Washington Ballet hires new director.

WASHINGTON, D.C.--After what they termed "an exhaustive search of more than forty highly qualified national and international candidates," Washington Ballet has named Septime Webre as artistic director. Webre, presently artistic director of American Repertory Ballet, will work with Washington Ballet as artistic director designate during the 1998-99 season but will not officially begin his duties until the spring of 1999, when his current contract with ARB expires. Webre succeeds Mary Day, WB's founder-director, who retired at the end of the 1997-98 season but continues to head the renowned Washington School of Ballet.

Webre, 36, has directed the American Repertory Ballet, where he was also resident choreographer and dancer, since 1993. He choreographed sixteen works for the company, including full-length productions of Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, and his works are in the repertories of several other American troupes, including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet, and the Sacramento Ballet. He began his formal dance training at Austin Ballet Theatre, studying with former Royal Ballet soloist Stanley Hall. He has given master classes throughout Texas and taught at the David Howard Dance Center in New York City and at the Princeton Ballet School, where he was also director of Princeton Ballet II.

The twenty-year-old Washington Ballet, which had attracted national attention in its early years for the works of the late Choo-San Goh, and the many talented young dancers produced by its school, has seemed to be in a holding pattern for the past several years and has been looking for new blood. The company's board was impressed by Webre's accomplishments with ARB, where he doubled both the size of the company and its budget during his tenure. Webre's plans include retaining the company's classical base and reaching out to the Washington community. The Chairman of WB's Board of Directors, John T. Schwieters, quoted in the Washington Post, summed up his charms succinctly: "Septime is a focused, disciplined, very intelligent man. He's very interested in pleasing audiences and that's what we need."