SHOPPER

Raising the Bar

Theory blouse, $225, available at Nordstrom stores and Nordstrom.com. (Julia Ewan - Twp)

America is dance-crazed right now, says Michael Kors. The designer, who lives near the Joffrey Ballet School, based his entire spring collection on the way dancers look on the streets of New York. Vera Wang garnered inspiration from the Ballets Russes and Martha Graham, crafting layered looks from lightweight silk and linen.

And they aren't the only fashions making a point: The prima ballerina has also tiptoed her way into the less affluent aisles of H&M and its ilk. Blame "Dancing With the Stars" or see it as a natural progression, what with everyone already wearing ballet flats and even leggings.

Still, the new twist on the ballet look isn't about fluffy, pastel tutus or tragic, dying swans. It brings sophisticated comfort through volume and layers in smoky grays and neutrals.

So whether the lithe ladies of the Washington Ballet -- performing Septime Webre's "Carmina Burana" through the weekend -- are glimpsed lacing up their slippers backstage or spotted exiting rehearsal, they'll undoubtedly look au courant.

-- Cory Ohlendorf