DAVID:Sometimes, life on the road gets a little lonely. You spend the majority of your time in a bustling metropolis at the theatre, hardly seeing the light of day. Only to go from hotel room to dressing room, and back again once the sun goes down. It was time to stir things up a bit in lieu of a certain visitor… fellow contributor Matt Murphy.

This week I guested with the Washington Ballet, and given that I was only dancing one masterpiece in the triple bill program, I knew I would have a little free time. By enlisting the help of a certain best friend, we explored some parts of DC that we rarely see when at the Kennedy Center. The Cherry Blossoms were blooming, art was waiting and spring was to be taken in.

MATT: I’ve been to DC a handful of times with ABT in the past four years, but somehow I’ve never really seen the city. Rehearsal schedules would get hectic, fatigue would get the best of me, and therefore I’d rarely venture far from the Kennedy Center. So when David suggested that I come to DC for his performances with Washington Ballet, I didn’t hesitate. I knew that it would be a chance for me to explore the nation’s capital, and see a company I’d never seen before.

Between the cherry blossoms, the museum, the incredible architecture, and staying in a different neighborhood (Dupont Circle), I finally got the chance to see what DC has to offer. I was busy working on several upcoming magazine articles, but I made sure to put my laptop down long enough to explore with my best friend.

Being away from the company for the past year has meant that I don’t get to see some of my closest friends as much as I used to. It’s difficult, but it makes weekends like this that much more meaningful.

Here are some highlights from our trip!!!

(David on his way to see…)

(The cherry blossoms.)

(Singular blossoms are good for…)

(Eating! Need a snack? Eat a flower.)

(Posing in a world of Seuss-like color.)

(They are also fantastic for framing national monuments.)

(The blossoms attacked our next stop as well.)

(Matt getting hypnotized by the Rothko room at The Phillips Collection. Unlike a “Magic Eye” book, Rothko’s do not reveal a secret image when you cross your eyes.)

(David’s ode to the contemporary photographer Thomas Struth.)

(Matt in awe of the De Kooning. He claims the abstract expresionist’s biography changed his life…he says the same thing about the cereal Peanut Butter Puffins.)

(David posing in front of the theater with his favorite pas de deux partner: a vanilla milkshake.)

(It wasn’t long before we had to go to the train station.)

(But that didn’t mean that the photo shoots (of strangers) were over!)

(Just because we were fascinated by strangers didn’t mean we discriminated against ourselves!)