Pacific Northwest Ballet’s The Seasons’ Canon opens with Dwight Roden’s atmospheric Catching Feelings. With gorgeous lighting (Joey Walls) and costumes (Christine Darch), and cleverly cast dancers in shaded light, this is a breathtaking piece. Exciting strings (Bach/ Peter Grayson and Johan Ullén after J.S. Bach) and staging (with a choreographer assist from Clifford Williams)—offer a…
Category: Finding Balance blog
Pacific Northwest Ballet celebrates its 50th with Carmina Burana, and more
Pacific Northwest Ballet launched its 50th Anniversary Season with George Balanchine’s enduring Allegro Brillante, an Alexei Ratmansky world premiere, Wartime Elegy, and founding artistic director Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana. One of the most memorable pairings of the evening was Angelica Generosa and new principal Jonathan Batista in Allegro Brillante. Daring and showy, both appear committed to…
The New York City Ballet at Saratoga Springs July 2022
The New York City Ballet, with its superb orchestra directed by Andrew Litton, returned to Saratoga Springs for a short week. Whereas declining arts audiences in Covid has been a concern, Saratoga Springs’ Performing Arts Center prevails, as does the New York City Ballet. The performances on Saturday, July 16 were nothing short of astounding….
Swan Lake—Pacific Northwest Ballet
April 15-24, McCaw Hall, Seattle The romantic ballet Swan Lake belongs to the ballerina—Lesley Rausch—and choreographer Kent Stowell. Rausch is in control not only of her positions and movements, her balance, her expressive arms, but also of the emotions behind each move. In the ballet, we see her elated, betrayed, avenged, desolate—Rausch is both supreme…
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Plot Points, March 18-27, 2022
I’ve seen Plot Points a number of times, I adore it. What’s not to like? A plot, mystery, performance almost cinematographic. Terrific dance. Drama. Melodrama. (More on this later.) But the PNB premiere of Robyn Mineko Williams’ gorgeous Before I Was proved to be breathtaking. Dancers Leah Terada and Christopher D’Ariano soar in this whimsical…
Roméo and Juliette, a ballet masterpiece
What to say about Jean Christophe Maillot’s ballet masterpiece, Roméo and Juliette, that hasn’t been said before—and with countless accolades? Only that it was that much sweeter, poignant, and sharper watching the ballet with a treasured ballerina, Noelani Pantastico, dancing what amounted to her final role with Pacific Northwest Ballet—and, as always, with her signature smooth…
Nutcracker—PNB REVIEW
The December 5, 2021 Saturday matinee performance featured Noelani Pantastico as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Christopher D’Ariano as her cavalier. Michael Jinsoo Lin provided the expert solo violin. D’Ariano’s been given a lot of opportunities in the past year, and it’s easy to see why—he’s a skilled dancer and a sensitive…
BEYOND BALLET—PNB REVIEW
Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven features Arvo Pärt’s music—the bell ringing is chilling. The overhead lighting is ominous, and the dancers, in sleek unitards, greys and whites, are conspicuous, exposed. Dove’s dance, complete with motifs, such as weight shifts in second position, or rapid leg extensions, is exciting to watch. Although…
New York City Ballet’s La Valse, and more
NYCB fall program
Innovators and Icons
Review of NYCB’s stunning fall program