One legacy of Balanchine is evidenced in the major ballet companies headed by former Balanchine dancers. These include: the New York City Ballet with founders Lincoln Kirstein and George Balanchine, and then Peter Martins, Jonathan Stafford, Wendy Whelan; San Francisco Ballet, with the Christenson brothers at the helm (Lew Christenson had joined George Balanchine’s new company, American…
Tag: Pacific Northwest Ballet
PNB’s Swan Lake
Lucien Postlewaite and Leta Biasucci. Photo credit: Angela Sterling Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake is a gift of great drama, beauty, and technical feats. It demands production element excellence, and an ultimate A-game on the part of all the dancers. Highlights for me were Lucien Postlewaite’s supreme cool and clarity, ballon that soars, joyful largesse. The…
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Encore
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Encore June 11-15, 2023 celebrating principal dancer Lesley Rausch’s career as a dancer was indeed bittersweet. But, with eight separate pieces (many, excerpts) on the program, it was indeed a reveling in Rausch’s rich career as a dancer. The first four pieces of the program featured huge talents—Elle Macy in Penny…
Fighting for Ukraine with Classical Ballet
On the West Coast in fall, 2022, Pacific Northwest Ballet premiered a moving work by world renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky—Wartime Elegy. It is his first ballet since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Critics call it not so much a political ballet, as a tribute to perseverance over struggles and emotions. Reportedly, during the opening night…
THE SEASONS’ CANON filmed Nov 4, 2022
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…
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…
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Fall dance programs—Digital triumph, critical success
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Fall dance programs were both digital triumph and critical success. Kudos to artistic director Peter Boal and his administrative and artistic staff for presenting such stunning and sensitive dance to the world. Reviews, in brief Rep I (streamed in October). PNB’s Rep I featured George Balanchine’s Jewels, but all the pieces on…
My dance writing to share, and a plea for support of dance everywhere, anywhere
My dance writing to share, and a plea for support of dance everywhere, anywhere My dance writing In recent weeks, I’ve written the following two pieces—one for Dance International and one for Dance Magazine, both on the inimitable Donald Byrd. Gigi writes on Donald Byrd and race and climate Gigi writes on Donald Byrd…
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Enchanting Cinderella
It’s hard to top Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Kent Stowell’s Cinderella (Jan 31-Feb 9, 2020) at Seattle’s McCaw Hall. The company premiered it almost 26 years ago—I was there then, and I can remember being impressed with both design and concept, as well as the mesmerizing Prokofiev music. This year, I was fortunate to…
Locally-sourced in Seattle
Pacific Northwest Baallet’s November program highlighted “local” Seattle talent in three impressive pieces—Eva Stone’s Foil (see my earlier blog on Eva Stone’s FOIL), Donald Byrd’s Love and Loss, and Miles Pertl’s Wash of Gray. Byrd’s piece was bold and purposeful. As reported here Byrd/PNB Blog, What drives the work that I do at Spectrum [Dance…