Media Pas de Deux: It Takes Two
In ballet, a pas de deux is a dance duet in which two dancers perform ballet steps together. But the pas de deux is not just a dance of love.
Kennedy Center Education Learning Guide
Rehearsal: Romeo and Juliet
Event Information
American Ballet Theatre
Rehearsal: Romeo and Juliet
Enjoy an insider’s look at our visiting companies as they prepare onstage for performance.
 With a depth of talent and the ability to present multiple casts of dancers in leading roles, the celebrated company brings Shakespeare’s tragic play of forbidden love—Romeo and Juliet.
February 15, 2023
This event is no longer available. Registration for this event has closed.
Opera House, recommended for grades 7-12
Estimated duration is up to two hours.
What to Watch for & Think About at a Ballet Rehearsal
- At an open rehearsal, audiences are invited to watch the final stages of preparation before opening night. You will be able to watch as the artists and technicians work out the final details of their production.
- While the details can change based on what the cast and crew need to be ready, most rehearsals include a full run-through of the piece, with occasional stopping and starting. Watch carefully during these breaks and think about the full elements of a production.
- Although a rehearsal is often very similar to a performance, it’s possible there will be some differences, like some performers will be conserving their physical movements for the real thing or some costumes may be getting their finishing touches off stage. And staff and technicians may be in view, observing and making notes that you might not see during a performance.
- Even though the performance is not quite ready, why do you think the company would want to invite an audience to see a rehearsal?
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Kennedy Center Education
Building the Future
of Arts Education
Professional development for educators. Summer intensives for young artists. Teaching artist guided activities. Performances for young audiences. Classroom lesson plans. Arts-focused digital media.
Kennedy Center Education offers a wide array of resources and experiences that inspire, excite, and empower students and young artists, plus the tools and connections to help educators incorporate the arts into classrooms of all types.
Our current teaching and learning priorities include:
Digital Resources Library
A robust collection of articles, videos, and podcasts that allow students of all ages to explore and learn about the arts online.
Performances for Schools
In-person and virtual performances, along with supporting educational content to help guide learning.
Current Topics in Arts Integration
Current approaches to arts integration in the classroom, inclusion, rigor, and adopting an arts integration approach at the school and district level.
An asynchronous online course that invites educators and administrators to think about our students’ disabilities as social and cultural identities that enrich our classrooms and communities.
Kennedy Center Education
The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the
A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.
Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.
Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;
Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Volkswagen Group of America; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; Wells Fargo; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..
The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.