Helene

Casting is up for opening weekend, with two performances/day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (scroll to bottom): https://www.pnb.org/nutcracker/ Dylan Wald is performing Herr Drosselmeier at the 12:30pm matinee on Sunday, November 27! When I first opened the PNB site, there was a pop-up window for their Black Friday sale for Nutcracker tickets. (Sale is valid through Monday, November 28 11:59pm Pacific Time.) Here is a link to the downloadable Excel sheet: Nutcracker 2022_11_22.xlsx

This was really terrific live, but there's a recording for those who missed it:

CLARA RUF MALDONADO!!! I KNOW I'M SHOUTING!!!! Hopefully she will be the heir to all of Rachel Foster's dramatic roles 🙏. She also danced an exquisite pre-pandemic (2019) Sugarplum Fairy.

A list of reviews can be found in the Writings on Ballet forum:

Digital streaming starts today through November 21 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. Digital tickets are on sale here: https://www.pnb.org/season/seasons-canon/ Cast is the Opening Night Cast:

I'm so grateful that NYPL is offering this on Zoom -- I"m really looking forward to this talk!

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® A Ballet in Two Acts, Four Scenes, and Prologue Based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s tale, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816) Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker, Op. 71, 1891-1892, with an excerpt from The Sleeping Beauty, Op. 66, 1889) Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Judith Fugate with Peter Boal and Garielle Whittle Scenic and Costume Design: Ian Falconer Lighting Design: James F. Ingalls Original Production Premiere: December 6, 1892; Imperial Ballet, St. Petersburg, choreography by Lev Ivanov Balanchine Production Premiere: February 2, 1954; New York City Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: November 27, 2015 Running Time: Two hours and ten minutes, including one intermission The Imperial Ballet’s first performances of The Nutcracker in 1892 at the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg received mixed reviews. Critics complained the music was “too symphonic” and the Sugar Plum Fairy wasn’t given enough to do. Yet, the ballet endured and the suite of musical numbers subsequently drawn from Tchaikovsky’s complete score for performance in the concert hall was immediately popular. The composer was particularly delighted by his use of the celesta, the “heavenly” keyboard instrument newly invented in Paris, for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. When George Balanchine staged The Nutcracker for New York City Ballet in 1954, it was the six-year-old company’s most ambitious project to date. Although NYCB’s Nutcracker established the ballet as a perennial holiday favorite and became the model for many subsequent productions, the ballet had been danced in the United States since 1940, when Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performed Alexandra Fedorova’s staging of a one-act Nutcracker in New York City. The production subsequently toured the country throughout the ‘40s and ‘50s, giving many Americans their first experience of The Nutcracker. The first full-length Nutcracker in the U.S. was choreographed for San Francisco Ballet by Willam Christensen in 1944, replaced in 1954 with a production by Willam’s brother, Lew Christensen. When NYCB moved to the newly built New York State Theater in 1964, the Nutcracker scenery was completely redesigned to take advantage of the larger space. That same year, a young Judith Fugate, newly enrolled in the School of American Ballet, danced the role of Clara for the first time. She would continue in the role for four seasons before moving on to other parts, eventually joining New York City Ballet and adding the leading roles of Dewdrop and the Sugar Plum Fairy to her repertory. In 2015, Fugate took on the role of repetiteur, joining PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal and Garielle Whittle to stage Balanchine’s Nutcracker for Pacific Northwest Ballet. Pacific Northwest Ballet has its own Nutcracker history: In 1975, Pacific Northwest Dance, as the company was then called, acquired Lew Christensen’s Nutcracker, performing the work for eight seasons. In 1983, under artistic directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, the Company presented a new production with choreography by Stowell and scenic and costume designs by famed children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. The Stowell & Sendak Nutcracker contributed significantly to the Company’s identity, holding the stage for 32 seasons. In 2015, PNB acquired Balanchine’s iconic production. New designs by another renowned children’s author and illustrator, Ian Falconer, carry the Balanchine staging forward into the 21st century, while the staging by Fugate, Boal, and Whittle ensures the heritage of a tradition reaching back to 1892. [Excerpted from program notes by Doug Fullington. For complete notes and more, visit PNB.org/Nutcracker.] LAST BUT NOT LEAST: FUN FACTOIDS! 99.98% of PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® was built entirely by artisans, craftspeople, carpenters, painters, and animators in Seattle, WA. Over 50 drapers, stitchers, first hands, milliners, dyers and painters built the Nutcracker costumes. PNB’s shop was not large enough to accommodate the number of costumers required, so some were constructed at the Seattle Children’s Theater and Seattle Repertory Theatre costume shops. There are 154 costumes in the show, not counting duplicates (i.e., multiple versions of the same costume, for different-sized dancers playing the same role – Sugar Plum Fairy, Cavalier, Dewdrop, etc.) Clara’s party dress and Drosselmeier’s coat lining required 10 light coats of red paint for each stripe. Each Snow skirt has nine layers of various fabrics. There are 56 points on each skirt. There are 174 velvet diamonds and 322 jewels on the Harlequin costume. The Harlequin’s partner, Columbine, has 160 velvet diamonds and 272 jewels. 640: Black pompoms on the eight Polichinelle costumes. 760: Petals on the Waltz of the Flowers costumes. (19 costumes, including extras.) 10 feet and 60 pounds: The width and weight of Mother Ginger’s skirt. 175: Number of snaps on the Mother Ginger costume. 4,000: Holes cut by hand to create the lace “doily” tutus and headpieces for the Marzipan costumes. 300: Jewels hand-sewn on the two Arabian (peacock) headpieces. 500: Yards of tubular horsehair used for the Party Mothers’ hairpieces. 1,428: Cabochons sewn onto the Spanish women’s costumes. 2,568: Appliques machine-sewn on the seven Spanish dresses. Sewing the Nutcracker doll required a 16” long needle. Seventeen mice (eight adult mice, eight young mice, and the seven-headed Mouse King) were built by Erik Andor and a team of fabricators in his Pioneer Square studio. 98 yards of “fur” were used to create the mice. They have a total of 230 whiskers. Each adult tail consists of 25 segments. Each ear is made up of six pieces. Laid end-to-end, the mice’s upper lips total 782 inches. Eagle-eyed audience members may spy one gold tooth on the Mouse King. 35 men and women in the PNB Scene shop built and painted the sets and props. There are 22 painted drops. 3,000 square yards of fabric were used in the creation of the scenery. 343 gallons of paint were used in the painting of the scenery. The corridor scrim during the Prologue depicts Nutcracker historical figures Alexander Dumas, E.T.A. Hoffman, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, George Balanchine, and Lincoln Kirstein. It took 400 hours to build the Christmas tree. At its full height it stands 40 feet. There are 450 lights on it. 30 cubic feet of “snow” are deployed during the Act I Snow scene, per performance. One of the delightful highlights of PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® is the animated video that accompanies the overture. (For an excerpt, click here.) Created by Straightface Studios located in the Interbay neighborhood of Seattle, the three-and-a-half minute video takes audiences on a flight through the woods and a New England town, up to the front steps of the Stahlbaum home. The town was inspired by antique mid-19th Century maps and satellite images of New England. The terrain covers 372 sq. miles and there are over 1.5 million trees, 8,540 bushes, 287 buildings, and seven mice. In 2016, Straightface created a second video to play during the first act violin solo following the Party scene. This video integrates live-action ballet dancers into a computer-generated world. The prominent Christmas star that appears in the Snow scene at the end of Act I is presented by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Winter Star, from Chihuly’s popular Chandelier series, debuted as part of the artist’s iconic Chihuly in the Light of Jerusalem 2000 exhibition, and has also been exhibited at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (near London) and New York Botanical Garden.

From the press release: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS GEORGE BALANCHINE’S THE NUTCRACKER® November 25 – December 27, 2022 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 Streaming Digitally December 19 – 27 SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet’s sparkling production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® returns to the stage for live performances this holiday season. Featuring Tchaikovsky’s timeless score performed by the world famous PNB Orchestra, PNB Company dancers in show-stopping roles, bright young stars from the PNB School, unique-to-Seattle sets and costumes by Ian Falconer (creator of Olivia the Pig), and McCaw Hall’s lobbies decked out with the season’s best photo ops, PNB’s production is a holiday treasure for audiences young and old. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® runs for 35 performances, November 25 through December 27, 2022 at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $27. (See “2022 Performance Schedule” below, for showtime details.) The Nutcracker will also stream digitally from December 19 through 27, for families and friends to watch from the comfort of home. Tickets for the digital access are $49. For tickets and additional information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301 Mercer St. (Be mindful of unauthorized online resellers: When purchasing tickets for PNB’s production of The Nutcracker, order directly through PNB for peace of mind.) PNB is happy to offer a sensory-friendly matinee of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® on Tuesday, December 20, designed to provide a welcoming and supportive environment for people with sensory-processing challenges to enjoy the performance with family and friends. Modified lighting and sound levels, allowance of devices and fidgets, entry/exit privileges, trained staff, and designated quiet and activity areas will be offered at the performance. TICKET INFORMATION & SPECIAL OFFERS 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 (Advance tickets through the PNB Box Office are strongly suggested for lowest prices and greatest availability. Tickets may also be purchased – subject to availability – 90 minutes prior to each performance at McCaw Hall.) Tickets for the live performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® are $27 - $202 (discounts for children 14 and under. All ages require a ticket for admission, including babes-in-arms. For helpful hints and frequently asked questions about attending the ballet with children, visit PNB.org/Community/PNB-Kids.) Some prices are subject to change. Tickets for PNB’s digital presentation of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® are $49, and viewing access for the program is December 19 – 27. Don’t get fleeced for the holidays! Be mindful of unauthorized third-party online resellers when buying tickets for PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® (or any other “big ticket” item.) Order directly through PNB.org or 206.441.2424 for peace of mind. Health & Safety: PNB will continue to follow the advice of our local health authorities in partnership with our labor groups to create our masking and vaccine policies. At this time, masks are strongly encouraged but not required as part of the PNB audience experience. For details and current information regarding PNB’s current health and safety policies, visit PNB.org/Health. 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. (Discounts are not valid on lowest-priced tickets and may not be combined with other offers.) Nutcracker Suites at McCaw Skip the lines and bustle of the lobby at half-time! Treat you and yours to an enchanted intermission experience in the Nutcracker Suite, and take some of the stress out of intermission. The Nutcracker Suite adds ease to a memorable trip to the ballet, with a Nutcracker-inspired array of snacks, confections, and beverages. Nutcracker Suites are $40 per person (includes applicable tax and service charge); performance tickets sold separately. Subject to availability: Most Nutcracker Suites sell out in advance. The show must go on: Pacific Northwest Ballet is committed to honoring its performance calendar. Performances will not be cancelled for sleet, snow, or Seattle traffic. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org.

Dance Magazine has published a wonderful article/interview with Val Caniparoli; he's about to start his 50th season with San Francisco Ballet, after having attended the school: https://www.dancemagazine.com/val-caniparoli-san-francisco-ballet/ It was written by Barry Kerollis, who danced with Houston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet -- one of my favorite dancers -- before embarking on a freelance career which has included writing and podcasting.

Here's a link to PNB's Instagram post with photos of each new soloist: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkkIoCerHyF/ Congratulations to all six new soloists

When Peter Boal said that there would be more promotions, he wasn't kidding! From the press release about the announcement at tonight's The Seasons' Cannon opener: Six Degrees of Promotion: Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces Slate of New Soloists! November 4, 2022 – Seattle, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal announced the promotion of six corps de ballet dancers to the rank of soloist during the opening night performance of THE SEASONS’ CANON: Madison Rayn Abeo, Dammiel Cruz-Garrido, Christopher D’Ariano, Amanda Morgan, Christian Poppe, and Leah Terada. PNB’s newly-promoted dancers are all performing in the current rep, running through November 12, and featuring the world premiere of Dwight Rhoden’s Catching Feelings, George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant, and the North American premiere of Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon. (Streaming digitally November 17 – 21.) For casting information, visit PNB.org/season/seasons-canon. In front of McCaw Hall’s red curtain, Mr. Boal brought out each dancer one at a time to announce and congratulate their promotions. (Full dancer bios are hyperlinked.) “Madison Rayn Abeo is from Seattle, WA. After several years in our school, which included a star turn as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Maddie became an apprentice in 2016. Her exacting technique and clarity of movement was evident in Donald Byrd’s Love and Loss. Her luminous presence enchants as the Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She debuts in Balanchine’s Duo Concertant next week opposite James Kirby Rogers, and can be seen tonight in Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon. Join me in congratulating Maddie on her promotion. “Dammiel Cruz-Garrido is from Queens, NY. He grew up studying at the School of American Ballet while spending summers at PNB, eventually moving to Seattle. An apprentice since 2016, Dammiel has stood out for his dramatic intensity in Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels and his classical reserve and chivalrous partnering as Cavalier opposite Cecilia Iliesiu in The Nutcracker. He is always eager to work with our students and to encourage others in rehearsals. Let us applaud Dammiel on his well-deserved promotion. “Christopher D’Ariano is from the Bronx, NY and also grew up at SAB, spending summers in Seattle and becoming an apprentice with PNB in 2017. At home in both classical and contemporary work, Christopher has been a favorite of choreographers with memorable performances in works by Alejandro Cerrudo, Robyn Mineko Williams, and Twyla Tharp. He debuts in Duo Concertant tomorrow opposite Clara Ruf Maldonado. This talented artist is also a gifted choreographer. Let us congratulate Christopher on his promotion to soloist. “Amanda Morgan is from Tacoma, WA. After several years of study in our school, Amanda joined PNB as an apprentice in 2016. Standout performances include Alonzo King’s The Personal Element and Dewdrop in The Nutcracker. She’ll take the stage later this evening in a mesmerizing moment in The Seasons’ Canon. Offstage, Amanda is a co-founder of PNB’s student mentorship program, an artistic collaborator and choreographer of note, an advocate and activist for racial and social justice in our community - and PNB’s newest soloist. “Christian Poppe hails from Lake Stevens, WA. With Maddie Abeo, he studied at Cornish College and later at PNB before becoming an apprentice in 2013. His sunny presence, soaring jumps, and rock-solid partnering have earned him an impressive range of roles. Highlights include Little mortal jump, Cacti, Afternoon Ball, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Christian has always approached his work with unwavering dedication and deep commitment. Join me in congratulating him on his well-deserved promotion. “Leah Terada, originally from Dallas, TX, trained at the SAB and PNB before becoming an apprentice in 2015. During her time in the company, she has inspired numerous choreographers. Signature roles include One Thousand Pieces, Future Memory, and Plot Point. The Seasons’ Canon will soon be added to this growing list. Leah’s devotion to technique and artistry is never-ending, and her collaboration with partners and choreographers offers a lesson in creation. A notable choreographer herself, please join me in recognizing Leah’s promotion to soloist.” PNB congratulates all of our newly promoted soloists! Pacific Northwest Ballet continues its 50th Anniversary Season with THE SEASONS’ CANON, featuring the North American premiere of the eponymous The Seasons’ Canon from dance innovator Crystal Pite; Catching Feelings, a world premiere by choreographer and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dwight Rhoden; and George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant. THE SEASONS’ CANON runs November 4 – 13 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The program will also stream digitally November 17 – 21. 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.

Let no good deed go unpunished.

That is a huge shame: the single ENO performance I saw was a good as anything I saw at the Royal Opera, and I've seen some splendid things there. I hope they can thrive in Manchester.

Casting is up for both weekends: https://www.pnb.org/season/seasons-canon/ In Principal casting, for Duo Concertante, debuts are: Madison Rayn Abeo and James Kirby Rogers (Thurs, Fri), and Elizabeth Murphy (with Lucien Postlewaite, Sun) There are a number of new cast members in Catching Feelings. Here's a link to a downloadable Excel file: Seasons' Canon 2022_111_2.xlsx

Thank you so much for posting this, @volcanohunter! I was about to give up World Ballet Day for the day, given how many times the feeds froze, many, many times trying to watch joint Dance Theatre of Harlem and Pacific Northwest Ballet joint company class on Facebook Live. (DTH is in town to perform two shows this Saturday, a perfect opportunity to see both companies in one day.) I really loved the red-haired ballerina in the quartet. Based on the credits and process of elimination, I think that is Elizabeth Sykes, who is now a PhD student at University of South Florida, according to her LinkedIn profile. (I couldn't tell from her LinkedIn photo that it was she, but, in the video, she looks less like the photos of the other women in the credits., but the performance was from 2011.) From her undergraduate work at the University of Florida, which she attended before she stopped dancing in 2021 is this video (on YouTube), Ballet and Biomarkers.

Thank you, @Fosca: that's good to know!

Casting is up for first weekend: https://www.pnb.org/season/seasons-canon/ Here's a link to the casting in a downloadable Excel file (as of today): Seasons' Canon 2022_10_28.xlsx As always, casting is subject to change.

From Dance Magazine: https://www.dancemagazine.com/exploring-benjamin-freemantle/ That doesn't mean he'd rule out guesting.

MacKay moved to Europe a month ago to dance with Bayerishes Staatsballett: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cisrvl6PAv_/ Their ballet calendar is sparse and spread out, but there are performances of John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet and Ratmansky's Tchaikovsky Overtures in May-July. They play a lot of opera: I'm not sure how much opera ballets the company performs in.

Part 2: SPECIAL EVENTS PNB CONVERSATIONS & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, November 3, 5:30 pm Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join Artistic Director Peter Boal, in conversation with choreographer Crystal Pite. PNB Conversations offers in-depth interviews with artists involved in putting our repertory on stage. Attend the Conversations event only or stay for the dress rehearsal of THE SEASONS’ CANON. Tickets ($35) 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 ballet to the stage. One hour before performances. FREE for ticketholders. MEET THE ARTIST Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Skip the post-show traffic and enjoy a Q&A with Artistic Director Peter Boal and PNB dancers, immediately following each performance. FREE for ticketholders. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets to PNB’s live and/or digital performances may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: · Phone - 206.441.2424 · In Person - 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center · Online 24/7 - PNB.org (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.) Tickets for the live performances of THE SEASONS’ CANON 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 THE SEASONS’ CANON (November 17 – 21) 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 our local health authorities in partnership with our labor groups to create our masking and vaccine policies. At this time, masks are strongly encouraged but not required as part of the PNB audience experience. For details and current information regarding PNB’s current 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, smoke, or Seattle traffic. In the unlikely event that the status of a performance does change, an announcement will be posted on PNB.org

Here's the first part of the press release: Pacific Northwest Ballet continues its 50th Anniversary Season with an epic American premiere from Crystal Pite, a Balanchine classic, and a world premiere by Dwight Rhoden. Seven Performances: November 4 – 13, 2022 November 4 at 7:30 PM November 5 at 2:00 and 7:30 PM November 10 – 12 at 7:30 PM November 13 at 1:00 PM Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, Washington Streaming Digitally November 17 – 21 SEATTLE, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet continues its 50th Anniversary Season with THE SEASONS’ CANON, a program of works featuring the American premiere of the eponymous The Seasons’ Canon from dance innovator Crystal Pite (Emergence, Plot Point.) The Seasons’ Canon will be performed on a triple-bill with Catching Feelings, a world premiere by choreographer and artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Dwight Rhoden; and George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant. In his playbill comments, PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal notes that the three works span the lifetime of PNB: “George Balanchine’s Duo Concertant, one of 34 offerings in a landmark New York City Ballet Stravinsky Festival in 1972, is 50; Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon is six, and Dwight Rhoden’s new creation is either newborn or in its first ten days of existence, depending on which show you attend!” THE SEASONS’ CANON runs for seven performances, November 4 through 13 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $37. The program will also stream digitally from November 17 through 21. 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. The program line-up includes: Catching Feelings (World Premiere) Music: Works for Strings by J.S. Bach; Peter Greyson and Johan Ullén after J.S. Bach Choreography: Dwight Rhoden Assistant to the Choreographer: Clifford Williams Costume Design: Christine Darch Lighting Design: Joey Walls Running Time: 33 minutes The world premiere of Dwight Rhoden’s Catching Feelings is principally supported by the Jane Lang Davis New Works Fund, and Bob Benson. Dwight Rhoden has established a remarkably wide-ranging career, earning distinction from The New York Times as “one of the most sought-out choreographers of the day.” A native of Dayton, Ohio who began dancing at 17, Rhoden has performed with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Les Ballet Jazz De Montreal and as a principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In 1994, Rhoden and legendary dancer Desmond Richardson founded Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Under his direction, Complexions has been presented on five continents and in over 20 countries including the US, Canada, South America, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Poland, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, The Baltic Region, Egypt, Israel, and the Middle East. “Musicality, innovation, purpose, consistency, a brilliant use of stage space and the ability to tell a story -- all these qualities make him one of today's elect choreographers (Los Angeles Times).” Rhoden has created over 80 ballets for Complexions, as well as other companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Arizona Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, BalletMet, Dance Theater of Harlem, The Joffrey, Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet/Diamond Project, Philadanco, Mariinsky Ballet (Kirov), Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, The Washington Ballet, and Zenon Dance Company, among many others. Rhoden has directed and choreographed for TV, film, theater, and live performances and has worked with, and/or created works for such high-profile artists as Prince, Lenny Kravitz, Kelly Clarkson, ELEW, David Rozenblatt, Nicholas Payton, The Drifters, Paul Simon, Billy Strayhorn, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, U2, and Patrick Swayze. He has worked with, coached, and created for some of the most diverse artists spanning the worlds of ballet and contemporary dance including Carmen De Lavallade, Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski, Diana Vishneva, Sandra Brown, Jodie Gates, and Gus Solomons Jr. Rhoden has lectured, taught, created works for, and served as Artist in Residence at universities around the United States including New York University, Juilliard, UC Irvine, Skidmore College, and The University of Mississippi where his Racial Reconciliation Project was credited as a catalyst for dialogue in an historically divided community. He is a recipient of various honors and awards including the New York Foundation for the Arts Award, The Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, and The Ailey School’s Apex Award in recognition of his extensive contributions to the field of dance. [Excerpted from DwightRhoden.com and ComplexionsDance.org.] Duo Concertant Music: Igor Stravinsky (Duo Concertant for violin and piano, 1939) Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Staging: Peter Boal Costume Design: Holly Hynes Lighting Design: Ronald Bates, recreated by Perry Silvey Running Time: 17 minutes Premiere: June 22, 1972, New York City Ballet (Stravinsky Festival) PNB Premiere: September 17, 2005 Duo Concertant and the works of George Balanchine performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet are made possible in part by The Louise Nadeau Endowed Fund. Balanchine long admired Duo Concertant and finally choreographed the score as a pas de deux for New York City Ballet’s historic 1972 Stravinsky Festival. Nancy Reynolds, Director of Research for The George Balanchine Foundation, writes, “Duo Concertant was seen as the essence of what the festival was all about: it was not only a close union of dance with music, dancers with musicians (pianist and violinist were on the stage); here, the music actually penetrated the dancing, and did not merely accompany it: the dancers stood still at times and visibly listened. And in its intimacy, the ballet recalled the very personal nature of the fifty-year collaboration that the festival both celebrated and prolonged.” The ballet was made on NYCB principal dancers Kay Mazzo and Peter Martins. Mazzo has written: “Lincoln Kirstein called Duo Concertant ‘a little jewel,’ and Jerome Robbins said at the premiere that he was amazed Mr. B had the nerve to have the dancers just listen to the music for the whole first movement. Mr. B said, ‘Aha, dear, that’s the point of all dancing. You must first listen to the music and really hear, and then you will understand it and appreciate it. You see the music in the steps, but first you must hear the music!’ I believe Mr. B was very proud of this beautiful ballet and felt he was really delivering the message that he firmly believed.” [Notes compiled by Doug Fullington.] The Seasons’ Canon (North American Premiere) Music: Max Richter (Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons, 2012) Choreography: Crystal Pite Staging: Eric Beauchesne and Anna Herrmann Scenic Design and Reflected Light Concept: Jay Gower Taylor Reflected Light Backdrop Design: Jay Gower Taylor and Tom Visser Costume Design: Nancy Bryant Lighting Design: Tom Visser, staged by Douwe Beerink Running Time: 32 minutes Premiere: September 26, 2016, Paris Opera Ballet The PNB premiere of Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon is principally supported by Susan Brotman and Dan & Pam Baty. The Seasons’ Canon is the third work of Crystal Pite’s to enter Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertoire after Emergence and Plot Point. “…I consider nature’s facts – its beautiful and grotesque forms and events – in terms of the import to thought and their impetus to the spirit. In nature I find grace tangled in a rapture with violence; I find an intricate landscape whose forms are fringed in death; I find mystery, newness, and a kind of exuberant, spendthrift energy.” –Annie Dillard “Creation for me is like looking through a lens. It’s a way to see the world in greater detail and clarity; it’s a magnified experience. It is the act of making that sharpens my awareness and connects me most deeply to the natural world and all the brutality and beauty it contains. The Seasons’ Canon is a gesture, an offering. It is as much my way of coping with the vastness and complexity of the natural world as it is a way of giving thanks for it.” –Crystal Pite

We're an audience site, but Ballet Talk for Dancers would be the place to raise questions about how appropriate dress for class is determined, because there are different mores and sometimes rules everywhere. https://dancers.invisionzone.com/

Lynn Seymour described being part of the junior touring company of the Royal Ballet and what a great experience that was. Antionette Sibley was one of the ones who went right into the company after graduating from the school and missed that experience.

This was reported in the Houston Chronicle. I only read as far as I could without subscribing, but I got that far. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/Exclusive-Julie-Kent-joins-Houston-Ballet-first-17524630.php

I became an immediate fan of Asmik Grigorian after hearing her Senta streamed from Bayreuth in 2021. I loved her Jenufa from Vienna, which has tipped me into an uber-fan .