Pacific Northwest Ballet

Don Q Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Principal Dancer Maria Chapman

2012-01-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

PNB principal dancer Maria Chapman as Mercedes in Alexei Ratmansky's Don Quixote.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

What role(s) are you learning for Don Quixote? Have you danced in other Don Quixote productions before?
This will be my first production of Don Quixote, and I am learning two roles; Mercedes and the Queen of the Dryads. Mercedes is a sassy street dancer, and she enjoys showing off by dancing around the bullfighters’ knives. The Queen of the Dryads is a beautiful nymph who appears in Don Quixote’s dream, in Act 2.

What are you excited about for this premiere of Don Quixote?
I am excited to work with Alexei Ratmansky again. I enjoyed working with him briefly on Concerto DSCH last season, and I look forward to spending more time with him working on Don Quixote.

How long have you been rehearsing for this production?
I rehearsed Don Q for a couple of weeks in August, and we rehearsed for a few weeks in December, in addition to performing the Nutcracker. Now that it is January, we'll concentrate fully on Don Q as we ramp up for the February performances.

What has the process been like, learning this ballet?
Learning the new production of Don Q has been fun because many wonderful guest stagers have visited Seattle to teach us the choreography.

What preparations do you do, outside of rehearsals, to prepare for new roles and/or performances?
When I am learning a new role, I study videos of dancers performing the roles I am learning. I can look up a lot of these clips on YouTube to see how dancers all over the world dance my roles. As always, I spend a lot of time prepping my pointe shoes!

Pacific Norhtwest Ballet Presents
Don Quixote at McCaw Hall
February 3-12, 2012
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or www.pnb.org

The Story of Don Quixote-Act 3

2012-01-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy Dutch National Ballet

Act Three, Scene 1

Kitri and Basilio are enjoying themselves with Espada, Mercedes, and a group of friends in a tavern filled with gypsies, bullfighters, and other high-spirited folk. Kitri thinks she has escaped her forced marriage to Gamache. Unfortunately, it is not so easy, as her father and his followers manage to find them this time. The lovers hide, but Kitri is found and taken home.

PNB principal dancers Rachel Foster
and Seth Orza © Angela Sterling.

Act Three, Scene 2

But then Basilio appears and stabs himself because his heart is broken. Kitri realizes straightaway that he has only pretended to kill himself. Supposedly broken-hearted, she begs Don Quixote to persuade Lorenzo to give his blessing to her and the dead Basilio. After all, she can still marry Gamache afterwards, as a widow. But as soon as the blessing has been given, Basilio jumps up. He has fooled everyone. Gamache is furious and challenges the Don to a duel. But neither of them can fight, and Lorenzo becomes reconciled to his fate. And while the wedding of Kitri and Basilio is being celebrated, the Don and his squire go off in search of new adventures. (Story courtesy Dutch National Ballet).

Don Quixote at PNB
Feb. 3-12, 2012 at McCaw Hall
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Don Q Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Music Director Emil de Cou

2012-01-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

How many orchestra members are in the PNB Orchestra?
It varies from program to program. For Don Quixote, we’ll have 62-64 musicians. It’s a pretty big symphony orchestra. When you come to the show, it’s always fun to come and look in {the pit} because there are a lot of people down there that you don’t really see during the performance. The fun thing with Don Quixote is that it’s like doing a live Hollywood film. You have all the elements of a movie—a storyline, soundtrack, costumes, lights, set, actors—but it’s done live every night.

What preparations will the PNB music department undertake for the premiere of Don Q?
For me, I get the score in advance and I go to the studio during piano rehearsals. We have 3 company pianists on staff. They have to practice the music at home, and it’s a new ballet so they’ll also get a DVD of the ballet to study and make annotations about the dance steps on their score. Then they go to the first rehearsal, and I sit by the piano and conduct the piano.

The orchestra musicians will get the score a month in advance and practice their parts at home. We only have 6 hours of orchestra rehearsal, and it’s a whole evening of music so that’s not that much time. Then we have 3 hours of time with a stage rehearsal and then we have opening night. So, it’s a pretty quick process with the orchestra.

So the orchestra has 6 hours alone?
Yes, then three hours with the dancers for dress rehearsal. So, we’ll probably run it straight through and then do notes either after each act or at the very end. We might have 45 minutes left over to rehearse things, and whatever Peter [Boal] wants to rehearse.

That’s not much time at all.
It’s not! That’s why you have to be really prepared in advance. People think rehearsals are where you learn the music. But rehearsals are where you know the music and you rehearse the musical part of it, not the note part.

How much time will orchestra members spend at home rehearsing?
It depends on the instrument. The first violins play most of the music and most of the melody, also the woodwinds, flutes, and oboes have more melodic music so it’s harder for them. They could spend anywhere between 2-4 hours practicing their parts in advance. Not all of it is hard, so you focus on the parts that are the most demanding.

Is it different because it’s a premiere?
I go to more rehearsals than I would otherwise because it’s not just new to me; it’s new to the dancers too. Alexei Ratmansky was here for rehearsals in December, and I went to all them because it’s his ballet. It’s very interestingwatching him work with our dancers. He’s very, very detailed. He stops a lot but it’s always really encouraging and very kind, positive, and upbeat. It’s his ballet and you also want to get his point of view—why he’s doing this, how he develops the characters and what the characters are supposed to feel. It has a subtle influence, but an important influence, on how you look at music.

Did he have specific tempo requests?
He does; he likes it fast. I’m used to following the dancers incredibly closely, and was trained to watch the dancers and follow every step. In this version {Alexi} wants the music to lead and to go quickly. I have to divorce myself from just following toe shoes and waiting for someone to balance and then catch up. It’s about showmanship too, but it’s more about storytelling.

Have you conducted this score before?
I have conducted two other productions of Don Quixote. It’s always different. The famous dance parts are pretty much the same, but every version of this ballet puts it in different order or adds some other pieces, take other pieces out. It’s not like Swan Lake or The Sleeping Beauty where it’s pretty much standard and the music is left alone. Don Q is really more like a film score than it is a symphony. Tchaikovsky ballets are more like a symphony. Stravinsky’s Petruschka or Firebird are more like a tone poem. This is more like a film underscoring or like a musical. Like with a production of Carousel or Sound of Music, people take things out and move things around a little bit to make it your own. This will be new for me because I’ve never done this particular production.

What is the hallmark of the Don Q score? What comes to mind when you think of the score?
It’s very Spanish. It sounds like one of the great Spanish composers. Which is funny, because Minkus was an Austrian living in Russsia. He was writing music to sound purposefully exotic. Because in the mid 1800’s in Russia, to have a ballet about Don Q set in Spain, it was very exotic because people couldn’t travel that far.

What is like having the dancers play instruments on stage?
Well, it’s tricky because we have some of the same instruments in the pit. It’s really hard to dance and play the castanets; it’s hard to play the castanets period. For the dancers, the castanets are two pieces of wood cupped in your hand and you hit them in your hand. Castanets in orchestras are taken apart. They’re dissected and the two parts are there suspended above about an inch {side by side} and they’re hit on metal. When Kitri comes on stage she has to run, think of her steps, and jump and do all of this crazy stuff, AND play the castanets. So, what we will do is play the castanets with her in the pit, just in case she misses a beat.

One of my favorite parts of Don Quixote is in the 3^rd act, when Basilio lifts Kitri with one hand and holds her in the air sideways while she’s holding a tambourine. And, she’s supposed to shake it really, really loud because the music has a pause. It’s really hard to shake a tambourine when you’re being held 20 feet in the air by a guy with one hand, and you don’t want to fall. So, we’ll double the tambourine there so she doesn’t have to do all the work. She’ll play too; the dancers have very good rythm--they have to.

The Story of Don Quixote-Act 2

2012-01-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Production photos courtesy of Dutch National Ballet © Angala Sterling.

Act 2, Scene 1
On a plateau in the mountains, a troupe of traveling actors has set up camp. Kitri and Basilio appear and ask the actors to help them escape. While the group performs, Kitri and Basilio put on costumes and join in. When Lorenzo and Gamache arrive at the camp, they are told Kitri and Basilio have left and are pointed in the opposite direction. Their departure is followed by the arrival of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The Don watches the performances and sees the characters in the play as real; however, he does not realize that Kitri is part of the performance. When he sees the princess is being beset by the devil, he destroys the whole camp. Everyone leaves except for a battered Don Quixote, attended to by Sancho Panza. The dazed Don thinks the windmills on the plateau are monsters and he sees Dulcinea in the moon.

Production photos courtesy of Dutch National Ballet © Angala Sterling.

Act 2, Scene 2
At night, Don Quixote is plagued by dreams. Gradually his nightmare turns into a heavenly vision. He dreams of seductive wood nymphs and charming cherubs. And the radiant central figure in all this bliss is his Dulcinea. As the Don has saved her and vanquished the monsters, the queen of the wood nymphs crowns him with a laurel wreath. Sancho Panza appears and tries to revive his master with wine. When the Don finally wakes up, Sancho Panza, Joanna, and Carasco take him back to his home.

Don Quixote at Pacific Northwest Ballet

February 3-12, 2012 at McCaw Hall
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Don Q Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Larae Hascall, Costume Shop Manger

2012-01-10T11:58:00.000-08:00

Q: How large is the production? In comparison to other ballets in our repertory?

There are about 300 costumes, but many of them are duplicates. [Dutch National Ballet] had more people on stage than we will. They also built a lot of extra costumes, some of which haven’t been worn yet. It is a big, complicated show. I think it a lot of ways it’s equal in size to Sleeping Beauty, but not in complexity. We also know Sleeping Beauty, and we don’t know this one, so it seems huge.

Some things are fairly simple, like the Seguidillas. They have a blouse and a skirt, and accessories. So, they have many pieces, and they take a piece off for the first act, and add something for the 3rd act. We’ll have really tight casting, so there won’t be a lot of changes.

Q: How did we get the costumes?
They were shipped. The first shipment came in the summer along with many of the props. They came by ship from Amsterdam and we got over 80 boxes. They’re different sizes, and some of them are huge. The contract was that we had the Dutch National Ballet wardrobe supervisor come over for our first fittings. When we opened the boxes, he was here to help explain what things were, show us how they work, and help with the first fittings. We did a week of fittings with him and we tried to do one of everything. Then we put everything away. Now we’re going through and having fitting with dancers and learning the costumes. I knew I couldn’t do it all on my own, so Pauline Smith (First Hand) has been assigned early on to learn this show.

Whenever we have a rental, we take basic measurements of the costumes so you have a place to start—that skirt will be too short for that dancer or that waist won’t fit. So we can go to rack and have an idea of where to start with the dancers. That’s been working so far.

Q: How many staff members will work on this production?
In the shop, everyone will work on it—12 or 13 of us. Then, we’re hiring a specialty wig and makeup crew of 9 people for each show, including someone for the children’s hair. We don’t know how many dressers we’re going to need yet; we haven’t counted. Nutcracker uses 13 dressers and 2-3 maintenance on every show. So, it’s going to be around 25 people in the theater for each show of Don Q. It’s a lot, it’s a big show. Sleeping Beauty is close to this- huge dressing crew, huge maintenance crew, and a wig crew of 6. So, it’s kind of like a SB. It’s a monster—but bigger!

Q: What happens after the show?
We have on day to clean everything that’s washable and put it back in the boxes and send it back. They will do the dry cleaning and charge us for it, which is standard for costume rentals. We also have to restore any major alterations we’ve done. We’ll feel like we’re done with the show on Sunday, but we’ll have a full day’s work to get it back in the boxes to ship on Tuesday.

We got the shipment in July and opened the boxes in August. We haven’t gotten the wigs yet and we have a few other extra costumes coming soon. We did a lot in the summer and then put it away. Pauline’s been continuing to work on it, and we’ve had to order shoes ahead of time.

When they first stared rehearsals, Pat Stovall (Men’s Wardrobe) and I made rehearsal capes. They didn’t want us to use the real capes. We unpacked a real cape, Pat made a pattern off it, and we didn’t have any to make them so I did!

Q: Anything else?
We’re pretty excited. I think it’s going to be fun and beautiful. And maybe it won’t be as hard as we think. I mean, some people look at what we do with our Nutcracker. It’s a hard show. It’s a complicated show. And I know it is, but at the same time I know it really well so it doesn’t seem that bad. So that’s what I expect with this, we’ll really get it and then we’ll have to send it back.

Don Quixote at Pacific Northwest Ballet

February 3-12, 2012
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Click here to watch the Don Quixote trailer.
Click here to watch a the photoshoot webcast.

The Story of Don Quixote-Act 1

2012-01-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

Principal dancer Batkhurel Bold with Company dancers.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

Act One, Scene 1

In Don Quixote’s study, his niece Joanna is talking to Carasco, his servant. They are worried about the Don, who is slowly but surely being driven mad by all his reading. They therefore decide to hide the Don’s books.

Meanwhile, Don Quixote comes into the study, totally absorbed in his umpteenth novel about knights in armor. He identifies with the knights who roamed the world long before his time and fought for a lady’s honor at tournaments. He discovers that his books have disappeared, which he believes to be the work of an angry archenemy. In his imagination, he wages battle against this enemy. There, he sees the beautiful Dulcinea, who is held captive by monsters and is crying for help. Don Quixote imagines rescuing her.

Suddenly, the household is startled by a loud noise. It is coming from a group of women chasing a yokel who has stolen a cockerel from them at the market. The irritated Don doesn’t understand what they want and sends them away. Then he discovers the thief, Sancho Panza, who has crawled in through the window during his escape. In Sancho Panza, the Don sees the squire he needs so badly as a prospective knight errant. And together, the “knight” and his squire set off into the wide world.

Principal dancer Maria Chapman with Company dancers.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

Act One, Scene 2

A huge crowd is milling around on a square in Barcelona. Kitri, the daughter of the innkeeper Lorenzo, is having fun with her friends, Juanita and Piccilia, and flirting with the young barber Basilio. The couple is in love, but Kitri’s father won’t hear of their marriage. He wants his daughter to marry a rich suitor, the rather ridiculous Gamache, who lives opposite the inn. But Kitri ignores his advances and, to her father’s fury, haughtily rejects him.

As it is a public holiday, there are performances on the square. First comes Mercedes, a street dancer, followed by a group of bullfighters, including the famous torero Espada, who swing their capes and dance bullfighting scenes. Then two strange-looking characters arrive: Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. While the latter is teased and taunted by the women on the square, Don Quixote is overwhelmed by the beauty of Kitri, in whom he recognizes his dream woman Dulcinea. To make Basilio jealous, she plays up to the Don’s advances. But when the square erupts in commotion because Sancho Panza has stolen food again, she and Basilio seize their chance to escape together, hotly pursued by Lorenzo and Gamache.

Don Quixote at Pacific Northwest Ballet

February 3-12, 2012 at McCaw Hall
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Don Q Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Norbert Herriges, PNB's Technical Director

2012-01-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Norbert Herriges.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

Q: How large is this production of Don Quixote in terms of sets, backdrops, props, etc.?
A: The sets and props filled seven 40’ high cube containers; costumes filled another container. These are the large containers that you see at the port coming in on ocean-going ships. For most of our story ballets the stage is set to create between 1700-1800 square feet of dancing space. Don Quixote is so expansive that there will be 2200 square feet of dancing space. There was more lumber and building material used to construct this ballet than Coppelia, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty combined.The set and costumes together has been said to be of a value of $3,000,000.

Q: What considerations will be made in order to recreate the production at McCaw Hall?

A: We normally set the stage to 50’ wide. For Don Quixote we will open it up to 52’. For this production that is small, however, it will be set to that size due to the limits of our stage. Considering its size and multiplying that with the fact that it is new to us will make mounting the show challenging to say the least. Many more theatre hours will be required than usual.

Q: How did the scenic elements arrive at PNB?

A: Last July the props and costumes arrived in two of the 40’ containers. These arrived early because alterations had to be made to costumes. The props were needed for early rehearsals that were held in July and August.The set arrived in the remaining six containers at the end of November to McCaw Hall. This was scheduled so that some of the set could be assembled early to eliminate the need to do everything during January.

Q: How much time will be needed to prepare the production?

A: We have been preparing for Don Quixote on and off since last July.

Q: How many staff members/technicians will work on Don Quixote?

A: A total of 60 different people will have worked on the technical aspects of the production, including production staff, crew, and designers. Approximately 52 production staff and technicians will load it in to McCaw Hall; 3 staff members from Dutch National Ballet will assist with load in and technical rehearsals; 34 crew members will work during the performances.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share about the production?

A: I will be excited to open it!

The Tavern - Act III

Pacific Northwest Ballet is honored to present the American Premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s spectacular, full-length Don Quixote. The largest production ever presented in PNB’s history, Don Q runs from February 3 through 12, 2012 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street, or online at www.pnb.org.

Notes from the Orchestra Pit #2

2011-12-20T17:06:00.000-08:00

I’m Tom Dziekonski, a violinist in the PacificNorthwest Ballet Orchestra. For Nutcracker, I’m the person that decorates the pit with the wacky lights and who writes the orchestral gags for the “nutty” show on Christmas Eve. (That Pink Panther outfit you may have seen during the midnight chime I got from London.)

When I was a kid back in the 1960’s, I was of that adolescent mindset that the best gift to give anybody was stuff you wanted yourself. So I bought my dad an LP of the Nutcracker Suite, and I subsequently wore the record out. I couldn’t have enough of it. Yet in all my subsequent years of playing violin in the Youth Symphony and in college and whatnot, that piece never appeared in the repertoire.

So a friend suggested that I just call the Symphony personnel manager. Playing with the Symphony itself didn’t particularly interest me, but playing the Ballet seemed really ultra cool, probably because I knew nothing about ballet. He knew who I was, and that I was a very good player. “I’d love to do the Nutcracker.” I was hired as an extra, as was my wife on cello. Incredible.

That was over 20 years ago, which means we’ve done at least 400 Nutcracker performances. And the Nutcracker is still ultra cool. The people are great. But there are new dimensions to it that I never would have imagined back then. Our daughter got to participate in the Act I fight scene for 3 seasons. The children of the dancers I’d enjoyed seeing on stage are starting to show up in recent casts. The Ballet just got a fabulous new music director. It’s the best.

And my wife is glad that I no longer give gifts I would just want for myself.

Coming to the show this weekend? Be sure to head down to the orchestra pit at intermission to check out Tom's lights, and meet some of the PNB musicians!

Just How Big is PNB's Nutcracker?

2011-12-08T15:19:00.000-08:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet's production is larger than life in many ways. Here a handful of fun facts to help answer this question.

Choreographer Kent Stowell addresses the cast of Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling.

PNB’s Nutcracker debuted on December 13, 1983 at the Seattle Center Opera House (now McCaw Hall); over 1.5 million people have seen PNB’s Nutcracker.

Nutcracker has 187 roles, which are danced in rotation by multiple casts comprised of more than 220 Pacific Northwest Ballet School students, including over 30 professional division students, and 45 Company dancers.

Each season, nearly 300 hours are spent rehearsing children and Company members to perfect the choreography for the performances.

180 costumes, comprised of approximately 700 different pieces, are used in the production.

About 500 pairs of pointe shoes are worn out during a Nutcracker season.

The Mouse King is actually a 27 foot tall puppet with 17 different moving parts.

The majestic Christmas Tree was constructed by Boeing engineers in a Boeing flight hangar and is made of materials used in airplane construction. The tree weighs 950 pounds and grows from 14 to 28 feet in height during the Fight Scene.

Over 115 props are used and approximately 500 light bulbs are lit for every performance of Nutcracker.

2011-11-21T10:57:00.000-08:00

A young patron enjoying PNB's Nutcracker-themed tree at McCaw Hall.

Opening Weekend Festivities November 25, 26 & 27

Join us at the decked-out McCaw Hall for a performance on the opening weekend of Nutcracker and enjoy these activities, FREE for all ticketholders:

Magnificent 20-Foot Tree
Holiday Carolers
Marvelous Magicians
Crafts for Kids
Mini Dance Classes
Story Time with Show-and-Tell Costumes
Lights, Lights, and LIGHTS
Larger-than-Life Sendak Statues
Costumed Characters
Mini-Stage for Pretending
Orchestra Meet-and-Greet

Plus! Classical KING FM and Music Center of the Northwest will be hosting their popular Instrument Petting Zoo at matinees during opening weekend of Nutcracker (see additional dates here). Stop by and get a feel for the instruments that make Tchaikovsky’s beautiful score come to life!

Don't forget to bring your camera! Although photographs are not allowed inside the theatre, you will want to capture the magic of McCaw Hall before and after the performance.

Enduring Duos: Corps de ballet dancer Jessika Anspach on Balanchine's Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Feé

2011-11-08T15:22:00.000-08:00


Jessika Anspach in Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Feé.Photo © Angela Sterling.

Enduring Duos
Love Stories... Those great enduring duos: Princess Aurora and her Prince (I know he has a name, but does anyone know it?). Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. Romeo and Juliet. Peanut Butter and Jelly... I know. PB & J are inanimate objects, incapable of offering or experiencing love, but you can't tell me that their union isn't a magnificent one that's stood the test of time! But I've forgotten one that's worth mentioning... and in my opinion it's way better than PB & J!

Balanchine and Stravinsky
A perfect marriage between dance and music. A romance that has been immortalized through 39 ballets, 22 of which, in 1972 were performed as a part of the New York City Ballet Stravinsky Festival (In all there were actually 31 ballets performed in this 8-day festival but the other 9 by other choreographers...). The mere thought of dancing 22 Balanchine-Stravinsky ballets makes my heart sing and my head hurt... I can't imagine the kind of counting that must have gone on... I mean it's bad enough having to manage one Stravinsky piece but 22?!!! Confusion. Chaos. Migraine.

Well I've been blessed to dance in a few of these 31- namely Symphony in 3 Movements, Rubies and Agon. Other than the common denominators of composer, choreographer and pink tights and pointe shoes, these ballets couldn't be more different. Symphony in 3 Movements is an homage to WWII with its formations and patterns resembling armies advancing or planes circling. Rubies is a sexy, light-hearted little number set to Stravinsky's jazzy Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. And Agon... In my opinion the cherry on top of this Balanchine-Stravinsky sundae is really best described by Balanchine himself: "See the music, hear the dance." And literally with minimal costumes (black leos and pink tights) and sets (a blue backdrop) that's all you see... You see the music danced.

Well, I'm happy to say that last Friday night I got to add a fourth Balanchine-Stravinksy jewel to my collection: Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Feé." And once again this sweet ballet hardly resembles the previous three already "in my bag", so to speak.

Dressed in a sweet little tutu with a golden bodice and and off-the-shoulder puffy sleeve, you'd think I'd be dancing to Mozart or Haydn not to the music of the man who composed The (riot-inducing) Rite of Spring! And yet the score for Baiser is strangely melodic. Don't get me wrong. It's still Stravinsky with its wonderful rhythms and crazy counts (a 6, an 11, three (two?) 10's and a 7... yikes!). But that's the fun of it... You exercise both your body and your mind. And you get to have fun with it too! There's a playfulness to Balanchine's musicality that in one sense is reminiscent to Rubies... just watch the principle woman execute her solo. It seems like her feet are flirting with the floor as she piques about... The same goes for the demis and corps as we punctuate the music with speedy and precise footwork in the first movement... And boy is it ever pufffy!

But what I love most about dancing Baiser, more than the musicality, more than the mental and physical challenge it presents, is that it feels like home. We had our first onstage rehearsal for this Rep last Tuesday night and my soul felt like it was singing as I danced the first movement. And I was reminded once again that this is why I do what I do. This is why I dance!

So needless to say I'm quite excited. Not just because I got to add another Balanchine-Stravinsky jewel to my resumé... but because for the first time I got to premiere this new piece to PNB's repertoire in a demi-soloist role. It's a first for PNB and a first for me too! I'm excited. I'm humbled. And I'm so grateful!

And this is just one love story - okay I guess two: between Balanchine and Stravinsky, and Jessika and ballet. There's a whole evening full of them! So if you haven't bought your tickets yet, what are you waiting for? DO IT! You can get them at www.pnb.org. But you'd better hurry... "And they lived happily ever after" is just right around the corner.

Ballet on the Radio!

2011-11-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

PNB and Classical KING FM have partnered to bring ballet right to you whether you're at home, in the car, or at the computer. Tune in to any (or all) these three programs to experience the best of PNB wherever you are:

NW Focus to Feature Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliette
Wednesday, November 2 at 8:00 pm

In anticipation of LOVE STORIES opening, Classical KING FM’s Northwest Focus program will feature the balcony pas de deux excerpt from Sergei Prokofiev’s moving Romeo and Juliet (Op. 64, 1935–1936). Please note that NW Focus starts at 8:00pm and the Prokofiev excerpt will play at approximately 9:30pm.

Musical Chairs to Feature PNB Music Director Emil de Cou
Friday, November 4 at 7:00 pm

Pacific Northwest Ballet Music Director/Principal Conductor Emil de Cou shares stories about his transition to PNB as well as music which has inspired and moved him, including some pieces from films you may not expect!

LOVE STORIES Live Broadcast
Saturday, November 5th at 7:30 pm

Pacific Northwest Ballet is pleased to announce that classical KING FM will once again bring listeners five performances by the PNB Orchestra, live from McCaw Hall. The November 5 broadcast will include an intermission interview with PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal and the following five pieces from LOVE STORIES:

• Divertimento from "Le Baiser de la Fée" (Stravinsky/Balanchine)
• Afternoon of a Faun (Debussy/Robbins)
• Balcony pas de deux from Roméo et Juliette (Prokofiev/Maillot)
• Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky/Stowell after Petipa)
• Aurora’s Wedding from The Sleeping Beauty (Tchaikovsky/Hynd)

Tune in to 98.1 Classical KING FM or listen online at www.king.org/listen

LOVE STORIES Featured Work: Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake

2011-10-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

Lucien Postlewaite and Kaori Nakamura in Kent Stowell's Swan Lake. Photo

Swan LakeBlack Swan pas de deux
Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 20, 1875-1876)
Choreography: Kent Stowell (after Marius Petipa)
Staging: Francia Russell
Scenic Design: Ming Cho Lee
Costume Design: Paul Tazewell
Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli

Original Production Premiere: February 20, 1877, Imperial Ballet, Moscow, choreography by Julius Reisinger; restaged on January 15, 1895, Imperial Ballet, St. Petersburg, choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Stowell/Russell Production Premiere: 1975; Frankfurt Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: April 8, 1981; new production September 25, 2003

Swan Lake is considered by many to be the greatest classical ballet of all time. With its fantastical plot filled with romance, sorcery, and betrayal, Swan Lake offers ballerinas the ultimate challenge of a dual role―Odette, trapped in the body of a white swan while awaiting an oath of true love to set her free, and Odile—the black swan—the temptress daughter of Baron Von Rothbart, who plots the downfall of Odette’s true love, Siegfried.

The image of a swan has come to represent the lyrical image of a dancer, and for that we have to thank three men: composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Tchaikovsky composed his score for Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet in 1877, but it was not until Petipa and Ivanov’s St. Petersburg production of 1895 that Swan Lake took the form we know today. The ballet has since inspired countless choreographers, who, in their own productions, seek to extend the ideas and meanings suggested in the work of its creators.

Following tradition, choreographers in our own century often have re-visited Swan Lake, for the ballet lends itself generously to new stagings and new interpretations. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake dates from 1981, when Mr. Stowell and Ms. Russell mounted here the production they had first created for the Frankfurt Ballet in 1975. Preserving the best of the St. Petersburg original as it has come down to us through England's Royal Ballet, Ms. Russell researched and staged what has long been regarded as the soul of Swan Lake―nearly all of Ivanov’s Act II, where music and dance are sublimely fused. Petipa’s Act I pas de trois and Act III Black Swan pas de deux were also retained. To enhance the story line, and following in the path of many choreographers, Mr. Stowell made important changes in the order of the musical numbers. He also re-choreographed most of Act I, the national dances in Act III, and all of Act IV, rescuing the usually forgotten last act with a radiant pas de deux and giving the conclusion dramatic power and unity.

Notes by Doug Fullington.

A Note of Thanks for Artistic Director Peter Boal

2011-10-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Over the past two weeks, I have been overwhelmed by positive feedback to PNB’s recent ALL WHEELDON program. This season-opening program was an artistic milestone for the dancers and orchestra, as well as Mr. Wheeldon. Many audience members emailed us their responses to the show and those are now posted on PNB.org’s audience reviews page. I hope you all will take a moment to read through some of them because they represent the types of artistic experiences I want audiences to have with our Company.

I applaud PNB patrons for recognizing the importance of seeing works by today's innovative choreographers. This open-minded approach to new artistic experiences and emerging artists both sustains and advances this art form. My sincere thanks to all of you who support PNB by attending live performances, and particularly those of you who take a chance and come to see something new.

If you missed ALL WHEELDON, do not despair. His work will be back on the McCaw Hall stage again in the near future. If you are already looking forward to seeing more new work by contemporary choreographers, I recommend you get tickets for our NEW WORKS program in March. I am already looking forward to reading those audience reviews.

Sincerely,
Peter

Dress Rehearsal Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

2011-09-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Artistic Director Peter Boal.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

We have presented entire programs by one choreographer before, with several by George Balanchine and others featuring Jerome Robbins and Twyla Tharp. I never would have guessed that we would be looking at an entire program of choreography by someone under the age of 40, but Christopher Wheeldon is that good. Each individual work triumphs and collectively the range impresses. Here are a few facts about the program that you may not know:

San Francisco Ballet presented an all-Wheeldon program on tour in 2003 and New York City Ballet plans to present one this winter.

After the Rain was choreographed for Wendy Whelan and Jock Soto for Jock’s retirement from New York City Ballet. Polyphonia was also created on the two.

Carousel (A Dance) was created for the centenary of Richard Rodgers’ birth. It was meant to be performed only once at a gala.

Ian Falconer, set and costume designer for Variations Sérieuses, is also a cartoonist for the New Yorker and the creator of children’s books featuring the very fashionable and headstrong pig, Olivia.

In the original production of Variations, Seth Orza played the role of the lazy corps de ballet boy who bumps into the ballerina.

There’s a step in Variations Sérieuses called the “bitchy chicken.”

Catch Doug Fullington’s interview with Chris tonight at 6:00 PM prior to our dress rehearsal.

See you at the performances. - Peter

Peter Boal Answers the Question "Why Wheeldon?"

2011-09-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Rachel foster and James Moore in After the Rain pas de deux. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Recently, Artistic Direct Peter Boal was asked, "Why Christopher Wheeldon?" He explained…

“There was probably a time when people asked why Picasso, why Stravinsky, and why Balanchine? Wheeldon is that good. This is possibly the greatest choreographer of our time and yet the world is still discovering him. PNB is in front of the wave on this one. We are only the second company to present an ALL WHEELDON program, but he deserves to sit next to the greats with an entire program of his own. I also think the range of is abilities is impressive, making an entire program of his work surprisingly varied.”

ALL WHEELDON: Features four works that showcase Wheeldon’s diverse artistry—Carousel (A Dance), After the Rain pas de deux, Polyphonia and Variations Sérieuses.
Sep. 23-Oct. 2, 2011
McCaw Hall
Tickets start at $28

WHELLDON ON STAGE: One Night Only! Christopher Wheeldon hosts a rare onstage preview of some of his newest work and a lively Q&A.
Wednesday, September 21
6:30 pm @ McCaw Hall
Tickets are $20 ($10 for subscribers)

206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Featured Work: Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia

2011-09-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

PNB Company dancers in Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia. Photo © Angela Sterling.

POLYPHONIA©

Music: György Ligeti (Desordre from Études pour piano, premier livre, 1985; Arc-en-ciel from Études pour piano, premier livre, 1985; No. 4 Tempo di Valse from Musica Ricercata, 1951-53; Invention, 1948; No. 8 Vivace energico from Musica Ricercata, 1951-53; No. 2 Hopp ide tisztan from Three Wedding Dances, 1950; No. 7 Cantabile molto legato, 1951-53; No. 3 Allegro con spirito from Musica Ricercata, 1951-53; No. 2 Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale from Musica Ricercata, 1951-53; Capriccio No. 2 – Allegro robust, 1947)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Staging: Jason Fowler
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
Premiere: January 4, 2001; New York City Ballet
PNB Premiere: March 15, 2007

“Wheeldon [is] regarded as one of the hottest classical choreographers of his generation…his work has a uniquely transatlantic quality: romantic and unsettling, lush and cerebral, modern yet steeped in an understanding of the past.” – The Guardian

“Romantic with comic twists” is how Christopher Wheeldon describes his ballet, Polyphonia (meaning “many voices”), set to ten eclectic piano pieces by György Ligeti. Overhead horizontal lifts, rolls and pushes off the floor contrast with classical ballet steps. The first of two key duets for the leading principal couple evokes sea creatures swimming, while the second looks like a strange plant growing and closing in on itself. The last horizontal lifts and fade-out arrest the movement, frame it, and let it dissolve like a film. Polyphonia won England’s Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2003 and was the first ballet by Christopher Wheeldon to be taken into Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertory.

ALL WHEELDON
Sep. 23-Oct. 2, 2011
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
Tickets: 206.441.2424 or www.pnb.org

Featured Work: Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain pas de deux

2011-09-08T10:42:00.000-07:00

PNB soloists Rachel Foster and James Moore in
Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain pas de deux.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

AFTER THE RAIN PAS DE DEUX©
Music: Arvo Pärt (Spiegel im Spiegel, 1978)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Staging: Damian Smith
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
PREMIERE: January 22, 2005; New York City Ballet
PNB PREMIERE: September 20, 2008

"Spare and poignant, the duet intimates a renewal of faith, a reburgeoning of love." -- Village Voice

Christopher Wheeldon’s pas de deux from After the Rain is the second half of a two-part work, the first of which features an ensemble of three couples dancing to Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa. The following pas de deux is performed to Pärt’s spare and tender duet for piano and violin, Spiegel im Spiegel. The ballerina is dressed in pink and her partner is bare-chested. In a series of unfolding partnering movements, the dancers explore the shifting emotions of their relationship.

ALL WHEELDON
Sep. 23-Oct. 2, 2011
Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
Tickets: 206.441.2424 or www.pnb.org

FREE Career Transition for Dancers Event @ PNB this Saturday!

2011-09-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Established in 1985, Career Transition for Dancers is the only organization in the United States dedicated solely to helping pre-professionals, current and former professional dancers, identify their unique talents, and pursue new career possibilities. Career Transition for Dancers’ national outreach project will be offering FREE workshops and one-on-one counseling in Seattle this Saturday, September 10. We invite you to participate in a fun, informative, and energizing afternoon of exploration!

WHEN:
Saturday, Sept. 10
11:00 am–2:00 pm – Workshop
2:30 –6:00pm One-on-One Counseling by Appt.

WHERE:
Pacific Northwest Ballet
301 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109

The Workshop includes:
Career possibilities & development
Emotional aspects of change
Grants & Scholarship

Complimentary lunch provided.
Please RSVP by phone or email: 323.549.6660 or ctfdla@sag.org

Critics Wild for Wheeldon! Read what they have to say...

2011-09-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Rachel Foster and James Moore in After the Rain
pas de deux. Photo © Angela Sterling.

“In the past twenty years, only one ballet choreographer has emerged whose work has set off widespread, international excitement: Christopher Wheeldon.” —The New Yorker

“Wheeldon [is] regarded as one of the hottest classical choreographers of his generation. …his work has a uniquely transatlantic quality: romantic and unsettling, lush and cerebral, modern yet steeped in an understanding of the past.” —The Guardian

“Since Mr. Wheeldon emerged in the mid-1990s…it has been widely remarked how much he has learned from the legacies of George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins and Kenneth MacMillan.” —The New York Times

“Christopher Wheeldon is one of the world’s most in-demand ballet choreographers. Critics routinely praise his wit and imagination and point to his keen musicality, mastery of stage space and inventive partnering.” —The New York Times

“Wheeldon seems almost intoxicated with movement.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Christopher Wheeldon is upending the ballet establishment. …the boy wonder of classical ballet, having created for nearly every major ballet company.” —New York Magazine

“Some have gone so far as to lay the crown of "savior of ballet" upon the boyish head of the British-born Wheeldon—who in addition to being young is also extravagantly gifted and ambitious. He is arguably the most coveted ballet choreographer on the planet.” —The Washington Post

“The first really interesting choreographer to turn up in American ballet [since] George Balanchine…a hot ticket.” —The New Yorker

ALL WHEELDON
Sep. 23-Oct. 2
McCaw Hall

Ballet Feature: Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance)

2011-08-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

Principal dancers Carla Körbes and Seth Orza in
Carousel (A Dance). Photo © Angela Sterling.

CAROUSEL (A DANCE)©
Music: Richard Rodgers (“Carousel Waltz” and “If I Loved You” from Carousel, 1945), arranged and orchestrated by William David Brohn
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Staging: Jackie Barrett; Damian Smith
Costume Design: Holly Hynes
Lighting Design: Mark Stanley
PREMIERE: November 26, 2002; New York City Ballet
PNB PREMIERE: March 12, 2009 (Broadway Festival)

The musical Carousel, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, premiered in 1945. The show won acclaim for its many hit musical numbers and for its innovative plot about the ill-fated marriage of young millworker Julie Jordan and carnival barker Billy Bigelow.

Christopher Wheeldon’s salute to Rodgers includes the composer’s melodic and evocative “Carousel Waltz” and “If I Loved You” in a reverie that distills Carousel’s carnival atmosphere as well as its theme of tragic romance. A large corps de ballet creates a stylized carousel on stage, their movements often separating the lovers. With a simple hint at the story, Wheeldon catches the sweep and emotion of the music and the poignant, doomed nature of the lead couple's relationship with a tender and romantic pas de deux.

Click Here to watch a webcast of PNB Company dancers performing an excerpt from Carousel (A Dance).

Click Here to learn more about PNB's season-opening ALL WHEELDON program featuring four ballets by Christopher Wheeldon, including Carousel (A Dance).

Artistic Director Peter Boal on the 2011-2012 Season

2011-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Peter Boal. Photo © Angela Sterling.

People are always asking me "What is the highlight of next season?" The response I want to give is, "What isn't?" Let's be honest here. We have one of the richest and most varied repertories of any company in America, and I have to pick a highlight? Well, there's no short and easy answer here, but I have to go with Alexei Ratmansky's new production of Don Quixote.

PNB will be the second company and the first American company to present this winning production, created for Dutch National Ballet in 2010. I was pleased to see it unveiled in Amsterdam to a well-deserved standing ovation. Alexei has a beautiful reverence for tradition, a sly penchant for humor, and a gift for storytelling that is rare. With the explosion of color and clever design by set and costume designer Jérôme Kaplan (Roméo et Juliette), this production is spectacular. You might want to keep your tickets in a safe place.

I think about programming in a curatorial way, wanting to build collections of works by artists whom I feel are important contributors to our profession. Christopher Wheeldon is one of those artists. We kick off the season bragging about our recent acquisitions and growing collection of works by this young master. The ALL WHEELDON program impresses with range: innovation, beauty, charm, and a few belly laughs are the words that I would use to describe this program, It's a great one for the whole family too.

LOVE STORIES offers two new works for PNB, one by Balanchine and one by Robbins. We draw from three of our most treasured full-lengths to complete this program. Five works, five choreographers, elaborate sets and costumes, and a few heart-pounding tales of love make this one mixed rep you don't want to miss.

Our commitment to new works continues in the spring with three new additions to the repertory, including two World Premieres. David Dawson, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Victor Quijada are all fresh voices in choreography with works that promise to intrigue. Also in March is the revivial of Snow White, with new sets and costumes. This charmer completes a trilogy of children's ballets by Bruce Wells.

Kent Stowell's magnificent Carmina Burana returns to the McCaw Hall stage after five years alongside one of Balanchine's earliest triumphs, Apollo. The thunder of Carl Orff's music for full orchestra and chorus is matched by Kent's poetic and powerful choreography and an awe-inspiring set by Ming Cho Lee. If you haven't seen it, you must, and if you have, I know you'll fall in love with this tour de force all over again.

The season comes to a close with the return of George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova's sweet staging of the enchanting Coppélia. There's something for everyone this season, and the luckiest of us will experience it all. Season highlight? Sure, it's the entire season. I look forward to seeing you there. - Peter Boal.

Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces New Company Members for 2011-12 Season

2011-07-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal is pleased to announce that he has hired three new dancers: When the company returned to the rehearsal studios today they were joined by Leta Biasucci, Elizabeth Murphy and Matthew Renko as the newest members of the corps de ballet. Additionally, two new apprentices will join the company in mid-September: Steven Loch and Sarah Pasch, both of whom were most recently two-year members of the PNB School Professional Division. (Mr. Loch and Ms. Pasch’s official start-date is September 19.) Additional hires and promotions will be announced at a later date.

Leta Biasucci is from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She studied under Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and became a trainee at San Francisco Ballet School in 2006. She joined Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2008. At Oregon Ballet Theatre, Ms. Biasucci performed leading and featured roles in George Balanchine’s Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker, and Tarantella; Nicolo Fonte’s Left Unsaid; James Kudelka’s Hush; Trey McIntyre’s Speak; Yuri Possokov’s Raymonda; and Dennis Spaight’s Gloria. She originated leading roles in the collaborative Stravinsky Project by Jamey Hampton, Anne Mueller, Ashley Roland, and Rachel Tess, and Christopher Stowell’s A Holiday Revue.

Elizabeth Murphy is from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. She studied at Academy of Ballet Arts and the Rock School for Dance Education, and she attended summer courses on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Chautauqua Summer Program. She was an apprentice with North Carolina Dance Theater and also danced with Pennsylvania Ballet before joining Ballet West II in 2006 and Ballet West in 2007. At Ballet West, Ms. Murphy danced leading and featured roles in George Balanchine’s Agon, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and Stars and Stripes; William Christiansen’s Nutcracker; Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero; Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta; Helen Pickett’s But Never Doubt I Love; and Adam Sklute’s Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.

Matthew Renko was born in Tampa, Florida and raised in Sumter, South Carolina. He studied at Columbia Conservatory of Dance, North Carolina School of the Arts with Warren Conover, Kee-Juan Han, and Melissa Hayden, and on scholarship at the School of American Ballet with Peter Boal. He became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 2007 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2008. In 2009, he joined the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. At New York City Ballet, Mr. Renko performed featured roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Jerome Robbins’ Watermill. With the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, he performed leading and featured roles in Balanchine’s La Sonnambula and La Source and Paul Mejia’s Eight by Adler. Mr. Renko has choreographed for the School of American Ballet Student Choreography Workshop and the New York Choreographic Institute.

Steven Loch is from Dallas, Texas. He studied at Ballet Conservatory in Lewisville, Texas, and on scholarship at Harid Conservatory and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. While a student at PNB School, Mr. Loch performed corps de ballet roles with Pacific Northwest Ballet in George Balanchine’s Coppélia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Square Dance; Peter Boal’s Giselle; Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty; Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH; Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite; Kent Stowell’s Cinderella and Nutcracker; and Twyla Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelles. He performed leading roles in Balanchine’s Chaconne and Western Symphony for PNB School’s annual School Performances and also performed leading roles in Bruce Wells’ Hansel and Gretel and Pinocchio. He originated roles in ballets by Andrew Bartee, Kiyon Gaines, Paul Gibson, Barry Kerollis, Margaret Mullin, and Seth Orza for PNB School’s annual School Performance and PNB’s Choreographers’ Showcase and Next Step performances. Mr. Loch has performed as a guest artist at the International Ballet Festival of Miami and the Youth America Grand Prix Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala. He has performed the role of Albrecht in Giselle, opposite ABT soloist Sarah Lane, Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty, and the lead in Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie with LakeCities Ballet Theatre.

Sarah Pasch is from Dublin, California. She studied at San Ramon Valley Dance Academy, Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, and on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She attended summer courses at Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, Lines Ballet, the Kirov Academy, and PNB School. While a student at PNB School, Ms. Pasch performed corps de ballet roles with Pacific Northwest Ballet in George Balanchine’s Coppélia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Serenade; Peter Boal’s Giselle; Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty; Jerome Robbins’ Glass Pieces and West Side Story Suite; Kent Stowell’s Cinderella and Nutcracker; and Twyla Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelles. She performed leading roles in Balanchine’s Chaconne and Western Symphony for Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s annual School Performances, and she originated roles in ballets by Andrew Bartee, Kiyon Gaines, and Margaret Mullin for PNB’s 2011 Next Step performance. She has also performed with Houston Ballet.

# # #

PUBLICITY CONTACT:
Gary Tucker, Media Relations Manager
206.441.2426
gtucker@pnb.org

Pacific Northwest Ballet
301 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109
206.441.2424
http://www.pnb.org/

Tickets to PNB’s 2011-2012 Season now on sale!
206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

Get ready to GiveBIG on June 23!

2011-06-20T16:53:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars! PNB is participating in the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG online fundraising event this Thursday, June 23.

GiveBIG promises to be one the largest days of charitable giving in King County History. Here's how it works:

1. You make a gift to PNB between 7am and midnight on Thursday, June 23 using this link: http://bit.ly/jPRxJA Gifts can be large or small—every dollar makes a difference.

2. The Seattle Foundation has already collected additional matching gifts from local business sponsors and philanthropists like CHASE, Seattle Sounders FC, Seattle International Foundation, and more. When you make a contribution of ANY amount to PNB, your dollars will be boosted through a partial match from those gifts! (In other words, it's not a dollar for dollar match, more like a percentage of the pot...)

3. PLUS, when you GiveBIG on June 23, you may be chosen at random to receive a Golden Ticket which could mean even more financial support for your favorite nonprofit—PNB!

So, please mark your calendar and make your gift to PNB through the Seattle Foundation's online Giving Center between 7am and midnight on June 23. Your gift is an investment that will truly make a difference. We hope you'll join us!

Peter Boal's Notes on Giselle (opens tomorrow!) and more...

2011-06-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

Peter Boal. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Dear Friends,

We are all excited for the premiere of Giselle tomorrow night after almost a year’s worth of preparation. This is a first for PNB. There are four casts of principals and each cast bring something unique to their interpretation. I hope you are able to see at least one performance. Here are a few facts you may not know:

If you are feeling like you’re surrounded by critics in the audience it’s because you are. The national Dance Critics Association annual conference is taking place in Seattle during the run of Giselle. The theme of this year’s conference is reconstruction through notation. There are 40-some critics attending. Gulp.

In the Henri Justamant notation that we are using, 45 people enter as part of the hunting party, complete with 6 falconers and 8 horn blowers. PNB’s hunting party of 11 is a little bit smaller. We do have two dead birds, though.

Throughout Giselle, white flowers feature prominently, with daisies in Act I and myrtle, verbena, lilies and roses in Act II. Myrtle, seen on the dresses of the wilis, is traditionally part of wedding bouquets and also common in funerals. Kate Middleton carried myrtle in her bouquet during the royal wedding.

Batkhurel Bold’s father was a noted Hilarion in his dancing days in Mongolia.

PNB's Executive Director D. David Brown is a former Albrecht. (There are pictures.) He performed the role opposite his wife Elaine Bauer, who has been instrumental in coaching our current Giselles and Albrechts.

Otto Neubert plays the Prince of Courland. He’s about 6’2” and the entrance to Giselle’s house is not, which is why Otto smashed his head on the doorframe in rehearsal. He actually went right down to the floor, but I suspect it was the embarrassment that hurt the most.

We’re not just working on Giselle these days, with an incredible Season Encore Performance happening on Sunday June 12th, and School Performance on the 18th, with Next Step that evening. The Encore is really not to be missed. The evening promises to be an emotional, joyous tribute to eight of our dancers. We are so grateful for what each of them has brought to PNB and letting them know how appreciative we are is what the evening is all about. See you there!

Peter Boal, Artistic Director
Pacific Northwest Ballet

NEXT STEP Blog #4: The Final Countdown

2011-05-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

What do Peter Boal and the youth of Seattle know that most people don’t? What June 18th at 7PM will look like! On May 4th we had our first very successful TEEN NIGHT at PNB’s studios hosted by Peter Boal, and thanks to everyone who showed up and the choreographers, we have people out there in the city that can’t wait for this exciting evening of innovation we call NEXT STEP. It was a great time, and such a big motivator for the choreographers to show excerpts and let people have a sneak peek.

An all-teen audience watches NEXT STEP rehearsals inside Studio C
with with Artistic Director Peter Boal. Photo by Rex Tranter.

As we get closer to the performance, the anxiousness builds. Right now, everybody is concentrated on finishing their new works, while trying to rehearse for the premiere of Giselle and get as much rehearsal time as possible. Time is so precious that the dancers (PNB Company dancers as well as Professional Division students) are starting to stay late to get their work done and make sure that what you will see in five weeks will not disappoint. We have many pieces and parts to put together in the next few weeks. Don’t forget, the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra is playing two out of the eight pieces that will be shown, so they are very hard at work as well. Costumes are being planned, and lighting ideas are swirling around in the choreographers’ heads, but not as much as their need to get finished!

Professional Division students Jahna Frantziskonis and
Andy Garcia perform at Teen Night. Photo by Rex Tranter.

As a person who has seen the NEXT STEP performances evolve over the years, one of the greatest things I get to see is how a choreographer evolves and progresses in their ability to communicate an idea or vision to music. One person in particular for this year’s performance comes to mind, as he will not only be giving his last performance as a company dancer, but as a choreographer, is Barry Kerollis. Barry as a choreographer always has started with an initial message, and it is always deeply personal without bringing only his side of any story. To see Barry’s development over the years is a testament not only to him, but to the process and value that NEXT STEP has to offer. I certainly hope that he continues to explore his voice as a choreographer, and we wish him nothing but the best.

PNB corps de ballet dancer and choreographer Barry Kerollis speaks
about his new piece at Teen Night. Photo by Rex Tranter.

Stay tuned as we get even closer and eventually move into McCaw Hall, and be sure to get your tickets now to see your favorite dancers’ ideas come to life while seeing the professional dancers of tomorrow now!

Nicholas Ade, NEXT STEP Coordinator
Eastside School Principal, Pacific Northwest Ballet School

Giselle Program Notes—Part 1

2011-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

PNB corps de ballet dancer Amanda Clark. Photo

“In Westphalia, the former Saxony, all is not dead which lies buried. When we wander there through the old oak groves we can hear the voices of the olden time, and the re-echoes of those deeply mysterious magic spells in which there gushes a [great] fullness of life …A mysterious awe thrilled my soul—when…wandering through these woods” — Heinrich Heine, On Germany [1833], trans. Charles Godfrey Leland

The idea for Giselle (1841) was inspired by two ghost stories, both read with relish by Théophile Gautier (1811-1872), the colorful balletomane, poet, critic, man-about-town, and staunch defender of Romanticism. One was a poem of Victor Hugo, “Phantoms”, about a beautiful young girl whose love for dancing leads to her demise. This short excerpt offers some sense of its lugubrious, chilling quality:

Dancing caused her death; with eager, boundless love,
Dancing—dazzling, filling her with ecstasies—
And now her ashes thrill and gently move,
When, in a balmy night, white clouds above
Dance round the crescent of the skies.

Gautier’s other literary inspiration was a passage in Heinrich Heine’s On Germany, about Wilis, spectral brides who rise from their graves at midnight to dance beguilingly in the moonlight:

In parts of Austria there exists a tradition ... of Slavic origin: the tradition of the night-dancer, who is known, in Slavic countries, under the name Wili. Wilis are young brides-to-be who die before their wedding day. The poor young creatures cannot rest peacefully in their graves. In their stilled hearts and lifeless feet, there remains a love for dancing which they were unable to satisfy during their lifetimes. At midnight they rise out of their graves, gather together in troops on the roadside and woe be unto the young man who comes across them! He is forced to dance with them; they unleash their wild passion, and he dances with them until he falls dead. Dressed in their wedding gowns, with wreaths of flowers on their heads and glittering rings on their fingers, the Wilis dance in the moonlight like elves. Their faces, though white as snow, have the beauty of youth. They laugh with a joy so hideous, they call you so seductively, they have an air of such sweet promise, that these dead bacchantes are irresistible.

Gautier responded to Heine’s words by saying aloud, “What a pretty ballet this would make!” Then (as he recalls):

In a burst of enthusiasm, I … took up a large sheet of fine white paper and wrote at the top, in superb rounded characters, “Les Wilis, a ballet.” But then I began to laugh, and I threw the sheet aside without giving it a further thought, saying to myself, with the benefit of my journalistic experience, that it was quite impossible to transpose onto the stage that misty, nocturnal poetry, that phantasmagoria that is so voluptuously sinister, all those makings of legend and ballad that have so little relevance to our present way of life. That same evening I was wandering backstage at the Opéra with my mind still full of [Heine’s] ideas, when I met that amusing man [Vernoy de Saint-Georges, who had written the stories for successful ballets]… I related the tradition of the Wilis, and three days later the ballet of Giselle was written and accepted. In another week Adolphe Adam had sketched out the music, the scenery was nearly ready, and the rehearsals were in full swing.

Gautier overstates the brevity of the timetable here—the ballet actually took about two months to create. But the Opéra’s director Léon Pillet did indeed push the project along with unusual urgency, hoping to capitalize quickly on the popularity of the ballerina Carlotta Grisi, who had recently caused a sensation dancing in the Donizetti opera La Favorite. And it is true that Vernoy de Saint-Georges, more experienced than his friend Gautier at writing stage drama, helped build an effective plot around a bride-to-be who dies before her wedding day and returns as a ghostly Wili.

The scenario they created is set in Germany sometime in the historical past, its first act taking place in a sunny village, and centering round Giselle and the handsome young man who woos her ardently. In the second act, however, all is plunged into darkness: Giselle, who has died of a broken heart at the end of Act One, now must join the band of vampire-like female ghosts, the Wilis, though she ultimately refuses to follow the cruel commands of the man-hating Wili Queen, Myrtha.

In fashioning the characters and action, Gautier and Saint-Georges incorporated subjects we now recognize as central to much Romantic art and literature: the lives of simple country folk, the historical past, the supernatural, the power of transcendent love, the seeking of the unattainable. They also placed the action in an idealized, locale foreign to France—something typical of French Romantic ballets (though the then-obvious German setting, which was signaled to Parisian audiences by the frequent use of waltz music and the names of the leading couple, is no longer instantly recognizable as such). And they called for ethereal female dancers in long white tutus on a darkened stage, a visual motif that had been popularized by the ballet of the ghostly nuns in the opera Robert le diable (1831) and the white-clad forest-sprites of the ballet La Sylphide (1832), two works that had flourished at the Opéra in the decade leading up to Giselle’s premiere. So it is not hard to imagine why Giselle was so successful in the era it was first devised.

Follow this link for more information About the Artists

GISELLE at Pacific Northwest Ballet
June 3-12, 2011
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or http://www.pnb.org/

The Story of Giselle

2011-04-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

A young peasant girl, seduced and betrayed by a nobleman, dies of a broken heart and joins the ranks of the supernatural Wilis— women scorned before their wedding day and doomed to rise from the dead, taking their revenge for eternity.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's world premiere staging of Giselle runs June 3-12.

Tickets & Information: 206.441.2424 or www.pnb.org

Act I

As the curtain rises on a picturesque scene in a small German village, vinegatherers depart for the harvest. Hilarion the gamekeeper arrives, hoping to see the lovely Giselle. He hides when his rival Albrecht—really a Duke disguised as a peasant named Loys—emerges from his cottage, with his squire Wilfride. Wilfride begs his master not to pursue Giselle, but Albrecht ignores this advice and sends Wilfride away. Albrecht knocks on Giselle's door; she comes out of her cottage and the two of them delightedly talk and dance together. As they embrace, Hilarion, unable to restrain himself any longer, runs up to Giselle and reproaches her conduct. Giselle reacts disdainfully, and Albrecht warns him to cease his amorous pursuit of Giselle. Angrily, Hilarion departs.

A troupe of young vinegatherers comes to fetch Giselle, for duty calls—the grapes must be harvested. Giselle, passionately fond of dancing and diversion, talks them into postponing work and dancing instead. Everyone joins together in a merry German waltz. The carefree scene is interrupted by Giselle's mother Berthe, who comes out of their cottage to upbraid her daughter: You are always dancing instead of working! What’s more, Berthe says, your health is fragile, and if you dance too much, you could die. As the village girls gather around, Berthe tells the frightening tale of the Wilis—ghosts of dead brides-to-be who never reached their wedding day—who rise from their graves at night to kill any men who happen by. The village girls are terrified by this story; Giselle alone is unfazed and laughs it off.

The fanfares of the hunt are heard in the distance. Albrecht is worried by this sound, and he quickly hurries the peasant girls away and departs the scene himself. Hilarion, now alone, furtively gains entry to Albrecht’s cottage in an attempt to find out his rival’s true identity. Soon the noble hunting party, including the magnificently dressed Prince and his daughter Bathilde, arrive in the village, hoping to find a favorable spot for repose and refreshments during the heat of the day. Berthe and Giselle happily oblige. Bathilde finds Giselle charming and engages her in conversation, asking about her work and her pastimes, and asking if she has a sweetheart.

The Prince sends his retinue back to the hunt, informing them that he will summon them with his horn later. After all is quiet, Hilarion emerges from his rival’s cottage holding a nobleman's sword: he has figured out that his rival is a great lord; a seducer in disguise! He hides the sword, waiting for the right moment to expose the truth about Albrecht.

Now it is time for the harvest festival. A wagon decorated with flowers comes into view and little Bacchus is carried triumphally astride a cask in keeping with an old country tradition. Giselle dances with Albrecht, surrounded by the entire village. The happy scene ends with a kiss that Albrecht bestows on Giselle.

At this sight, the fury of the jealous Hilarion knows no bounds. He throws himself into the middle of the crowd and declares Albrecht to be a nobleman in disguise. Giselle responds with disbelief. But Hilarion produces Albrecht’s sword for all to see. He then seizes the horn and blows it forcefully, summoning the entire hunting party, which comes rushing in. The nobles recognize Duke Albrecht and overwhelm him with salutations and deference.

Giselle can no longer doubt Albrecht's deception. She is devastated, and goes mad. She recalls her happy times with Albrecht, seizes his sword, and nearly kills herself before he grabs it away. Life seems to abandon her; her mother takes her in her arms, and moments later, Giselle dies. Albrecht tries to revive her, but sees that her heart has ceased to beat. He is consumed with despair as the peasants and noblemen gather sorrowfully around Giselle’s lifeless body.

PNB corps de ballet dancer Amanda Clark. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Act II

The curtain opens in a dark and gloomy forest on the banks of a pond. Giselle’s tombstone can be seen at the left; the bluish gleam of the moon gives a cold and misty appearance to the scene. Several gamekeepers arrive, hoping to set up an observation post, but Hilarion warns them away: this is the place where the Wilis gather at night, attacking any men who stray into their territory, drowning them or forcing them to dance themselves to their death. Distant chimes strike midnight—the hour when the Wilis appear—and the men flee in terror as will-o'-the-wisps flash threateningly around them.

Myrtha, the queen of the Wilis, arrives on the scene, mysteriously radiant and piercing the shadows of the night. She summons the other Wilis to join her in a fantastic ball. The Wilis, including Moyna and Zulma, present themselves to their sovereign, and soon all of the Wilis are waltzing with abandon, gratifying their love for dancing which they were unable to fulfill in life. Before long, at a sign from the queen, the dance comes to an end, and Myrtha announces the arrival of a new Wili.

Giselle appears, rising from her grave, wrapped in a shroud. When Myrtha touches her with her rosemary branch, the shroud falls off and Giselle is transformed into a Wili. She dances with fervor until a sound is heard in the distance. The Wilis disperse and hide themselves.

Some youths are returning from a festival in a neighboring village. The Wilis seek to detain them and try to force them to dance. However, an old man throws himself in their midst warns them of the danger; they barely escape, with the Wilis in hot pursuit.

The grief-stricken Albrecht appears with his faithful squire, Wilfride. Though Wilfride begs his master not to linger near the fatal tomb, Albrecht sends him away. Soon thereafter, Albrecht, in his state of sorrow, believes he sees the ghost of Giselle. He tries to embrace her, but he cannot. She looks at him lovingly and throws him some roses. Giselle disappears back into her tomb. Albrecht is about to depart the scene when he sees Hilarion.

Hiding behind a tree, Albrecht watches as the poor hapless gamekeeper, frightened nearly to death and begging for pity from the Wilis, is forced to dance himself to exhaustion. The cruel Wilis throw him into the pond and then begin dancing amongst themselves.

Then, to Albrecht's horror, Myrtha spots him in his hiding place: a fresh victim! Desperately, he tries to escape, for he knows what cruel fate awaits him. But Giselle re-appears miraculously, takes him by the hand, and leads him to her tombstone, a marble cross, which holds a power even stronger than that of the Wilis. Just as Myrtha is about to touch him with her scepter, it breaks in her hands. Myrtha is furious at her loss of power.

As a last resort, and seeking revenge on the Wili who robbed her of her prey, Myrtha extends her hand toward Giselle and casts a spell on her. Giselle begins a slow, graceful dance, as though transported by an involuntary delirium. Albrecht is unable to resist the Wili Giselle and he leaves the cross—the only thing that could protect him—and begins dancing ardently with her. Giselle has no choice but to keep dancing, for she is under Myrtha’s spell. Albrecht becomes exhausted.

Just as it seems Albrecht will dance himself to death, the first rays of the sun appear. It is morning! The chimes strike four. Albrecht’s life is saved. Because the Wilis lose their power in daylight, they must withdraw. Giselle, too, must return to her grave. Albrecht kneels by her and gives her a kiss, as if to restore her to life, but Giselle seems to say that she must obey her fate and leave him forever. Suddenly, loud fanfares are heard; Wilfrid, the faithful squire, arrives on the scene with the Prince and Bathilde, whose efforts, he hopes, will be more effective than his own in persuading Albrecht to leave this place of sadness. Giselle points Albrecht toward Bathilde, as if to tell him it is her last wish that he marry the young noblewoman. Albrecht is heartbroken, but the Wili's command to him seems sacred. With sorrow, Albrecht gathers up the flowers on her grave and lovingly presses them to his lips and to his heart. As he falls into the arms of those who surround him, he reaches out his hand to Bathilde.

This translation and synopsis by Marian Smith is based closely on the original libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, 1841.

NEXT STEP Update #3

2011-04-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Professional Division Student Carlie Mills in rehearsal.
Photo by Lindsay Thomas.

The best thing about the NEXT STEP performances is that you never know what to expect. The reason you do not know what to expect is because most people involved with this process are new to it; not only the choreographers, but the Professional Division students as well. They will be the ones onstage, driving the performance that you will see in eight short weeks, and feverishly working and being taken out of their comfort zones while learning about the process of what will soon be their own next step in their careers.

The students drive the performance since they are the ones on stage, but the NEXT STEP performances have a much larger influence than that. They represent youth, new ideas, and the concept that a vision from a choreographer can relate to practically anyone and result in a newfound appreciation for this art form. Which is why we have created an opportunity for the youth of the Seattle area to witness some of these ideas entitled PNB’s TEEN NIGHT on May 4, 2011.

During this teen only event that will take place at PNB’s Phelps Center studios, you can meet with your friends and come see live excerpts of what you can expect at the NEXT STEP performance. You will hear from choreographers (who are PNB company dancers) and what their ideas are, how they got their start, and where they are headed. You can ask them questions, and get closer to everyone involved more than most people ever do. Imagine your favorite band, actor/actress or sports star and the chance to meet them up close…that’s what this is! Even if you are new to dance, this event is an exciting introduction to something fresh and vibrant that will not disappoint.

One of these dancers who will be seen on June 18th is Carlie Mills, and she is a first year Professional Division student at PNB, and a choreographer favorite. She has a lot on her plate right now, as most of the PD’s do, and is experiencing this wonderful opportunity and taking full advantage of it. She states it best in her own words:

“The NEXT STEP choreographic process has been an adventure since the first rehearsal. It has been interesting to witness the different approach each PNB Company member takes to choreographing. Some choreographers know exactly what they want to see, while others prefer to experiment on the dancers. Some choose to work step by step with the music whereas others prefer adding that element after the movement is set. Altogether, NEXT STEP has been artistically challenging, physically demanding and loads of fun. To be part of a brand new ballet-something fresh and unique-is simply phenomenal.”

We hope to see you at TEEN NIGHT, and we are almost ready for NEXT STEP, are you? For tickets or information about either event, visit http://www.pnb.org/ or call 206.441.2424.

Nicholas Ade
NEXT STEP Coordinator
Principal, Eastside School

Artistic Director Peter Boal's Notes on George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream

2011-04-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

There are a few moments in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that get me every time, like when Bottom, crowned with the head of an ass, looks quizzically to his audience in mid-promenade with the willowy Titania, as if to say, “Huh?” Perhaps Balanchine took his cue from Shakespeare’s penned line for the fairy queen, “Thou art as wise as thou art beautiful,” to which Bottom responds, “Not so neither.” But the look Balanchine gave to Bottom is oddly wise in the midst of the surrounding madness of mix-matched lovers. Our dim-witted donkey offers a rare moment of clarity. I also love the ardent efforts of our amateur actors rehearsing their version of Pyramus and Thisbe to present to Theseus the Duke. One lucky dancer gets to play the Wall! “O wall, O sweet, O lovely wall.” But for me, the sweetest moment in the entire ballet has to be when 24 children, in their roles as bugs, flash 48 tiny floating lights, creating the idyllic passing glow of fireflies. Memories of dreamy evenings from my childhood return: my cupped hands following patiently as the occasionally glowing bugs drifted through the late dusk, tolerant of their hunter, allowing capture and fascination. I can’t find reference to the bugs in Shakespeare, so I'll assume Balanchine, who spent his summers with fireflies in the New England towns of Westport, Saratoga Springs, and Sag Harbor, added this treat.

PNB principal dancers Carla Körbes and Lucien Postlewaite in George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Choreography © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Balanchine performed as an eight-year-old bug in a St. Petersburg production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His choreography for children, seen in all five of his full-length ballets—The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Harlequinade, and Coppélia—and in the one-acts—Union Jack, Mozartiana, and the “Garland Dance” from The Sleeping Beauty—is always adult-like in sophistication, never playing to cuteness and yet all the more winning as tiny practitioners of technique and musicality execute choreography with sophistication beyond their years. Balanchine gives the full responsibilities of a corps de ballet to the tweens. Our School students, under the benevolent guidance of Otto Neubert, do us proud.

PNB’s production, staged with care and texture by Francia Russell, is unique. Other productions use Balanchine’s choreography and the enchanting score by Felix Mendelssohn, but only PNB’s production boasts the whimsy and spectacle of set and costume designs by Martin Pakledinaz. A fantastic frog and looming spider balance bulbous mushrooms and august roses. The senses are satiated with scale and color.

Balanchine’s production is on the eve of a fiftieth birthday, having premiered on January 17, 1962. Many members of the original cast are still active in ballet. Jacques d’Amboise, a dancer of great charm and a partner of true elegance and generosity, is one of them. In the 1967 film of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Jacques partnered Allegra Kent in the sublime Divertissement pas de deux in the second act. Here Balanchine offers reserve when other might have offered more steps. A diagonal of bourrées with delicate rising arms floats like soft wind. How wise to know that we would want to see it twice! A final endless arc arrests time with beauty. We watch a master extol a lesson in essence over excess. Jacques has just published a book on his incredible story. I’ll have the honor of interviewing him about his career on Tuesday, April 12 at Town Hall. I promise to ask him about the Divertissement pas de deux. I might even ask about the fireflies. Join us if you can. No doubt, you will hear a great deal about the brilliance of George Balanchine. — Peter Boal

Backstage with the Midsummer Bugs

2011-04-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

In this blog, Parent Volunteer Coordinator Di Anna Kurriger talks about life backstage with the youngest dancers in Pacific Northwest Ballet's production of George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream:

PNB School students get ready to perform in A Midsummer Night's Dream at McCaw Hall April 8-17.
Photo courtesy of Terri Luken.

Spring time is here again with the arrival of brightly colored green bugs! As the Parent Volunteer Coordinator for Pacific Northwest Ballet, my job allows me the wonderful opportunity to help children from PNB School perform in many full length story ballets with the Company. This opportunity gives the children an inside view of the professional dance world. They are selected from our schools, which are located in Seattle and Bellevue. Depending on the ballet, the children either audition for the part or are handpicked by the school staff. A Midsummer’s Night's Dream has a cast of 43 children from PNB School ranging from Level I to Level VI. They will perform in two casts of 25, with the 24 “Bugs” and one“Titania’s Page” appearing in each show.

I teach the children to come prepared for their transformation into our dancing bugs! Once all children arrive at McCaw Hall and are accounted for, we head to our dressing room to begin the metamorphosis. Lucky to have parents that are trained in applying “Bug” make-up, the children receive brightly colored eyes, finished off with eyeliner and blush. Next it is on to costuming with the aid of assigned dressers. A dresser's duties include handing out costumes, making sure they fit correctly, collecting all costumes after the children have performed, and they also aid in cleaning and mending. After the all costumes are on their assigned dancer, the final touches are completed. Pining of hats, or in this show, the bug’s antennas are secured on each smiling head. Completing the look, the last of the make-up is applied - a neutral colored lipstick.

Time is now nearing to be called to the stage. With excitement and anticipation, we listen for our call on the speaker system from the Stage Manager, “5 minutes and “Bugs” to the stage”. After a final inspection to ensure no hair is showing from underneath their hats and their ballet shoes have no strings hanging out, the bugs get in line to travel to the stage. Heading down the old Opera House staircase which leads to the stage, I feel like a mama duck, placing the “Bugs” in the wings, ready to perform. With huge smiles and nervous feet the children listen for the live orchestra to come alive with music. I remind my “Bugs”, they are ready, smile, and remember to count the music. Counting, 6, 7, 8… off they GO!

Pacific Northwest Ballet Presents George Balanchine’s

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
April 8-17, 2011
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or PNB.org

GISELLE...Ballet’s Great Tragedy

2011-04-01T14:57:00.000-07:00

The History ~ Since its premiere in 1841, Giselle has become one of the most popular ballets of all time and is considered ballet's great tragedy. Giselle represents the greatest achievement of ballet's Romantic era. After it fell out of repertory at the Paris Opera, it returned to the West via Russia and had been handed down through generations of artists. Giselle continues to enthrall audiences today, 170 years after its triumphant premiere.

Poster from 1842 Giselle premiere

The Story ~ Giselle tells the story of a young peasant girl seduced and betrayed by a nobleman. Dying of a broken heart, Giselle joins the ranks of the supernatural Wilis: women scorned before their wedding day and doomed to rise from the grave and take revenge for eternity.

Carlotta Grisi as Giselle in Giselle Act II

Sources ~ These include an 1842 manuscript rehearsal score, made the year after Giselle's premiere, that perfectly links action with music; a Parisian notation score from the 1860s that reads like a brilliant screenplay; and a Russian notation score from the turn of the century, from which nearly every modern production can be traced. Taken together, these sources bring us closer to that first Giselle and the intentions of the creators.

Manuscript Scan

A World Premiere Staging ~ Recent findings have allowed Pacific Northwest Ballet to get a closer look at early productions of Giselle and understand even more clearly why this ballet above all others resonated so strongly with audiences of its time. Artistic Director Peter Boal has assembled a team of artists and researchers to take these exciting sources and develop a new staging of Giselle, bringing yesteryear forward to the present in a fresh and rich production.

PNB corps de ballet dancer Amanda Clark doing a photo shoot for PNB's
world premiere staging of Giselle June 3-12. 2011. Photo © Phil Thompson

GISELLE at PNB
June 3-12, 2011
TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or PNB.org

NEXT STEP -- Update #2

2011-03-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Every year at this time, there is such a rush of energy felt around the PNB studios. There is a performance season in full swing, the school is starting rehearsals for our June performance, and the youngest and newest choreographers are quietly anxious, as they begin to feel the stress of what to do next in preparation for NEXT STEP on June 18. In particular, Price Suddarth and Ezra Thomson. These are two Company members who are not only adjusting very well to their new lives as professional dancers, but also experiencing their first taste of the chaotic schedule and planning that go along with creating a new work for PNB’s NEXT STEP program.

Choreographer Price Suddarth works with
Professional Division student Elle Macy on a
new work for NEXT STEP. Photo by Lindsay Thomas.

Price has made full use of his time with his dancers and is a thoughtful planner. Yet, finding time in his full schedule as a first year Company dancer is proving to be quite a task. He is calm and quietly confident about knowing he’ll finish his first new work by June 18th, but at the same time restless to get into the studio and work with the Professional Division students he has chosen. His piece is starting to take shape, and looks quite a bit like Price’s dancing— musical and clear, with angles that are precise and tastefully artistic.

Choreographer Price Suddarth works with
Professional Division students Jennifer Christie and
Harrison Monaco on a new work for NEXT STEP.
Photo by Kylee Kitchens.

Ezra is realizing just what a huge responsibility he’s taken on. Not only has he decided to choreograph, but this second year dancer has also (at the wise suggestion of Peter Boal) gone ahead and composed his own music for this year’s NEXT STEP! It is already difficult to choreograph under the constraints of performing, taking class, and rehearsing as a PNB Company member. To also compose, play, and record original music in your spare time is quite an undertaking. How does he do it? Ezra is the quintessential workhorse, though laidback enough to not stress out too much. He knows he’ll get everything done, but is always thinking of what needs to come next.

I’ve included a clip of Ezra’s original composition for this year’s performance so that you can get a sneak peak as to what is in store for everyone. I hope you enjoy it, and stay tuned for more updates and insight as to what is to be expected June 18th. It’s getting closer! Also, don’t forget about TEEN NIGHT on May 4. From 6-8 pm teens are invited to step in side Studio C with Company dancers and be the first to see the works being created for NEXT STEP. I hope to see you there! - Nicholas Ade, NEXT STEP Coordinator

CONTEMPORARY 4: Opening Night Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

2011-03-18T12:55:00.000-07:00

Peter Boal, PNB Artistic Director
Photo © Angela Sterling

I love a world premiere. During my twenty-two years as a dancer with New York City Ballet, I was a part of thirty-three premieres, working with the likes of Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, and Christopher Wheeldon. Every time I spotted my name on a rehearsal schedule for a new work, I wondered whether this work might be the next Agon. Well, it wasn’t. Every now and then, something exciting was born, though more often than not we had a clunker on our hands. Nonetheless, I savored the process—finding the step, adding the phrasing, working out the details with a partner, collaborating, or just being the paint on the artist’s brush. Recently, I watched Marco Goecke craft phrases for Ezra Thomson, and it occurred to me that this moment of creation is perhaps the apex of our profession. It is also the constant, highlighting a connective chain of creation linking Ezra and Marco’s work on Place a Chill to 1841, when ballerina Carlotta Grisi first entered a studio with choreographer Jules Perrot to begin work on a ballet called Giselle. We continue to create new work. We must. It is how our profession grows, advances, and thrives.

All four works on the program are relatively recent creations. The veteran work, Pacific, hasn’t reached its sixteenth birthday yet. Created by Mark Morris for San Francisco Ballet in 1995 as part of the UNited We Dance Festival, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter, the work resonates with a quiet power. Restaged beautifully for us by Tina Fehlandt, it is a work that I like to see several times, as each viewing offers more dimension. Images of waves flow from liquid limbs, vibrant skirts, and flowing musical passages. Mark’s respect for musical composition is evident in everything he creates.

Paul Gibson is a hero behind the scenes at Pacific Northwest Ballet. He is one of the best ballet masters I’ve worked with, able to offer both clarity and insight. He does it without ego or emotion. He is a favorite teacher and manages to successfully sort through the enigma that is our daily rehearsal schedule. As if that’s not enough, he also has a gift for choreography. Before I took this job, I saw The Piano Dance and thought it beautifully crafted and a perfect showcase for dancers. Paul has a new creation scheduled for our School Performance this June.

I commissioned a work from Marco Goecke for Peter Boal and Company in 2004. I remember Marco asking if the dancer could drag a running chain saw across the stage. I said no. Marco’s work had not been seen in this country at the time and I didn’t know if the chainsaw would help with the introduction. Mopey made quite a splash at the premiere, even without a tree-cutting device. Some loved it, some didn’t. Everyone had an opinion. Since then, Marco’s career as a choreographer has exploded, having choreographed for Norwegian National Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Hamburg Ballet, and Stuttgart Ballet, where he currently serves as resident choreographer. Marco’s genius comes from detail. Movements flutter so quickly that they appear to be random, and yet each is intricately scripted. Drawing inspiration for Place a Chill from the brilliant musicianship of cellist Jacqueline du Pre, Marco offers his signature upper body work to the Camille Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1.

New York City Ballet has been a champion of commissioning choreography since its inception. George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins led the charge, with equal devotion to the cause from current Artistic Director Peter Martins. Commissioned in 2008, Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH is one of the finest neoclassical premieres of the last decade. With simple, effective costumes designed by Holly Hines and a robust score by Dmitri Shostakovich, this work is pure abstract dance laced with humor and pathos. Dancers are allowed to show off technique and reveal artistry. Alexei’s work is everywhere, having recently created a new production of The Nutcracker for American Ballet Theatre, where he currently serves as resident choreographer. A spectacular production of Don Quixote for the Dutch National Ballet premiered last year, with stunning sets and costumes by Jerome Kaplan (Roméo et Juliette). Watch for this exciting work on our stage next year.

I want to offer a word of appreciation for two of our costume designers. Martin Pakledinaz is represented in this program with costume designs for Pacific that literally create choreography from fabric. We’ve just applauded his designs for Cinderella and will sing his praises again in April’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His range is remarkable and his use of color sublime. Mark Zappone’s designs appear in four works this season and two works on this program. Mark’s a homegrown talent, having worked for PNB in our costume shop on and off since 1983. His designs are seen in San Francisco and Portland as often as they are at the McCaw Hall. He’s offered “brilliance on a budget” time and time again and his contribution to our repertory has been profound.

We take great pride in being able to present a wealth of new works, contemporary works, and treasured classics. The balance of both challenges and enchants audiences and artists alike. It is this balance that defines PNB.

Meet choreographer Alexei Ratmansky Tomorrow Night

2011-03-16T15:50:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times recently named Alexei Ratmansky "one of the hottest balletmakers around". Tomorrw night, Seattle audiences have the opportunity to hear the Concerto DSCH choreographer speak about his work before dress rehearsal for CONTEMPORARY 4.

For details about tomorrow night's lecture and dress rehearsal, CLICK HERE

Alexei Ratmansky
Choreographer, Concerto DSCH

Born in St. Petersburg, Alexei Ratmansky trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. He was principal dancer with the Ukrainian National Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet. As a choreographer, Mr. Ratmansky has created ballets for Dutch National Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the State Ballet of Georgia. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a prestigious Golden Mask Award by the Theatre Union of Russia. In 2003, Mr. Ratmansky was invited to mount a full-length ballet, The Bright Stream, at the Bolshoi Theatre, a production which led to his appointment as artistic director of Bolshoi Theatre in 2004. For the Bolshoi Ballet, he also choreographed full-length productions of The Bolt (2005) and re-staged Le Corsaire (2007) and the Soviet-era Flames of Paris (2008). Under Mr. Ratmansky’s direction, the Bolshoi Ballet was named “Best Foreign Company” in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London, and he received a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for The Bright Stream. In 2005, Mr. Ratmansky was awarded the Benois de la Danse prize for his choreography of Anna Karenina for Royal Danish Ballet, and in 2007, he won a Golden Mask Award for Best Choreographer for his production of Jeu de Cartes for the Bolshoi Ballet. During his Bolshoi tenureship, Mr. Ratmansky also created works for New York City Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Since joining American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in 2009, he has created On the Dnieper, Waltz Masquerade, and Seven Sonatas for that company in addition to a new full length, The Nutcracker. Dutch National Ballet also premiered his full length Don Quixote in February 2010.

CONTEMPORARY 4
March 18-27, 2011
206.441.2424 or PNB.org

Mark Morris' Pacific featured on CONTEMPORARY 4 March 18-27

2011-03-08T11:34:00.000-08:00

CONTEMPORARY 4
March 18–27, 2011
Pacific (Lou Harrison/Mark Morris)
The Piano Dance (Cage, Chopin, Ginastera, Bartok, Ligeti/Paul Gibson)
Place a Chill (Camille Saint-Saëns/Marco Goecke)
Concerto DSCH (Dmitri Shostakovich/Alexei Ratmansky)

Pacific choreographer Mark Morris.
Photo by Rosalie O'Connor

Mark Morris was born on August 29, 1956 in Seattle, Washington, where he studied with Verla Flowers and Perry Brunson. In the early years of his career, he performed with Lar Lubovitch, Hannah Kahn, Laura Dean, Eliot Feld, and the Koleda Balkan Dance Ensemble. He formed the Mark Morris Dance Group in 1980, and has since created more than 120 works for the company. From 1988–1991, he was Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. Among the works created during his tenure were The Hard Nut, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, and Dido and Aeneas. In 1990, he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has created six works on the San Francisco Ballet since 1994 and received commissions from American Ballet Theatre and the Boston Ballet, among others. His work is in the repertory of the Geneva Ballet, New Zealand Ballet, Houston Ballet, English National Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. Morris is noted for his musicality—he has been described as “undeviating in his devotion to music”—and for his “ability to conjure so many contradictory styles and emotions.” He has worked extensively in opera, directing and choreographing productions for the New York City Opera, English National Opera, and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. Mr. Morris was named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation in 1991. He has received numerous honorary doctorates including the Boston Conservatory of Music, the Juilliard School, Long Island University, Pratt Institute, Bowdoin College, and George Mason University. Mr. Morris is the subject of a biography by Joan Acocella (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). In 2001, he opened the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York, his company's first permanent headquarters in the U.S, housing rehearsal space for the dance community, outreach programs for local children, as well as a school offering dance classes to students of all ages.

PNB principal dancer Lucien Postlewaite in
Mark Morris' Pacific. Photo © Angela Sterling

“Lou Harrison’s Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano provided the musical inspiration of the Morris commission for San Francisco Ballet's participation in the United We Dance Festival, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter in San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House. I saw it twice. ...it is translucent with references not only to the sea, but to the cultures residing on the shores against which the Pacific Ocean surges.”—Renee Renouf, ballet.co magazine

PNB principal dancers Carla Körbes and Batkhurel Bold
in Mark Morris' Pacific. Photo © Angela Sterling

“Like the title of the dance, the work has multiple connotations, which are underscored by the costumes of Martin Pakledinaz. The bare-chested men wear culottes—full, skirt-like pants that suggest the native dress of Pacific Island and even Indian cultures; the women’s outfits have the same full skirts with simple tops. Blues and greens predominate, with red used for the central couple. The colors evoke the ocean as well as tropical climes. The movement Morris uses also incorporates suggestions of Asian cultures, particularly the Kathak style of southern India: the men (and later the women) repeat a gesture of one arm raised in a curve, the other pointing straight in the opposite direction with the head turned towards the pointing arm. ...This is a work that makes you think about its meaning.”—Larry Campbell, culturevulture.net

Paul Gibson's The Piano Dance featured on CONTEMPORARY 4

2011-03-01T11:10:00.000-08:00

CONTEMPORARY 4 at Pacific Northwest Ballet March 18-27

Ten works for solo piano by five composers accompany the contrasting dances for four couples in Paul Gibson’s The Piano Dance, choreographed for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Although the composers chosen lived during a span covering more than a hundred years, Gibson sees in their works a common respect for the expression of melody. He has devised a series of solos, duets, and pas de trois for his dancers, set to music chosen for variety and for affinity to the dance impulse. The Piano Dance offers a sharp contrast to Gibson’s earlier works for the Company, in which he favored large-scale orchestral scores and required big ensembles. This new creation demonstrates his wish to convey the clarity of ballet performance in a setting of intimate and brilliant miniatures.

Former PNB principal dancer Louise Nadeau in Paul Gibson's
The Piano Dance. Photo © Angela Sterling

Paul Gibson, former principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, joined PNB in 1994 as a soloist and was promoted to the rank of principal mid-season in 1996. Upon retirement from the Company in June 2004, he was immediately named Ballet Master.

Paul Gibson Pacific Northwest Ballet Master since 2005.
Choreographer, The Piano Dance

Originally from Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mr. Gibson trained with Allegheny Ballet Academy and later with summer programs at the School of American Ballet. He won a scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School and joined that company in 1988. His six-year tenure at SFB included leading roles in a varied repertory, ranging from Russian classics to the innovative works of Mark Morris, William Forsythe, Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, and Jiri Kylian. During his performing career with PNB, Mr. Gibson was known for his numerous roles in the Balanchine repertory, including Agon, The Four Temperaments, Chaconne, Mozartiana, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as his mastery of contemporary pieces by a variety of choreographers, such as Nacho Duato, José Limón, Kevin O' Day, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and the works of PNB Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell.

Mr. Gibson’s choreographic work includes four world premieres for PNB: Sense of Doubt (2006), Rush (2002), Diversions (1998), and The Piano Dance (2005), which was awarded the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and works for PNB School's Professional Division in the Annual School Performance. After the premiere of Rush, Mikko Nissinen (artistic director of Boston Ballet) nominated Mr. Gibson to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute, where he created a new ballet, titled E.R.A.R., that premiered in PNB's 2004 Choreographers' Showcase. Other works include ballets for San Francisco Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet Choreographic Workshop, and Allegheny Ballet Company.

Doug Fullington on Reconstructing Giselle

2011-02-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Giselle
World Premiere, June 3-12, 2011

Peter Boal’s World Premiere staging of Giselle marks the first time an American ballet company has revived a classic based on original material researched by Stepanov notation expert Doug Fullington in collaboration with leading Giselle scholar Marian Smith.

Doug Fullington consults with Marian Smith during
Giselle studio rehearsal. © Angela Sterling.

Our work on Giselle continued in early January with a week of rehearsals in preparation for a demonstration in New York as part of the Guggenheim Museum’s Works and Process series. We gave three successful presentations to sold-out houses, one of which was offered on the internet as a live-feed (available for viewing on the PNB website). Peter Boal, Marian Smith, and I were joined by dancers Carrie Imler, Carla Körbes, James Moore, and Seth Orza, along with Interim Music Director and Conductor Allan Dameron as pianist, Costume Shop Manager Larae Hascall as wardrobe mistress, and Production Stage Manager Sandra Barrack. Our presentation explained our collaborative method of reviving Giselle, utilizing various sources from the 19th and early-20th centuries, and included excerpts from the ballet that featured both dancing and pantomime. Our presentation were well-received and generated a lot of buzz about PNB’s new Giselle.

Principal dancers Carla Körbes and Seth Orza
perform during PNB’s Giselle demonstration
at the Guggenheim Museum’s Works and
Process series in New York City. © Jesson Mata.

We resumed an intensive schedule of rehearsals the week of February 21, with Marian Smith again joining us from her home base in Eugene, where she is a professor at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance. We made tremendous progress, setting key narrative scenes for Giselle, Albrecht, Albrecht’s squire Wilfrid, and the gamekeeper Hilarion. These included Albrecht’s first entrances in both acts of the ballet; the dramatic highpoint of the first act, when Hilarion reveals Albrecht’s duplicity, triggering Giselle’s descent into madness; Giselle and Albrecht’s first meeting and pas de deux in the second act, after Giselle has been transformed into a ghostly Wili; and the ballet’s final scenes, during which Albrecht bids a final farewell to his beloved and faces the life he must lead without her. We also had the exciting opportunity to revive two scenes from the second act of Giselle that are now rarely performed: Hilarion and his hunters’ fright in the forest at midnight and a group of peasants saved from the Wilis by a wise old man.

Artistic Director Peter Boal at work on Giselle
with principal dancer Carrie Imler. © Angela Sterling.

Excitement about PNB’s new Giselle continues to grow outside the studio as well. Peter, Marian, and I were recently interviewed by radio host Marta Zekan for Seattle’s Arts Channel (watch for a link on the PNB website), we have interview requests from publications as far afield Danze e Danze, the leading Italian dance magazine, and Marian and I will write a preview of Giselle for the May issue of London’s Dancing Times. Looking ahead to our performances in June, we’ll be happily welcoming the Dance Critics Association, the national organization of dance critics, to Seattle for its annual conference, Scheduled in conjunction with PNB’s Giselle premiere, the conference theme this year will very appropriately be dance reconstruction.

Three months and counting until we unveil our new Giselle!

World Premiere by Mopey Choreographer Marco Goecke

2011-02-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet unveils two new works with CONTEMPORARY 4, a cutting-edge mixed bill premiering acclaimed choreographer Alexi Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH, "passages of breathtaking dance brilliance" (New York Times), plus a World Premiere from Germany's "enfant terrible", Marco Goecke that is sure to generate lively debate. Joining PNB's double debuts are prized works from Seattle's renowned Mark Morris and the Company's own Paul Gibson.

PNB Facebook fans and Twitter followers will have access to behind-the-scenes webcasts, images, and artist bios for these four captivating artists over the next few weeks, beginning with with Marco Goecke.

Choreographer Marco Goecke
Photo © Marcia Breuer

Marco Goecke was born in Wuppertal, Germany. He began his ballet training in 1988 and danced with the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and the Theater Hagen Ballet. He created his first choreographic work, Loch, for the Theater Hagen Ballet. Loch was subsequently performed at the International Choreography Competition in Hannover, Germany. In 2001, Mr. Goecke created Chicks, his first work for the Stuttgart Ballet. In 2002, Mr. Goecke was invited by the Choreographic Institute of New York, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to choreograph a work for NYCB’s Diamond Project. He subsequently created Mopey for Peter Boal and Company. Mopey has been performed at the Jacob´s Pillow Festival, at the Biennale in Venice and at the 2004 Pina Bausch Festival in Wuppertal. Mr. Goecke has also worked in opera, creating a solo for Die verkaufte Braut for the Staatstheatre Stuttgart Opera in 2003. Also in 2003, he entered the Prix Dom Perignon choreographic competition in Hamburg, where he was awarded First Prize for Blushing, a piece for eight dancers. Blushing has since entered the repertory of the Stuttgart Ballet and John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet. In 2005, he created Sweet Sweet Sweet for the Stuttgart Ballet, and the work has since been acquired by the Staatsballet Hannover. Also in 2005, he created Beautiful Freak for the Hamburg Ballet and won the art prize of the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg 2005. At the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, Mr. Goecke was appointed resident choreographer of Stuttgart Ballet.

CONTEMPORARY 4
March 18-27, 2011
McCaw Hall
Tickets start at $27!206.441.2424 or PNB.org

Cinderella Program Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

2011-02-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal.
Photo © Angela Sterling

Grace Kelly, Kate Middleton, and Cinderella! Every little girl’s dream? Well, these days little girls have more options for prominence and power. I suspect today’s more ambitious little dreamers aspire to be Secretary of State, CEO of Hewlett Packard, have their OWN television network, or become President. The Princess thing is a real long shot, but a girl can dream, right? We all enjoy a little fantasy in our lives. Cinderella would have played the lottery if she had the chance.

With no megaball jackpot, she’s resigned to waltzing with the broom and imagining the interior of a faraway castle. Privilege and opportunity seem reserved to her comely siblings. Enter one good fairy, elegant couture, a horse-drawn carriage, handsome crown prince, and a ticking clock, and we are in the middle of a dramatic tale of love and triumph.

There are moments of Kent Stowell’s Cinderella that I so enjoy, like the charming choreography for the tiny “bugs.” I love the Jester's questioning glance towards the Prince after seeing the stepsisters sickled feet, which seems to say, “Really, them?” When the Prince gallantly spreads his cloak for Cinderella’s fitting of the slipper, I watch for the quiet sense of justice felt by the dear, powerless father.

Kent pulled together an A-list team for this production. Costume designs by Martin Pakledinaz dazzle. Reds like we’ve never seen them before fall between decadence and blush, swirling around a white-clad Cinderella as she navigates her first ball. Even designs for the children boast an elegance and festivity that runs throughout the production. We’ve all enjoyed the talents of Rico Chiarelli’s lighting designs for many years. He creates the subtlest of moods with an artist’s hand-helping to bring so many works in our repertory to vibrant life. Tony Straiges designed sets that are simple but not sparse. A hearth and a hutch create a home. A chandelier, elegant balustrade, and graceful steps allow us to envision fantastic images of the interior of a palace ballroom. The Palace exterior is the stuff of postcards. Grand stone archways, though untouchable, take a permanent place in our memories.

Prokofiev’s score is one of my favorites. We were largely deprived of Prokofiev at the New York City Ballet. Apparently, he and Balanchine locked horns during the creation of Prodigal Son in 1929. That was that—no more Prokofiev in the house of Balanchine. The music moves with its own sense of grandeur and impromptu, rich with suggestion. It is also a favorite of our orchestra. We welcome our new Music Director, Emil de Cou, for these performances.

Cinderella has not been performed for nine years and has never been performed in McCaw Hall. Its lavish scale is perfectly suited to our theater. We are all looking forward to these performances with great excitement. Enjoy the fantasy. Tonight that old Subaru is your horse-drawn carriage! Watch the clock, be home by midnight, and be careful if you lose a shoe on the grand staircase as you leave...anything’s possible, you just have to dream. - Peter Boal

The Story of Cinderella

2011-01-31T09:47:00.000-08:00

PNB Company dancers (l-r) Maria Chapman, Chalnessa Eames,
and Lindsi Dec in Kent Stowell's Cinderella.
Photo © Angela Sterling.

Act I

As the curtain rises, Cinderella is daydreaming about a happier life some day in which she will be loved and valued. Her fantasy is interrupted by her stepmother and her two homely stepsisters, who are busy getting ready for the Prince's Ball that evening. All three treat Cinderella as if she is their servant and force her to do menial tasks. Although her father loves her very much, he is hen-pecked by his wife and unable to protect Cinderella from this abuse. Still, Cinderella remains cheerful and helpful to everyone.

Suddenly, an old beggar woman appears, and Cinderella befriends her. Something about this mysterious figure reminds Cinderella of her beloved mother, who died when Cinderella was young. As she gazes at her mother's picture in the locket she wears around her neck, Cinderella remembers her happy childhood and her loving parents.

Her reverie fades and preparations for the ball move into gear. Clothiers, wigmakers, and milliners all display their finery and dress the family for the great event. A dancing master arrives, who tries to coach the clumsy stepsisters in a few steps. Finally, everything is ready, and the family departs for the ball. Only Cinderella is left behind. Wishing that she, too, could go to the ball, she imagines she is there dancing with the Prince.

Again, the mysterious old beggar woman appears. This time she reveals her true identity as Cinderella's beautiful Fairy Godmother. Bringing on the four seasons, she shows Cinderella the possibilities that life holds for change and happiness. After an exuberant dance of celebration, the Fairy Godmother and the four seasons bestow on Cinderella everything she needs to go to the ball, including a golden coach. With a final warning that she must leave the ball by midnight, they bid her a fond farewell.

Act II

At the Prince's palace, a magnificent ball is underway. The Prince enters and greets his guests, including the stepsisters and their ambitious mother, who are eager to attract his special attention. When Cinderella arrives, all the court is captivated by her loveliness, especially the Prince. Making their way through the waltzing couples, Cinderella and the Prince dance for each other, conveying their joy that they have met.

The Master of Ceremonies then calls for the evening's entertainment, and a Theatre of Marvels presents a drama for the Prince and his guests.

As the entertainers depart, the court moves to the balustrade to admire the evening sky. Left alone, the Prince and Cinderella dance a pas de deux of wonder and discovery. The court returns for the last dance of the evening, and Cinderella, caught up in her reverie, forgets the Fairy Godmother's warning. As she realizes that the clock is striking midnight, she flees in panic, leaving the Prince and the court bewildered at her abrupt exit. Only the glass slipper remains as a clue to her identity.

Act III

At home, again among her menial tasks, Cinderella remembers the amazing events that have given her a glimpse of the happiness she seeks. Her stepsisters, for their part, grumble that the Prince has overlooked them in favor of the mysterious newcomer. Meanwhile, the Prince searches for the woman whose foot fits the glass slipper.

Eventually, the Prince arrives at Cinderella's home, where not only her stepsisters but even her stepmother are determined to try on the slipper. To their astonishment, it is Cinderella's foot that fits perfectly.

Acknowledging their love, Cinderella and the Prince are transported to the Fairy Godmother's realm, where love reigns happily ever after and fondest dreams do indeed come true.

By Jeanie Thomas

NEXT STEP: Company Dancers Creating New Works

2011-01-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, Pacific Northwest Ballet presents an annual performance that highlights Company dancers choreographing on the young and rising talent in the school. That newly named performance is called Next Step (this performance was previously titled Choreographers’ Showcase). What you may not know, however, is that what you see at the performance is only a portion of the greatest moments that these young choreographers and dancers experience.

In addition to inviting you to come see the performance on June 18, 2011 (It’s an early invitation, I know, but I’ll send a reminder!), I want to invite you to experience each step and exciting moment with me. As part of my duties as the Next Step co ordinator, I’ll be blogging and giving you the latest news with detail on the choreographers’ and dancers’ progress, stresses and moments of triumph in the studio. We’ll also be posting webcasts and the latest rehearsal pictures so you can join us in all of the excitement. The first step starts here to Next Step…are you ready?

The process started in November when company dancers signed up to participate in 2011’s Next Step. From there, they met with Peter Boal, Artistic Director, to go over what to expect and guidelines. The hardest part for the choreographers at that point was to think about what their vision would be, because they’ll have only 20 rehearsal hours to complete their work! The 2011 choreographers are: Kiyon Gaines, Barry Kerollis, Price Suddarth, Margaret Mullin, Sean Rollofson, Andrew Bartee, Seth Orza and Ezra Thomson; these are talented and brave people, truly.

Now we are in the beginning of the rehearsal process, and between classes and rehearsals for Cinderella, everyone involved already feels the excitement and pressure. Some choreographers have started rehearsals, and by some I mean Sean, Price, Margaret, Seth and Barry. The best part is that they are all different personalities with different ideas. There will be something for everyone at this show, for sure! The brunt of the physical work comes from the dancers, who are working overtime and already are rising to the occasion. Let’s just hope that their bodies hold up till June with all of the demands till then. Injuries are part of the profession, and we’ll do what we can to preserve their health. The men are of particular interest on this subject because they are all cast in at least four of the eight new works.

I really hope you’ll continue this journey with us until June. We are so very excited about it, and want to share each moment with you. I’ll be in touch again soon with some enjoyable updates and pictures of our progress, so check back in a few weeks!

Nicholas Ade, Next Step Coordinator

Choreographers (l-r) Ezra Thomson, Price Suddarth, Andrew Bartee, Barry Kerollis.

Choreographers (l-r) Sean Rollofson, Kiyon Gaines, Margaret Muliln, Seth Orza.

Fun Facts about PNB's Cinderella

2011-01-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

PNB principal dancers Maria Chapman and Seth Orza
with Company dancers in Kent Stowell's Cinderella.
Photo ©Angela Sterling

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella premiered in May, 1994 and the Company has toured the production to California, Arizona, and Edmonton and Calgary, Canada. It was last performed in Seattle in 2002 at the Mercer Arts Arena.

PNB Founding Artistic Director and Choreographer Kent Stowell began work on Cinderella in 1992.

At the time, PNB’s production was the first Cinderella to be created in the United States in 15 years.

The production has over 120 roles.

Sixty-two children from Pacific Northwest Ballet School perform in 32 roles that include bugs, pumpkins, sprites and memory boys and girls. Twelve of the children performing in the show are DanceChance students. DanceChance is PNB School’s innovative outreach program that enables talented, Seattle-area elementary students to study at the School on full scholarship.

The enormous white and gold carriage that delivers Cinderella to the ball was a six-month project for two scenic carpenters. The 23-foot carriage was constructed by hand in the PNB scenic shop.

The clock that is suspended above the stage actually works and strikes midnight during the ball. It is run by remote control and operated by a stagehand with the help of a video transmission from a camera above the clock.

Over 120 costumes and 30 custom wigs are worn in Cinderella. A mile of tulle was used in constructing the costumes for the production.

The trim on Cinderella’s ball gown took over 100 hours to create and sew.

The score for PNB’s Cinderella includes seven different musical pieces by composer Sergei Prokofiev.

The design team of Tony Straiges (sets) and Martin Pakledinaz (costumes) created a lavish 18th century French setting for PNB’s Cinderella. They are each Tony Award-winners for their work on Broadway (Straiges: Sunday in the Park with George; Pakledinaz: Kiss Me, Kate and Thoroughly Modern Millie).

Pacific Northwest Ballet presents

Cinderella

February 4-13, 2011

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

TICKETS: 206.441.2424 or PNB.org

PNB School Kicks Off National Audition Tour for 2011 Summer Course

2010-12-06T12:22:00.000-08:00

Pacific Northwest Ballet kicks off its national audition tour for the 2011 Summer Course on January 8! Our Summer Course offers serious ballet students the highest caliber of intensive classical training, augmented by a rich diversity of dance forms necessary to meet the eclectic demands of dance companies today.

Students attend class Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturday mornings for a technique class. Summer Course also offers students seminars on a wide variety of topics including nutrition, dance history, music, foot health, production and pointe shoe care.

In our spacious, light-filled studios at The Phelps Center in downtown Seattle, students experience the ultimate setting for professional training while enjoying the benefits of PNB's outstanding faculty, rigorous curriculum, and safe, secure environment.

Audition students must be 12 to 18 years of age during the 2011 Summer Course. Registration with a $30 fee begins 1/2 hour prior to audition. Students should wear regular class attire and bring pointe shoes; no photos or resumes. Audition results will be mailed within one month.

Audition dates are as follows:

Atlanta - Saturday, January 15
Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education
1695 Marietta Blvd. NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
1:00 ages 12-18

Austin - Saturday, January 22
Ballet Austin Butler Dance Education Center
501 West 3rd St.
Austin, TX 78701
2:30 ages 12-18

Boca Raton - Sunday, January 23
The Harid Conservatory
2285 Potomac Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
4:00 ages 12-18

Boston - Saturday, January 22
The Boston Ballet
19 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 2116
6:00 ages 12-14
7:30 ages 15-18

Carlisle - Sunday, February 13
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet
5 North Orange Street
Carlisle, PA 17013
11:00 ages 12-18

Chicago - Sunday, January 16
The School of Ballet Chicago
17 N. State St. suite 1900
Chicago, IL 60602
4:30 ages 12-13
6:00 ages 14-15
7:30 ages 16-18

Columbus – Sunday, February 20
Columbus City Ballet School
763 Radio Drive
Lewis Center, OH 43035
2:30 ages 12-15
4:00 ages 16-18

Dallas - Sunday, January 23
Dallas Metropolitan Ballet
6815 Hillcrest Avenue
Dallas, TX 75205
3:00 ages 12-13
4:30 ages 14-15
6:00 ages 16-18

Denver - Saturday, February 5
Colorado Ballet
1278 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO 80203
9:00 a.m. ages 12-18

Huntsville - Monday, January 24
Huntsville Ballet School
800 Regal Drive
Huntsville, AL 35801
5:30 ages 12-18

Kansas City - Saturday, January 8
Kansas City Ballet
1616 Broadway Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
4:00 ages 12-14
5:30 ages 15-18

LA/Santa Monica - Sunday, February 6
Westside School of Ballet
1711 Stewart Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404
12:30 ages 12-14
2:00 ages 15-16
3:30 ages 17-18

New York - Saturday, January 8
School of American Ballet
70 Lincoln Center Plaza
New York, NY 10023
3:30 ages 12-14
5:00 ages 15-16
6:30 ages 17-18

Orlando - Monday, January 17
Orlando Ballet School
1111 N. Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
4:30 ages 12-18

Pittsburgh - Sunday, January 16
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
2900 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15201
2:30 ages 12-18

Salt Lake City - Sunday, January 9
University of Utah/Dept of Ballet
330 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
4:00 ages 12-18

San Diego - Sunday, January 30
4S Ballet Academy
10804 Willow Court
San Diego, CA 92127
4:00 ages 12-14
5:30 ages 15-18

San Francisco - Sunday, February 13
Alonzo King LINES Dance Center
26 Seventh Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
1:00 ages 12-13
2:30 ages 14-15
4:00 ages 16-18

Seattle - Saturday, January 29
Pacific Northwest Ballet - The Phelps Center
301 Mercer Street
Seattle, WA 98109
9:00 am ages 12-13
11:00 am ages 14-15
12:30 ages 16-18

Seattle/Bellevue - Saturday, February 19
Pacific Northwest Ballet - Francia Russell Center
3440 NE 16th St.
Bellevue, WA 98005
2:00 ages 12-15
3:30 ages 16-18

Spokane - Saturday, January 29
Ballet Arts
109 W. Pacific
Spokane, WA 99201
5:00 ages 12-18

Tucson - Friday, February 4
Ballet Arts
200 South Tucson Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85716
7:00 ages 12-18

Washington D.C. - Saturday, January 15
American Dance Institute
1570 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, MD 20852
3:00 ages 12-15
4:30 ages 16-18

Winston-Salem - Monday, January 17
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
1533 South Main St.
Winston-Salem, NC 27127
4:30 ages 12-15
6:00 ages 16-18

Peter Boal's Director’s Notes on Nutcracker

2010-12-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

After being deposed as Prince from New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker, which happens after you reach 5' tall, I remained part of the production. I became the “bed boy.” The “bed boy” is given a set of knee pads and a few sketchy instructions before he climbs underneath Clara’s bed and maneuvers it around the stage during the snow scene. Though less glamorous than the role of the Prince, it is no less challenging. When performed correctly, no one in the audience suspects human touch, guessing instead that mechanics, or perhaps even magic, are the cause. “Bed boys” aren't listed in the program for obvious reasons, but they are unsung heroes behind one fleeting moment of illusion.

Nutcracker is ripe with magic, wonder, and illusion, and we in the audience are full of fascination. Knowing the magicians tricks can end the fascination, and I’m hesitant to give away too many secrets. I do want to talk about some of the unsung heroes that make our production happen. As you watch today’s performance, ask yourself how it is possible to see a scene of large, painted mice on one side of fabric and the Stahlbaum’s parlor on the other. When those mice come to life, how do they see through oversized mouse heads? How do the wings of the owl flap when the clock strikes during the Christmas Eve celebration? How do the legs of the giant clock swing to life during Clara’s dream? What makes the cannons roar? In Act II, how do the waves move, and how does the scenic landscape behind the boat travel across the backdrop? We do give away one secret in performance: The Chinese Tiger is one of our male dancers in a very cleverly designed costume.

Truth be told, there are hundreds of people onstage and behind the scenes making all of the wonder happen: “bed boys" and Princes, Claras, and clarinet players. These individuals are consummate professionals who deserve recognition. Let me take a moment to list who’s involved and let you know who they are. Let’s start with our 200 junior performers: three casts in many roles. 65 musicians fill the pit and the hall with Tchaikovsky’s music. 40 stage hands pull scenery on and off the stage. 3 stage managers coordinate the whole thing with 13 dressers scramble behind the scenes. 46 Company dancers, 40 advanced students, and a few dozens supernumeries round out the cast. 3 ballet masters, 3 conductors, 3 physical therapists, 15 wardrobe personnel, 1 parent volunteer coordinator and 75 volunteers, 9 make-up artists, 1 lighting designer, and fulltime staff at the ballet and box office are also essential. And of course we wouldn’t have a production without choreographer Kent Stowell and set and costume designer Maurice Sendak.

A handful of individuals have been working on this Nutcracker since it was created 27 years ago. One of the reasons they care so much about the production is because at every performance someone in the audience is seeing it for the first time. Often, but not always, it is someone quite young and it’s someone who believes in magic. The ballet is pretty close to magic and Nutcracker is the perfect place to start. If you love what you see today, come see us again. Cinderella is right around the corner and many treasures lie ahead in our season. The magic continues at the ballet. -- Peter Boal

PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal on ALL THARP

2010-11-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Sarah, is part of a very chatty carpool to and from ballet classes. According to one mom, the girls were discussing the foot pains that serious ballet students have to endure. (They were nine at the time.) Swapping stories, Sarah chimed in, “My friend, Twyla, has some of the worst bunions ever!” We parents are usually not part of the chatting, but on Tuesday, mom felt compelled to ask, “Do you mean Twyla Tharp?” “Yeah, Twyla…real big bunions.”

In the summer of 2008, we were fortunate as a ballet company and as a community to host one of the great dancemakers of our time for eight weeks. During that time, Twyla not only showed Sarah her bunions but created two distinct world premieres for PNB. She threw herself into the process, attending fundraising events and sharing wisdom with our marketing department, photographers, young choreographers, musicians, designers, and dancers. She attracted and gave interviews to the press and lectured to the general public on the creative process. Honestly, she brought out the very best in every aspect of our institution.

I tell the bunion story not to drop celebrity gossip but to illustrate the point that we got to know Twyla really well. I'm not just talking about the Boals, either. Hundreds of us got to know how Twyla thinks and what she likes and dislikes. She was encouraging to all and understood the scope of creating art and having the public included in the process. There were a handful of regulars who would gather on the viewing balcony in our largest studio to watch the process unfold over two months. Twyla welcomed this interest and often spent her five-minute breaks greeting guests and offering insight. After leaving Seattle, Twyla wrote a book about a year of collaborations. The book looks at four collaborations with ballet companies during 2008. We learn from the chapter on Pacific Northwest Ballet that our appreciation of Twyla was reciprocal. In fact, PNB proves to be the most fruitful and satisfying of the collaborations for all involved.

When we remember Afternoon Ball, we probably think about the extraordinary talent and stage presence of Charlie Neshyba-Hodges. Charlie premiered in the piece alongside Kaori Nakamura, Olivier Wevers, Ariana Lallone, and Stanko Milov. After spending the past year on Broadway starring in Twyla’s latest show, Come Fly with Me, he found time to rehearse casts for our current revival. Charlie’s another one who knows how to bring out the best in dancers. He approaches coaching completely without ego and guides dancers to their greatest potential.

Another favorite stager has been with us for the past few weeks bringing Waterbaby Bagatelles back to life. Shelley Washington staged our very first Twyla work, Nine Sinatra Songs, in 2006. Shelley was an incredible dancer who helped define Twyla’s unique style of movement throughout the 1980s and 1990s. She was as refreshing onstage as she is in the studio today. We welcome Shelley back to PNB and thank her for her excellent and inspiring work.

With her choreography in the repertories of scores of companies around the globe and performed by students at countless universities, with a list of Broadway and film successes almost as long as her list of honorary doctorates, and with an extensive lecture circuit and a handful of books penned, Twyla is a prolific artist, to say the least. She is a singular voice among choreographers and even more so among female choreographers. She has earned and deserves a place among the greats. PNB is lucky to have five ballets by Twyla in our repertory, and two of those were made for us. Hopefully, we'll be seeing more from this great artist in the future. Seattle loves Twyla. -- Peter Boal

Interview with PNB principal dancer Jonathan Porretta -- Part 2

2010-11-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

Principal dancer Jonathan Porretta has graced PNB's stage for twelve seasons, performing in treasured classics and originating roles in new works. Read more about this fascinating performer here, and visit PNB.org to find out when he'll be performing in ALL THARP, November 5-14, 2010.

Why ballet?
I started with ballet/tap and then in my little school in New Jersey, Totowa Dance Center, and then I went to For Dancers Only too, another little school in Little Falls, New Jersey. I started with ballet and I loved ballet from the very beginning — it was the first thing I ever did. And then I got into jazz and tap and lyrical. I even did a little pointe because my Russian ballet teacher wanted me to know what it was like for the girls. I just wanted to slap a pointe shoe on, so it was fun!

I loved jazz and everything, and for awhile there I thought, “Well, maybe I do want to do Broadway,” because my favorite part is to be on stage. Performing is the best part — the scariest, the most comfortable, greatest, safest place ever is the stage. In front of an audience, it’s awesome. Then I got into the School of American Ballet and it was just a whole new world of ballet — it was neoclassical, George Balanchine, it was this whole world I had never seen. And I just love it. I just love the technique side to it and the history and the beauty. And ballet can be everything — you can do everything in ballet. It’s special.

What has been your most rewarding performance and why?
I have a bunch. Most recently, the most amazing performance would have to be getting to do Franz in Coppélia at the end of last season. I got to work with Judy Fugate [Coppélia stager] who I adore, and I was dancing with Kaori Nakamura. It’s so easy to work with her and so fun. And it was really special for me because I never get to be the male lead; I always get to be the supporting actor because I’m shorter. I’m never the prince, I’m always the jester. So it was really special for me, it was just magical. I got to dance on opening night which was just a gift.

How has ballet affected your attitude?
You definitely have highs and lows in ballet. I think with anything, you have highs and lows. And sometimes you just get into a rut almost. I just I had knee surgery a few months ago, at the end of last season. And it really helped me focus a lot more on just realizing how blessed I am, how blessed we all are, and to just enjoy every moment on the stage cause you’re not going to be doing it forever. To really respect my body, respect your instrument, take care of yourself. It was a lesson. It made me really appreciate everything that I have. Ballet is a gift, performing each show is a gift. Lighten up — we’re not performing brain surgery!

Favorite snack:
It’s either a banana or a string cheese, or one of these vegan meatless beef jerky things that’s in our vending machine here. They’re really good. There’s barbecue flavor and teriyaki flavor — it’s really good.

What are you reading now?
The last book that I read was in May when I was on vacation. It was “Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang,” the brand new Chelsea Handler [book]. I’ve pretty much read all of her books. I love her. I am reading right now another book, just started with it. It’s a prequel to Sex and the City. It’s called “The Carrie Diaries.” It’s about Carrie Bradshaw when she was a teenager in high school.

What are your holiday plans?
Probably cooking dinner at my apartment with my boyfriend. Usually I actually will cook meat, not for me though [Jonathan is a pescatarian], but for my boyfriend and whoever comes over. There’s at least got to be a turkey if it’s Thanksgiving, and a ham if it’s Christmas. Then my mom’s sweet potatoes and candied yams and then I always make beef in a Crockpot for the gravy for the mashed potatoes. So good. Green bean casserole is a must.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It used to be my grandmother’s holiday and back when I first joined PNB we used to not do Nutcracker right after Thanksgiving. We used to have a day off, so a lot of us were able to sneak home and then sneak back before Nutcracker started. So it was just really nice to spend the holidays with your family. Nothing will beat grandma’s Thanksgiving.

They [my family] could [visit] but in New Jersey, when you retire you move to Florida, so half of my family‘s in Florida, the other half is in Jersey still. But my mom comes to visit me at least once a month every month. She doesn’t miss a rep since I’ve been here for the last 12 years now.

What do you enjoy doing outside of PNB studios?
I love going to different restaurants in Seattle, grabbing dinner with friends, grabbing a drink with friends. I like to go hiking with my boyfriend. In the summertime we try to go every weekend for our hike. Growing up in Jersey, we had horses too so I would horseback ride. I used to do shows. Every time I go home I do horseback riding whenever I can.

Best memory of the past two years?
Waking up the day after my Lasik surgery and seeing 20/15. That was pretty awesome. I just had Lasik less than a month ago, me and Carrie Imler. King Lasik — very good to us.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
In 20 years I would love to be the director of a company, a ballet company. I’d love to be the director of PNB, actually. I would love to have a condo in Maui that I could vacation in. I’d love to have German shepherd. And just be happy.

An Interview with PNB Principal Dancer Jonathan Porretta--Part 1

2010-10-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

When did you start dancing? Who got you involved?

I started dancing when I was 7. It was my 7th birthday present from my mom and my aunt. You know when you’re little and everyone always asks you what you want to be when you grow up? My answer was always, “A dancer, a dancer, a dancer.” Nobody knew where that came from. Finally my mom and my aunt were like, “Let’s just enroll him in Ballet/Tap Combo 1 and if he likes it, he likes it, and if not — happy birthday.” So ever since I was 7, I’ve been dancing.

I had gone to see The Nutcracker with my mom when I was real little and she said I fell asleep before the curtain even went up. I was out and I slept the entire time! But that’s the only connection any of us can figure out that I had with ballet, was that I went to The Nutcracker and fell asleep.

Who inspires you and why?

Baryshnikov has always been the biggest influence, forever. Since I was little, it’s always been about him. He’s the greatest dancer still. But my friends inspire me here [at PNB] everyday. I can just list by the million of them. Carrie Imler is just the most amazing technician! Karel Cruz is gifted and special and a wonderful man, too. Chalnessa [Eames] is an amazing performer, it just comes so naturally to her, and Kaori Nakamura is a star. I could list more, I just I love them all. They inspire me every day in class and rehearsals. Also my mom inspires me just to be a good human being, to achieve, and to be a nice person.

What has been most challenging about Twyla Tharp’s choreography? What has been most rewarding?

She makes you think, you have to think. She has all these words. I can’t even think of them all, but we break things down, we speed them up, we repeat things. She makes you think with all this stuff, and then on top of it, it’s very athletic. Her stuff is very, very, very athletic which is hard stamina-wise but in the end, it’s so rewarding. It was a dream getting to work with her. [In 2008] she was here for 8 weeks. I mean, she’s one of the last greats in this world, of this era.

Best memory from this season so far?

Honestly, that first show that I did this year, Petite Mort, because I ended last year on a really wonderful note of Coppélia. Then I had knee surgery, then rehab, and then I came back and it was like I was gone for awhile. That first show of Petite Mort that I did was really wonderful. I was really excited again to be back on the stage and I was having so much fun.

I just feel new ever since my knee surgery [last June]. It was amazing. I had the best surgeon…the best doctor…and the most amazing physical therapist. I felt like Jennifer Lopez with my team of specialists. They just were amazing. That was my first surgery I ever had.

Best Seattle restaurant:

I have a bunch. I love, love Anchovies & Olives, the Ethan Stowell restaurant. I love Anchovies & Olives. I actually love Tavolàta, too. I love anything Italian. I mean, Italian anything is my favorite. Purple [Café and Wine Bar] -- we have so many great restaurants.

What’s the last good movie you saw?

I just saw the other night at home Love Happens. It takes place in Seattle, which made me really happy, because I get so excited when there are movies about Seattle. It was cute.

Most prized possession:

My most prized possession is my grandpa’s dog tags from when he was in the army.

What is your greatest strength?

I try to be a good listener. But my boyfriend might disagree with that. I’m working on trying to not let things bother me that really shouldn’t be bothering me. Smile. Smiling is my greatest strength, laughing.

Biggest weakness?

I don’t know, there’s a bunch I’m sure! You should ask my loved ones! What would Sean say? He’d say I don’t listen, probably.

What do you miss most about New Jersey?

I miss Italian pastries. Those are the best in Jersey. The best cannolis.

Part 2 of this interview with Jonathan Porretta will post next week. For casting and more information about ALL THARP (Nov. 5-14), visit PNB.org.

PNB Soloist Benjamin Griffiths on Arriving in Vail, CO

2010-07-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

When I got up this morning, I was really glad that the sun was peaking through the clouds and that the downpour that we had driven into last night had stopped. Today was a dancer free day, which was really nice as it gave us some time to acclimate to the high altitude—a luxury that we haven't had on our past two tours to Vail.

Even though there was no required work today, the company offered the dancers an optional class. Most of us decided to take class to work out the stiffness that had set in from the travel day and see how our lungs were adjusting to the mountain air. Luckily for me, class felt pretty normal, despite a slippery floor. It was also fun to have members of New York City Ballet in our class.

After class it was fun to see the Company dancers enjoying their day around Vail—sunning, swimming, hiking, and barbecuing. Hopefully this free day will pay off and make the shows this weekend feel closer to what we're used to, especially since these ballets are not easy at sea level. -- Benjamin Griffiths

Artistic Director Peter Boal on PNB's Vail Tour--Part 1

2010-07-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

Fifty-two members of Pacific Northwest Ballet arrived in Colorado this evening for three performances with the 2010 Vail International Dance Festival. This is our third visit to Vail in four years; we brought 38 dancers, 9 ballets, 3 musicians and lots of warm clothing. The weather can be sublime in these mountains, but as I look at the five day forecast I see the highest temperature reaching only 73 with lows in the low 50s. Though heat lamps buzz above the stage and give that keeping-the-fires-warm glow, cold is cold. I remember an especially chilly late night rehearsal for In the Middle, somewhat elevated our first year. The dancers demonstrated true professionalism in the night chill. For an outdoor venue, lighting rehearsals are either late at night or early in the morning. This trip our crew will start one at 4:00 am to beat the dawn light.

Alaska flight #672 took off on time without issue. The flight crew quickly learned that we were with the ballet. Obviously charmed, one attendant spoke on the intercom welcoming our group and urging everyone on board to purchase a ticket to see us when in Seattle. She gave a little support-the-arts speech before wishing Ezra Thomson a happy 21st birthday. There must have been a little group envy going on because a few minutes later it was announced that the crew was also pleased to host Scents of America on the flight.

Meanwhile, my daughter Sarah was busy charming dancers and other passengers with her new hat which tops her head with that of an elephant's. Long elephant legs dangle from the hat to provide mittens. The whole look was somewhere between Nanook of the North and The Jungle Book. Let me tell you, she was turning heads and scoring compliments. She pretended to be a little annoyed with James Moore who kept trying to snap a photo. These paparazzi are the worst when your traveling!

We landed on time. Getting fifty plus people across a few states seemed to have gone very smoothly until we realized that one dancer, who shall remain nameless left his bag on the plane. The dancer, we'll just call him 'Mopey', ran back to the flight and successfully retrieved the vital bag without causing too much delay. I think Moperazzi is the same guy who left his performance shoes in his hotel room last time we were here.

In any case, tomorrow will bring a quiet day starting with my organically sensitive, low stress, user-friendly Company class and a few rehearsals held in the Vail Mountain School's gym. It's officially a day off for the dancers, but many will choose to adjust to the 8,000+ feet of altitude with technique class. I'll be bringing Ezra a beer.

It's good to be back in Vail. Artistic Director of the Festival, Damian Woetzel, has built quite a following for his fresh and innovative programming. PNB was one of the first companies he brought to the valley under his leadership. The festival is now regarded as one of the country's top summer hot spots for dance. Check out
their website.
Audiences in Vail are great. I can't forget the roar we heard after performing Twyla Thap's Nine Sinatra Songs four years ago. Seeing peers from the dance community is part of the fun. The Paul Taylor Dance Company and Larry Keigwin Dance will be here along with Savion Glover and guest stars from NYCB, Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. The New York Philharmonic performs tomorrow night. We are in for an exciting time here. More to come soon. -- Peter Boal

PNB School & Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra's Collaboration

2010-06-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Forty or so lanky teenagers sat on the very lip of the stage peering over the edge to see forty or so young musicians playing a rousing rendition of John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes from our vast orchestra pit. Awed expressions could be seen on the young dancers' faces as timpanis pounded alongside the triumphant notes from the brass. Challenging passages for flute and oboe were met with brio. At the conclusion, the dancers offered wild applause for their talented peers.

This is the first time that the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra will play for PNB's Annual School Performance and hopefully not the last. You could feel the pride and excitement as these accomplished young artists prepared to share strengths in Saturday's performances.

There is a freshness to the sound of this remarkable ensemble. They struggle with reserve but make up for it in gusto. They sometimes feel individual strength over esprit de corps, and yet they feed off of each other absolutely affecting every corner of the massive McCaw Hall.

Eventually we began rehearsals of the men's regiment from Stars and Stripes and later Chaconne. There were a few discussions about tempi and a few missteps, but the possibility of greatness was hovering nearby. The presence of the orchestra breathed new life into the dancers who have spent months preparing with piano and cd.

To see this impressive level of musicianship from 15 to 19 year olds matched by our 15 to 19 year old ballet students is one of the more inspiring moments I've witnessed in a long time. If you are able to attend one of the performances on Saturday, be sure to make the trip to the edge of the orchestra pit to see this talented crew preparing.

This is not the first time that these two groups have met. Our Professional Division students attended a SYSO performance of a Mahler Symphony at Benaroya Hall in May. About three weeks ago we brought dancers and musicians together in our Studio C at the Phelps Center to watch a run-through of Chaconne. After the rehearsal the assembled teens spent almost an hour comparing notes about the rewards and pressures of being accomplished artists at such a young age. There was an unspoken mutual respect for one another. The extraordinary achievements were understood and shared.

With several hundred students performing on the stage and in the pit, youth power will be filling the theater. I saw an electric new creation by Kiyon Gaines earlier in the day to a commissioned score by young composer Aaron Severini. I have also watched as each class from Level I through Level VIII prepares their school dances. The combination of talent, energy and enthusiasm will be phenomenal. This performance is ours to witness and theirs to enjoy. The future of dance and music looks to be in very capable hands and feet and that fact will be on proud display at McCaw Hall tomorrow. Catch it if you can. You won't regret it. Tickets are still available for the evening performance through PNB.org and at the PNB Box Office. - Peter Boal, PNB Artistic Director

Director's Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

2010-06-04T12:01:00.000-07:00

By now you've probably heard the old story about me and Coppélia. To do it justice, I'll have to go back to 1948, when the New York City Ballet was born. That same year, my grandfather accepted a position working for the United Nations, causing my grandparents to relocate to New York. Watching the nascent ballet troupe, they developed an appreciation for the choreography of George Balanchine. My mother was introduced to ballet and developed a love for it. Later, my father became an equally ardent admirer. My parents were subscribers to the New York City Ballet before I was born. When my sister and I were old enough, we were encouraged to join this family tradition and began attending. I'm sure my parents were merely planning to develop our appreciation for the art form, not to put us into tights. But, during one of our trips to the ballet, we were treated to Coppélia, and somewhere in the middle of Act I, I turned to my parents and said, “That's what I want to do. I want to dance.”

So it began. I was nine and can't say I fully understood what I was in for. I did try to politely thank the School of American Ballet for an interesting introductory year, while also letting them know I would be quitting. Natasha Gleboff, executive director of the school, informed my parents that quitting was not an option. I continued. About eight years later, I found myself in the corps de ballet of Coppélia, with no regrets. Later came Franz and now a stint as Dr. Coppelius.
Balanchine, the groundbreaker and innovator who brought us The Four Temperaments and Serenade, was less known for his few story ballets. His The Nutcracker is well-known and often imitated, but Coppélia has hardly been seen outside of New York. For this creation, he called on longtime friend Alexandra Danilova, and the two recreated and reconstructed from memories of productions they had grown up with.

With the delightful composition of Léo Delibes as the guide, the tale is told. Delibes makes you want to dance. His music is not complicated, just infectious, joyous. It works its way under the soles of your feet. Balanchine said there was no finer composer for ballet. Delibes was Tchaikovsky’s predecessor and inspiration. Our orchestra, under the baton of three conductors during the run of Coppélia, will bring the score to new heights.

Bringing this production of Coppélia to PNB has been a long and rewarding process. I started talking about it six years ago. An important gift from Glenn Kawasaki four years ago moved the idea from dream to possibility. Subsequent gifts from Dan & Pam Baty, Sharon Richardson, Patty Edwards. Marcella McCaffrey, and Bruce & Jolene McCaw, partnered with more than one hundred participants in a year-long “book drive,” raised 1.3 million dollars. (The names of these New Works patrons can be found on the spines of books in Dr. Coppelius’ workshop.) Significant help also came in the form of a co-production with San Francisco Ballet. With financing in place, I engaged internationally acclaimed scenic and costume designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Roberta has guided us through the creation of three acts, a few dozen props, and nearly 150 costumes. Each carries a whimsy and an effervescence that will delight. Her sense of color palette is sublime, and she has been an absolute joy to work with over the past two years.

Judith Fugate has staged almost the entire work for PNB. I remember Judy as both a technically pure and wickedly funny Swanilda. Critics described Danilova’s portrayal in the same way. Judy is selfless as a coach, offering insight and encouragement. Garielle Whittle taught our third act corps de ballet of students. Balanchine offered these ten-to-fourteen year-old future ballerinas elegant choreography, never playing to their cuteness, but rather showcasing them with quality.

If ever there was an opportunity for all of us to be united in one production, it is now. There is no corner of our institution that has not contributed to making Coppélia happen. Both our scenic and costume shops have devoted most of the year to building this production. All counted, close to one hundred individuals have painted, hammered, stitched, and beaded. Marketers, fundraisers, dancers, and musicians join students and stage hands to present this new creation. You are a part of it, too. We are all proud to unveil a wondrous new addition to our repertory. Thank you all for being a part of this dream. Enjoy Coppélia!

Principal Dancer Jeff Stanton on Coppélia

2010-06-03T15:02:00.000-07:00

Working on Coppélia is a bit nostalgic for me, as it appears to be a marker of time in my life as a dancer. For starters, as a young child I remember listening to the album of Coppélia that my Mother had. I remember the pictures of dancers on the album almost exactly. Aside from the Nutcracker, Coppélia is one of the first ballets I remember seeing. I am not sure which ballet company it was, but it was in San Jose, CA. I mostly remember the Mazurka with the energetic dancers in their boots.

In 1982, at the age of 12, I had taken some ballet classes to complement my tap and jazz training and decided to attend a summer dance workshop at a local ballet studio. Wearing my very eighties dance attire I found myself in a serious ballet class given by teachers from the San Francisco Ballet School. Those from my hometown were all so happy to see a boy who danced. The director of the school asked me if I would be in their upcoming production of Coppélia. I said yes, as long as I didn’t have to wear tights, and she agreed. The choreography was by this little, old, and vivacious Russian woman who we called Madame Valentina Belova (another story in itself: click here for more info on Madame Valentina). I was to be a puppet in the toy shop and the costume people made a costume for me with pants. However, somehow I ended up in tights for a waltz section. I remember being so embarrassed by how skinny my legs looked. Toothpicks with knee joints!

Fast forward 15 years to 1997. As a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, I was cast to dance the role of Franz in Kent Stowell’s production of Coppélia with Patricia Barker as my Swanilda. I really enjoyed dancing that role with the light hearted, comic mime to tell the story. I studied performance tapes of former PNB principal dancers Michael Auer and Benjamin Houk dancing the role of Franz to pick up effective nuances for the story telling. I remember the choreography for the male variation in the third act being suited to my abilities. I also remember stunning performances by Alexandra Dickson and Melanie Skinner in the Prayer and Dawn variations. Julie Tobiason was the perfect Swanilda and Uko Gorter amazed me with his heartfelt and humorous interpretation of Dr. Coppelius.

Now, 13 years later, I’ve been cast as Dr. Coppelius in PNB’s upcoming revival of George Balanchine’s production of Coppélia. For me, dancing the role of Dr. Coppelius has been an opportunity to do more of what I’ve always enjoyed. And that’s acting as a character while telling a story through mime. In Coppélia, Dr. Coppelius reveals more depth than most character roles. He’s old, lives alone and makes toys. His pride and joy is his doll named Coppélia. Just that much information itself gives an actor so much to work with.

Judith Fugate has been setting Coppélia on PNB and has been wonderful. It’s clear that she loves her work as a stager. There are four men cast as Dr. Coppelius. Judy has given us all the information we need and has let each of us run with our own interpretations of the role. Each one of us really comes across as Dr. Coppelius in our own way. It’s interesting to see. I find it helpful to watch others to see how things read from an audience perspective. But, in the end, I’ve found that I have to remain true to my own interpretation of the role and not let someone else’s interpretation influence me.

My Swanilda and Franz are Mara Vinson and James Moore. I adore the two of them and am happy to be part of a cast with them. They both are so professional and committed to their work. I have a lot of respect for them. I’m sure they will both dance their roles beautifully.

The costume shop has been working incredibly hard on the new costumes. They really amaze me with their talents. The set team has done an amazing job. It’s a real team effort to put together a new production and everyone involved is excited to see it come to life. The whole process up until now has been such a joy as I’m sure the performances will be too.

New Experiences - Serious Pleasures

2010-03-17T23:35:00.000-07:00

Barry Kerollis, corps de ballet

Rehearsing for “3 by Dove” has been a very gratifying experience so far. This season has been very rewarding for me when it comes to dancing big, new roles that really push my boundaries as a dancer. “3 by Dove” has been no disappointment in continuing this push.

I will be dancing in two very different pieces for this program, Victor Quijada’s Suspension of Disbelief and Ulysses Dove’s Serious Pleasures. The contrasts between these two works are very deep, yet based on the same principles of taking ballet dancers and pushing them beyond their classical boundaries. Quijada’s work is a blend of his hip-hop/b-boy/pop-locking/endless list of styles, while Dove’s work is very contemporary ballet that at times pushes into the realm of modern dance.

Quijada choreographed SoD while I was in my third year at PNB. Before Victor chose his cast, we workshopped for a couple of weeks so that we could begin to understand his style and he could get an idea of which dancers he wanted. One of the last days that we were workshopping, I was told that I was not chosen to be in his work. An interesting side story to this is that I was actually really sick that day. I went home that afternoon and became extremely ill and eventually had my appendix out two days later. It was a missed opportunity and I was disappointed that I had come so far along in the workshop, but didn’t get a chance to be a part of his piece.

I knew that this work was returning this season and had pretty much assumed that since I had been cut from the process the first time around, I would not be considered to perform the piece. Peter Boal had mentioned to me around Nutcracker that he had me in mind to replace the one male in the piece who is no longer with PNB, but I had convinced myself that he must have been confused about which piece I was going to be dancing in. The casting finally went up and to my surprise, even though I already knew, I would dance in this piece.

For most dancers, being cast in something that is new to them is very exciting with a hint of nervousness. For me, I was very excited and slightly horrified. The last time PNB had danced SoD, there were rumors that we would never perform the piece again because it’s vocabulary is so far outside of any technique that we know and it could be almost impossible to teach it again without Victor. Now, here I was, one of three first cast dancers that weren’t around for any of the choreographic process. I specify first cast because that means that no matter what, we WILL perform. I was afraid that with the short three-week period to learn the piece, I wouldn’t be able to grasp the style or learn the foreign steps.

We started our first week of rehearsal by watching an old recording, tapping the memories of those that had danced the piece before, and decoding with ballet master Otto Neubert. Surprisingly, it wasn’t impossible to pick up the choreography, just difficult, and we had learned all of the “steps” by the end of the first week. A daunting task that Otto led very well.

The next step was when Victor arrived about two weeks ago. We spent most of that first week without touching the choreography. Check out my dear friend’s (Abby Relic) post to get a good explanation of the workshopping. We finally started working on the choreography towards the end of that first week. By the time that Friday of this past week came, we had touched every part of the piece in detail and were still working out kinks. We are really pushing this process until the last second and I am still a bit nervous about it. But I trust Victor and am positive that we will feel great by the time the curtain rises this Thursday evening. I’d like to give a special merde to the two other newbies in the cast Carrie Imler and Leah O’Connor.

Now for Serious Pleasures. We started rehearsing this piece way back in August, when PNB holds its summer course at the Phelps Center. I love rehearsing during this time because there is so much energy and excitement at the Phelps center as the students watch us. These students are so fresh and young and are really open to new experiences. Ironically, the dancers of PNB were doing the same as they were learning Serious Pleasures.

Alright, anyone that knows me well is aware that I am almost always brutally honest. So, I won’t hold back here. We had to be COMPLETELY open to new experiences while learning Serious Pleasures. SP is a piece that has very mature content. This work is not the Garland Dance in Sleeping Beauty or the Grandfather’s Dance in The Nutcracker. Serious Pleasures is explicit, sexual, and raw. From the first moment in the studio, Parrish Maynard, who is setting this ballet, told us that we had to be open to this choreography.

From there, I knew I was excited to be a part of this work. I think there is nothing more important than art pushing boundaries. Asking an audience to experience something that may be beyond their normal limits. It is meant to make people think, to open their minds, and to become free enough from thought to accept, instead of pass judgment. Dove does this with this piece. There is gyrating, pulsating, and hairography. There is a lot of hairography (choreography for the hair). I am excited to be a part of the controversy that will surely surround this piece.

I am dancing with Chalnessa Eames and at times Seth Orza. There are multiple sections to this piece and each one has a different mood. Dove’s choreography is very earthy and extremely athletic. This piece does not disappoint.

The most recent challenge that we have added to this piece is working with the set. There are nine doors and multiple poles that stick out of walls that we dance in, out of, and on. Typically, we do not get to see the set of a ballet until we are onstage. But due to the complexity of dancing while using the set, we started rehearsing with it the week before we usually get into the theatre.

All in all, I am excited and nervous for this rep to begin. We have been rehearsing very hard with sore muscles, scrapes, and lots of bruises. I can’t wait to hear the audience’s reaction to this program. It is a unique treat.

(Shameless plug - I am the dancer liason for Backstage Pass, a group that brings 21-39 year olds interested in ballet together for PNB performances and events. On Friday, March 26, we will be holding our annual Backstage Bash, my favorite event of the season. It is an event open to all ages, where afterwards you get to dance backstage with the dancers. Don't miss it!)

It's A Process...

2010-03-13T16:51:00.000-08:00

Abby Relic, PNB Corps Member

This Rep I am rehearsing two very challenging, yet very different pieces, Victor Quijada’s Suspension of Disbelief and Ulysses Dove’s Vespers. Both pieces are allowing me to tap into areas of my dancing that I usually do not get to experiment with, and I am learning new concepts every day that will aid not only the way I execute steps in these contemporary works, but also the execution of classical ballet steps.

Suspension of Disbelief has been quite the experience. We spent the first week “work-shopping” with Quijada, or experimenting with how our bodies move through the space around us, and vice versa, how the space around us causes a reaction to move our bodies. His entire piece is based around this concept, for example, someone or something pushes a part of your body, causing it to react in a direction an then possibly rebound in another direction, knocking another body part along the way. Sounds confusing, but in the workshops it made sense to me. As a ballet dancer, sometimes the focus is on a position the body makes, or the end point of a movement. What makes that end point meaningful and beautiful is the process it takes to get there. Quijada has described his choreography to us as ‘real.’ Someone ‘really’ pushes you, you ‘really’ fall, and then they ‘really’ catch you and pull you back up. The steps and positions of the choreography are all there, but the focus is on the process it takes to get to those positions, and then they just happen, almost without even realizing that they did. Not that these steps are easy, or that no effort goes into them, because I can barely hold my arms up right now to type this blog. J Needless to say, everyone got way into the workshops. My coworker and friend, Barry, mentioned to me that he woke up in the middle of a night moving through space with his elbow. There have been many similar stories, and I catch myself work-shopping all over Seattle.

Besides this space reaction concept, the piece also incorporates an urban theme. I have always been a BIG fan of hip hop culture in its entirety; the music, the dancing, the attitude, you name it. I have taken quite a few hip hop dance classes over the years purely for my own personal enjoyment, and have always been in awe of the way these dancers move. It is about the feeling or intention behind each step, not the step itself. I have am also completely mesmerized by break dancing and the things break-dancers allow to come out of their bodies. Mesmerized. Through Quijada’s workshops I kind of started to understand how B boys/girls do the crazy things that they do, which made me really excited. It’s a lot of physics, which I’m not going to get into, but everything involves using the different parts of your body to get from point A to point B, and again, it’s all about the process, not the end points. It is pretty funny to see all of our faces when Quijada would demonstrate a new break dancing move. We all look at him like “Yikes. You want us to do what now?” But then everyone got to working on these difficult moves, offering advice to each other on different ways to approach each step in order to complete it. When someone accomplishes a difficult move or maneuver, there is always a fellow “teammate” there to offer some sort of congratulations. The process of this piece has been extremely rewarding, but the beauty of it is that there is still a long way to go.

Vespers is an entirely different piece; probably the only similarity is that it is also not ballet. There is a story behind Vespers, but the challenge is that the story is not directly communicated to you, there is no clear-cut picture drawn up for you. You get to make it up yourself, or, as I have discovered, you get to find it. The same concepts of using your body to get from point A to point B I have also found to be useful in Vespers, but honestly, I haven’t quite connected with what exactly my story is. Each time I rehearse the piece, I feel closer to finding my own voice, and that, I feel, is the point. The rehearsal process to find that feeling that I am fishing for will allow me to get to that end point where I actually find it. And if I can’t move my arms from Suspension of Disbelief, well, I also can’t move my legs because of Vespers. The physical and psychological demands of this Rep continue to present new challenges for myself and my fellow dancers, creating a never-ending learning process with no end point really, which I find to be the beauty of this process. There is always one step further you can go.

A Peep from the PR Guy

2010-03-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hello, PNB blog-readers! Gary Tucker here, the ballet's PR guy. I'll be contributing items to this blog now and then, but I have to warn you: They will be coming from my slightly-skewed sensibility. Think of them as "ballet breathers," a sorbet to refresh your ballet-infused brain. (If you prefer to read the standard-issue press releases I put out on a regular basis, check out the News Room on our website.) Case in point: As my very first blog, I want to exhort everyone to dig deep and find the artiste within, and enter your PNB-inspired Peep Art to the Seattle Times!

Easter is around the corner, which means it's time once again for the annual Seattle Times Peeps Gallery. Readers are encouraged to build a sculpture, diorama, tableau or any other form that excites you - anything that's made (mostly) of those deliciously awful marshmallow Peeps.

Last year, one of the most brilliant entries was a replica of PNB's 2009 "Swan Lake" poster, with Peeps in place of Odette (Carla Körbes) and Siegfried (Casey Herd). Think of the upcoming PNB shows, and how they can be transformed into 3-dimensional art! 3 by Peep? All Balanpeep? Copeeplia? Or the holiday favorite Peepcracker? Go wild with your imagination and let your peep flag fly!

Here are the details from the Seattle Times: After crafting your masterpeep, go to www.seattletimes.com/living and upload an original photo of your entry. Please keep a higher-resolution version of your photo (at least 1MB) in case your image is chosen for publication in the newspaper. The deadline is March 22 at 5 pm. The Times will publish an array of entries in an April edition of NW Arts & Life. In the meantime, you'll be able to view some of the entries at www.seattletimes.com/living in a Peeps Parade. They also have a Peeps FAQ for all your burning Peeps questions.

And send US your Peep-NB ballet peep artwork too! Okay, that's enough craziness for one day. Aloha, -- GT

3 by Dove (and One by Quijada!!!)

2010-03-10T23:46:00.000-08:00

Two weeks down, two to go.
Rehearsals for 3 by Dove have devoured my existence for the last two weeks. The Dove ballets are some of the most physically and mentally challenging, yet rewarding works I have ever learned. For this rep I am learning roles in Dove’s Red Angels, and Serious Pleasures, and Victor Quijada’s Suspension of Disbelief.

It was actually back in July that I first began to learn, and work through the Dove ballets. I was fortunate enough to travel with PNB to Jacob’s Pillow in August to perform an all Dove program including Red Angels, Vespers, and Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven. During that summer rehearsal period, Parrish Maynard also visited to begin setting Serious Pleasures. It was quite a lot of work. SO much choreography. I had to take in years worth of information in a few short weeks (also, years worth of ice baths). I was dancing with/alongside the principles and soloists of the company, dancers with vastly greater experience than me. Intimidating? Absolutely. But thankfully everyone was extremely helpful and kind, and made me feel like part of the team.

The thing that I find so special about Dove’s work is that he choreographed his life. Everything he created was an expression of his personal experience. Each ballet is deeply meaningful, poignant even. Vespers he made in memory of his grandmother. “Front Porch” lamented his experience with love and loss. “Pleasures” explores his view and encounters with human sexual nature. Each piece contains real-life experiences, and ones that each of us can relate to, whether as the audience or the dancer.

As a performer it is a great challenge to take on a work where the choreographer has set the bar so high by pouring their soul in to it. In one of my Red Angels rehearsals last week Peter mentioned about Ulysses, “If you had good extension, he wanted better. If you had a high arabesque, he wanted it higher.” We want to honor what Ulysses originally intended the piece to be and so we push ourselves to work harder, and perform beyond what we think is possible.

My goal in this profession is to always be growing, changing, learning, experiencing, and giving everything I have. The Dove work has really helped me push myself and better understand the importance of continually maturing in this art, but also just in life too.

I remember the first time I saw Red Angels. I was 15 and a student in the school, but was performing in the corps of Diamonds. I stuck around after an onstage Jewels rehearsal because the company was having a dress rehearsal for the "8 Encores" performance. The excerpts from the other ballets were nice and I enjoyed them, but something about Red Angels electrified me. The energy of the piece was unlike anything I had seen. I left the theater in awe, inspired, and positive that I had to perform that ballet someday. That day came much sooner than I thought.

"Beauty," Confidence and Wit

2010-02-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here in the therapy room at McCaw Hall.
Boyd, our physical therapist has his latest victim on the table. We call him "Bender the Mender," and he has on more than one occasion been responsible for keeping a show going - in particular the marathon ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and of course The Sleeping Beauty or "Beauty" - it's abbreviated name.
Thankfully I'm not in here because I'm need of therapy - well physical at least, the mental and emotional I can't vouch for. My reason has more to do with human and internet connection than anything else. It's always a hoppin' place here in the therapy room.

This is our last weekend of shows, and I honestly can't tell you how I feel about that. A little sad? Yeah. A little happy? Sure. But truthfully the feeling that's recently overwhelmed me is... anxiety. And I am ashamed - of feeling anxious that is...

You see this Saturday I will be the Wit Fairy. It will be my premiere and my finale of this part all wrapped up into one show. As my co-worker Abby would say, "Git 'er done!" And I shall. But I find that in all this endless practicing and rehearsing I've developed a slight complex regarding this variation.

When I first saw that I was cast to learn this part my initial reaction was at first slight disbelief and then slight, well, for lack of a better word, horror. With speedy tempos, gallops on pointe and lots of chaînés (very fast small turns), it's a pretty challenging variation. And since I'm going for brutal honesty here, I really felt like it was over my head, not to mention my ability. But determined to see this as an opportunity for growth, I attacked this variation with tenacity and determination.
And much to my surprise I absolutely love dancing it! Oddly enough it really suits my dancing personality and I feel I've certainly risen to the challenge. This is me patting myself on the back...
The end of the variation is pretty tricky: you have essentially six counts of chaîné turns and finish in a double step-up turn done without coming off pointe. You feel like an Olympic gymnast trying to stick a dismount - the goal of course being a solid, sans fumble landing. I have practiced this part of the variation over and over again, and I wish I could say I nailed it every time. Everyone's been so helpful in offering up their suggestions, tips and corrections, but sometimes I felt like there were "too many cooks in the kitchen" if you know what I mean.
Taking everyone's suggestions and every opportunity to practice I know I've improved. But as my Facebook status said today, I've come to realize that at this point practice doesn't = perfect but only perpetuates my insecurity, anxiety and complex over this variation. Practice has become a barrier if you will to the one ingredient that I cannot be without: confidence in myself. By practicing over and over again, I am refusing to trust myself and my ability that I can and will do this variation excellently. Seems like a very simple lesson to learn, one I should have had under my belt a long time ago... But I find there's always lessons to be learned and re-learned. That's just life, right?

So all this work and for what? One show? That's a lot of pressure. Well it is if I choose to look at it that way. There are quite a few of us dancers who have put in countless hours for just one show - one opportunity. With only nine shows and quite a few casts, sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles. But you know what? Even if it's just one, it's one! It's a gift! And what else are gifts for but to be enjoyed. So this Saturday matinee, while I'm not the Fairy of Joy, I will be full of joy as I take hold of the gift and blessing it is to dance victoriously the Fairy of Wit. And I will stick that last turn. I can do it and I will do it!
To come and see many premieres this final weekend, you can buy your tickets here. But you better hurry before they all sell out!

Photo of PNB principal dancer Mara Vinson as the Fairy of Wit in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Ready. Set. GO!!!

2010-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

The gun shot sounds and we're off. It has begun.

Not only did I make it to the starting line but am now running this marathon that is The Sleeping Beauty. And what an eventful week it has been as we prepared ourselves for the initial sprint: opening weekend.

As I stated before, this is not just a ballet but a production. Nothing is glazed over; every detail is attended to. There are set changes (that involve moving giant pillars and platforms) for each act, props to be placed, costumes to be changed, and praise the Lord we have an excellent stage crew and an army of wardrobe, wig and makeup men and women that manage to transform us and the stage in only our 15 minute intermissions! We owe these unsung heroes a giant round of applause for their tireless efforts in making this production possible. And unlike us (the dancers), they don't have weeks of rehearsal to get things down pat. For most of them, they have the Monday of performance week till Wednesday night - our dress rehearsal - to get everything set up, lighting adjusted, and kinks worked out. And all this is going on while we are rehearsing on stage too.

You see with five casts of principle couples (Prince and Princess Aurora), each one needs a dress rehearsal, but with the limited time we have, unfortunately some are more "dressed" than others. This can be pretty stressful, especially when you're trying to get the full feeling of what this three hour show's going to require stamina-wise. But in these less than ideal circumstances everyone's handled them with grace and the utmost professionalism. Sometimes that's just how the cookie crumbles -so with chin up you make the best of it.

But I have to say Wednesday was quite surreal. Definitely NOT your ordinary dress rehearsal.

First of all, because Sleeping Beauty is so long, we broke up the dress rehearsal into two parts: the Prologue dress was in the afternoon, and then the last three acts were in the evening at the usual dress rehearsal time. But this pushed our class time up to 10am, which felt very early considering we'd finished rehearsing the night before at 9pm. It also required us to be ready with full stage makeup, performance hair and costumes for press photos at noon. Rushed? Just a little...

And the rehearsal was pretty rough. Not only did we struggle with orchestra tempos, but there were costume malfunctions, and special effect flubs. Well that's what dress rehearsals are for - ironing out the creases, which we most certainly did. And just as we were about to be dismissed can you guess what happened? The McCaw Hall fire alarm went off... and this was NOT a drill.

So we all, clad in our costumes of tutus, pantaloons and gold heels - the men's attire, wigs and stage makeup, marched outside to wait on the sidewalk of Mercer Street in the cold, wet weather. Olivier Wevers, dressed as Carabosse the evil fairy, began to wave at the cars that slowly drove past us. It was quite a sight to see! We looked like a freak show - or at least that was the message conveyed by the baffled and slightly horrified expressions of those people who witnessed this spectacle.

It felt like the hours before the fire truck arrived, but I'm sure it was only a matter of minutes. We all filed back into the theater to finally change, only to come back hours later to do it all over again... dress rehearsal part two: Acts 1-3. Well they say bad dress rehearsal, good performance... A true statement.

Opening night came and everything went off seamlessly. The production glittered and sparkled and everyone in it radiated excitement and energy. The audience was packed and I never felt more proud to be a part of such a tremendous company of beautiful and talented dancers. Two more shows remain this weekend and then we have five more performances the following one before the spell is finally broken and the Sleeping Beauty awakes for the for good. I would highly recommend coming to see this awesome production - it's definitely one you don't want to miss! Buy your tickets here before they all sell out! - Jessika Anspach, PNB corps de ballet dancer

Opening Night Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

2010-02-04T13:27:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Tonight the curtain rises on Ronald Hynd’s wonderful production of The Sleeping Beauty. After eight weeks of preparation, we are ready for performance. There are as many as five casts of some roles and many premieres. Try to catch as many as you can. Here are a few interesting facts I thought you’d like to know:

This is the largest production that PNB does as far as number of performers, size of orchestra and number of costume pieces. There are 900 individual costume pieces used in each performance and our wardrobe department manages to get them all on the right people.

The Queen’s Act III costume weighs 35 pounds.

Kaori Nakamura wears three or four pairs of pointe shoes for each performance of Aurora.

In the original 1980 production of The Sleeping Beauty, Italian dancer/teacher Enrico Cecchetti danced the roles of both Carabosse and the Blue Bird.

Emil de Cou, associate Conductor of the National Symphony orchestra in Washington, DC, will be a guest conductor for three performances of Beauty. Four guest conductors joined us during Nutcracker as part of our search for a new Music Director.

All Sleeping Beauty matinees begin at 1PM and are dress-up matinees for boys and girls, with plenty of activities planned for them before the performance and at intermissions.

Best, Peter

Director's Notes on The Sleeping Beauty

2010-01-28T14:46:00.000-08:00

Some people never grow old. You probably think I'm talking about that stunningly beautiful 116-year-old princess you are about to see, but I'm not. I'm talking about two individuals who arrived in our studios a few weeks ago like a welcome spring breeze. Ronald Hynd, choreographer of our Sleeping Beauty and his lovely wife Annette Page are forever young, despite several decades of birthdays. Watching the choreographer bring shape and life to his work is to see our profession at its best. Annette's experiences in the roles of Princess Florine, who is enchanted by a bluebird, and Princess Aurora, make her a perfect coach for our dancers. With wicked wits and hysterical stories from long and illustrious careers, their return to PNB has been a welcome one.

As frequent visitors to this company will know, I love new work. I love to commission work when we can find the resources to pay for it. And at the same time, I am continually struck by the pleasure we all have in revisiting the great traditional works on which classical ballet was founded. How fresh they can look and how enthralling they can be for wide-eyed, first-time viewers and longtime ballet aficionados. We feel the challenge of Aurora's prolonged balances and promenades on one pointed foot and the brilliant spectacle of the Bluebird's batterie. We are rendered blissfully childlike in rooting for Prince Florimund and Little Red Riding Hood. We are equally passionate in our disdain for the Wolf and the villainous Carabosse. There's nothing like a heartpumping story of the triumph of good over evil.

The challenges I have thrown at our dancers over the past five seasons are a tall order. The Sleeping Beauty is perhaps the greatest technical challenge of any ballet in our repertory. Work on The Sleeping Beauty began in November as the first Nutcracker snow began to fall. Precision of technique, stamina, portrayal of character, and demonstration of musicality and stage presence are only the beginning. You will want to catch as many casts as you can. Each is remarkable in its own way.

Savor our orchestra's mastery of Tchaikovsky's grand composition. Sixty talented musicians fill the hall with drama and delight. Take a trip down to the edge of the orchestra pit at intermission and learn more about this key component of our company. You can also enjoy PNB's orchestra during a live broadcast on King FM on Friday, February 5 at 7:30 pm.

I'm guessing that after today's performance of The Sleeping Beauty, you are going to want to come back and see us again. We have another classic coming up this spring that you might want to catch. PNB will perform George Balanchine's delightful Coppélia for the first time with all-new sets and costumes by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. We've been working on this one for more than a year and I've been talking about it for five. With three new scenic designs and 125 new costumes, it's quite an undertaking. It's also the reason I fell in love with ballet. You may already be in love with ballet, but this one's a winner you won't want to miss. It's going to be a great spring at PNB and we look forward to seeing you back at the ballet.

Peter Boal
Artistic Director