Helene

Maybe that will be a tribute to starting in the corps and being part of an ensemble.

From the press release for Coppelia: Production will salute departing PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert. “I met Otto Neubert 41 years ago when he auditioned for New York City Ballet,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “He was the most reassuring presence when I arrived at PNB. For twenty years I have watched him welcome countless students into the studio to start the arduous process of learning to be a gliding angel, scampering mouse, darting bug, or raucous Fritz. His talent to nurture and empower dancers of all ages and abilities is unmatched. Otto has always believed in dancers’ strength and artistry. He has guided hundreds to find the best path to success. Beyond his vital role as a coach, he's a shoulder to lean on and the go-to guy for a much-needed laugh. I can’t quite imagine PNB without this gentle lion, but I take comfort in knowing his legacy of care and commitment lives on in our students and our company.” Peter Boal called him a gentle lion, but there was nothing gentle about his portrayals of BvG in Swan Lake. No one else has that look that can paralyze the bravest and most determined Siegfrieds. Nor in his roaring Don Quixote. One of the most moving things I've seen in the company was him walking side by side with Jonathan Porretta, who's looked at him in awe with those big, saucer eyes. Two of the greatest character dancers. to him.

She’s a Barbie girl in a ballet world… Pacific Northwest Ballet presents Production will salute departing PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert. May 31 – June 9, 2024 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 Seven performances only! Friday, May 31 at 7:30 pm Saturday, June 1 at 2:00 and 7:30 pm Thursday – Saturday, June 6 – 8 at 7:30 pm Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 pm Streaming Digitally June 13 – 17 SEATTLE, WA – For the final performances of its 2023-24 Season, Pacific Northwest Ballet presents one of the happiest ballets on earth, George Balanchine’s Coppélia. A comical case of living dolls and mistaken identity, Coppélia promises bravura classical ballet, exquisite scenery and costumes, and pristine choreography for PNB Company dancers and 24 tiny dancers from the PNB School. Coppélia runs for seven performances, May 31 – June 9 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $38. The production will also stream digitally June 13 – 17: Digital access is $40. For tickets and additional information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online 24/7 at PNB.org. Audiences and critics were mesmerized when the curtain rose on PNB's 2010 premiere of its exquisite, wisteria-hued production of Coppélia: “The audience actually gasped when the curtain went up” (Journal Newspapers). The story is a lighthearted comedy about vivacious young Swanilda, her impetuous suitor Franz, and the eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius. Though Franz loves Swanilda, he is smitten by Coppélia, a life-sized doll whom he believes is real. When Swanilda steals into Dr. Coppelius' workshop and discovers the truth about Coppélia, she dresses up as her rival and amuses herself by tricking both toymaker and her beau. All ends well in the final act’s splendid wedding festivities, enhanced by the addition of 24 “baby” ballerinas who perform as the corps de ballet framing four solo variations. Beautifully detailed by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno's lavish sets and costumes, this production is a complete delight for all ages. “Coppélia...demands repeat viewing” (criticaldance.com). The emergence of the 24 “baby” ballerinas in Act III will have extra significance this time around, as it marks the final performances staged by PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert, who will be retiring at the end of the season. Mr. Neubert joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1992 and has assisted PNB’s artistic directors in rehearsing, teaching, and scheduling the Company, as well as rehearsing countless PNB School students in their roles for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and other productions. He has also performed in PNB’s The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Prodigal Son, Giselle, and Swan Lake. Prior to joining PNB, he danced as a soloist with New York City Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. “I met Otto Neubert 41 years ago when he auditioned for New York City Ballet,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “He was the most reassuring presence when I arrived at PNB. For twenty years I have watched him welcome countless students into the studio to start the arduous process of learning to be a gliding angel, scampering mouse, darting bug, or raucous Fritz. His talent to nurture and empower dancers of all ages and abilities is unmatched. Otto has always believed in dancers’ strength and artistry. He has guided hundreds to find the best path to success. Beyond his vital role as a coach, he's a shoulder to lean on and the go-to guy for a much-needed laugh. I can’t quite imagine PNB without this gentle lion, but I take comfort in knowing his legacy of care and commitment lives on in our students and our company.” ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Music: Léo Delibes (Coppélia, ou la Fille aux Yeux d’Émail, 1869-1870; with excerpts from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, 1876, and La Source [Naïla], 1866) Book: Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, 1815 Choreography: Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust (after Marius Petipa) Staging: Judith Fugate and Garielle Whittle Scenic and Costume Design: Roberta Guidi di Bagno Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes (including two intermissions) Original Production Premiere: May 25, 1870; Paris Opera Ballet, choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon Petipa Production Premiere: November 25, 1884, Imperial Ballet, St. Petersburg, choreography by Marius Petipa (after Arthur Saint-Léon); revised 1894 by Enrico Cecchetti Balanchine Production Premiere: July 17, 1974; New York City Ballet (Saratoga Springs, New York) Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: June 3, 2010 Based on the book by Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, Coppélia is considered one of the triumphant comic ballets of the 19th century and marked the passing of ballet supremacy from France to Russia. Originally choreographed by Arthur St. Léon in Paris in 1870, it was restaged by Marius Petipa in St. Petersburg in 1884 and revised by Enrico Cecchetti in 1894. Little, if any, of St. Léon’s choreography remains in today’s production, although Acts I and II retain his ideas and the story of mischievous young lovers. Balanchine provided entirely new choreography for Act III. Balanchine wrote, “In 1974, I decided we should stage Coppélia at the New York City Ballet and asked the ballerina and teacher Alexandra Danilova, celebrated for many years for her Swanilda, to collaborate with me on the choreography. I remember very well performances by the Russian Imperial Ballet of Coppélia and as a member of the company danced in the mazurka. “I have often said that Delibes is one of my favorite composers for dance. In our new Coppélia, we used the entire score of the three-act version. The first dance drama of really uniform excellence deserves no less! No part of the ballet is subordinate to any other; most important of all, ballet music in Coppélia participates in the dance drama as never before, Delibes’ charming, melodic music assisting the plot and unifying the music and dance. Tchaikovsky was directly inspired by Delibes’ score to write his own ballet music. Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.” Balanchine and Danilova’s production celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. [Program Notes by Doug Fullington.] About the Designer: Roberta Guidi di Bagno is recognized as one of the world’s most respected and prolific scenic and costume designers. Born in Rome, Italy, she studied at the Accademia Libera del Nudo. She worked as an assistant to the late director and set designer for opera, theater and ballet, Pier Luigi Samaritani. For the past 45 years, she has worked extensively with many of the major opera houses and ballet companies around the world including Houston Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Milano, Teatro dell’Opera Roma, Queensland Ballet, English National Ballet, Zagreb National Theatre, Spoleto Festival Italy and USA, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Semperoper Ballet Dresden, Royal Danish Ballet, Teatro San Carlo Napoli, Maggio Musicale Firenze, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Teatro Filarmonico Verona, New National Theatre Tokyo, Joffrey Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, and Staatsballet Berlin. Ms. Guidi di Bagno has received a number of prestigious awards including the “Positano Massine Prize for Ballet” for her artistic accomplishments (1997), Premio Anita Bucchi, and Giornale della Danza’s “Best Costume Designer in 2012.” TICKET INFORMATION & SPECIAL EVENTS Coppélia runs for seven performances only, May 31 through June 9 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, and streams digitally June 13 – 17. Tickets to PNB’s performances may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: Phone - 206.441.2424 In Person - 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Online 24/7 - PNB.org Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to showtimes at McCaw Hall. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for best prices and greatest availability. Tickets for the live performances of Coppélia are $38 - $210 (discounts available for children up to 14.) Groups of ten or more may enjoy discounts up to 20% off regular prices (not valid on lowest-priced tickets or combined with other offers): Visit PNB.org/season/group-sales for more info. For information about special ticket offers including group discounts, The Pointe, Pay-What-You-Can, rush tickets, Beer and Ballet night, TeenTix, and more, visit PNB.org/offers. PNB’s digital presentation of Coppélia (available for viewing June 13 – 17) is $40. PNB CONVERSATIONS & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, May 30, 5:30 pm Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join retiring PNB Rehearsal Director Otto Neubert, in conversation with cast members. PNB Conversations offer in-depth interviews with artists involved in putting our repertory on stage. Attend the Conversations event only or stay for the dress rehearsal of Coppélia. Tickets (suggested donation of $25) are available through the PNB Box Office. BALLET TALK Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join dance historian Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design, and the process of bringing ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders. MEET THE ARTIST Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Skip the post-show traffic and enjoy a Q&A with Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB dancers, immediately following each performance. FREE for ticketholders. Caveat Emptor: Like many performing arts, PNB struggles with ticket resellers. At their most mundane, third-party sites snap up less expensive tickets and sell them for a profit. At their most dastardly, they sometimes sell invalid tickets. For peace of mind and to enjoy the ballet at the best prices available, always purchase tickets directly from PNB. Suspected ticket scams should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. Health, Safety, and Accessibility: At this time, masks are encouraged but not required as part of the PNB audience experience. For details and info regarding PNB’s current health and safety policies, visit PNB.org/Health. For information on McCaw Hall accessibility, visit PNB.org/Accessibility. The show must go on: Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for weather, traffic, or acts of Congress. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org.

SFB has had great dancers non-stop for decades, an embarassment of riches.

If I weren't on the board to hear this news, was planning a trip to NYC, and was going to pick a program based on rep, if I had seen Errante on the program, I would have assumed a historical revival, and would have tried to arrange my schedule to see it. I realize that I would have been an edge case, however disappointed I'd have been to see it was Tzigane. I don't see any issue with changing the name of a ballet. I find it odd that of all the names in the universe, they chose to use the name of another Balanchine ballet that was named for the specific piece of music it was set to. And they're not Balanchine re-choreographing one of his own works, at least once because no one could remember enough of the old one, and he decided to start from scratch.

For people who followed the company for many years, but who might have moved away and aren't following the company very carefully now, they might think that somehow NYCB found a way to revive the older ballet, maybe by discovering a film, or notation, etc. It wouldn't be the same excitement as a revival of Cotillon, but if I hadn't read about the name change here, and had read it on the schedule with Balanchine as the choreographer, I would have thought it was a revival of the older ballet. But even for people who know it's a re-branding of a different ballet, of all of the titles they could have chosen, why would they re-use one that is the name of the music to which is it tied, and a piece that was written by a different composer? They had a wide range of choices, and this one seems really odd to me.

I can understand a name switch -- and, given its content, it would be a mockery to call it Roma or Romani -- but why Errante, when Balanchine already created up-to-three works with that name to music by Schubert, the Wanderer? According to the Balanchine Catalogue entries: 138 - L'Errante 1933 (also called ERRANTE; ALMA ERRANTE; THE WANDERER, performed in Les Ballets 1933) 143 - Errante 1935 197 - Alma Errante (Errante) 1941 (Performed by Ballet Caravan in rep) (This link is to the catalogue: it appears to be in a frame and won't go directly to the search results: https://balanchine.org/catalogue-page/catalogue-main-archive/)

In the obituary from Norfolk in the April 1 Links, there is a link to The Celebration of Life for Lorraine Graves, with a beautiful tribute by Alicia Mae Holloway.

Per our policy, discuss the topic, not each other.

First weekend casting is up: https://www.pnb.org/season/the-seasons-canon/ Almost two full casts for all three works. The stream is usually the Opening Night cast. Here's a link to the downloadable Excel sheet: 2924 04 05 The Seasons Canon.xlsx

The June-July performances are part of the current season. It doesn't look like it's being performed next year.

Congratulations to them .

I'm not sure: I still don't have a handle on the relative heights of some of the dancers, and I haven't been to the post-performance Q&A's since February 2020. My guess is Melisa Guilliams. The musicians were wonderful. I don't know how Christina Siemens does it, but we're really lucky she's here.

Very sad news. I saw her Myrtha, and it was spectacular. What a wonderful dancer she was. May she rest in peace.

I have no idea why this publisher was chosen, but, having worked for and with small publishers in the past, the print runs are generally small. If the original order/allocation was less than the number of pre-orders, amazon or anyone else could be out-of-stock. If the publisher hasn't committed to another printing, they wouldn't take pre-orders again. Publishing is not where a seller buys XYZ copies and that's it, unless they are damaged. Seller can return unsold copies, and it's a financial risk to go to a second printing, especially a small one, until they have a handle on returns.

Twyla Tharp ● Jessica Lang ● Crystal Pite PNB Announces Jessica Lang as the Company’s next Resident Choreographer Seven Performances Only: April 12 – 21, 2024 Friday, April 12 at 7:30 PM Saturday, April 13 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM Thursday – Saturday, April 18 – 20 at 7:30 PM Sunday, April 21 at 1:00 PM Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, Washington 98109 Streaming Digitally April 25 – 29 SEATTLE, WA – Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon captivated audiences when Pacific Northwest Ballet first presented the work in 2022, so by overwhelmingly popular demand it is back as the centerpiece of PNB’s fifth offering of the 2023-24 season. Featuring 54 dancers moving as one organism to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons (recomposed by Max Richter), the mesmerizing work will be complemented by Twyla Tharp’s Shaker-inspired Sweet Fields and Jessica Lang’s stunning solo work The Calling. With this triple-bill, PNB is thrilled to announce that Jessica Lang will become the company’s new Resident Choreographer: “Jessica will commence her residency in August with a new creation for our first program of the 2024-25 season,” stated PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “This will be her fourth new work for the Company. PNB will then have five works by Jessica in active rep and we look forward to adding several more during her residency.” Lang’s powerful Let Me Mingle Tears With Thee (“Jaw-droppingly gorgeous” –The Stranger) had its world premiere in 2023. Previous works choreographed for PNB included Ghost Variations (created during the pandemic for PNB’s first digital season in 2020 and premiering onstage in 2021) and Her Door to the Sky (2016). Boal continued: “Jessica is a true collaborator - working side by side with dancers, designers, rehearsal directors and staff to achieve artistic excellence and to ensure a rewarding process for all involved. I’m so excited for Jessica to become our Resident Choreographer and to continue an already winning partnership for PNB.” THE SEASONS’ CANON runs for seven performances only, April 12 through 21 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $38. (The program will also stream digitally April 25 – 29: Digital access is available by subscription only.) For tickets and additional information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online 24/7 at PNB.org. (Follow hyperlinks below for additional notes): Sweet Fields™ Music: 18th- and 19th-century American hymns by William Billings, William Walker, Abraham Wood, and Jeremiah Ingalls, performed by The Tudor Choir Choreography: Twyla Tharp Staging: Matt Rivera and Shelley Washington Original Costume Design: Norma Kamali Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton Running Time: 19 minutes Premiere: September 20, 1996, Tharp! PNB Premiere: June 3, 2022 Pythagorean geometry and its related harmony and restraint inspired Tharp all through Sweet Fields™: Geometry as a key to Godliness. Simple, distinct patterns keep recurring, while one theme grows out of another. The men lead off the ten-part “score” of 18th- and 19th-century American religious hymns. The women perform the second hymn, and so on, the numbers go, mostly keeping the men and women “congregants” separated. Their striding gaits and their shuffling and loping paces make physical the plainsong music of the hymns. The vocabulary of details hews to the direct and the elemental in movement and posture, with flexed feet overriding a tendency toward pointed toes. The shaking of the women’s hands responds directly to Shaker community articulations associated with the specifically “Shaker Hymns” in the mix. “Chesterfield” involves all the men and takes the form of an austere funeral cortege. For “Jordan,” the hymn that invokes the title’s “sweet fields,” the men and women intermingle but don’t meld for long. “Brevity,” which follows, showcases a lone dancer, in a private moment. Some of the dancer-to-dancer interactions involve softly pummeling hand moves that appear to hammer at the music as they represent the healing gestures that are part of such Shaker religious activities. The pervasive discipline and playful rigors of the choreography overall, could not, in Tharp’s own words, have been possible without her own Quaker origins. [Excerpted notes courtesy of Twyla Tharp Productions. For complete notes, visit PNB.org.] The 2022 Pacific Northwest Ballet premiere of Twyla Tharp's Sweet Fields was principally supported by Leslie Yamada and Deidra Wager. The Calling Music: Anonymous (“O Maria, stella maris,” French, late 12th-early 13th century), performed by The Tudor Choir Choreography: Jessica Lang Staging: Jessica Lang and Kanji Segawa Costume Design: Elena Comendador Costume Concept: Jessica Lang Lighting Design: Adapted by Nicole Pearce Running Time: Five minutes Premiere: October 15, 2006 (as part of Splendid Isolation II), Ailey II (Baltimore, Maryland) PNB Premiere: June 7, 2015 The 2015 Pacific Northwest Ballet premiere of Jessica Lang’s The Calling was generously underwritten by Aya Stark Hamilton. The Seasons’ Canon Music: Max Richter (Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012) Choreography: Crystal Pite Staging: Eric Beauchesne and Anna Herrmann Scenic Design and Reflected Light Concept: Jay Gower Taylor & Tom Visser Costume Design: Nancy Bryant Lighting Design: Tom Visser, staged by Douwe Beernink Running Time: 32 minutes Premiere: September 26, 2016, Paris Opera Ballet PNB Premiere: November 4, 2022 The Seasons’ Canon is the third work of Crystal Pite’s to enter Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertoire after Emergence and Plot Point. “…I consider nature’s facts – its beautiful and grotesque forms and events – in terms of the import to thought and their impetus to the spirit. In nature I find grace tangled in a rapture with violence; I find an intricate landscape whose forms are fringed in death; I find mystery, newness, and a kind of exuberant, spendthrift energy.” –Annie Dillard “Creation for me is like looking through a lens. It’s a way to see the world in greater detail and clarity; it’s a magnified experience. It is the act of making that sharpens my awareness and connects me most deeply to the natural world and all the brutality and beauty it contains. The Seasons’ Canon is a gesture, an offering. It is as much my way of coping with the vastness and complexity of the natural world as it is a way of giving thanks for it.” –Crystal Pite PNB’s 2024 performances of Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon are supported by Joan Fitzmaurice. The 2022 PNB premiere of The Seasons’ Canon was principally supported by Susan Brotman and Dan & Pam Baty. SPECIAL EVENTS PNB CONVERSATIONS & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, April 11, 5:30 pm Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal, in conversation with retiring principal dancer James Yoichi Moore. PNB Conversations offer in-depth interviews with artists involved in putting our repertory on stage. Attend the Conversations event only or stay for the dress rehearsal of THE SEASONS’ CANON. Tickets (suggested donation of $25) are available through the PNB Box Office. BALLET TALK Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join dance historian Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design, and the process of bringing ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders. MEET THE ARTIST Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Skip the post-show traffic and enjoy a Q&A with Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB dancers, immediately following each performance. FREE for ticketholders. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to PNB’s live and/or digital performances may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: Phone - 206.441.2424 In Person - 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Online 24/7 - PNB.org Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to each performance at McCaw Hall. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for best prices and greatest availability. Tickets for the live performances of THE SEASONS’ CANON are $38 - $210. Groups of ten or more may enjoy discounts up to 20% off regular prices (not valid on lowest-priced tickets or combined with other offers): Visit PNB.org/season/group-sales for more info. PNB’s digital presentation of THE SEASONS’ CANON (April 25 - 29) is available by subscription only, $80. For information about special ticket offers including group discounts, The Pointe, Pay-What-You-Can, rush tickets, Beer and Ballet night, TeenTix, and more, visit PNB.org/offers. Caveat Emptor: Like many performing arts, PNB struggles with ticket resellers. At their most mundane, third-party sites snap up less expensive tickets and sell them for a profit. At their most dastardly, they sometimes sell invalid tickets. To enjoy the ballet at the best prices available, always purchase tickets directly from PNB. Suspected ticket scams should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. Health, Safety, and Accessibility: At this time, masks are encouraged but not required as part of the PNB audience experience. For details and info regarding PNB’s current health and safety policies, visit PNB.org/Health. For information on McCaw Hall accessibility, visit PNB.org/Accessibility. The show must go on: Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for weather, traffic, or acts of Congress. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org.

Welcome to Ballet Alert! Ballet_Scups_2024!

Oh, this is sad news. Two of my happy places are standing inside Serra's works at the Nasher in Dallas and the Olympic Sculpture Park, here in Seattle next to Puget Sound. May he rest in peace.

That's sad news about both of them. I was able to hear Janis play at the renovated Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Washington, south of Seattle. It was a wonderful concert. I heard Pollini several times in NYC, during a time when I expected to live there forever and took it for granted that I would show up to the piano series and hear a brilliant concert. May they both rest in peace.

Here's the press release with more info, including Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast (PNBS), and streaming subscriptions, to be available at a later date: Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces 2024-25 Season Line-Up. Centerpiece of PNB’s 52nd season to be premiere production of The Sleeping Beauty. Line-up includes Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, along with works by George Balanchine, Marco Goecke, Edwaard Liang, Justin Peck, Crystal Pite, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp; and three world premieres from Jessica Lang, Price Suddarth, and Rena Butler. (Plus, of course, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.) PNB Box Office is now taking orders for new and renewing season subscriptions. Tickets to individual performances, including The Nutcracker, begin July 23. Single tickets start at $38 ($29 for The Nutcracker). Full-season subscriptions start at $201. Four-show mini-season subscriptions start at $138. September 2024 – June 2025 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, Washington March 15, 2024, SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal has announced the line-up for PNB’s 52nd season, running from September 2024 through June 2025. The centerpiece of the season will be PNB’s world premiere production of The Sleeping Beauty, staged by Boal in collaboration with dance historian Doug Fullington and a design team with some of the leading artists of our time. Other highlights include the return of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s timeless Roméo et Juliette, a triple-bill of Balanchine classics, and Crystal Pite’s thrilling Emergence. Also in the line-up are works from Edwaard Liang, Justine Peck, Jerome Robbins, Kiyon Ross, and Twyla Tharp; and three world premieres from Jessica Lang, Price Suddarth, and Rena Butler. (Plus a family-matinee offering of Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, featuring the students of the PNB School; and, of course, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.) The PNB Box Office is now open for subscription renewals and new subscriptions; tickets for individual programs go on sale July 23. PNB plans to continue offering a digital subscription as well so audiences across the country and around the world can attend the show: digital season subscriptions will go on sale at a later date. For further information, contact the PNB Box Office by phone at 206.441.2424, or online at PNB.org. As always, everything is subject to change. PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET’S 2024-25 SEASON LINE-UP Rep 1 – THE TIMES ARE RACING September 20 – 29, 2024 The Veil Between Worlds Music: Oliver Davis Choreography: Edwaard Liang Costume Design: Mark Zappone Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama WORLD PREMIERE Choreography: Jessica Lang The Times Are Racing Music: Dan Deacon Choreography: Justin Peck Staging: Craig Hall Costume Design: Humberto Leon Lighting Design: Brandon Stirling Baker Rep 2 – ALL BALANCHINE November 1 – 10, 2024 Square Dance Music: Antonio Vivaldi Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Peter Boal Prodigal Son Music: Sergei Prokofiev Libretto: Boris Kochno Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Peter Boal Scenic and Costume Design: Georges Rouault Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Stravinsky Violin Concerto Music: Igor Stravinsky Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® November 29 – December 28, 2024 (NOTE: Not part of the 2024-25 Subscription season.) The Northwest’s favorite holiday tradition, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® is ready to delight one and all. From the liveliest lobby in town to the dazzling sets and costumes and unforgettable performances, The Nutcracker is an integral part of the holidays for ballet fans of all ages! Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Judith Fugate with Peter Boal and Garielle Whittle Costume & Scenic Design: Ian Falconer Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls The Sleeping Beauty [World Premiere Production] January 31 – February 9, 2025 Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Marius Petipa Production Concept and Additional Choreography: Peter Boal Staging: Doug Fullington Scenic Design: Preston Singletary Projection Design: Wendall K. Harrington Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Puppetry Design: Basil Twist Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Associate Scenic Design: Charlene Hall Rep 4 – EMERGENCE March 14 – 23, 2025 WORLD PREMIERE Music: Alfonso Perduto Choreography: Price Suddarth Costume Design: Mark Zappone Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Afternoon of a Faun Music: Claude Debussy Choreography: Jerome Robbins Staging: Bart Cook Scenic and Lighting Design: Jean Rosenthal Costume Design: Irene Sharaff Mopey Music: C.P.E. Bach and The Cramps Choreography: Marco Goecke Staging: Sean Suozzi Costume Coordinator: Mark Zappone Lighting Design: David Moodey Emergence Music: Owen Belton Choreography: Crystal Pite Staging: Hope Muir, Anne Dabrowski Scenic Design: Jay Gower Taylor Costume Design: Linda Chow Lighting Design: Alan Brodie Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast March 22 – 30, 2025 (NOTE: Not part of the 2024-25 Subscription season.) Featuring students of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Music: Léo Delibes Concept and Choreography: Bruce Wells Staging: Ezra Thomson Scenic Design: Ryan Sbaratta Costumes: Atlanta Ballet Costume Shop Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Roméo et Juliette April 11 – 20, 2025 Music: Sergei Prokofiev Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot Original Staging: Gaby Baars, Bernice Coppieters, Giovanna Lorenzoni Scenic Design: Ernest Pignon-Ernest Costume Design: Jérôme Kaplan Lighting Design: Dominique Drillot Rep 6 – DIRECTOR’S CHOICE May 30 – June 8, 2025 …throes of increasing wonder Music: Cristina Spinei Choreography: Kiyon Ross Costume Design: Pauline Smith Scenic Design: Norbert Herriges and Reed Nakayama Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama WORLD PREMIERE Choreography: Rena Butler Nine Sinatra Songs Music: Frank Sinatra Choreography: Twyla Tharp Staging: Shelley Washington Original Scenic Design: Santo Loquasto Original Costume Design: Oscar de la Renta Original Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton SUBSCRIPTION & TICKET INFORMATION The Pacific Northwest Ballet Box Office is now taking orders for subscription renewals, new subscriptions, and digital-season subscriptions to PNB’s 2024-25 season. Full-season [seated] subscriptions start at $201 for seats to all six programs. Four-show mini-season subscriptions start at $138. Full and mini-season subscribers may add digital streaming access for reps 1-6 for $30 (does not include The Nutcracker or Beauty and the Beast.) DIGITAL SEASON: For four years, PNB’s digital stage has allowed the company to stay connected with audiences around the world, and our plans are to continue providing an at-home streaming option this season. Many works PNB performs onstage during the 2024-25 season will be shared exclusively with Digital Season subscribers after the curtain comes down on in-person performances, available to view for five days. The digital-only subscription will go on sale at a later date (to be announced), available for $300. Beginning July 23, tickets to all PNB performances (starting at $38) and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (starting at $29) may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: Phone - 206.441.2424 In Person - 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Online 24/7 - PNB.org (Tickets are also available – subject to availability – 90 minutes prior to each performance at McCaw Hall. In-person ticket sales at the McCaw Hall Box Office are subject to day-of-show increases. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for best prices and greatest availability. For information about special ticket offers including group discounts, The Pointe, Beer & Ballet, Pay-What-You-Can, and student and senior rush tickets, visit PNB.org/offers. # # # Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund, Microsoft, and The Shubert Foundation. Special thanks to 4Culture. PNB’s digital season is made possible by Katherine Graubard and William Calvin. PNB media sponsorship provided by The Seattle Times.

The full 2024-25 season has been announced (via email): Rep 1: The Times Are Racing - Sep 20-21, 26-29* New Work (Jessica Lang) The Veil Between Worlds (Edwaard Liang) The Times Are Racing (justin Peck) Rep 2: All Balanchine - Nov 1-2, 7-10 Square Dance Prodigal Son Stravinsky Violin Concerto Rep 3: The Sleeping Beauty - Jan 31-Feb 1 (or 2*), Feb 6-9 (Peter Boal, Doug Fullington) Rep 4: emergence - Mar 14-15, Mar 20-23 Afternoon of a Faun (Jerome Robbins) Mopey (Marco Goecke) New Work (Price Suddarth) emergence (Crystal Pite) Rep 5: Romeo et Juliette - Apr 11-12 (or 13*), Apr 17-20 (Jean-Christophe Mailot) Rep 6: Director's Choice - May 30-31, June 5-8 Nine Sinatra Songs (Twyla Tharp) TBA (Kiyon Ross) -- …throes of increasing wonder, per the press release below. Two New Works TBA (Rena Butler) *Dates are based are standard subscription rep dates: First weekend: Fri, Sat mat, Sat eve Second weekend: Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun mat For full-lengths, there can be additional non-subscription performances (any of first weekend Sun mat, Sun eve and second weekend Sat mat, Sun eve) There's also usually a fully staged production by the School.

That's been the case for several years now. The difference is that except for Nutcracker, they stopped offering single, stand-alone streams for rep.

The press release announcing more details about the new production of Sleeping Beauty: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES A NEW PRODUCTION OF The Sleeping Beauty World Premiere Production to debut January 2025. The Sleeping Beauty Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 66, 1889) Choreography: Marius Petipa Production Concept and Additional Choreography: Peter Boal Staging: Doug Fullington Scenic Design: Preston Singletary Projection Design: Wendall K. Harrington Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Puppetry Design: Basil Twist Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Associate Scenic Design: Charlene Hall SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal has announced plans for a new production of the classic story ballet The Sleeping Beauty. A contemporary twist on this classic story, Boal’s vision for the work is grounded in a timeless, mythical Pacific Northwest place. PNB’s staging will feature designs by some of the leading artists of our time: glass artist Preston Singletary will create his first theatrical scenic design, in collaboration with projection designs by Wendall K. Harrington. Costumes are being designed by Paul Tazewell, Tony Award-winner for Hamilton (and PNB’s Swan Lake), and puppet master Basil Twist will provide additional magical elements. Lighting will be by PNB’s resident lighting designer Reed Nakayama. Similar to PNB’s acclaimed production of Giselle, Boal will oversee the entire staging of The Sleeping Beauty and provide additional choreography, in collaboration with historically-informed staging by dance historian Doug Fullington based on Stepanov notation. “PNB’s new production of The Sleeping Beauty offers an exciting opportunity to present a timeless tale in a new light,” said Boal. “Our Beauty begins with a reexamining of original source materials. Notions of good versus evil, destiny and empowerment, and innovative interpretations of character and craft define this production. Northwest glass artist, Preston Singletary creates an ancestral realm anchored in North America. Paul Tazewell’s costumes build on Preston’s scenic designs with a vibrant palette and a modern-day elegance that feels only a few steps from a high fashion runway. Add puppetry, projections, butterflies, brilliant dancing, and one of classical ballet’s finest scores and we have a unique story ballet that will promises to enthrall audiences for years to come. Combined with Tchaikovsky’s timeless score performed by the world-famous PNB Orchestra, and Petipa’s enduring choreography, The Sleeping Beauty honors tradition while innovating to create a new imagining of a timeless story for today’s audiences. The Sleeping Beauty is scheduled to premiere January 31, 2025 as part of the company’s 2024-25 season. Current PNB subscribers may renew their subscriptions at this time. New subscriptions and single tickets will be available at a later date. For more information, visit PNB.org. CREATIVE TEAM PETER BOAL is Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. The Sleeping Beauty is the fifth reimagined full-length work for PNB during his tenure, noted for their inspired visual concept and design with a deep historical awareness. These include Coppélia (2010), Giselle (2014), George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (2015), and Jewels (2017). Peter has staged the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, and Ulysses Dove. www.PNB.org/aboutPNB/Peter-Boal DOUG FULLINGTON is a dance historian and musicologist whose work in ballet is focused on nineteenth-century French and Russian source material. A fluent reader of Stepanov choreographic notation, he has contributed historically informed dances to ballet productions around the world, including The Pharaoh's Daughter for the Bolshoi Ballet (2000), Le Corsaire for Bayerisches Staatsballett (2007), Giselle with Marian Smith and Peter Boal for Pacific Northwest Ballet (2011), Paquita with Alexei Ratmansky and Marian Smith for Bayerisches Staatsballett (2014), and Raymonda for English National Ballet (2022). With Phil Chan, he recently staged a reimagining of Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère as Star on the Rise: La Bayadère … Reimagined! for Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. In 2016, he was a resident fellow at NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts and research fellow at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. He is the founder and director of the Tudor Choir, a professional vocal ensemble based in Seattle since 1993, and has conducted the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra and Seattle Baroque Orchestra. www.dougfullington.com PRESTON SINGLETARY’s art has become synonymous with the relationship between Tlingit culture and fine art. His glass sculptures deal with themes of Tlingit mythology and traditional designs, while also using music to shape his contemporary perspective of Native culture and his own Tlingit heritage. Singletary started blowing glass at the Glass Eye studios in Seattle, WA in 1982, where he grew up and continues to work and live. He developed his skills as a production glass maker and attended the Pilchuck Glass School. Singletary began working at the glass studio of Benjamin Moore, where he broadened his skills by assisting Dante Marioni, Richard Royal, Dan Dailey and Lino Tagliapietra. It was there where Singletary started to develop his own work. Forty years of glass making, creating music, and working together with elders has put him in a position of being a keeper of cultural knowledge, while forging new directions in new materials and concepts of Indigenous arts. His work with glass transforms the notion that Native artists are only best when traditional materials are used. Now recognized internationally, Singletary’s works are included in several museums including the Seattle Art Museum, The British Museum (London, UK), The National Museum of The American Indian, Smithsonian Institution (Washington DC) as well as two solo exhibitions that toured multiple venues originating with the Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA), including the “Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight” exhibition which is currently traveling. www.prestonsingletary.com As a designer of scenic projections for the stage, WENDALL K. HARRINGTON’s work has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in regional theatres across the country, in ballet and opera houses, and concert stages around the world. Ms. Harrington designed the projections for the award-winning The Who’s Tommy on Broadway, which toured the U.S., and has had productions in Toronto, London and Frankfurt, Germany. Ballet designs include multiple works for Alexei Ratmansky (including Wartime Elegy for PNB), Othello for American Ballet Theatre, Nutcracker for San Francisco Ballet, and a new Don Quixote for The Joffrey. For her work in the theatre, Ms. Harrington is the recipient of the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the American Theatre Wing Award, the TCI Award for Technical Achievement, the Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Projections, the Michael Merrit Award for Collaboration, Ruth Morely Design Award, USITT education award, and Players Club Theatre Person of the Year. Ms. Harrington lectures widely on the art of Projection design and is the head of the MFA program in Projection Design at the Yale School of Drama. www.wendallharrington.com PAUL TAZEWELL has been designing costumes for film, television, theatre, dance, and opera for close to thirty years. He is best known for his work with both of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning original Broadway productions of Hamilton, for which he received the Tony Award, and In the Heights. Paul’s film credits include West Side Story directed by Steven Spielberg for which Paul received an Oscar nomination, Harriet directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Cynthia Erivo, and the upcoming films of the musical Wicked directed by Jon Chu. TV credits include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, starring Oprah Winfrey, and Lackawanna Blues, both directed by George C. Wolfe, “The Wiz! Live” for which he received an Emmy Award, and “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” featuring John Legend. Paul began his Broadway career with the groundbreaking musical, ‘Bring in Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, directed by George C. Wolfe. Other Broadway credits include MJ the Musical; Ain’t Too Proud; The Color Purple; Memphis; Caroline, or Change; and Elaine Stritch at Liberty. Paul has designed for such renowned companies as The Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Ballet, English National Opera, Theatre du Chatelet, The Public Theater, National Theatre UK, Kennedy Center, The Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Houston Grand Opera, San Francisco Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera and many more. Paul holds an MFA from NYU and a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has been privileged instructing students as a guest artist at both New York University and North Carolina School of the Arts. From 2003-2006, he held a faculty position at Carnegie Mellon University. www.paultazewelldesign.com A third-generation performer, BASIL TWIST is a native of San Francisco. Known for presenting puppetry as a serious and sophisticated art form through his imaginative experiments with materials, techniques and uses in both narrative and abstract works, Basil’s shows range from productions of classic stories to abstract visualizations of orchestral music and are informed by puppetry traditions from around the world. Basil received a degree from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts de la Marionnette (ESNAM) in Charleville-Mézières, France. Highlights of his original shows include Symphonie Fantastique, Petrushka, Doguagaeshi, Rite of Spring, Hansel & Gretel, Arias with a Twist, La Bella Dormente nel Bosco, Sisters Follies, and Titon et L’Aurore. Twist guides the internationally recognized Dream Music Puppetry Program at HERE in NYC. He has been honored with a MacArthur, the “Rome Prize” from The American Academy in Rome, a Guggenheim Fellowship, USA Fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and his productions have received numerous grants from the Jim Henson Foundation. basiltwist.com REED NAKAYAMA is a lighting designer based in Seattle. Originally from Colorado, he brought his fascination of the stage to the Pacific Northwest where he has designed lights for a wide gamut of art forms. For Ballet, he lighted Ghost Variations for Jessica Lang, Khepri for Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Curious Kingdom for Christopher Wheeldon, and Wartime Elegy for Alexei Ratmansky; in Theatre, Caught for Desdemona Chiang at Intiman, A Winter's Tale for Sheila Daniels at Seattle Shakespeare Company, and the all-female version of Frost/Nixon at Strawberry Theatre Workshop. In music, he crafted lights for touring artists including: Sia, Portugal The Man, Soundgarden, Pink Martini, and The Indigo Girls. In opera, he helped realize Tom Baker's opera, Hunger, about the Donner Party's ill-fated journey. His designs for circus were for Teatro ZinZanni, Acrobatic Conundrum, SANCA, Open Space on Vashon Island, and the Moisture Festival. Other companies he has worked with include Book-it Repertory Theatre, Seattle Dance Collective, Theater Schmeater, and the Rat City Rollergirls. He received his BFA from Cornish College of the Arts in 2007. In 2019, Mr. Nakayama was named Resident Lighting Designer for Pacific Northwest Ballet. www.reednakayama.com CHARLENE HALL is a set designer and scenic artist with 35 years of work with Pacific Northwest Ballet. She holds a BFA from Southern Oregon University and an MFA from Brandeis University in set design. She has worked as an assistant designer on many PNB ballets including Coppélia, Theme & Variations, Giselle and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, and has designed and painted scenery in various Seattle theaters. After retiring she developed her own art in the Skagit Valley. Charlene is happy to return to PNB to assist on The Sleeping Beauty. www.charlenehallwatercolor.com

Any dancer with a European pension and healthcare on the line would be giving up a lot of future security to join a company in the US, and I’d hope they could have a straightforward conversation with the Artistic Director. I don’t know whether Dutch National Ballet does.

Spanish classical dance has overlap with ballet, but is not a ballet derivative. ETA: Performing companies also do pieces that stretch and extend folk dances into theatrical pieces. Here’s one jota-based dance performed by Antonio Gades and Christina Hoyos: