-
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
21-217
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
May 31, 2016
To recognize, honor, and express our overwhelming gratitude to Septime Webre for his many years of dedicated service and outstanding contributions to the arts.
WHEREAS, Septime Webre arrived in Washington, D.C. in 1999, as the first artistic director of The Washington Ballet, bringing with him a zeal for excellence and innovation on stage, passion for advocacy for the arts in Washington, D.C., and a deep commitment to community engagement and collaboration;
WHEREAS, Septime Webre has established dynamic community engagement programs that offer ballet training to underserved District of Columbia residents in their own neighborhoods through an in-school program, DanceDC, which integrates dance with academics for first and second-graders in public schools throughout the city, training more than 6,000 students;
WHEREAS, with the founding of The Washington Ballet@THEARC, a Southeast campus of The Washington School of Ballet, a vital dance conservatory was established in Anacostia with state-of-the-art studios and a performing arts theater;
WHEREAS, Septime Webre has sparked collaborations with other Washington, D.C. cultural organizations, including the Howard University Jazz Ensemble, the Cathedral Choral Society, Arena Stage, Sweet Honey in the Rock, artist Sam Gilliam, the In Series, and others;
WHEREAS, Septime Webre took The Washington Ballet on an historic trip to Cuba to perform at the 17th Annual Ballet Festival in 2000, the first American ballet company to perform there in 40 years, and on other national and international tours, raising the profiles of the Washington, D.C. community and The Washington Ballet throughout the world;
WHEREAS, Septime Webre gave Washingtonians a new Nutcracker in 2004, which is set in a Georgetown mansion in historic Washington, D.C. and has fast become a cherished tradition for residents of and visitors to the District of Columbia, featuring notable luminaries of the period in the production, including Frederick Douglass and George Washington, as well as radiant dancing among cherry blossoms in full bloom along the Potomac River; and
WHEREAS, Septime Webre has energized The Washington Ballet during his 17-year tenure and transformed the organization into one of Washington’s finest cultural institutions, significantly enriching the lives of residents of all ages in the diverse sections of the nation’s capital.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this resolution may be cited as the “Septime Webre Recognition Resolution of 2016”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes, honors, and salutes Septime Webre for his commitment to excellence and for his numerous contributions to the District of Columbia and her citizens. We wish him only the best in his future endeavors.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
