I have been attending the ballet in Seattle for many years, but am new to Ballet Talk. I saw the Sunday afternoon, February 13, performance of PNB’s Sravinsky program with a somewhat different cast from the performance hockeyfan had seen the previous night. I thought the Rite of Spring was absolutely mesmerizing: powerful, demanding and brilliantly danced. The sheer intensity of the performance seemed to draw me into the rite itself. There were so many wonderful things happening on stage that I wished I could have multiplied myself in order to absorb all that was being offered. Jonathan Porretta as the Chosen One was amazing - as were Christophe Maraval and Patricia Barker in the other lead roles. Porretta’s superb dance capabilities seemed unleashed in a marvelous way - his movements are always precise but here they also demonstrated an explosive freedom. Miss Barker, who minutes before had danced Terpsichore, seemed several times to erupt from the earth, leaping backward into the supportive arms of Christophe Maraval, whose beautiful performances always leave me wanting more. The audience rewarded all the dancers - and PNB’s accomplished musicians - with one of the longest and most enthusiastic standing ovations I have witnessed. I am thrilled that this work is now in PNB’s repertory.
