sandik

I wondered what had happened, and like many people here my first thought was "what in the world did I say?" And I'm very, very grateful that I was not involved in troubleshooting and rebooting -- extremely big thanks to the technical denizens of the site for doing the work I would never be able to manage!

At the Q/A after opening night Josh Spell was the featured dancer, and was very cagey about not saying what he was going to be doing after leaving PNB. He did say that he wanted to keep dancing, and implied that he had at least one possibility in mind -- the impression I got is that he's negotiating a contract somewhere and doesn't want to say anything before the agreement is signed. As we say in my family, you'll jinx it if you blab. But I do know for certain that Chalnessa Eames will be performing in a new duet by Twyla Tharp, made for the Command Performance show in Dallas at the Winspear on April 23. This is an annual gala sponsored by TITAS, a music and dance presenter in North Texas. The press release lists her as a part of Twyla Tharp Dance, but she's not a member of the company at this point. She's dancing with Charlie Hodges, who blew everyone away here in the premiere of Afternoon Ball -- I'm hoping that someone in the Dallas area will post about the event. from the press release "Repertoire for Command Performance: Armenia – A TITAS commissioned world premiere by Twyla Tharp. Charles Hodges and Chalnessa Eames. Cruel World – By James Kadelka. Julie Kent and Guillaume Côté. Manon Act I Pas de Deux - Julie Kent and Guillaume Côté. Splendid Isolation III - By Jessica Lang. Alicia Graff and Jamar Roberts Caught - By David Parsons. Miguel Quiñones. Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux – By George Balanchine. Yuriko Kajiya and Jared Matthews. Le Corsaire Grand Pas de Deux - Victoria Jaiani and Miguel Angel Blanco. Pretty Ballet Pas de Deux – By James Kadelka. Victoria Jaiani and Miguel Angel Blanco. Dying Swan - Version by Les Ballets Trockadero. Joshua Grant." And yes, I know there are misspellings there.

She did rock, didn't she. But the stage was so full of people who will be leaving soon, I was having trouble keeping my eyes on them all.

It's going to be a very emotional set of performances.

Well it looks like his side project is going to become his main job -- Wevers just announced that he's leaving PNB April 17 (after Midsummer) to do WW fulltime. From the announcement Dear Whimmers, I have wonderful news to share with you about Whim W’Him, but first I want to tell you about a major transition in my life. As you may know, I have spent the last 22 years as a professional ballet dancer. I have had a dream career and have relished every opportunity to grow and learn as an artist. My time as a dancer has been inspiring, challenging, at times painful, but above all, filled with passion. I’ve always known that this career has a very short time span, which is why I was so excited to discover a few years ago that there is something I am possibly even more passionate about than being a dancer—my choreography. These last few years I have grown and developed as a choreographer as well as becoming the Artist Director of my own company. With this promising new direction ahead, I am announcing that this coming month will be my last with PNB. While this may come as a surprise to some, I feel blessed that I have Whim W’Him as this amazing vehicle for my creative voice, and am happy to retire from being a dancer with confidence, dignity and grace. Many of you have been supporters and fans of my dancing for years and I ask that you now support me as I move forward as choreographer and Artistic Director of Whim W’Him. Monster Since our performances in January we’ve finished our short film on “Monster”. Michael Ganyo worked with us closely and filmed the dancers on stage, between shows, to create a captivating distillation of the work. I am happy that I finally get to share this with you and hope that you will enjoy watching it in anticipation of it being performed again. In that vein, I am happy to announce that the first movement of “Monster” will make its international debut April 22, 2011 at the 4th Copenhagen International Choreography Competition. “Monster” is one of ten pieces selected as a finalist; this is a great opportunity for Whim W’Him to be recognized internationally and for my work to be seen by the renowned panel of judges. ReSet Lastly, mark your calendars for the evenings of June 24 & 25, 2011 at 8pm. Not only will you get to see Whim W’Him at Intiman for our second series of 2011 performances - ReSet - but you can also celebrate my 40th birthday with me on June 25. At ReSet, you can expect a world premiere from me, a reworked 3Seasons with new set pieces by the diabolically inventive artist, Casey Curran, and the return of “Monster” due to its breakout success. Join us in the courtyard immediately after the show on the 25th to celebrate the season, the beginning of summer, and my birthday! Grab your tickets at Brownpapertickets and keep your ear to the ground for more information on the shows and post-show merriment. Thank you for your continued support—I look forward to continuing this adventure with you, — Olivier

I think I watched every clip -- I'm just gobsmacked! This is a fabulous site, and I'm so grateful to the Pillow for putting it up online!

I'm wondering who we'll see as Apollo. The last time out I saw Milov and Stanton, each different from the other and both very interesting interpretations. My only real disappointment was that Olivier Wevers was on the poster, and in the end wasn't cast in the role. So who's up this time?

I heard about this a bit earlier, which made me even more glad that I'd gone down to see the Stravinsky program. With Gavin Larsen's retirement last year, this takes a big chunk out of the long term knowledge bank in the company.

Oh you put your finger on it -- the sporty stuff is also very Russian (thinking of Messerer in his soccer solo!) I can imagine! Yes, please -- particularly about the trio. I think they'd all be a great match in those parts!

Some extra thoughts about the program. Pacific I’m never sure if Morris is making intentional references to modern dance styles and icons when he choreographs, or if they are subconscious, but I often see his heritage reflected in his work, even in the dances for ballet companies. The women’s quartet in Pacific reminds me very much of the all-female work that Martha Graham made early in her career, circa Primitive Mysteries perhaps. They pace onstage with serious intent, rather like Graham’s female corps -- these are women with a purpose. And their big lunges, combined with powerful arm gestures, mark their space and establish their authority. In the opening night cast, Ariana Lallone is first among equals in this group, ranging further into the space and continuing to explore while the others have stopped. At one point, they are all standing in 1st position on pointe, all looking to the center of their group -- Lallone has her back to the audience but she still keeps our eyes, from the etched curve of her insteps through her long, straight spine. She would be terrifying if you didn’t believe that she was working for good. One of the male trio at the beginning of the work (Lucien Postelwaite on opening night) introduces a tricky step, a leap to the side with the trailing leg kicking high to the side while the head and chest pitch forward. It’s got a great accent from the start, but it isn’t until later in the work, after several people have picked up on it, that I realize it’s just like the lead couple in Doris Humphrey’s seminal New Dance. In the Variations and Conclusion (the only part that’s still performed anywhere) that is their signature movement as everything piles on top of itself in the finale -- it’s so exciting to see it in this context, no matter how it got here. Olivier Wevers and Carla Korbes did an excellent job with it when I saw it during the first weekend. As always, these kinds of references make me wish I could see some of these dancers in the classic modern rep. Can you imagine an Appalachian Spring with Carrie Imler as the Bride and Ariana Lallone as the Pioneer Woman? Place a Chill I really wish I’d been able to see this before the earthquake and tsunami in Japan -- I have a feeling I would be thinking about it quite differently. It isn’t just the chair drop (though the image of them scattered across the stage while dancers have to pick their way through the mess is probably the one I will remember longest) -- the general agitation of the work just seems to feed into the disquiet we’ve been getting from the international news recently. It’s interesting to see how that unease develops during the work -- the opening could easily lead into humor. As the lights come up we see these fluffy things attached to the dancers -- they resemble lichen or feathery vegetation -- and as the dancers start to move, they vibrate. But those dancers fade into the low light during an initial male duet (James Moore and Ezra Thomson on opening night, I think -- the light levels made id’s hard) and although that first pairing could have a lighthearted interpretation (it had several thwarted tango moments) the unrelenting agitation makes humor unlikely. By the time we get to the chairs, we are primed for chaos. Goecke has built his movement on ballet skills -- there is a power and clarity in the locomotion and the articulation that comes from that tradition, but I can’t say that he’s really extended the vocabulary in a substantial way. He’s made a complex and difficult work, but it doesn’t really open a door for further exploration in the way that Jiri Kylian’s cross-pollination of ballet and modern dance does, or the more straightforward explorations that James Kudelka or Christopher Wheeldon have been making (or like Alexi Ratmansky, later in this program). You need to be highly trained to accomplish what he’s set here, and that experience would probably extend what you’re able to do in a more classical situation, but this still feels like a one-off. Goecke cast extensively from the corps, and it’s great to see them step up to the challenge -- Thomson and Ryan Cardea in particular really committed to the twitchy specificity. Andrew Bartee has been going from strength to strength with the opportunities he’s had this year, as has Margaret Mullin. And at the end, Jonathan Poretta was a very welcome presence -- the lights go down on him standing center stage with outstretched arms, a grounding influence. The Piano Dance Everyone has been saying for ages that they wish Paul Gibson would make a new piece for the company, and failing that, would bring his Piano Dance back. It was a very welcome revival, and while the new cast didn’t make me forget the originals, they certainly made convincing additions to the possibilities. Gibson does good, good things with his neo-classical education here, but looking back over my notes they’re as much about the individuals dancing as they are the steps and the structures. I remember loving the variety of music when this premiered, and it’s still a treat to see and hear. Maybe it’s because so many ballet dancers train with piano accompanists, but works that feature a solo piano just seem to have a direct connection between the musician and the dancers. Seth Orza substituted for Jeff Stanton on opening night, dancing with Lesley Rausch, and while I missed Stanton’s sanguine demeanor, Orza and Rausch were a good match. Their big duet was full of long simple phrases, and they filled them with attention without hamming them up. That happened as well with Chalnessa Eames and Josh Spell in their stop-and-start-again duet. When she winds up clutching his butt and then looking at the audience, the moment could easily become a burlesque. Eames lets it be funny and salacious, but doesn’t make it into a bigger joke than it should be. I know Benjamin Griffiths can do dark -- he was a very effective Mopey a couple years ago, and gave a lovely, thoughtful reading of the male solo in Square Dance, but I still think that ‘sunny’ is his middle name. In his solo, with the Italian commedia gestures, he just looked like he was happy to be there, and we were happy to see him. And in the runner’s duet with Rachel Foster, they reminded me of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland -- very spunky. Jerome Tisserand looked rather small and pale next to Karel Cruz in Pacific, but in Piano Dance he really shone -- lovely attenuation in his legs and very clean execution. In my notes, Sarah Ricard Orza is SRO, which always makes her seem very special, and she was, in that stretchy solo where she manipulates herself rather like a puppet (I open my thigh here, I push out of the lunge there) You can see the Brit influence in Barry Kerolis’ turns -- they’re very musical, especially in the opening sections here. And when Cruz comes out for the big duet with Laura Gilbreath draped over his shoulder it’s quite astonishing -- they’re both so long in the leg that when they drop down to do those side-side shifts low to the ground (the image with Louise Nadeau that’s on all the ticket stock) they seem to cover half the width of the stage. Concerto DSCH I got a chance to see this last summer in rehearsal when it was first set on the company, and I remember walking out of the building with my head full of references. There are moments that feel straight out of Petipa, maybe something that got taught in a variations class that isn’t in the active rep any more, while other parts have a real Soviet dramballet vibe (the valiant corps striding off into the future). And then there’s the Ballet Russe moments, or perhaps these come from his time in Denmark, where it all looks a little like Boutique Fantasque or some other children’s game. For someone like me, who likes to see the past in the present, it was big, big fun. He’s got some really fascinating stuff going on with mainline vocabulary all the way through the work, but in the opening section he’s made a real devilish solo for a woman. It’s fast, complex, covers ground and plays with timing -- Carrie Imler nailed it, but showed us that it was really tricky on opening night. Rachel Foster wasn’t quite as on top of it the next day -- she did everything that was asked of her but her phrasing wasn’t quite as articulate. She’s really strong, and can be very fast, but doesn’t really have the same sense of quickness that serves Imler so well. Bakthurel Bold and Seth Orza make a playful trio with Imler on opening night in what seems like an elaborate game of tag. The two men are just different enough in size that they have a kind of Mutt and Jeff quality -- in another cast it’s Jonathan Poretta and Benjamin Griffiths as Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Later in the work Orza looks like a toy general leading his troops, with his hand over his heart. The work is laced with these childlike bits – even the moments of flat out virtuosity have a certain playground quality, like the series of jumps and air turns for a man (Tisserand in the matinee) with flexed feet in the air. They’re a bear to do without the extra lift you get from pushing your foot against the floor, but the overall image is of a toy, like Buzz Lightyear at the ballet. The central pas de deux is beautiful, but the relationship (Cruz and Korbes opening night, Wevers and Chapman on the matinee) is about very young love – the two of them part at the end with a few looks, each going off with a different group. Some of the gestures that Ratmansky chose for this duet look to be custom made, but not always clear if they have a specific meaning – at the top of one big lift, with the woman held horizontal to the ground, her arms are stretched toward her head, with her hands clasped in what could look beseeching or victorious – neither really makes sense at the time, but I haven’t been able to puzzle out what else could be going on. Ratmansky plays some fun games with timing, both the internal timing of specific steps and overall timing effects. Interestingly, he plays one game with timing that I also saw that week in a video at the Seattle Art Museum, in an exhibit by the visual artist and former dancer Nick Cave. In the film, a group of dancers wearing some of Cave’s “Soundsuits” (full body costumes covered in various materials, including hair) are jumping on pogo sticks, and it seems that some of the footage is shown in reverse, so that the accents you see reflected in the long hair of the suit are seen backwards, with the snap of the landing happening when the dancer seems to be taking off. In Concerto, Ratmansky shifts a leg gesture in a common jumping step so that it stretches away from the landing leg when it normally would be closing in, giving the jump a more delicate feel. And toward the end of the work, he has a group of dancers repeat an entire sequence, but slows it down until it runs at about half speed, while the rest of the ensemble performs normally – an old filmmakers trick as well as a familiar structural device used by post-modern choreographers. Between the historical references, the contemporary structural devices and the technical developments, Ratmansky is working in the past, the present and the future. So who says ballet is dead?

Such amazing detail -- this is going to be astonishing!

I know what you mean -- she keeps staring out of my tickets, even though she's been retired for awhile now!

I am really looking forward to seeing the Gibson again -- after hearing him speak about changing the ending I've been wondering if my memory of it is very clear. It's hard to speculate about a whole performance based on one of these video clips, but I thought Laura G looked extra nice here!

My son wandered by and wanted to say that he was disappointed that Banksy didn't win in the documentary category. We were all wondering what he would do if he actually won.

I've been watching Melissa Leo since she was part of the ensemble cast for Homicide: Life on the Streets -- she's a very affecting actor, especially with characters who have to struggle to make life work for them. I don't know very much about her as an individual, and can't speculate on her responses to her nomination and win, but I've been so glad to see her work get recognized.

I liked Hathaway's approach to hosting, actually -- I thought it was direct to the television audience, and less pompous than several past hosts, but not silly. She did seem to have perhaps one dress too many, but I thought she looked lovely in them all and so wouldn't want to pick. My partner said, early on, that James Franco reminded him of a young Billy Crystal, and then when Crystal himself appeared it just seemed even more obvious. Cate Blanchett's dress wouldn't work at all in a different context, one where she had to twist her torso, or sit, but as a costume used to focus attention I thought it was very successful. And I really dislike this new gimmick, where the presenters for best actor and actress address the nominees directly. It makes my skin crawl.

The Guggenheim people have decided to live stream another of their Works and Process programs, since it's sold out -- here are the details: Works & Process, the performing arts program at the Guggenheim, to livestream John Zorn’s Music Interpeted – New Choreography by Donald Byrd and Pam Tanowitz on February 27 and 28, 2011, 7:30pm. For over 25 years and in over 300 productions, Works & Process has offered audiences unprecedented access to our generation’s leading creators and performers. Each 80-minute performance uniquely combines artistic creation and stimulating conversation and takes place in the Guggenheim’s intimate Frank Lloyd Wright-designed 285-seat Peter B. Lewis Theater. With performances often sold out, Works & Process on Sunday and Monday, February 27 and 28, 2011 at 7:30 pm, will livestream the sold out performances of John Zorn’s Music Interpreted – New Choreography by Donald Byrd and Pam Tanowitz. In this program choreographers Donald Byrd and Pam Tanowitz each create new works, commissioned by Works & Process, set to the music of composer John Zorn. Byrd, known for his beautiful yet volatile work, will choreograph a piece with his Seattle-based company Spectrum Dance Theater set to Zorn's cid:image001.gif@01CBC164.804113B0 played by pianist Stephen Drury. Tanowitz, known for her unflinchingly postmodern treatment of classical dance, sets a work to Zorn’s Femina, written as a tribute to the rich legacy of women in the arts. Working with seasoned dancers, including Ashley Tuttle, Tanowitz draws from the sensuality, spontaneity, and fantastical imagination of the Romantic ballets for this new work. The performance will be interspersed with discussion by Byrd, Tanowitz, and Zorn, moderated by composer Charles Wuorinen. The Winger’s Candice Thompson will moderate the real-time online chat on February 28. The video will be automatically archived and can be shared and viewed in social networks. This past January 9, 2011 Works & Process livestreamed a program for the first time, the program featuring Pacific Northwest Ballet generated 728 unique live online viewers and subsequently the program has been viewed over 1,300 times. The livestreaming of sold-out performances allows audiences the chance to see a sold-out performance they otherwise would not have access to and enables artists to reach a broader audience. Watch the livestream online at www.ustream.tv/channel/worksandprocess. Follow the conversation on Twitter with @worksandprocess and #JohnZorn. PROGRAM New Choreography by Donald Byrd set to John Zorn’s cid:image001.gif@01CBC164.804113B0 WORLD PREMIERE Music: John Zorn Choreography: Donald Byrd Pianist: Stephen Drury Lighting: Philip Treviño Dancers: Kelly Ann Barton, Ty Alexander Cheng, Kylie Lewallen, Vincent Lopez, and Tory Peil Choreography by Donald Byrd, commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim. New Choreography by Pam Tanowitz set to John Zorn’s Femina WORLD PREMIERE Music: John Zorn Choreography: Pam Tanowitz Lighting: Philip Treviño Costumes: Karen Young Dancers: Christina Amendolia, Jean Freebury, Ellie Kusner, Brian Lawson, Banu Ogan, Uta Takemura, Lucy Wilson and Ashley Tuttle Choreography by Pam Tanowitz, commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim and created during a residency provided by The Joyce Theater Foundation, New York City, with major support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Performances will be interspersed a discussion with Donald Byrd, Pam Tanowitz, and John Zorn moderated by Charles Wuorinen.

Wow, that is quite something -- they are very photographic. Kudos to the scene painters.

Thanks so much for posting this -- I haven't thought about this lecture in quite some time, but will be glad to go back and re-view.

On Saturday night at the Q&A, Boal mentioned that Poretta was not injured in any way, but rather that on opening night he developed a rash because of some chemical in the Jester's costume (which presumably keeps him from wearing it again). Oh dear, how miserable for him!

Helene very graciously pointed out to me that my review implied that the use of the Seasons was an interpolation by Stowell, which it most certainly is not -- it's in the score, and is a main feature in the Ashton production of the ballet. I promise more careful editing next time, but meanwhile, an overlong set of extra observations. The company has been promoting Cinderella along with Sleeping Beauty and Midsummer Night’s Dream as a trio of fairy tale ballets (I think there’s even a special subscription package to that effect) but they are actually three very distinct works. As a 19th c ballet by Marius Petipa, SB is the template that other choreographers deal with when they come to make program-length story ballets. Other choreographers can choose to keep or jettison certain elements, but you never really just ignore them. Cinderella resembles the standard story ballet in several fundamental ways, but it’s got some eccentric differences that I think make it less satisfying than the original template. The Prokofiev score comes right after the work he did on Romeo and Juliet and there are several moments where you hear echoes of the first work in the second. And Stowell reinforces that similarity by adding excerpts from other familiar Prokofiev work to extend the Cinderella score, including material from his first symphony that also went into R&J. These musical quotations are disconcerting at times, making it feel like there should be some kind of dramatic or choreographic relationship between the two ballets, which I don’t think was Stowell’s intention. In fact, Stowell mentions in an online video that his original desire was to shift attention back to Cinderella from the traditional hubbub of the stepsisters and the more Disney-esque trappings of other productions. Interestingly, his intentions were similar with his production of Romeo and Juliet where he said he wanted to get closer to the central love story rather than exploring the rest of the Shakespearean context. In that situation, he actually used music by a different composer (Tschaikovsky compilation) rather than try to detach the Prokofiev score from the work that Lavrovsky and MacMillan had done with it. Perhaps because there isn’t as powerful an ur-text for Cinderella as there is for R&J, he felt that there was room for his interpretation of the Prokofiev. One of the reasons you make a program-length work like this is to make a showcase for the depth of your company, and Cinderella does make a convincing vehicle for that kind of statement. Choreographically he’s got two big dancey roles for principal level women, a princely prince and a virtuosic sidekick, several character roles, and big stuff for the corps. There are even some juicy bits for child dancers, which aside from the ‘how cute’ factor, means that you’ve got families in seats, coming to watch their kids. Structurally, this Cinderella resembles the classic developmental arc of the 19th c ballet (introduction of characters and predicament, complication of predicament, resolution of conflict, celebration) , but curiously, he omits what we usually think of as a grand pas de deux at the end of the work. Instead, he’s made two charming, but fairly similar duets for Cinderella and the Prince (one during the ball scene in act two, and the other at the very end of the ballet) that are through-danced, not organized into the adagio/solo variations/allegro coda of the traditional pas de deux. Both of these seem to be occurring in private, or in an alternate dream state, rather than in the public world these characters inhabit. Perhaps this is part of Stowell’s desire to focus on the main characters rather than their context, but he’s missed the chance to show off the classical skills of his principal dancers and tilted the overall structure of the ballet off-kilter a bit. And although Cinderella has a number of solos that really show her character in the first and third acts, the prince doesn’t really do much independent dancing -- it’s not a great showcase for male virtuosity. (and yes, I know the title of the work is “Cinderella,” not “Prince.”) Opening night cast was really well-balanced, with Leslie Rausch and Jeffrey Stanton both giving very gracious performances. Rausch manages to keep a soft edge on her dancing, even when things are fast or crisp. I’ve seen her do edgy in other places, but that doesn’t come up here. It was a treat to see Stanton in a main role again -- he’s seemed a bit absent in the last couple of years (though part of that was injury related) and I’ve missed his calm presence. Carrie Imler was an excellent Fairy Godmother that night, -- I’ve talked about her sense of control and strength frequently, and it really feeds her interpretation of the character here. No matter how daunting Cinderella might find her situation, after Imler raises her wand, we know that all will be well. (one of Stowell’s interpolations is a scene at the beginning of the first act where Cinderella ‘sees’ her younger self with mother and father. Mother and daughter have a lovely moment together before the mother dies -- since the same dancer performs the mother and the Fairy Godmother, it really reinforces their connection and our perception of the FG as a nurturer and a protector) Imler and Cruz danced the main couple on the Sunday matinee, with Lallone as the Fairy Godmother. Strangely enough, I had some difficulty with the combination of Imler and Lallone. They are both very strong and come across as self-assured. During the Seasons section, the two of them dance in parallel frequently, rather like some of the mirroring doubles work in the Bournonville repertory, and although it’s a beautiful sequence abstractly, it doesn’t really work as well dramatically. Imler doesn’t really seem to need a champion here --it’s almost like she’s conjured the FG, making her own luck. She’s back in a more conventional situation in her duets with Cruz, and they have a good balance together -- it’s really just with the FG that I wrinkle my forehead. Aside from that, Lallone is a beautiful FG -- over the course of her career she’s really danced a number of singular characters, and she seems to have thought about them quite deeply. Her Fairy Godmother here is different than her Lilac Fairy, it actually reminds me a bit of her work in Nacho Duato’s Jardi Tancat, with the sense of connection to the other dancers on stage -- she’s the one that reminded me of the ‘mother’ part of godmother. Stowell’s Jester seems to come from the Soviet examples of that character -- small, fast and irreverent. As you might expect, Jonathan Poretta was an excellent Jester on opening night -- Stowell has choreographed maybe one too many ‘who, me?’ shrugs into the role (it does go on and on again) but Poretta manages to gradate the amount of snark he includes so that you see changes in the character responding to that particular moment. On Sunday James Moore gave a solid performance as well. Both of them dealt with the technical challenges very deftly, and if Poretta’s performance was just a bit more complex, he’s a much more experienced dancer. Some more random observations: In the first act, the hubbub with the two stepsisters was great fun, and the audience really bought into the characters. Chalnessa Eames (short and feisty) and Lindsi Dec (tall and gawky) were in both the performances I saw, so I don’t have any compare/contrast information, but they made me giggle frequently. I think Stowell’s desire to get away from the cross-dressing panto characters in the Ashton version works well here -- it’s easy for that kind of slapstick to sweep everything else to the side. The scene with the dressmaker was a bit pat -- (jokes about stuffing your bodice and padding your butt get old fast) but the dancing lesson was dead on, especially the way that the harpsichordist (danced by Margaret Mullin and Carli Samuelson) bounced on her stool so that her puffy hat bobbed up and down. Olivier Wevers was wonderfully picky and proud as the dancing master, flabbergasted by the awkward sisters and overwhelmed by Cinderella. In the same role on Sunday, Andrew Bartee looked like an agitated spider – all vibrating arms and legs. Ariana Lallone was good and nasty as the Stepmother to Rausch’s Cinderella, which made her transition to the Fairy Godmother in the other cast even more impressive. Stowell’s version of the Seasons is quite lovely, especially in the four solos. Opening night Rachel Foster substituted for Maria Chapman as Spring (who had a mild foot injury, according to Peter Boal in post-show Q/A) and looked very at home in the role. Brittany Reid (Summer) and Laura Gilbreath (Winter) each had a great sense of sustainment in their solos, but the real treat was Sarah Ricard Orza as Autumn. The role is rhythmically eccentric, and she made the most of it. On Sunday, Margaret Mullin had an equally lovely performance of it – possibly it’s a lucky solo. But the real thrill of the first act is the dozen “Clock Children” that the Fairy Godmother uses to illustrate Cinderella’s curfew. They’re dressed in baggy, pumpkin-colored jumpsuits that give them a roly-poly look, with bright green stems for hats. The hats, which look like a cross between a pea pod and a canoe, were just stunning, and were the talk of the lobby during the intermission. The ballroom scene opens the second act, and is one of the best group dances I’ve seen from Kent Stowell. It’s been performed as a stand-alone work in the past, and more than holds its own. There’s a chilly touch to the couples (a bit like La Valse) which contrasts with the doofy entrance of the Stepsisters. They come off as country cousins here – gawking at the other guests and mooning after the prince. Stowell’s interpolated ‘Theater of Marvels’ is very like his other ‘play within a play’ works, recapitulating or foreshadowing material from the larger ballet in the guise of a party entertainment. He does this twice in his Nutcracker, and it’s in his R&J as well. It’s full of excited rushing around, especially for the ‘Good Fairy’ and the ‘Evil Sprite.’ It’s interesting that the villain here has a relatively benign name – ‘evil’ yes, but a ‘sprite,’ which in the hierarchy always seems to be just one level up from an imp. The Fairy Godmother also dances the Good Fairy (and, I just now realize, is actually just plain ‘Godmother’ in the program – no supernatural status implied.) but the Sprite is a smaller, stand-alone role. Jerome Tisserand has an attenuated line, especially in his legs, and his Sprite did have a magical aspect. Poretta was scheduled to dance this (as well as the first act Dancing Master) for Sunday, but was replaced. (haven’t heard why) Eric Hippolito, Jr. gave a very sturdy performance, but I have to admit I was looking forward to seeing what Poretta would make with the part. After Cinderella returns to the kitchen at the beginning of the last act Stowell’s made a dumbshow to set up the business with the shoe, which passes fairly quickly. The Godmother and the Seasons return, and then the act finishes with the second of the two duets for Cinderella and the prince. Although there are some fancy lifts in this pas de deux, it ends without bravura. Instead, the prince is turning Cinderella in a down spot center stage, which feels very music box-y. And when the sparkly snow starts to fall with the curtain, the audience all sighs. One last fun fact – the scenic designer uses rear projection photographs to good effect in several parts of the ballet (the French alley of trees in the second act is mirrored by the double line of party guests who greet Cinderella) but my favorite example is the during the scenes with the Godmother – apparently she lives in Chenonceaux, the chateau where Catherine de’Medici lived when she came to France from Italy, bringing the Italian courtly dances that became the ancestors of ballet with her. I had the good luck to visit Chenonceau a couple of years ago, and surreptitiously danced part of a pavane in the great hall.

Serves me right for not clicking on that link -- thanks for finding the right stuff! I do wish, though, that they could include information about past performances on the big list of repertory that they have elsewhere on their website. The Wayne Johnson book is a great resource, but it only covers the company to 1997...

Congratulations to Leslie Rausch on getting opening night. Yes, there are a lot of debuts, but I cannot remember when this was last performed. Does anyone here have that information? And this piece of casting information just makes me giggle.

As I understand it, there are many 'quotations' from visual art in Balanchine's work -- I've heard that Peter Boal did some research into this when he was pursuing an art history degree. He gave a talk here in Seattle about vis art references in dance in conjunction with an exhibit of works from the Picasso museum, but I was stuck doing other things, and haven't yet tracked down anyone who was able to go.

Pacific Northwest Ballet Dancer Stacy Lowenberg Announces Retirement Following a 17-Year Career, Final Performances During 2010-2011 Season Seattle, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Stacy Lowenberg has announced she will be retiring at the end of the 2010-2011 season, following a 17-year career, 14 years of which were spent with PNB. "Being a ballet dancer has been a dream come true for me,” said Ms. Lowenberg. “I love what I do and feel honored to have danced professionally for Pacific Northwest Ballet. I have learned so much on this journey and hope everyone who has watched and supported me and been a part of my life will enjoy watching my life evolve into a new beginning and a new journey." Ms. Lowenberg trained at North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, Hungarian National Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 1994, joined Oregon Ballet Theatre in 1996, and returned to PNB in 1999. “Stacy has been a cherished presence on our stage for many years,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal. “As a performer she will be missed. We are all excited about her successes in choreography and look forward to the next chapter for this gifted individual.” Highlights in Ms. Lowenberg's career include Titania, Helena and Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream; Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty; Eliot Feld's Intermezzo; George Balanchine's Agon, Divertimento No. 15, Symphony in C, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, Emeralds, Serenade (Dark Angel) and The Four Temperaments; Todd Bolender's Souvenirs (Vamp); Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs; Hans Van Manen's Five Tangos; Lynn Taylor-Corbett's The Ballad of You and Me and Mercury; William Forsythe's In the middle, somewhat elevated and One Flat Thing, reproduced; Paul Taylor's Roses; Marius Petipa's Paquita; Mark Morris' A Garden; Susan Stroman's Take Five...More or Less; Kent Stowell's Carmina Burana, Nutcracker (Flora, Peacock), Cinderella (Summer Variation), Swan Lake, Firebird, Coppelia (Hymen Solo), and Silver Lining. Ms. Lowenberg originated leading roles in Val Caniparoli's Torque, Dominique Dumais' Scripted in the Body and Time and Other Matter, Nicolo Fonte's Within/Without, Paul Gibson's Rush, Donald Byrd's Seven Deadly Sins, James Canfield's Charmed Quark (cq) and Paul Vasterling's Seasons. In addition to her professional dancing career, Ms. Lowenberg is continuing her dedication to her artistry through choreography. She has choreographed seven pieces and received rave reviews. Her works have been shown at McCaw Hall, Bumbershoot, Meydenbauer Theatre and on film for the Beijing Olympics. (The Beijing choreography was danced in Seattle before the 2008 Olympics.) Ms. Lowenberg has choreographed for Ballet Theatre of Des Moines, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, PNB Choreographers’ Showcase, and Ballet Bellevue. She will premiere a new work in Seattle Dance Project’s upcoming “Project 4” performances, January 28 – February 5 at The Erickson Theater on Capitol Hill. (www.seattledanceproject.org) Ms. Lowenberg has also taught at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. In addition to her dance and choreography career, she is a Stott-certified Pilates instructor for PNB Conditioning and in her own private practice. Ms. Lowenberg has been a lululemon Ambassador and has been featured in Dance Magazine and Dance Europe as well as in the book "Redheads 2010." In an article written by Francia Russell (PNB Founding Artistic Director), Ms. Russell wrote that "In a wide variety of ballets Stacy Lowenberg has shown she is not only a wonderful dancer but one who can be alternately lyrical, witty, coy, seductive, luscious, and dramatic. Stacy's beauty, personality, and technique complement one another in all her roles and make her an immensely appealing performer. In the studio, Stacy's intelligence and openness ensure that she continues to improve herself. And onstage and off she is a favorite of ballet fans, donors, and volunteers. Stacy is also a captivating teacher of young children when she has time to teach in PNB's School."