sandik

I'm old enough that I remember when some FM stations broadcast whole albums, and would play tones at the beginning of the session so that people who were recording the program could set their stereos... I don't know if KING does anything in particular to discourage recording -- if they do, it's probably in coordination with the performing organizations, and might have something to do with their union contracts. But that's just speculation.

So did anyone see Rachel Foster as the Nurse, or Carrie Imler as Lady C? Enquiring minds want to know!

I always giggle at that kind of promotion, especially the ones where they dig up some kind of connection between two otherwise not very closely related things. It's like that game people used to play about Kevin Bacon. But still, we often use that kind of family tree evidence to talk about the legitimacy of something -- "she studied with X who was a student of Y who danced it at the premiere..."

I'm afraid I have more to say about the production. My apologies for the length -- just skip ahead if it's too much. Postelwaite says that he thinks Romeo is a playboy, but he doesn’t come off that way -- he’s kind of louche, lounging around with Rosaline’s scarf, but he’s serious about it, about his feelings. Moore is tougher, a bit more rowdy -- more matched with Mercutio’s aggression. Helene said above that he’s been working his way through the female population of Verona, and I believe it. It’s more of a surprise that he becomes so transformed by his meeting Juliet, because he seems less susceptible before. Poretta’s Mercutio is almost over the top -- he plays, he mocks, he fights, he flirts at top volume and maximum intensity. Poretta has had several years to think about this character, he danced it in the Stowell version as well, and it really shows. His Mercutio can’t help himself -- he’s on a greased slide to disaster. Barry Kerollis makes an excellent debut in the role, but he’s not the same firecracker as Poretta. But if he doesn’t enter with that hyper energy, he could instead track the development of that tension – Poretta is on Tybalt like glue from the very start – it could be an interesting alternative to see that relationship change over the course of the ballet. Kerollis is Mercutio to Moore’s Romeo, which changes the dynamic of the trio (with Benvolio – Josh Spell does yeoman work while Benjamin Griffiths is out). Moore’s Romeo is more aggressive, so in a fashion Kerollis doesn’t take all the weight of picking the fights. The three of them feel more equal in that regard. I’m wondering what Kerollis would look like with Postelwaite’s Romeo. As Tybalt, Bakthurel Bold comes out of the gate angry – he’s looking for a fight just like Mercutio is, but he’s a bit more subtle about it. He glowers where Mercutio snipes. I almost didn’t recognize Seth Orza when he made his entrance in this role, in part because he’s got a moustache and goatee that makes him resemble the actor Benjamin Bratt, but also because he looks a whole foot taller. It may be the way his costume is cut, but his shoulders seem less bulky as well, which adds to a truly compelling image. Chalnessa Eames has really grown into the role of the Nurse, especially the more eccentric timing of the comedy bits. She was funny before, but now she knows how it works. When Korbes enters with the gold lame scarf there’s a real Isadora moment with that deep flexion in the hip and the raised knees (and when you think about how this Juliet dies the reference feels even ickier). Juliet and the Nurse have great give and take here, and the moment when Juliet strips off her kimono to the waist (“see, I am really a woman”) is a landmark for the Nurse as well as the audience. Imler made a great debut as the Nurse – she really understands the nuts and bolts of the comedy. When Juliet flashes her, Imler’s Nurse does a wonderful spit take, and then makes the whole “let’s just get you covered back up” sequence into a clear sentence with several different thoughts. Juliet is almost a hoydon in much of this, though, with three arm circles when one would do. Lallone as Lady C really does “school” her here, correcting her posture and gestures, restraining some of her exuberance. In the Q&A Lallone talked about being the person in power (there’s no Prince of Verona or Lord Capulet here) -- she feels some of the more angular shapes for her character are more masculine. I didn’t get the gender buzz, but she’s certainly all about control -- she’s got a high gloss lacquered finish on everything she does (which makes her breakdown after Tybalt is killed more powerful). Nakamura’s Juliet is less traditional, starting with her Leslie Caron/Zizi Jeanmarie haircut. As usual, she has great quickness and a very clear sense of where she is in the space. She’s not a traditionally ‘young and sweet’ Juliet, she’s a more distinct individual. She feels a bit willful – she’s been a protected part of her world and it’s made her confident. When she lets her arm wheel in multiple circles to embellish the gesture her mother is teaching her, it has a kind of Musketeers flourish at the end of the phrase. There aren’t really any direct ‘quotes’ from the text in this production that I’ve been able to find, but Maillot does take cues from the script. Shakespeare often refers to hands (“let us kiss as the holy palmers do,” “would that I were a glove on that hand.”) and the choreographer has made very specific choreography for arms and hands here. Alongside the swimming motif (two hands tracing a series of s curves working in parallel), Juliet uses her hand almost like a hunting dog in the first big duet with Romeo -- it searches him out like a beacon and leads her all over the place before she finally gets to him. The ‘masks’ that the three Montagues wear at the Capulet ball make them look like cousins to the goons in Balanchine’s “Prodigal Son” (another score by Prokofiev, which probably helps the connection). The ensemble comes rushing in, rather than the massed stateliness you get in most productions of R&J. But even that volume thins out so that for a big part of this scene it’s just three couples. Romeo and Juliet meet when they run into each other, literally -- he gets shoved and falls into her. The rest of the party is full of him trying to watch her or talk to her and being diverted or shunted aside -- he’s constantly in motion, looking for a better vantage point. (and, sitting behind a tall man Thursday night, I empathize with his predicament) Juliet is being protected and guided by family, including Rosaline. Maria Chapman is just as good now as she was when PNB first did this production -- she’s the most glamorous person in the universe here. When she flirts with Romeo earlier, you don’t feel like she’s playing with him particularly, she’s just accustomed to people recognizing her allure. Leslie Rausch has beautiful arms as Rosaline, but her torso feels a bit more static, so I miss the full-bodied sensuality. The ramp across the back of the stage starts rising when Juliet appears for the ‘balcony’ scene -- it gets quite high (I would have real problems if it were me up there) Both characters treat the ramp as part of a playground -- it’s a slide and a jungle gym for climbing. Indeed the whole duet has a child-like vibe to it -- they shake and shove, they tag each other, and in a moment of foreshadowing Romeo “plays dead” for Juliet. Some Juliets respond more directly to this -- I remember once Pantastico actually beat on Postelwaite’s chest like she was doing CPR. Their romantic reaction to each other has a similar vibe -- this is squirmy sex. If possible, Romeo is even loopier at the beginning of act II, in the square the next morning. The interplay with Mercutio and Benvolio is just this side of bromance. When the Nurse appears they are all still pretty jokey, but when Romeo absorbs the content of the note, he sweeps off-stage There are references to modern dance styles throughout this work, but with the wedding scene in Friar Lawrence’s cell, Maillot gets uncomfortably close to plagiarism. The two acolytes enter with a long piece of stiffened white fabric, Romeo and Juliet stand side by side facing it upstage and we are in the middle of the Wade in the Water section from Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.” Fortunately, this only lasts for a few more bars of the music, but it’s so obvious it just makes everything grind to a halt while we think “what?” Dramatically, it’s a weak part of the scene – he could easily find another way to approach the wedding that would be more unique to his ballet. Mercutio just can’t leave well enough alone – there are several times in the big fight scene leading up to the double murder when the Montagues could have just walked away, but that never happens. Once the fight really gets underway, it’s all slow-motion, which makes it easy to see the random nature of the violence. It’s tempting to follow other characters during the fracas – the naturalism that Maillot uses in so much of this ballet is particularly obvious here. But the first couple of times that you see it, your eyes do track the main actions, and they are almost more violent and inexorable that they are in the original text. Tybalt kills Mercutio with a blow to the head – it’s so fast and direct that you’re grateful for the slow motion. Mercutio just drops – there’s no pretty death, no fancy language games (“if you ask for me tomorrow you will find me a grave man”). It takes longer for Romeo to kill Tybalt – he strangles him, and it’s pretty gruesome. The Friar has been trying to influence the narrative all along, but he has failed each time. This final blow really fells him – his movement is brittle and passive. Wevers and Cruz have slightly different approaches to this part, but in each of them their attenuated height really works with the aesetic qualities of the character. Wevers makes longer phrases, both physically and dramatically. Cruz approaches individual movement very clearly – in one sequence with Juliet close to the end of their “getting ready to take the potion” duet, they do a torquing kind of push and pull action, counterbalancing her and as she sinks and rises. It’s a kind of hypnotism – the actual potion isn’t anywhere as powerful as this sequence. The end of the work accelerates from this duet – the Nurse finds Juliet, her mother grieves, Romeo rushes in and before you know it, he’s killed himself. The action opens up just a bit with the final entrance of the Friar, but not much. He’s tried all along to stop the inevitable, but at this point he can’t even slow it down. I’ve been missing Rebecca Johnston in the corps since she retired a couple seasons ago, in part because her bright red hair made her easy to spot in a welter of bodies. So I was happy to find another redhead to watch – Andrew Bartee, who is a new corps member this year. On one of the entrances to a group melee, he really dug into the ground, making the rhythm of the phrase very clear. What a nice first look. In one of the Q&A sessions someone asks Boal if he will revive the Stowell version – Boal’s response is that probably not “I’m on this one for awhile.” It’s interesting that he’s bringing this one back less than two years after the company premiere. The conventional kind of repertory rotation will let something sit for a longer ‘fallow’ time – couple this with Boal’s decision to present the Forsythe “One Flat Thing…” in consecutive seasons and I wonder what his thinking is about the maintenance of repertory.

"101 Stories of the Great Ballets" was one of the first reference books about dance that I bought, and it is practically in tatters from overuse. Mason was invaluable, an independent and creative thinker who saw what needed doing and did it.

Alongside Farmer, two other names I'm really happy to see linked to a new Tharp work -- Charlie Neshyba-Hodges and John Selya. I'm hoping for a tour to my corner of the map.

It's not a promotion per se, but it is in the employment line -- Peter Boal mentioned at one of the post-show Q&A last week that he's signed a 5 year renewal on his contract.

Not to mention licking the Tybalt puppet head... Sometimes I think Mercutio is out to offend everyone.

The PNB premiere date is a big help, but I wish that either it was searchable, or that it was organized by choreographer rather than alpha order by title (whine, whine, whine...) I agree about Mozartiana, but I was very surprised to see that Dark Elegies and Jardin aux Lilas were listed -- it's been ages since they were performed. (now how about a "last performed" date category...)

I am so relieved...

I know in the past the company has presented themselves outdoors in the park blocks at the beginning of the season, with company class and rehearsals open to observers -- is this happening this year?

And bart's comment early on: This is a big issue for me as a dance writer. There are whole styles that I don't care for, but that I understand. I don't much like certain kinds of dance (and if it were just up to my desires, would probably not watch much of) but I recognize their importance in the larger community, understand how they work, recognize a good (and poor) example of them. Personal taste is a powerful element, but a full understanding of the art form can't stop at what "I" like.

Oh, excellent! We need to play this game as well (ballets we just don't get/don't like) It took me a long time to warm up to her, I think in part because everyone else I knew adored her. I felt contrary.

The full press release (with bios) is here

Well, for me it always reinforces the relationship between the dancer and the music -- most dance performed with/to music has a symbiotic relationship with the score, but with tap it's very clearly articulated.

I've heard tap dancers on the radio before, as part of an interview, but I cannot remember if there's been another live broadcast of a dance performance. Here's a copy of the press release, including the dates for the other programs (the other three program-length productions this year) tune in tomorrow! Pacific Northwest Ballet Partners with Classical KING FM for Four Live Broadcasts of Season Ballets! 98.1 fm or online at www.king.org/listen Roméo et Juliette 7:30 pm, Friday, September 25, 2009 Music by Sergei Prokofiev (Op. 64, 1935-36) Nutcracker 7:30 pm, Friday, November 27, 2009 Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 71, 1891-92) The Sleeping Beauty 7:30 pm, Friday, February 5, 2010 Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Op. 66, 1889) Coppélia 7:30 pm, Friday, June 4, 2010 Music by Leo Delibes (Coppélia, ou la Fille aux Yeux d’Émail, 1869-70; with excerpts from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, 1876, and La Source [Naïla], 1866) SEATTLE, WA — Pacific Northwest Ballet is proud to announce a new partnership with KING FM, bringing the classical music station’s listeners live performances by the PNB Orchestra performing some of the most popular ballet scores of all time. Tune in this season to hear Romeo et Juliette, Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, and Coppelia. The live broadcasts begin tomorrow with Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s tragic tale of tenderness and violence, stunningly scored by Sergei Prokofiev. Listen to KING FM on Friday, September 25 at 7:30 pm on 98.1 fm or online at www.king.org/listen. For the rest of the season’s broadcasts, see the listings above. ABOUT THE ARTISTS Sergei Prokofiev (1891–1953) was a leading Soviet composer and brilliant pianist. He left Russia in 1918 and lived in Germany and Paris for the next sixteen years, with frequent trips to America for concert appearances. In 1934, he settled in Moscow and composed prolifically until his death. Among his best known works are the ballet scores Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and Prodigal Son; the opera The Love for Three Oranges; the children's classic, Peter and the Wolf; the film score and cantata for Alexander Nevsky; and the Classical Symphony. The first Soviet performance of Romeo and Juliet was given at the Kirov Theater on January 11, 1940. Preceding the first performance there were many disagreements between the choreographer, Leonid Lavrovsky, and Prokofiev. The dancers failed to understand the music; and the orchestra, in a last-ditch effort to avoid a disaster, tried to cancel the performance. Despite so little hope for success, the ballet was well received and has been popular ever since. Prokofiev's glorious ballet score is frequently called his masterpiece. Its thematic melodies— by turns sweetly tender, sweepingly passionate, hotly fierce and chillingly eerie—provide counterpoint and impart eloquent support to the narrative. Léo Delibes (1836–1891) was born in St. Germain de Val and died in Paris. He learned music as a child from his mother and uncle. Renowned as a composer for dance, he had a gift for illustrating action, creating atmosphere, and inspiring movement. Although he spent many years as a church organist, he was drawn more to the theater, and he composed many light operas. The decisive advance in his career came in 1870, with his full-length ballet Coppélia, which includes melodic national dances, descriptive passages introducing the main characters, and musical effects that have captures audiences for more than 100 years. George Balanchine wrote, “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 greatly inspired by Delibes’ score to write his own ballet music. Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.” Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) studied at the Conservatory in St. Petersburg, where George Balanchine later studied piano in addition to his studies in dance. Tchaikovsky is one of the most popular and influential of all romantic composers. His work is expressive, melodic, and grand in scale, with rich orchestrations. His output was prodigious and included chamber works, symphonies, concerti for various instruments, operas, and works for the piano. His works for the ballet include Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker, the latter two composed in close collaboration with choreographer Marius Petipa. Balanchine had a special affinity for Tchaikovsky. “In everything that I did to Tchaikovsky’s music,” he told an interviewer, “I sensed his help. It wasn’t real conversation. But when I was working and saw that something was coming of it, I felt that it was Tchaikovsky who had helped me.” # # #

For the past few years, the company has announced promotions and new hires at their gala season opener, but this year, due to the economy, they decided not to hold that additional performance, so the first notice I saw of promotions was a short note in the program opening night. The press release showed up in my inbox this morning, and I'll just copy it here. Nothing too surprising. PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES DANCER PROMOTIONS FOR 2009-2010 SEASON SEATTLE, WA — At a benefit dinner prior to tonight’s opening performance of Roméo et Juliette, Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal announced a series of much-anticipated dancer promotions for the 2009-2010 season. Maria Chapman, who joined PNB as an apprentice in 1995, was promoted to the rank of principal dancer, as was Karel Cruz, who joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2002. Lindsi Dec, a member of PNB’s corps de ballet since 2002, was promoted to the rank of soloist. Mr. Boal was also pleased to announce that apprentices Andrew Bartee, Amanda Clark, Kyle Davis, Emma Love, Margaret Mullin, and Sean Rollofson have all been promoted to the corps de ballet, and two new apprentices join the company: Chelsea Adomaitis and Ezra Thomson. Maria Chapman is from St. Simons Island, Georgia. She was a student of Magdalena Maury and studied under Patricia Bromley at Terpsichore Co., Ltd. in Atlanta. She continued her training at the School of American Ballet and attended summer courses at Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and SAB. She joined PNB as an apprentice in 1995, was promoted to corps de ballet in 1996 and to soloist in 2005. In addition to her performing career, Ms. Chapman is a founding member of Second Stage, PNB's career transition program for dancers. She is currently chairperson of the Second Stage Committee. Karel Cruz is from Havana, Cuba, and received his training at Cuba's Escuela Nacional de Artes. He joined Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 1996 and left in 1998 to join Ballet Clasico de Camara in Venezuela. From 1999 to 2000, he danced with Teatro Teresa Carreno, also in Venezuela. He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2002 and was promoted to soloist in 2007. Lindsi Dec is from Fairfax, Virginia. She trained at Washington Ballet School and on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2001 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2002. Ms. Dec has performed as a guest artist with California Ballet, Dance Arts Theatre, and Mid-Columbia Ballet. Andrew Bartee is from Everett, Washington. He studied on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and attended summer courses at PNBS and the School of American Ballet. He was a recipient of the Flemming Halby Exchange with the Royal Danish Ballet School and a 2007 Princess Grace Award recipient. Mr. Bartee joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2008. Amanda Clark is from Fairfax, Virginia. She studied on scholarship at Washington School of Ballet, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and attended summer courses at San Francisco Ballet School, the SAB, and PNBS. She also studied with Shirley Bennett and Barbara Walczak. Ms. Clark joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2008. Kyle Davis is from Green Bay, Wisconsin. He trained at Makaroff School of Ballet, Rock School for Dance Education, and North Carolina School of the Arts, and attended summer courses at Milwaukee Ballet School, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He has also studied with Ethan Stiefel and Warren Connover. In 2008, Mr. Davis won the Prix de Lausanne competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. He also won various awards in the Youth American Grand Prix Regional and Finals in 2005 and 2006. He was a 2007–2008 recipient of the Elizabeth Harriet Weaver Memorial Scholarship and the Martha and Spencer Love Foundation Scholarship for Excellence in the Arts at the North Carolina School of the Arts. Mr. Davis joined PNB as an apprentice in 2008. Emma Love is from Wichita, Kansas. She studied with Sharon Rogers and on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and attended summer courses at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Academy East, and PNBS. She was a recipient of the Flemming Halby Exchange with the Royal Danish Ballet School and was also a 2004 and 2005 recipient of a Kansas Cultural Trust Grant. Ms. Love joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2008. Margaret Mullin is from Tucson, Arizona. She studied on scholarship at Ballet Arts Tucson with Mary-Beth Cabana and at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and attended summer courses at Ballet Tucson, PNBS, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp with Jefferson Baum. She was the recipient of a Thurber Scholarship Award in 2003 and 2004, and the 2007 Founding Director Scholarship Award from Angela Whitehill of Burklyn Ballet. Ms. Mullin joined PNB as an apprentice in 2008. Sean Rollofson is from Redmond, Washington. He studied with Deborah Hadley at Washington Academy of Performing Arts and began attending Pacific Northwest Ballet School at age seven. He attended summer courses at the National Ballet School (Toronto) and on scholarship at the School of American Ballet. Mr. Rollofson joined PNB as an apprentice in 2008. PNB is happy to welcome two new faces to the ranks of the company, as apprentices: Chelsea Adomaitis is from Boston, Massachusetts. She studied with Wayne Stewarte in Massachusetts and at Harid Conservatory and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she attended summer courses at PNBS, Harid Conservatory, the Royal Ballet School (London), and National Ballet School (Canada). While a student at PNBS, Ms. Adomaitis performed leading roles in George Balanchine’s Cortège Hongrois and La Source and originated roles in ballets by Sonia Dawkins, Kiyon Gaines, and Olivier Wevers. She also performed corps de ballet roles with PNB in Balanchine’s Diamonds, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Symphony in C; Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite; Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance); and Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake. In 2009, Ms. Adomaitis won a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts youngARTS Level I award. She was also a Youth America Grand Prix finalist in 2003, 2004, and 2005. Ezra Thomson is from San Bernardino, California. He studied on scholarship at Riverside Ballet Arts, Orlando Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School and attended summer courses at PNBS, the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet School (Canada), the Rock School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Burklyn Ballet Theatre. Mr. Thomson was a 2009 recipient of the Flemming Halby Exchange with the Royal Danish Ballet School. He danced with Orlando Ballet before joining PNB as an apprentice. While a student at PNBS, Mr. Thomson performed the lead in George Balanchine’s La Source and also originated roles in ballets by Kiyon Gaines, Stanko Milov, and Olivier Wevers, as well as the role of Geppetto in Bruce Wells’ Pinocchio. He also performed corps de ballet roles with Pacific Northwest Ballet in Balanchine’s Diamonds, Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, and Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker and Swan Lake. In 2007, Mr. Thomson won the gold medal in the regional Youth America Grand Prix competition.

I'm going Thursday, and both performances on Saturday, and I'm still missing Carrie Imler as Lady C. I just checked again, and the second week casting is up (same web address as above). No additions except for Rachel Foster as Nurse, Thursday night and Saturday matinee. (but it doesn't overlap with Imler as Lady C.... grumble)

How nice that you get to see Midsummer -- none of the movie theaters here in Seattle are participating in this! (though we do get the Met's HD broadcasts, so I shouldn't whine too much)

Indeed, she says, looking at her little hand-drawn chart...

Casting is up here for the first week. (I like much of the new website, but this format for casting makes it very hard to compare performances) Not many total surprises, but some interesting choices. Carrie Imler gets a chance at the Nurse as well as Lady Capulet. Bakthurel Bold is Tybalt for all but one show. As is often the case, the Saturday matinee is full of 'first chance' performances: Barry Kerollis gets a go at Mercutio. Leslie Rausch gets to swan around in Rosaline's gown, Seth Orza is Tybalt, Josh Spell is Benvolio, and Mara Vinson does Lady C in the same performance. Olivier Wevers does most of the Friar Lawrences (with Karel Cruz on Saturday night).

I thought that might be the case -- English can be tricky.

I'm very curious about the distinction between a "regular" award and a lifetime achievement award -- I don't remember this language in past announcements. Anyone have any insight?

There are indeed many tasty roles here, and I'm very curious to see who eventually does what. In the meantime, we certainly seem to have fun speculating.

I think you're right about Korbes being scheduled for a fair number of performances -- they really did take a major risk by having just one Juliette for the run of the show, and I know that was not the original intention.