The Nationals have a 19-23 record against the Orioles since 2006.

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For years, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles were relegated to the bottom of the standings. But things have changed. The misery of the area’s two ballclubs — which face each other in a four-game series starting Monday — ended in 2012, when both Washington and Baltimore reached the playoffs. It was the first trip to the postseason for the Nationals since the team moved to the District in 2005, and the Orioles’ first appearance since 1997.

The Nationals’ recent success can be attributed to hitting on a number of high draft picks. Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Drew Storen, Ross Detwiler and Ryan Zimmerman, all first-round selections, have become key contributors. Second baseman Danny Espinosa and shortstop Ian Desmond were third-round picks.

With the roster the Nationals were building, it was only a matter of time until they started to win. After a 98-64 season in 2012, expectations were high entering this season. But Washington has stumbled to a 24-23 record so far in 2013.

“Everyone in here wants to win,” Desmond said. “That’s good. You got guys that want to get the job done. They want to succeed. That’s what you want. There is a fine line for us. When it goes good, it’s great. When it doesn’t, everyone questions what you’re doing.

“We want that expectation. We played for it. We busted our butts last year to get it.”

Conversely, the Orioles came out of nowhere a year ago. Projected to finish near the bottom of the AL East, the Orioles went on to earn a wild-card berth.

The franchises have become more accustomed to winning, but both have sputtered over the past couple weeks. The Orioles were riding a six-game losing streak before winning two games over the New York Yankees. The Nationals just ended a 10-game West Coast road trip at 4-6. Yet both teams are still only a few games back of the division lead.

“Anytime you’re going through tough stretches, you try to look back and see what was going right when you’re winning ball games,” Orioles first baseman Chris Davis said. “That’s a lesson you’ll never lose, whether it was last year or two years ago. We have guys in here who know how to win.”

Washington will host Baltimore at Nationals Park on Monday and Tuesday before playing the final two games of the series at Camden Yards.

“It’s a new year, but it’s the same attitude,” Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said. “If you’re looking for similarities between this year and last year, look no further than the attitude of the team. We’re just, every day, showing up ready to play no matter how last night or the night before or the last at-bat went. We’re hungry.”

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III threw passes to other injured skill players at Thursday’s organized team activities.

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The Washington Redskins opened their doors to the media Thursday, allowing a glimpse of the entire team in action during this first week of organized team activities. But the focus was on one person — Robert Griffin III.

Less than five months after the quarterback’s reconstructive knee surgery, Griffin was back on the practice field, throwing passes, executing handoffs and running from end zone to end zone. He looked completely transformed from the hobbled player who tore ligaments in his right knee in last season’s playoff game against Seattle.

Wearing a black compression shirt, shorts and neon-yellow cleats, Griffin moved around with ease, laughing with his teammates and watching intently as Kirk Cousins led the first team through scripted plays during practice.

Afterward, in his first meeting with the assembled media since his injury, Griffin was candid and charismatic.

“The knee feels great,” he said at the news conference. “I’m able to do all the stuff out there without any hesitation. I’m excited about that. It’s all about having that confidence. It’s about playing like you were never injured.”

Griffin persuaded Redskins coach Mike Shanahan to set aside some space on the practice field for the quarterback and other injured skill players to work, including tight end Fred Davis, who is recovering from an Achilles injury.

“He looks great,” Davis said of Griffin.

It was a far different feeling a few months ago, when Griffin prepared for surgery. At the time, he didn’t know whether his ACL was torn or not. He woke up after the procedure to discover that it indeed was torn, making his recovery even more challenging.

“It was tough,” he said. “Yeah, I cried. Real men cry. As soon as we finished our little cry festival, I put the date of the first week in my phone and that was my goal since then.”

Griffin said the two major obstacles left in his rehab are explosive sprinting and cutting, and that he’s a bit ahead of schedule. He hopes to be ready for training camp but said he could play in Week 1 without seeing any preseason snaps.

Shanahan wasn’t as quick to commit to Griffin’s timetable, but both acknowledged that they did discuss the events that led to the quarterback’s injury, with Griffin saying the pair “hashed everything out” and that there are no hard feelings.

“It was an unfortunate situation at the end of the season,” Griffin said. “The only thing that needed repair from last season was my knee, and that is repaired. I’m ready to go.”

The Red Hen’s custom-made grill rests in a brick hearth.

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If you sent back every meal you ordered that arrived burned, your dinner at Del Campo would turn into a sleepover. Chef Victor Albisu regularly chars the ingredients at his new South American grill, doing his part to highlight the distinction between burned and burnt. “One is an elevation of simple cooking and one is a mistake,” Albisu says. Cooking techniques that rely heavily on smoke and open flames, when used correctly, can heighten flavors and produce more complex textures. We visited three D.C. restaurants that harness the power of extreme heat.

Kushi Izakaya and Sushi

465 K St. NW; 202-682-3123, Eatkushi.tumblr.com. (Mt. Vernon Square)

The menu at Kushi Izakaya and Sushi is anchored by skewered meat and vegetables prepared on a traditional kushiyaki (Japanese for “skewer grill”). What sets a kushiyaki apart from traditional grills, owner Darren Norris says, are “the shape and design of the grill itself. The long, narrow charcoal pit allows for a very intense heat.”
Within the grill, Kushi ignites high-quality, traditional Japanese oak binchotan charcoal, which is virtually smokeless and burns at over 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and American hardwood charcoal. The high heat sears with few impurities and produces a rich, smoky flavor in meats and vegetables. One of the restaurant’s most popular items, the pork belly skewers ($4.50) crackle above the heat and arrive juicy and piping hot.

Del Campo

777 I St. NW; 202-289-7377, Delcampodc.com. (Gallery Place)

At Del Campo, even the cocktails are grilled. Among other smoky sips, the Chinatown newcomer serves a Limonada Sucia ($10) made from vodka and the juice of a fresh lemon that’s thrown on the grill just before it’s squeezed. The results are reminiscent of mezcal.
Albisu leans heavily on the South American tradition of asado (Spanish for “roasted”) he grew up with, serving an assortment of meats prepared over an open flame, including beef, lamb, sweetbreads, blood sausages and marrow. “I grill meat, but I don’t char it,” the Falls Church-raised chef says. “I prefer to char vegetables.”
Blackened beets, grilled corn and smoked tomatoes are evidence of this preoccupation with produce. They make for crispy complements to meats smoked over a bundle of smoldering herbs.

The Red Hen

1822 1st St. NW; 202-525-3021, Theredhendc.com.

At his new Bloomingdale trattoria, chef Michael Friedman cooks Italian-inspired eats on a custom grill from Michigan’s Grillworks Inc.
Red Hen burns a wood fire at a consistent 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, so the restaurant and the surrounding streets perpetually smell of campfire. “That smell didn’t exist in D.C. yet,” Friedman says proudly.
Red Hen’s fire pit is housed in a brick hearth within the open kitchen. It features several temperature zones that allow Friedman to control the heat intensity: The difference between a hard sear and a slow roast is a matter of inches.
Beyond the hearth, Friedman is working these types of flavors into dishes that are not traditionally smoked. The aioli, which makes its way onto the celebrated crostini ($5-$6) and dishes like roasted scallops with calamari, squid ink and chard ($19), is made using oil with hot embers dissolved in it.
“We’re constantly trying to find new ways to introduce that smoky flavor into dishes,” Friedman says. “What’s stopping me from throwing pecan shells on the fire or charring grapefruits for sorbet?”

As co-owners of New York’s Artichoke Basille pizzerias, cousins and co-chefs Sal Basille and Francis Garcia know about slinging dough. The pair show off their pie intelligence in the new Cooking Channel series “Pizza Cuz” (9 p.m. Mondays), which sees them checking out pizzerias around the U.S.

Crust is so crucial in pizza. What’s the key to making it?
Francis Garcia: Use good ingredients! And don’t use hard water; it won’t work wonders on the dough. And beyond that, experience.
Sal Basille: And if you’re new at dough-making, you can always go to your neighborhood pizzeria and buy it. Most of them will sell it to you cheap.

What’s the easiest way to ruin a pie?
SB: If you put too much of one ingredient on the pizza, you may spoil the dish.
FG: Yeah, don’t overtop a pizza, either, or it’ll have no body. You’ll have a soggy mess.

What’s the secret to a good sauce?
SB: To me, it’s all about the right tomatoes. We really like Nina brand canned ones. Don’t use puree, don’t use crushed. Just add olive oil and salt. A lot of places destroy pizza sauce by dumping in hot peppers, garlic and all this other stuff that’ll just give you heartburn.

You’ve been hitting pizzerias around the country. What’s the wildest type you’ve tried?
FG: I was blown away by this Indian pizzeria in San Francisco, Zante Pizza (Zantepizza.com). They make the dough with turmeric in it, and they put spinach curry sauce and baba ghanoush on it.

It sounds like there are regional American differences in pizza.
SB: Yes, there’s a place in Berkeley, Calif., that has sourdough crust!

Are there any ingredients that you can’t put on pizza?
SB: No — pizza is a blank canvas. You can put anything on it! If you like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, they’d work.

Pizzerias obviously have very hot ovens. What can we do at home to help us make pizza with regular appliances?
FG: You can do things to make your oven like a pizza oven. Use a pizza stone, or go to Home Depot, buy a box of quarry tiles and use those to line the bottom of the oven. That’ll do a pretty good job at really heating up the bottom of the pie. [Read more at Cookingchanneltv.com/shows/pizza-cuz.html.]

What about grilling pizza?
FG: I think grilled pizza can taste like cardboard. It’s hard to melt the toppings. But people do put pizza stones on their grills, and that can often work out OK.

OK, you get one last slice before dying — what’s on it?
FG: My electric-chair pizza? A simple combination of Pollio and Pecorino cheeses, anchovies and plum tomatoes. It’s a pizza we have at the restaurants called the Burnt Anchovy, and the fishes actually melt into the pie. It’s a real umami effect.

WE CAN’T TAKE HOW FAST IT IS, OR HOW FURIOUS.

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This week brings “Fast and Furious 6,” in which drivers are very, very, very, very, very, very fast. And furious! We’re glad none of these bad drivers from other movies are behind the wheel in this one.

Daisy Werthan
In 1989’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” an elderly woman (Jessica Tandy) gets a chauffeur after numerous crashes. Because the best way to get new stuff is to wreck your old stuff.

Annie Porter
In 1994’s “Speed,” Sandra Bullock ends up behind the wheel of a bomb-laden bus that can’t go under 50 mph. Good thing, since she lost her license for speeding.

Andy Washburn
“Taxi” is a 2004 film about a driving-impaired cop (Jimmy Fallon) who hires cab driver Queen Latifah to help him chase bank robbers. What’s the surcharge on that?

Buzz Lightyear et al.
Buzz and the boys swipe a Pizza Planet truck to rescue Woody in 1999’s “Toy Story 2.” The truck flies about with Buzz at the wheel, Slinky at the pedals and Hamm … reading the owner’s manual.

Nicky
Leslie Mann plays a booze-happy driver in 2005’s “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” She gets a sober Steve Carell to blow into the Breathalyzer-type device on her car’s ignition, then careens around singing “Get Ur Freak On.” It’s a driver’s ed film with a happy ending.

Khaled Hosseini became famous with his first novel, “The Kite Runner.”

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Ten years ago, Afghan-born author Khaled Hosseini found blockbuster fame with “The Kite Runner,” a tale of two boys set against the late-’70s fall of the Afghan monarchy. The novelist will discuss his new book, “And the Mountains Echoed,” Thursday at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue.

Do you consider your audience when beginning a book?
I always start with something that interests me personally. I can only enjoy writing when I’m writing for myself.

Your previous novels have shifted between your two homes, Afghanistan and California. This one involves France and Greece as well.
I never intended it to have many perspectives and many protagonists. But this book is like a tree. The trunk is a story about a boy and his sister, separated at a young age. That has multiple branches and multiple consequences.

Are you so interested in family ties because they endure even when people leave their original homes?
In Afghanistan, family is absolutely central. So difficulties within the family are inherently very dramatic.

What would you like Americans to know about Afghanistan?
That it’s not a hopeless place. Over 8 million children have gone back to school. Women are back in the workplace. Only a hardened cynic would say these things don’t matter.

Sixth and I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW; Thu., 7 p.m., $35 (includes book); 202-408-3100. (Gallery Place)

Now Netflix is dangling a frozen banana in front of me: 15 new episodes of the sitcom I love more than my own children: “Arrested Development.”

To find out about re-upping, I IM’d with a Netflix customer-service rep. Here’s what I learned:

Even though I am a former member, I’m still eligible for the “first month free” deal. I worried that if I were to watch all “AD” episodes, then cancel, Netflix would be mad. Netflix guy says: “Not at all. We will save your account information and you can come back whenever you’d like.” I just won’t get another free month in the same year.

To stream Netflix to a TV, you need a device such as a Blu-ray player, Roku or game console. Prices: $50 to $400. Find options at Netflix.com/nrd.

Netflix will not make the new episodes available on DVD at this time. But maybe someday. Then you could order the DVD, cancel your membership and pay a $14 “nonreturn fee” to keep the DVD forever.

As George Michael Bluth might say, “I like the way Netflix thinks.”

Shi-Queeta-Lee as Tina Turner, the ultimate diva.

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Drag queen Shi-Queeta-Lee (Jerry Van Hook) has been working it in Washington for 15 years: She performs Friday and Saturday nights at Town Danceboutique, and hosts the wildly popular Drag Brunch at Nellie’s on Sundays. Ahead of Sunday’s “A Drag Salute to the Divas,” she discussed the state of drag in D.C. and the next generation of drag.

How did you get your start in drag?
I’m from a small town called Gretna, Va., about four hours from here. When I got to D.C., I played with a gay softball league, and they had a fundraiser drag pageant where one team member had to participate. I sang “My Love Is Your Love” by Whitney Houston. I won $500 and thought, “You can make this much money doing drag for three minutes?”

How did you end up at the Howard?
When the Howard reopened, I said, “I’m gonna be the first queen to perform in this beautiful place.” We were the first queens to host the Howard since the 1960s.

Which divas do you perform?
I’ve done Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, Rihanna. This show I’m doing Tina again — with a special surprise.

Tell us about your reality show, “Drag City.”
I auditioned for “RuPaul’s Drag Race” five times and never got on. So I said, “I’ll do my own reality show” with the girls from Nellie’s. We show what we give back to the community as female impersonators. [In one episode,] we went to SMYAL [Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders] and talked to the [kids] who wanted to transition and talked to everyone about how to do drag makeup. The second season airs on DCTV in June.

Does D.C.’s drag scene have a lot of cross-pollination?
It depends on where you perform: Town is a variety; Remingtons is where the black queens perform; the Latina girls are at Club Fuego; Freddie’s Beach Bar is mainly the white girls; Ziegfeld’s is mixed.

New Face: Porcelain Sinclair (Bryce Keyser) has been doing drag for only a year, after winning Town’s “So You Think You’re a Drag Queen” contest. “I saw he could go further with some guidance,” Shi-Queeta-Lee says. “To give a new drag queen a start, I don’t mind helping them out if they’re committed.”

Detroit R&B artist Dwele digs avant-garde film, travel and D.C.’s trademark condiment.

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At the age of 6, Dwele was already mastering the piano. At 10, he was using it to channel his emotions after his father was murdered.

Given his circumstances, the Detroit native could have easily joined the modern hip-hop landscape that’s punctuated with boasts and violence. Instead, the R&B producer, singer and multi-instrumentalist has focused his music on the people and things he loves — many of which are reflected in his six albums, including last year’s “Greater Than One.” (He’s also been a featured artist on several megahits, including Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” and “Power” and Common’s “The People.”)

Dwele’s love of love is right there in his song titles: “I Think I Love U,” “Old Lovas,” “What’s Not to Love,” “Love You Right,” “This Love.”

“[Modern] R&B is wearing a lot of different hats these days,” the 35-year-old says. From club jams to the more soulful music that “works in the bedroom,” love permeates the genre. And Dwele loves a lot of things:

Film: “Video is an extension of audio, and audio is an extension of video,” the film buff says. Dwele’s favorite director is Spike Lee, and his favorite screenplay is “Love, Actually.” And, though choosing a favorite movie is difficult, he finally does: “Kanye put me on this crazy [1973] movie called ‘The Holy Mountain,’ and it’s real weird, but at the end of the day, it’s almost like abstract art,” he says. “You gotta watch the movie and then determine what it means to you.” Dwele’s tried his hand at directing, helming a recent video for Detroit hip-hop group Slum Village’s “Actin’ Normal.” He’s also directing a video for “Swank,” a track off “Greater Than One.”

Globe-Trotting: “Even before I got into music, traveling has been the love of my life,” Dwele says. If forced to settle somewhere beside his beloved Detroit, he’d choose London. The city provides a foreign experience that doesn’t necessarily feel foreign, he says. “The grass is green over there, but at the same time, it’s not too far away from what we know as Americans.”

D.C.: Dwele professes love for D.C., though he can’t decide on his favorite aspect. “The women are beautiful,” he says, but a recent culinary discover might win out. “I also just found out about mumbo sauce,” he says. “That’s all I can recommend right now.”

Inside Track
Dwele’s 2012 record, “Greater Than One,” features some sexy tracks, including the after-dark, kind-of-shocking “Obey.” Fifty Shades of Dwele?

Written by Express contributor Travis Andrews.

This TV season, we lost “30 Rock” to early retirement, but there are still plenty of sharp, silly and surprising sitcoms on the broadcast airwaves. As the season comes to a close for the summer, I’m handing out superlatives.

Most Valuable Program: “Parks and Recreation” pulled off a surprise wedding, showed us Ron Swanson has feelings and spent some time visiting D.C. But the most amazing thing is how, five seasons in, the show still got funnier.

Most Improved: “New Girl” got better when the writers realized the show was an ensemble comedy, not the adorkable story of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess. I also credit Jake Johnson’s breakout performance as the cantankerous Nick, whose will they/won’t they arc with Jess gave the show some emotional heft.

Most Likely to Succeed: While “The Mindy Project” still isn’t sure whether it wants to be a zany workplace comedy or a rom-com, no freshman sitcom kept me watching, or laughing, like “Mindy.”

In Memoriam: After three seasons, ABC axed “Happy Endings,” which had developed a rapid-fire comedic language of its own. There were rumors a cable network would revive it, but at the moment, “Happy Endings” is dead. I’ll always remember it fondly as the subject of my very first Express column.

Daft Punk helped lead the charge for the EDM (electronic dance music) genre. Being one with the machines is kind of the point of being an EDM DJ/producer. It’s a quest that begat Girl Talk and Skrillex. But is that making music? Isn’t being a DJ or producer just pushing buttons?

Daft Punk’s new album,“Random Access Memories,” is a legit disco record, with live instrumentation by session heavies including Chic frontman Nile Rogers and Fourplay bassist Nathan East. There are full orchestra parts that sound like the Moody Blues. It’s not all retro: Vocals by rapper Pharrell and Animal Collective’s Panda Bear fit right in.

It’s an expansively (and expensively) produced record. Daft Punk is showing what that term “producer” used to mean and can still mean. It is pushing buttons, but it’s also dreaming, recruiting, composing, conceptualizing, conducting, editing and being obsessive. “Doin’ It Right,” featuring Panda Bear, boils it down: “If you’re doing it right/ everybody will be dancing.”

U Street Music Hall will host a listening party for the album tonight, where you can see the results of that theory in action.

Roam Fitness co-founder Chris Geier, in the visor, leads a group on an OutRun through Glover Park — with stops to plank, carry sandbags and lift logs.

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A half-dozen people walked in to Roam Fitness for a recent class, and then they immediately went outside again.

They weren’t ditching the new gym, an intimate space in the basement of Glover Park’s Savoy Suites Hotel. They were embracing its motto: “Fitness without boundaries.” Although Roam has a physical space — along with cardio equipment, barbells, balls and mats — members are encouraged to spend as little time in there as possible.

“People want to do real stuff again,” says co-founder Graham King, who believes this whole city can serve as a gym. “You don’t have to imagine the hills. You can run the hills.”

And you certainly will during Roam’s signature class, OutRun, which is offered most mornings and weekday evenings. Developed by co-founder Chris Geier, it’s a group run for people who want to do more than just log mileage. About every quarter-mile to half-mile, Geier barks out a command to halt and perform a strength-training exercise.

It can be burpees, lunges and sit-ups in a patch of grass, toe raises on the edge of a curb, tricep dips on a stair railing or pull-ups on a playground set. Geier totes along resistance bands in his backpack for extra challenges, and sometimes another trainer shows up midway through the 3-to-5-mile route with goodies such as kettlebells or sandbags — and, thankfully, water.

“There’s always a little bit of the unknown. You don’t know what you’re going to get,” says Andrew Meehan, 31, who’s been coming back even though he doesn’t typically like to run.

Part of Geier’s sales pitch for the program is that you never need to go all that far at once, which makes the distance more doable for people who don’t think of themselves as runners. Still scared? He plans to offer intro OutRuns soon, as well as outings for advanced runners, dog owners and parents with strollers.

No matter who’s in each group, Geier says, the frequent stops help keep everyone together: “I don’t give them a chance to separate.”

Between chitchatting en route and the partner exercises, OutRun is a social experience, says 24-year-old Mariella Torres. That helps her push harder than she would if she were training solo. But the reason she’s “obsessed” with the program is that it’s introduced her to her own neighborhood.

“I’ve lived here for a year and a half, and there are trails we’ve been on that I didn’t know existed,” Torres says.

Geier’s hobby is tracking down interesting tunnels, gardens and greenery, and he strives to pick routes with a few surprises along the way. There are a bunch of gems around Glover Park and Georgetown, but he also has plans to take advantage of the hotel van — which can haul 20 people — to start OutRuns from different spots around the region. He’d like to get folks over to Fort Dupont Park in Southeast and into Virginia for a visit to the Mount Vernon Trail.

“I want them always seeing something new,” Geier says. And that includes a better view in the mirror.

Details

Try classes at Roam Fitness for free through May 31. Membership options will be $50-$95, depending on the number of classes and personal training sessions included. All members receive 15 percent off at Twist (the hotel’s restaurant) and 10 percent off personal training. Drop-in classes will be $25, or available in 10-packs for $200. A free seven-day membership will also be available to newcomers. Get more information at Roamfitnessdc.com.

Out There: The gym offers four types of classes, all of which can be held outside, says co-founder Graham King. In addition to OutRun, the schedule features RowCon (think cycling class, but on rowing machines and with calisthenics added), Yoga + Mobility (poses blended with dynamic athletic drills, designed to get folks moving off the mat) and Barbell 5/3/1 (a structured strength-building program). These three are held outside only in nice weather, while OutRun isn’t dependent on the forecast. The only reason it’ll get canceled? Lightning.

How can I stop being so judgmental about some friends of mine who I think are very spoiled? They are almost 27 years old, but they still live like college students, getting a lot of financial support from their parents. (One’s just bought them a nice condo.) -Boy, Are They Irritating

I’m sure some of their behavior is annoying. But you’ve got to do some soul-searching to determine why it feels so personal to you.

Are you struggling financially? Do you have issues with your own parents that make your friends’ seemingly charmed lives feel particularly painful? Or is it them — do they flaunt it? Are they spoiled or irresponsible in ways that make them bad friends?

Occasional, fleeting envy or resentment at someone’s oversized Easy Street mansion is always normal, as anyone who’s ever logged into Facebook knows. But dwelling on it can make your own negative feelings worse and is often indicative of stress or insecurity about your own life. If they’re good people overall and still well-matched to you as friends (a big “if”), you’d be wise to examine your own feelings and see if something deeper has been getting your goat lately.

Terrible Timing For a Breakup

I’ve been dating this guy for almost two years, and as of a few weeks ago, was ready to seriously consider breaking up with him. And then his father was diagnosed with cancer. It feels so wrong to even consider breaking up now. But I honestly don’t see our issues getting any better. I sort of want to cut my losses but not hurt him unduly. -Feeling Stuck

There’s no doubt that this is an excruciating situation to be in, but I think you realize that staying with him solely because of his dad’s diagnosis won’t do anyone any favors. Still, dropping an additional stress bomb isn’t helpful, either, so spend the next few weeks giving him the support he needs as the reality of the diagnosis sets in.

When the initial shock wanes, you can initiate discussions about your feelings. (This also buys you time to make sure that breaking up is what you really want.) Once the breakup is done, there’s a chance he’ll want you out of his life completely. But if he’s willing to be one of the few cases where “Let’s remain friends” actually carries some truth, you can continue to be a support for him and his family even once you’re no longer his girlfriend.

Instructor Alani Kravitz lets her fringe fly while showing off some flapper-inspired steps.

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With “The Great Gatsby” in theaters, it seems the Jazz Age is all the rage. Even “Downton Abbey” has finally entered the 1920s. So it was only a matter of time until Washington Sports Clubs followed suit.

What It Is: “Where am I this morning?” instructor Alani Kravitz asked her class last Wednesday. “In a flapper dress.” The attire fit the mood for Speakeasy Sweat, a 45-minute Zumba class with a twist. Instead of the traditional Latin rhythms, cardio seekers shake it to the kind of swing music you’d expect at a Gatsby bash.

Moves: Forget salsa, rumba and meringue. Speakeasy Sweat relies on the classic dance of the 1920s — the Charleston.

“In the ’20s, the Charleston was sort of a liberation,” says Kravitz, who holds a degree in musical theater. “They were broken free of this rigid ‘you have to waltz’ [idea].”

The step mimics salsa’s right-foot-forward, left-foot-back simplicity — but with a serious kick.

“It’s even more cardio than regular Zumba,” Kravitz says.

Don’t get too comfortable flinging your limbs, however, because Kravitz has other ways to hoof it. When a rock ’n’ roll version of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” started playing, she switched to a prowling style of choreography that looked borrowed from a Bob Fosse number.

“The slow ones let people really melt into the movement,” Kravitz says of the slinkier routines.

The kicks in the Charleston encourage students’ heart rates to spike.

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Workout: Like the flappers of the 1920s, attendees at Speakeasy Sweat left class with a flush in their cheeks.

“It was a lot harder than I expected,” said Natalie Draisin, 25, who had planned to go straight to the office from class. “I think I’m gonna have to take a shower.”

Crowd: The time-traveling opportunity lured Blair Coward, 25, who was intrigued by the Gatsby-ish vibe after watching the movie and falling for its soundtrack. She was in luck: Half of the songs came from the Jay-Z-curated album.

Just as Gatsby invited everyone to his house parties, the class welcomes anyone who wants to dance. A background in Zumba isn’t required — and neither is a viewing of the Leonardo DiCaprio flick. (“You can just have a healthy appreciation for the 1920s,” Coward said.)

Garb: Only Kravitz wore fringe, but long strings of pearls and jaunty hats may help you get into the swing of things.

Through June 7; Mondays at 12:15 p.m. at 783 Seventh St. NW and Wednesdays at 7 a.m. at 1345 F St. Free to members and nonmembers. Go to Mysportsclubs.com for details.

With help from Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie is recovering from a double mastectomy.

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After Angelina Jolie learned she carried a “faulty” BRCA1 gene, which dramatically increases the risk of breast cancer, she had a double mastectomy. By her side was fiance Brad Pitt, who said, “All I want is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children.”

Not every guy is quite as perfect.

When Elissa Bantug of Columbia, Md., came home after her double mastectomy in 2005, her live-in boyfriend slept in the guest room to give her “space to spread out and heal.” Bantug wishes she’d said, “I need you here.’ ”

Conversation doesn’t always come easily when mastectomy is the subject, says oncology counselor Shara Sosa of Life with Cancer, a Fairfax-based support program.

She’s heard men joke, “Look, babe, you get a free boob job!” Some women might laugh; others will cringe. Even the best-intentioned remark (“I never cared about your breasts”) can backfire if the woman is mourning their loss.

“It’s OK [for the partner] to say, ‘I miss them, too,’ ” says Lindsey Hoskins, a marriage therapist in Bethesda. Then add: “I love you for all the parts of you. I’m not going to love you any less.”

While Jolie has said she feels “beautiful” after her reconstructive surgery, couples may struggle. A rebuilt-breast-in-progress, with drains and red incisions, might bring a look of shock or confusion to the partner’s face, says Lillie Shockney, administrative director of the Johns Hopkins Breast Center. Reviewing photos that depict the stages of reconstruction can be instructive.

After surgery, a couple’s intimate life may change. A reconstructed breast offers diminished sexual sensation in some patients, no feeling in others. Women have told Sosa, “I let him touch them but it’s not enjoyable.”

Sosa suggests women be direct about what they do want. Recovering from her double mastectomy, Sue Friedman, who heads the group Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered, would tell her husband exactly what she needed. Some days it would be “Tell me I’m beautiful.”

Partners, meanwhile, can make amends for mess-ups. Ask for a do-over, Sosa advises. And plead ignorance: “I don’t know what this is like for you, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Bantug and her boyfriend can testify that it’s possible to rebound from a rocky start. They did go on to talk about her surgery. He told her that cosmetic concerns are “just that — superficial.”

Today, they’re happily married with kids.

Resources

A woman who’s tested positive for a BRCA mutation — or who wants to find out if she’s at risk — can turn to several groups for support:

-Bright Pink (Brightpink.org). The informative site for this national group has an online quiz to assess risk. Contact the D.C. metro chapter at WashingtonDC@bebrightpink.org.

-Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered (Facingourrisk.org). With the acronym FORCE, this national group has a comprehensive site, with tools to record your medical history. The website can connect you to the D.C.-area chapter.

-Life With Cancer (Lifewithcancer.org). Its “Hereditary Breast Cancer Group” meets at 7:15 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month at LWC’s Family Center in Fairfax.

Marc Silver is the author of the 2004 book “Breast Cancer Husband.”