Entertainment, Theater|

About the Author: Elaine

In 1997, Elaine landed in DC where she put her public policy degree to work. She didn't know at the time she'd eventually own a home in the suburbs, be married to a government employee, and have two incredible children. But then, she’s heard that from a lot of moms at the playgrounds around Arlington. As a part-time worker, Elaine contributes to the Tax Policy Center's blog TaxVox and has recently agreed to produce a regular commentary for the blogtalk radio program, Shared Sacrifice. When she's not at work, she maintains her own blog to bridge the distance between far away family and herself and to alleviate the guilt associated with never even purchasing a baby book for either of her children. She believes in the power of long walks, vacationing, and forgetting about the clock. She's got her eye on the Fall of 2011 when her youngest child will surely be ready for her first international vacation. Prior to becoming a mom, she was an avid potter and chocolate maker and hopes someday to return to both of these hobbies. In the meantime, she feels incredibly lucky to have found such an incredible community of women bloggers in the DC area. Prior to its closure, Elaine enjoyed a brief period writing for DCMetroMoms.