Helene

Casting isn't up yet, but there was this clue from PNB's IG account: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqigVoJPPSr/ That's Cecilia Iliesiu rehearsing Titania.

It could have been a photo posted by Konovalov to show where he now fits into the photos on the website for his new rank.

I honestly don't remember. It was a pretty awful production. I'd liked him in other ballets when NBoC toured.

I agree that Kudelka's was loathesome -- NBoC toured it to the West Coast in 2005 -- but he had a point putting those princesses on auction blocks. The only way I'll be remember anything else about it is if I try to find what I wrote about it at the time. I looked back and found I saw Xiao Nn Yu with Patrick Lavoie and Heather Ogden with Guillaume Cote.

In the photo, the top row of men are Konstantin Zverev and Evan Kapiten (google translate off the Russian page) / Even Capitaine (English page). The bottom row of men are (Y)evgeni Konovalov, whose account it is and who is being congratulated in the comments, and Alexander Sergeyev.

Congratulations to them both . And adding a third congratulations .

Paris Opera announced Petite Mort and Sechs Tanze along with Stepping Stone as part of an All Kylian program in their 2023-24 season, along with an All Robbins program. Plus they're doing Pite's The Seasons Canon, which was made for them. To do an "All" program, they either have to have a bunch in the rep under contract, or they have to have permission to get more than one at a time, which doesn't seem to be that common. The conditions have to be right, too, having the right stagers be available, and all kinds of "build up" requirements that foundations make, based on the company. And, if you're renting sets and costumes, they all have to be accessble at the same time.

ACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS April 14 – 23, 2023 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 Only eight performances? Lord, what fools these mortals be! April 14 at 7:30 PM April 15 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM April 20 and 21 at 7:30 PM April 22 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM -- matinee is an additional, non-subscription performance. April 23 at 1:00 PM Streaming Digitally April 27 – May 1 SEATTLE, WA – A garden of delight for the eyes and ears, George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream returns to the McCaw Hall stage as the penultimate offering of PNB’s 50th Anniversary season. Staged by Founding Artistic Director Francia Russell and featuring exquisite scenic and costume designs by Martin Pakledinaz, PNB’s exuberant production of Midsummer – Shakespeare’s comic tale of romantic confusion – has been captivating all who enter its enchanted Northwest-inspired forest for over 25 years. The ballet follows the quarrels of the King and Queen of the Fairies, and the mayhem of mismatched lovers, abetted by mischief-maker Puck. All is resolved by Act II, which opens with Mendelssohn’s familiar Wedding March, and is crowned by the magnificent Divertissement pas de deux, considered one of Balanchine’s most beautiful creations. PNB has performed its one-of-a-kind Midsummer to great acclaim in Istanbul, Hong Kong, at the Edinburgh International Festival, and Sadler’sWells Theater in London, where the production was filmed by the BBC and released on DVD. A Midsummer Night’s Dream plays for eight performances only, from April 14 through 23 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $37. The program will also stream digitally from April 27 through May 1. Tickets for the digital access are $35. 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. 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 (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 may be subject to day-of-show increases. Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for best prices and greatest availability.) Tickets for the live performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream are $37 - $195. Groups of ten or more may enjoy discounts up to 20% off regular prices: Contact Group Sales Manager Julie Jamieson at 206.441.2416 or JulieJ@PNB.org for ticketing assistance. (Group discounts are not valid on lowest-priced tickets and may not be combined with other offers.) Tickets for PNB’s digital-only presentation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (April 27 – May 1) are $35. For information about special ticket offers including group discounts, The Pointe, Pay-What-You-Can, Beer and Ballet night, rush tickets and more, visit PNB.org/offers. Health & Safety: PNB will continue to follow the advice of local health authorities in partnership with our labor groups to create our masking policies. At this time, masks are strongly encouraged but not required for audience members. For details and current info regarding PNB’s health and safety policies, visit PNB.org/Health. The show must go on: Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org. SPECIAL EVENTS PNB CONVERSATIONS & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, April 13, 5:30 pm Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join PNB Associate Artistic Director Kiyon Ross, in conversation with PNB company alumni Deborah Hadley, Angela Sterling, and Eric Hipolito Jr. Attend the PNB Conversations event only or stay for the dress rehearsal of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Tickets ($30) may be purchased 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 A Midsummer Night’s Dream 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. PROGRAM NOTES A Midsummer Night’s Dream Music: Felix Mendelssohn Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Francia Russell Scenic and Costume Design: Martin Pakledinaz Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Premiere: January 17, 1962; New York City BalletPNB Premiere: May 16, 1985; New Production: May 27, 1997 Balanchine’s fondness for Shakespeare's tale of love's delusions and mishaps dated from boyhood when he had performed as an elf in a St. Petersburg production of the play. But his desire to bring this favorite theater piece to the ballet stage waited more than 20 years for fulfillment while he searched for music with which to expand Mendelssohn's original score to suitable length.* In Midsummer, which dance writer Anita Finkel has called "possibly the greatest narrative ballet of all time," Balanchine demonstrated brilliantly that the pace of a story ballet can be fleet, that mime can be delicate and to the point, and that the tale can be told almost entirely through dance. Perhaps most inspired is Balanchine's sustained employment of ballet's central metaphor of love—the pas de deux—to embody the play's subtle insights into the many permutations of the love relationship. The cloying embraces of Hermia and Lysander, the distraught pleadings of Helena with Demetrius, the thrashing resistance of Hermia to Demetrius and of Helena to Lysander—all are distortions of the ideal partnership between lovers, traditionally conveyed by the ballerina and her cavalier. This human game of power is also played out in the fairy realm where, tellingly, the disputing spouses Titania and Oberon never dance together but instead perform self-celebratory solos for their admiring retinues. When Titania does condescend to take a partner, it is either the non-descript cavalier, who functions more as prop than peer, or, in the work's most charming episode, an artless ass. Only in Act II, which is pure dance, do the battles and imbalances, the self-indulgences and self-deceptions give way to a genuine dance partnership, in the magnificent Divertissement pas de deux which crowns the wedding festivities.A Midsummer Night's Dream has been in PNB’s repertory since 1985. In 1997, with the approval of The Balanchine Trust, PNB commissioned Martin Pakledinaz to re-design the entire production — a "first" for a Balanchine story ballet. Staged by PNB Founding Artistic Director Francia Russell, this freshly-designed Midsummer brings the choreographer's dramatic ideas to life scenically as never before. [Excerpted program Notes by Jeanie Thomas, edited by Doug Fullington. For complete program notes, visit PNB.org.] *Music details: Overture and incidental music to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Op. 21 and 61, 1826, 1843; Overtures to Athalie, Op. 74, 1845; and The Fair Melusine, Op. 32, 1833; The First Walpurgis Night, Op. 60; Symphony No. 9 for Strings [first three movements], 1823; Overture to Son and Stranger, Op. 89, 1829 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, George Balanchine (1904-1983) is regarded as the foremost contemporary choreographer in the world of ballet. He came to the United States in 1933, accepting the invitation of the young American arts patron Lincoln Kirstein. Together, Balanchine and Kirstein founded the School of American Ballet in 1934, and New York City Ballet in 1948. Balanchine served as NYCB’s ballet master and principal choreographer, creating more than 400 dance works, until his death in 1983. Francia Russell was Artistic Director of PNB and Director of the PNB School from 1977 until her retirement in 2005. During her tenure, Russell oversaw the development of the community education program DanceChance. Russell danced for New York City Ballet and Jerome Robbins’ Ballets USA. Upon retiring from dancing, Russell joined the faculty of the School of American Ballet in 1962 and in 1964 was appointed ballet mistress of NYCB by George Balanchine. Russell was one of the first to be chosen by Balanchine to stage his works. She is responsible for the addition of many Balanchine works to PNB’s repertory and has staged 246 Balanchine ballets worldwide. From 1975 to 1977, Ms. Russell and Kent Stowell were Co-Artistic Directors of Frankfurt Ballet. Martin Pakledinaz was an award-winning costume designer for stage, television, and film. He won Tony Awards for Thoroughly Modern Millie and the 2000 revival of Kiss Me Kate, which also earned him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design. His extensive design credits include work for Broadway, off-Broadway, leading regional theaters in the United States and for the Royal Dramatic Theatre of Sweden. His designs for opera include works at the New York Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera, as well as opera houses in Seattle, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Sante Fe, Houston, Toronto, Salzburg, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Helsinki, and Gothenburg, among others. Mr. Pakledinaz’s dance credits include work for such diverse choreographers as George Balanchine, Eliot Feld, Deborah Hay, Mark Morris, Daniel Pelzig, Helgi Tomasson, and Lila York. In addition to his work on PNB’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mr. Pakeldinaz designed costumes for Kent Stowell’s Cinderella (1994) and Zirkus Weill (1995). Mr. Pakledinaz passed away in 2012 at the age of 58. Randall G. Chiarelli has devoted a career to lighting for dance, much of it at Pacific Northwest Ballet, and also for American Ballet Theatre, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Houston Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet, among others. His collaborators include choreographers Mark Dendy, Kent Stowell, Susan Stroman, Twyla Tharp, and Christopher Wheeldon. In addition to lighting for dance, Mr. Chiarelli has created scenic and concert designs for many productions and artists. # # # The works of George Balanchine performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet are made possible in part by The Louise Nadeau Endowed Fund. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2022-2023 50th Anniversary season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft. Special thanks also to 4Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation. PNB’s digital season is made possible by Katherine Graubard and William Calvin. PNB media sponsorship provided by The Seattle Times.

YouTube links are fine, as long as they are public, not private.

The announcement says that it will be Corella's "captivating and innovative chorereography." Corella previously created work for Corella Ballet, which was renamed Barcelona Ballet.

Is this based on a relatively modern interpretation that Odile is supposed to ooze badness a la Cruella de Vil? I know Siegfried is under pressure, -- public pressure -- to marry, with his amygdala racing and that he sees what he wants to see, but she is, plotwise, trying to assure him that she is Odette. Softer music could work to that effect.

Welcome to Ballet Alert!, Danielle.

That's Waltz Girl.

Ballet Talk for Dancers (BT4D) announced today that the board will close at the end of April 2023. Here is a link to the announcement: https://dancers.invisionzone.com/topic/71398-ballet-talk-for-dancers-to-close/ BT4D was a subforum of Ballet Talk/Ballet Alert until it became its own standalone board in the 00's, and it was administered by Victoria Leigh until 2020. It has been nutured and grown by a dedicated group of Moderators. It is truly the end of an era.

Quoting because it can't be said enough.

Here's the press release with details for the entire season: Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces 2023-24 Season Line-Up. PNB’s 51st season to include a roster of crowd-pleasers from Donald Byrd, Alejandro Cerrudo, Alexander Ekman, Jiri Kylian, Jessica Lang, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, and Twyla Tharp; and a world premiere from Danielle Rowe. Story ballets feature the returns of Swan Lake and Coppélia (and, 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 18. Single tickets start at $38 ($29 for The Nutcracker). Full-season subscriptions start at $201. Four-show partial-season subscriptions start at $138. Digital season subscription available for $300. September 2023 – June 2024 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, Washington March 16, 2023, SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal has announced the line-up for PNB’s 51st anniversary season, running from September 2023 through June 2024. Highlights include the return of Kent Stowell’s iconic Swan Lake, the comedic Coppélia, and Crystal Pite’s stunning The Seasons’ Canon. Also in the line-up are previous PNB crowd-pleasers from Donald Byrd, Alexander Ekman, Jiri Kylian, Jessica Lang, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, and Twyla Tharp; a world premiere from Danielle Rowe; and the PNB premiere, at long last, of Alejandro Cerrudo’s large-scale One Thousand Pieces. (Plus a new family-matinee offering, Harold and the Purple Crayon, 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 18. PNB plans to continue offering its digital subscription as well so audiences across the country and around the world can attend the show. 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 2023-24 SEASON LINE-UP Rep 1 – PETITE MORT September 22 – October 1, 2023 Digital streaming dates: October 5 – 9 PNB’s season-opener is jam-packed with whimsy, artistry, and drama. Built on a foundation of music from Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert, this triple-bill looks at the world of dance through the unique perspectives of Jiri Kylian and Alexander Ekman. Petite Mort Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Choreography: Jiri Kylian Staging: Roslyn Anderson Scenic Design: Jiri Kylian Costume Design: JokeVisser Lighting Design: Joop Caboort Sechs Tänze (Six Dances) Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Choreography: Jiri Kylian Staging: Roslyn Anderson Scenic and Costume Design: Jiri Kylian Lighting Design: Joop Caboort Cacti Music: Franz Josef Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert Text: Spenser Theberge Choreography: Alexander Ekman Staging: Ana Lucaciu Scenic and Costume Design: Alexander Ekman Lighting Design: Tom Visser Rep 2 – LOVE & LOSS November 3 – 12, 2023 Digital streaming dates: November 16 – 20 This trio of works shines a light on some of the world premieres that PNB’s New Works Initiative has created in recent years. Donald Byrd’s haunting Love and Loss premiered in 2019, Alexei Ratmansky’s stunning tribute to his homeland of Ukraine, Wartime Elegy, followed in 2022, and inventive Australian choreographer Danielle Rowe will create something brand new for PNB dancers this November. WORLD PREMIERE Music: Shannon Rugani Choreography: Danielle Rowe Costume Design: Emma Kingsbury Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Wartime Elegy Music: Valentin Silvestrov, and Ukrainian Village Music Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky Scenic Design: Wendall K. Harrington Art: Matvi Vaisberg & Maria Prymachenko Costume Design: Moritz Junge Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama Love and Loss Music: Emmanuel Witzthum Choreography: Donald Byrd Scenic and Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Costume Design: Doris Black George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® November 24 – December 27, 2023 (NOTE: Not part of the 2023-24 Subscription season.) Digital streaming dates: December 18 – 27 Whether a long-standing family tradition or a first trip to the theater, 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 Swan Lake February 2 – 11, 2024 Digital streaming dates: February 15 – 19 By the light of Ming Cho Lee’s luminous moon, a flock of ethereal swans transports the audience to the wondrous world of Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake. This classic tale features epic dancing, stunning scenery and costumes, and the iconic score performed live by the PNB Orchestra. Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Kent Stowell Staging: Francia Russell (after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov) Scenic Design: Ming Cho Lee Costume Design: Paul Tazewell Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Rep 4 – ONE THOUSAND PIECES March 15 – 24, 2024 Digital streaming dates: March 28 – April 1 Four years after its originally-scheduled PNB premiere, Alejandro Cerrudo’s complete One Thousand Pieces will finally take to the McCaw Hall stage. Cerrudo’s large-scale ensemble work is inspired by the work of artist Marc Chagall and features music from Philip Glass. Paired with the revelry and joy of Matthew Neenan’s made-for-PNB Bacchus. Bacchus Music: Oliver Davis Choreography: Matthew Neenan Costume Design: Mark Zappone Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli One Thousand Pieces Music: Philip Glass Choreography: Alejandro Cerrudo Staging: Pablo Piantino/Ana Lopez Scenic and Costume Design: Thomas Mika Lighting Design: Michael Korsch Harold and the Purple Crayon [PNB Premiere] March 2023 dates TBA (NOTE: Not part of the 2023-24 Subscription season.) Featuring students of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Based on the beloved book by Crockett Johnson, this hour-long, narrated tale of Harold and his trusty crayon features performances by PNB School students and is the perfect introduction to ballet for young audiences. Music: Andrew Bird Choreography: Robyn Mineko Williams/Terence Marling Scenic Design: Ryan Wineinger-Schattl Costume Design: Rebecca Shouse Lighting Design: Matt Miller REP 5 – THE SEASONS’ CANON April 12 – 21, 2024 Digital streaming dates: April 25 – 29 Back by popular demand, Crystal Pite’s mesmerizing The Seasons’ Canon features 54 dancers moving as one organism to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, recomposed by Max Richter. Pite’s opus is complemented by Twyla Tharp’s Shaker-inspired Sweet Fields and Jessica Lang’s stunning solo work, The Calling. Sweet Fields Music: 18th- and 19th-century American hymns and Shaker songs Choreography: Twyla Tharp Staging: Matt Rivera with Shelley Washington Original Costume Design: Norma Kamali Original Lighting Design: Jennifer Tipton The Calling Music: Anonymous 12th-13th century Choreography: Jessica Lang Staging: Kanji Segawa Costume Design: Elena Comendador Costume Concept: Jessica Lang Lighting Design: Nicole Pearce The Seasons’ Canon Music: Max Richter (Antonio Vivaldi) Choreography: Crystal Pite Staging: Eric Beauchesne & Anna Herrmann Scenic Design: Jay Gower Taylor Costume Design: Nancy Bryant Lighting Design: Tom Visser Coppélia May 31 – June 9, 2023 Digital streaming dates: June 13 – 17 When a silent beauty appears on the balcony of toymaker Doctor Coppelius’ workshop, it spells trouble for sweethearts Swanilda and Franz: He’s smitten, and she’s determined to confront her rival and win back her beau. With spirited mime, bravura dancing, and Delibes’ famously melodic score, Coppélia is one of ballet’s greatest comedies. Music: Léo Delibes Book: Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffman Choreography: Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust (after Petipa) Staging: Judith Fugate Scenic and Costume Design: Roberta Guidi di Bagno Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli 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 2023-24 season. Full-season [seated] subscriptions start at $201 for seats to all six programs. Four-show partial-season subscriptions start at $138. The digital-only subscription is available for $300. Beginning July 18, 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, Pay-What-You-Can, and student and senior rush tickets, visit PNB.org/offers.

Here is a link to Ismene Brown's remembrance on The Arts Desk: https://www.theartsdesk.com/dance/you-want-cry-loving-do-it-so-much-lynn-seymour-1939-2023

Alastair Macaulay's obituary in The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/15/arts/dance/lynn-seymour-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=CC6j4UMzRdu78rrhNXxhnnzLkt9hTv3Ccsm9VukhH2ZZKALq16Qg565Fra9UO9ZFbD3kEB4fO3wmnF8wgbVb3cViseIb-owCM6rjoXsdgcQFoTjTg52z-_tqNsJ9Z2j0aTLSM_F_OBy_Tm6YJSBqoPxIgxiwgoP3du--kAZismo0wFGMaAbQPXE9XZxsXbVlGCWYSJ2ArX5Mz0QyEOxOS3YdcWTQyCE6brjAM1KSE4P9xnj7jq3jgWJt53VgeivsbSjS0UgX-j_mkmyiEaXataZA0o1PURE80fXtLFkSV4jgWF5BVhQW8sICx0xoLepEqB5m-StuTcgsHNuG41k&smid=url-share

Casting is up for both weekends, with two casts each for Wonderland (Penny Saunders) and Let Me Mingle Tears with Thee (Jessica Lang), and one cast for the Alejandro Cerrudo World Premiere: https://www.pnb.org/season/boundless/ Here's the link to the downloadable Excel file: Boundless 2023_03_13.xlsx As always, casting is subject to change.

Wow!!! Congratulations to him .

PNB has posted the news that Leta Biasucci and her husband, James Ratliff, have a daughter, Alma, who was born on November 30, 2022: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNBallet/posts/pfbid02UEHsBRbEKvdmNabgqMv4T71RZ2oeveh4GntifHgbjWLSuMNgmD5UpL99ovRNnyKzl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpntb3OvQ6L/ Congratulations to the family

Marina Harss interviewed Jared Angle just after his retirement performance in Fjord Review: https://fjordreview.com/jared-angle-farewell/ I hope he's enjoying Copenhagen!

Not a "Where are they now?" but a "Where were they then?": Kurt Froman just posted a picture from School of American Ballet, where, in the back, he was partnering Maria Chapman: https://www.instagram.com/p/CpksVCWOSbQ/

Pacific Northwest Ballet posted this to Instagram after learning that Ian Falconer, children's book illustrator and theater designer who studied under David Hockney, has died: https://www.instagram.com/p/CplO2kfyWv9/ There are four wonderful photos to scroll through in the post. Here is an article from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/08/1161803473/ian-falconer-dies-olivia Here is the obituary in the NYT, which includes a photo of Falconer conferring about his Nutcracker designs for Pacific Northwest Ballet: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/08/books/ian-falconer-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=fyyiQMhm3lUiumfoxeJprPVZBvtbhT50wlQK0Sq4EiurMsa1n2r_vcOMhgU9zkmwUgdVsB3XJezobJxBBf8O9c2-aHi8kqNCpChJ_xAsyfnDI39K9cneVBHU3zk70bevPmqFye5HiX0Ag3CUvGdKoMIrnTPwYti0V545n5a91XEJStD_cOTtHs4MsT5gBddZckuhiSuEBSYjtLnFMQyGVrdIBAfCJezDUHrtp1bWeOLemG9B4tfG4peVbwRILXXBrXZqOyEOAq8QZv9Gh5k84iMEncjJLyxd2zQe4uDEa67acabGj_bFUN8kDrrVcihd4-ooEenJfnK8&smid=url-share

From this article, So that explains why we haven't seen Leta Biasucci for a while. Congratulations to her!