WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY

Even the gay boys in my ballet class thought Richard was a little queer when he pulled out his very own pointe shoes—black satin, triple-E width. “It really helps develop your feet,” he said, as he wrapped the shoes’ ribbons around his ankles. But we all knew the truth: He dreamt of being the Black Swan, a swirl of stiff tulle riding high on his hips, seducing the prince with a passion and fire that the boring old White Swan could never muster. Richard would have been a natural for the all-male comic ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The Trocks are one of the few contemporary companies to revive dusty Russian tutu ballets from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The dancers play both male and female roles and the company’s choreography showcases their technical virtuosity as much as it does their collective comic genius. Their humor works best with those who have seen the original dances, but even little kids love the Trocks. Tonight the guys will perform classical favorites—The Dying Swan, Swan Lake, Paquita—as well as contemporary works—Go For Barocco, a parody of Balanchine choreographed by Peter Anastos, and Merce Cunningham’s Cross Currents. (The Trocks have the honor of being the first company other than Cunningham’s to perform this work.) But don’t fool yourself—this isn’t a one-gag troupe. Pulling off 32 fouettes in pointe shoes is difficult no matter what your gender. At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, and Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Warner Theatre, 13th and E Streets NW. $15-$45. (202) 783-4000. (Holly Bass)