Helene

Jonathan Porretta is once again participating in Men in Kilts, a fundraiser for Ronald MacDonald House in Seattle: http://meninkilts.rmhcseattle.org Each donation of $10 is a vote. Here is a link to his gallery of three photos: http://meninkilts.rmhcseattle.org/gallery2016.php?ID=8

SPECIAL EVENTS COPPÉLIA COACHING REHEARSAL Friday, April 8, 5:30 pm The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer St., Seattle Center George Balanchine’s definitive production of Coppélia, classical ballet’s great comedy, pays homage to the 1870 French original, set to a delightful score by Léo Delibes. Join Peter Boal and PNB dancers for this coaching session focused on the ballet’s intimate second act, set in the toy workshop of the mysterious Dr. Coppelius. With Leta Biasucci, Angelica Generosa, Rachel Foster, Kyle Davis, Benjamin Griffiths, William Lin-Yee, and Ezra Thomson. Tickets are $25. BALLET PREVIEW — FREE Tuesday, April 12, 12:00 pm Microsoft Auditorium, Central Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle Join PNB for a free lunch-hour preview lecture at the Central Seattle Public Library. Audience Education Manager Doug Fullington will offer insights about Coppélia, complete with video excerpts. FREE of charge. LECTURE SERIES & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, April 14 Lecture 6:00 pm, Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Dress Rehearsal 7:00 pm, McCaw Hall Join Artistic Director Peter Boal in conversation with stager Judith Fugate during the hour preceding the dress rehearsal, discussing the process involved in staging Coppélia. Attend the lecture only or stay for the rehearsal. Tickets ($12 for the lecture, or $30 for the lecture and dress rehearsal) are available through the PNB Box Office. PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join Audience Education Manager 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. POST-PERFORMANCE Q&A 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. LISTEN TO THE BALLET! Friday, April 15, 7:30 pm PNB partners with Classical KING FM 98.1 to bring listeners some of the world’s most popular ballet scores, featuring the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra direct from McCaw Hall. Tune in to KING FM for a live broadcast performance of Coppélia conducted by Emil de Cou on Friday, April 15 at 7:30 pm. Only on 98.1 fm or online at king.org/listen. MATINEE FUN! Saturday, April 16 (2:00 pm) Sunday, April 24 (1:00 pm) Children of all ages are invited to join in the fun at the matinees for Coppélia on Saturday, April 16 (2:00 pm) and Sunday, April 24 (1:00 pm) for crafts and activities (pre-show and at the first intermission.) At the Saturday, April 16 matinee, musical entertainment in the lobby will be provided by the Tumwater High School Noteables. YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE NIGHT Friday, April 22 at 7:30 pm Join members of PNB’s Young Patrons Circle (YPC) in an exclusive lounge for complimentary wine and coffee before the show and at intermission. YPC is PNB’s social and educational group for ballet patrons ages 21 through 39. YPC members save up to 40% off their tickets. For more information, visit PNB.org and search for “YPC.

From the press release: Seven performances only! April 15-16, 21-23 at 7:30 pm April 16 at 2:00 pm April 24 at 1:00 pm SEATTLE, WA – For the penultimate production of its 44th Season, Pacific Northwest Ballet presents the happiest ballet on earth, George Balanchine’s Coppélia. A comical case of mistaken identity, Coppélia promises bravura classical ballet, exquisite scenery and costumes, and pristine choreography for our PNB Company dancers and 24 tiny dancers from PNB School. PNB’s production of Coppélia, which premiered in 2010 with lavish sets and costumes by Italian designer Roberta Guidi de Bagno, runs for seven performances only, from April 15 to 24 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $30. For more information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org. Audiences and critics were mesmerized when the curtain rose on PNB's premiere of its exquisite, wisteria-hued production of George Balanchine's Coppélia in June of 2010: “The audience actually gasped when the curtain went up” (Journal Newspapers). Originally created in 1870, Balanchine and famous ballerina Alexandra Danilova drew on source material and memory for 1974's New York City Ballet version. The story, inseparable from Léo Delibes' superbly melodic score, is a lighthearted comedy about vivacious young Swanilda, her impetuous suitor Franz, and the eccentric toymaker Dr. Coppelius. Though Franz loves Swanilda, he is swept away by Coppélia, a life-sized doll whom he believes is real. When Swanilda steals into Dr. Coppelius' workshop and discovers the truth about Coppélia, she dresses up as her rival and amuses herself by tricking both toymaker and her lover. All ends well in the final act’s splendid wedding festivities, revised by Balanchine and enhanced by the addition of 24 “baby” ballerinas who frame ensemble and solo variations. Beautifully detailed by Italian designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno's lavish sets and costumes, this production is a complete delight for all ages. “Coppélia...demands repeat viewing” (criticaldance.com). ABOUT THE PRODUCTION Music: Léo Delibes (Coppélia, ou la Fille aux Yeux d’Émail, 1869-1870; with excerpts from Sylvia, ou la Nymphe de Diane, 1876, and La Source [Naïla], 1866) Book: Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, 1815 Choreography: Alexandra Danilova and George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust (after Marius Petipa) Staging: Judith Fugate and Garielle Whittle Scenic and Costume Design: Roberta Guidi di Bagno Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Original Production Premiere: May 25, 1870; Paris Opera Ballet, choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon Petipa Producton Premiere: November 25, 1884, Imperial Ballet, St. Petersburg, choreography by Marius Petipa (after Arthur Saint-Léon); revised 1894 by Enrico Cecchetti Balanchine Production Premiere: July 17, 1974; New York City Ballet (Saratoga Springs, New York) Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: June 3, 2010 Running Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes (including two intermissions)Based on the book by Charles Nuitter, after E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, Coppélia is considered one of the triumphant comic ballets of the 19th century and marked the passing of ballet supremacy from France to Russia. Originally choreographed by Arthur St. Léon in Paris in 1870, it was restaged by Marius Petipa in St. Petersburg in 1884 and revised by Enrico Cecchetti in 1894. Little, if any, of St. Léon’s choreography remains in today’s production, although Acts I and II retain his ideas and the story of mischievous young lovers. Balanchine provided entirely new choreography for Act III. Balanchine wrote, “In 1974, I decided we should stage Coppélia at the New York City Ballet and asked the ballerina and teacher Alexandra Danilova, celebrated for many years for her Swanilda, to collaborate with me on the choreography. I remember very well performances by the Russian Imperial Ballet of Coppélia and as a member of the company danced in the mazurka. “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 directly inspired by Delibes’ score to write his own ballet music. Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.” [Program Notes by Doug Fullington.]

Ooooooooo, now that would be something!

Thank you for the link, cinnamonswirl! I was sad when he left: in the corps or in featured roles, he always caught my eye. I'm not sure people who saw him when he was seven could have imagined the more not-safe-for-work photos. Not risque, per se, but dangerous for productivity ;)

We've gone live with our 2016 Fundraiser, and we need your help. Your donations are used ONLY to cover the fees to Invisionzone for hosting our software and licenses and for PayPal processing fees. (After several years without one, we had a reasonable price increase in 2015.) We are asking for $25 donations, but will graciously accept anything that you can do. For detailed instructions on how to donate via PayPal, please click here. The fundraiser will end as soon as we reach the goal needed to keep us afloat until next year. If you prefer to send a check, please make it out to BALLET TALK, and mail to: BALLET TALK 11165 Abbotts Station Dr Johns Creek, GA 30097 ***PLEASE write your SCREEN NAME or REGISTERED EMAIL ADDRESS in the "Memo" field on your check, or your SCREEN NAME in the "Purpose" space on the PayPal form, so that we know whom to thank!!!!!!!!!

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