Helene

Ballet professionals rarely talk about any dysfunction in ballet: injuries that chew up and spit out students, eating disorders, sexual harassment, racism, sexism, psychological and physical abuse, etc., or about things like nepotism or use of political connections, which are/were accepted outside North America. It doesn't much matter that Mathilde Kschessinskaya was the mistress of the Tsar-in-training and a Grand Duke, or that Toni Lander was married to Harold Lander or Antoinette Sibley to Michael Somes, or that half? most? of the men in the Ballet Russe slept with Diaghilev. I'm sure there are people who think that Adam Sklute fast-tracked Rex Tilton and Beckanne Sisk and promoted Alilson DeBona because they became media stars through "Breaking Pointe," even though their talent was obvious from the show. Had Copeland said nothing and become Principal, there would be people who think she was promoted because she is black and that McKenzie only cared about the ensuing publicity and goodwill. If her narrative and the media attention she's gotten influence McKenzie and result in a promotion, then maybe it counteracted racism that held her back. If Copeland is promoted, she will be a Principal Dancer at American Ballet Theatre. There won't any asterisks in the rosters, on any official website, and, if I were she, I wouldn't lose any sleep about anyone who has their own personal asterisks, as there are for any dancer who is promoted anywhere.

I didn't realize there was an Academy of Balletomanes that made these judgements. From what I've read, some balletomanes would give a resounding "yes," other balletomanes would give a qualified "yes," other balletomanes would give a qualified, "no", and other balletomanes would rank Copeland between Abrera and Lane, in either order. Yes. Merrill Ashley wrote in her book about how crushed she was when her partner, Robert Weiss, was promoted to Principal, and she was taking on all of the technically difficult roles, a bit like Lane, but for many more performances. She wrote that she thought that Balanchine had three soloists who had all come up together -- her, Christine Redpath, and Colleen Neary, whose sister had been a NYCB Principal and for whom Balanchine had made roles -- and he was hesitant to raise one over the other. Of course, there was no way to prove that, and eventually Ashley was promoted over them, but it is possible that McKenzie is thinking of them as a group for a reason. One might be keeping a bunch of the involved audience, involved. If you're talking about ballet insiders, since when has anyone in ballet world cared about allegations of racism? How many people have had no shame in saying, "They just don't have the bodies." "They just thicken up/get fat/get too muscular." Now the PC public-facing response is, "The schools just don't give us a chance." If you're talking about the greater ballet world, I don't see people shying away from arguing with Tapfan.

First, Jackie Robinson wasn't the first black player in white professional baseball: that was either Bud Fowler in 1878, if you count exhibition games only, or Moses Fleetwood Walker of the American Association in 1884, if you start counting from actual games. Here's how the Baseball Almanac puts Robinson's firsts: 10-23-1945 Jackie Robinson is the first black player to sign a formal / major league contract : Montreal Royals. 04-18-1946 Jackie Robinson is the first black minor leaguer (International League) in a game: Royals versus the Jersey City Little Giants. 04-15-1947 Jackie Robinson plays his first major league game as a Brooklyn Dodger becoming the first modern black player. As false starts go, that was 69 years between Fowler and Robinson's first game as a Dodger or 63 years if you start counting from Wheeler. In the meantime, black players played in segregated leagues or the Mexican league. There's little excuse for ballet having had several false starts in the 20th and 21st century, but baseball had its issues too. Jackie Robinson was chosen by a white owner for that role, because being the first in MLB was not only going to be difficult, it was going to be done on the public stage, with tens of thousand of people who could incite physical violence, including assassination and lynching threats that could have played out. Branch Rickey set parameters him, and Robinson agreed, for the most part, to follow them. Robinson was not simply college-educated: he went to a primarily white university, and had already encountered many of the social issues he'd encounter among white peers, including whether they'd recognize him as such. He was older and wasn't about to be rattled. Branch Rickey also had done his homework and groundwork to know who on the Dodgers would be supportive, since he knew he had blatant racists on the team, too. Robinson had the advantage (or "advantage") of having been chosen by the forward-thinking white guy as an official Representer. Unlike most dancers in the ballet world, who wait until someone recognizes them and anoints them, Copeland took risk and did the work to take that role on herself. She's smart, she's savvy, she's well spoken, she stays on message -- which is broader than generally represented -- and all evidence to date shows she has a thick skin. (Her history might be imperfect, but then, so is the "Jackie Robinson was the first black player in an integrated professional league" crowd, which is practically everyone.) There are other black dancers who had that chance, but didn't. There are other black dancers, like Precious Adams and Michaela DePrince (and her mother) who have spoken about racism they've encountered, and in the case of DePrince, has written a book and was one of the main characters in a documentary, and whose AD had to put a moratorium on interviews, but, somehow, Copeland is the lone whiny loudmouth attention seeker playing the race card, which also shows how media is focused almost exclusively on the two big NYC companies. The AD's have had the opportunity forever to show that they were willing to hire black ballerinas, by making it clear to the faculties on their schools that limited teaching resources would be spent giving corrections to -- ballet-speak for investment in -- black students. When DTH disbanded, AD's had a prime opportunity to snatch up beautifully trained dancers, trained by certified white people, like Tanaquil Leclercq and Karel Shook if anyone questioned their schooling, with ballet bodies, who were all dumped on the free market at once. And they didn't.

I could interpret this in several ways, but I'd think that if people realize that something is amiss if there are so few black ballerinas, especially when they've described the racism they encounter, this is a positive thing. Many ballet folks only know dancers from what they've seen live or on DVD's. Virginia Johnson starred in both Dance Theatre of Harlem DVD's, as Lizzie Borden in "Fall River Legend", and as "Giselle." The clips are on (and sometimes off) YouTube. For me it seems impossible that her excellence wouldn't be recognized, but there are also people who have no idea who Violette Verdy or Mimi Paul were, because they aren't on the "Emeralds" performances from the 1970's. Once in a blue moon there are dancers who are legendary despite not having been featured on film or gotten opening nights, like Alla Shelest, who was only a rumor to those in the West who weren't able to visit the Soviet Union to see her live, since she didn't get the state-sponsored broadcasts. Being a great talent does not mean being a great judge of talent. If people's respect is for Johnson's dancing, then her opinions may or may not matter. Respecting people as a font of wisdom is not 100% or none at all. it means taking that person's view into consideration. Irina Kolpakova, from film, one of the greatest ballerinas I've ever seen, and a long-time and well-respected coach at ABT, thinks the world of Alina Somova. I disagree with her. sandik, whose opinion and knowledge I have the ultimate respect for, and I had to agree to disagree about one of PNB's recent Odette/Odile's. (We just didn't see the same things in the same dancer.)

I have too many nested quotes, and have to break this up, hence the multiple posts in a row. Online information about ballet dancers of any gender, race, or ethnicity is sparse, indeed. The four main sources of online info are: 1. Company websites. Unless a dancer is on the current roster or is a staff member, the bios tend to go "poof" as soon as the dancer leaves the company. The only bios I can remember that discuss a dancer's ethnicity are when that dancer receives an award from an ethnic, race, or religious organization or, like in the instance of Sar, where the dancer was discovered doing national dance. 2. Reviews, previews, and feature articles in the mainstream media that are published online. Previews rarely mention specific dancers unless they are star attractions or hometown or returning dancers. Feature articles are almost exclusively about a. Stars b. Rising stars c. Hometown dancers, usually in the Picayune Gazette, or d. Someone who gives the editorial department/publisher a hook, often at the behest of staff or outside PR. Very few of these dancers are corps members, and they are rarely soloists. 3. Wikipedia articles. Often the first to come up in search engine results, these are written by people who have an interest in the subject and/or feel that an important subject is missing or neglected, and, if the articles are any good, they are the result of time and effort by people who care. 4. Online reviews, only some of which are considered valid sources for Wikipedia articles Secondarily are online book reviews, articles that mention dancers in other contexts, and online books available to the public. Of these, 1 and 2, as well as reference books and other books on dance historically and the mainstream media, are controlled by outside sources: the companies, editors, and publishers. Books are now self-published fairly regularly. 3 and 4 are open season for anyone who wants a subject to be known. You've done a lot of work to learn who the dancers on the list are. Great. You have the choice to write or supplement online articles using that research to get it out there, or not. Wikipedia is hardly perfect, but it is a low-barrier and incrementally cheap means to get cite-able information out to the greatest audience. The only real barriers are when the community at large decides that the subject isn't encyclopedia-worthy, which might be the case for an article about the first black student to join the open track at School of Ballet Arizona, for example, and the occasional fights with people who have an agenda, which is most often limited to political subjects. Exactly which ballerinas outside those senior positions in major companies who aren't black or, occasionally, defectors, are you able to follow, aside from the occasional one, like Carla Korbes, who started her career at NYCB and had a following of ballet insiders and the public? How were you able to follow Miriam Mahdaviani's career? Nicholas Ade's? Rebecca Johnston's? Barry Kerollis'? (Just a token sample of the best dancers with corps rank I've ever seen.) Barry Kerollis from the last few years on, because he has a web presence as a freelance dancer through his excellent blog, but his dancing at Houston Ballet or PNB? Possibly the others through Ballet Alert! or other discussion boards. What do you really know about Principal Dancers outside NYC, the Mariinsky, the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi, the Paris Opera Ballet? What do you know about the Mariinsky, Royal Ballet, Bolshoi, or Paris Opera etoiles, unless they danced opening night and got the one and only review? If Arlene Croce didn't see multiple casts throughout a season and have a platform like "The New Yorker," you wouldn't know half of the NYCB or ABT or DHT dancers ever stepped foot on a stage. People complain about Macaulay, but he writes about multiple casts either through the space he's given or across multiple reviews. (Sandra Kurtz can write about multiple PNB opening weekend casts, but has a far more limited space . ) The two drivers for Wikipedia articles are interest and the amount of work authors are willing to do. To the first point, people's interests, especially those of young people who've been weaned on the Internet, tend toward the contemporary, not the past. Patrick Chan might be a great figure skater, but compare the length and depth of the article on him is disproportionate to the length and depth of the article on John Curry. Curry's legacy is discussed more widely on figure skating discussion boards, and while there has been a recent bio of him, too, nothing from the extensive bio has been added to his Wikipedia article, as much information from physical books has not. Before the internet became a ubiquitous tool with low barrier to entry through access and mobile (phones, laptops) or public computers (libraries, for example), not many dancers got any notice in print or pixels. Aside from many people being interested in what is contemporary, the biggest reason most Wikipedia articles focus on more detailed information about contemporary performers and athletes is that the sources are online. You're going to get the details of every one of Chan's competitive programs, because they've all been described online and the online sources are out there, including the programs he skated when he was 14. Only Curry's 1976 Olympic year programs are listed in his article. Unless Nora Kimball was reviewed in the NY or other mainstream media that's online, or has been described or mentioned in a book you read, you're not going to know what her dancing is like or even what she looked like. If her race wasn't mentioned, unless you went to ABT when she was dancing, you wouldn't know she was a black ballerina. The number of young baseball players who 15 years after his free-agency suit who had never heard of Curt Flood, who was all over the mainstream media in his time, was legion. Ballet is a notoriously oral art-form, and that includes the history, and many dancers are quite nose-down during their training. Did anyone grab Misty Copeland's arm when she joined ABT to tell her about the other black ballerinas in the company? There are people, some of whom were in the recent ABT Works & Process presentations last weekend, who are still affiliated with the company and were also there in the '80's and the '90's. Did anyone during her training years tell her about other black ballerinas? Certainly she learned about Janet Collins, whom she cited as a hero during her "Time" cover speech.

Opera America just tweeted a link to Who Was the 1st Black Prima Ballerina at the Met? article on Janet Collins by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Julie Wolf. BTW, earlier this month, Karyn Parsons sent an update to Kickstarter contributors to her animated film-in-the-works, "The Janet Collins Story," that Chris Rock was in the studio to do the narration, and that they are in the final weeks of production.

The news is posted on the website, with the Sunday May 3 matinee (1pm) designated as a special performance: http://balletaz.org/performance/all-balanchine-2015/ I first went to Phoenix to see Natalia Magnicaballi, after seeing her with Suzanne Farrell Ballet. I was not disappointed, but I my biggest surprise on the trip was falling in love with Paola Hartley, in "Theme and Variations" during the two-program Balanchine celebration a little over a decade ago. She's remained one of my favorite ballerinas. Zejnati danced twice for Pacific Northwest Ballet before joining Ballet Arizona, but it wasn't until he moved to Phoenix that he was given the danseur noble roles at which he excelled, although he also had a great range in Phoenix. He was also a splendid match with Tzu-Chia Huang.

I think it was during the Live in HD transmission of the "Iolanthe"/"Bluebeard's Castle" from the Met that there was a discussion about how "Iolanthe" and "Nutcracker" were composed to be companion pieces.

It's been over 30 years since Balanchine's death, and Peck is luckier than his predecessors on two fronts: he's not expected to be the savior of ballet, like Wheeldon, and the tide has shifted from trying to outdo Forsythe to ballets with at least undertones of narrative and characterization and even some vernacular-based movement, although the three pas de deux from "workwithinwork" that were chosen for "New Suite" for PNB were among the most emotionally riveting pieces I've seen in a very long time. For a long time, that wasn't considered acceptable, and the heritage works that rely on the same qualities -- Tudor especially and Ashton -- have been sadly neglected for the most part, or at least outside Sarasota and New York Theatre Ballet, particularly when Sallie Wilson was alive to coach and stage. (Of course, it wasn't as if Balanchine wasn't subject to being called washed up and repetitive pretty routinely while he was alive.)

Imagine the money they could raise by selling the signed ones.

I don't think there's anything surprising about that for a new audience member. Not close to the entire audience for any ballet started with being in love with ballet or every kind of ballet, and most audiences never return on a regular basis. People are there for all kinds of reasons: Their partner has tickets. They want to impress a date. Their parents wanted them to see "Nutcracker." Their best friend was a kid in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Their neighbors all bought tickets/wrapping paper/raffle tickets to support their kids' activities, and now it's their turn to return the favor to see the neighbor's daughter in the Hours number in "Coppelia." They saw a newspaper article or an NPR story about one dancer or one work. They saw Baryshnikov on the cover of a magazine and thought he was hot. A given ballet -- ex: "Swimmer" -- got amazing reviews, and they thought they should see it. They have no interest in 4T's because they read a review of the Leclerq documentary and decided that Balanchine was a cad. Or they're mostly music people who like 20th century music and are happy to see the Stravnisky, but roll their eyes at "Donizetti Variations." (True story.) Or they think ballet is tutus and would skip the middle ballet if they had know it was in practice clothes and danced in silence. It's like everything else: while some people are overwhelmed by an art from -- ballet, opera, theater, whatever speaks to them -- most people come through a crack or a hook, if they've shown any interest aside from fulfilling a social obligation. That hook is what they've paid for and what they wait for. (And it's a long wait through "Swan Lake" to see those fouettes, or through two mixed bill works because Vishneva is in the closer, or through Turandot to hear that song Pavarotti sang at the Torino Olympics.) Most people show up for the cover band to avoid traffic. Arts organizations hope that aside from new wide-eyed acolytes, other new audience members will see something else that will grab them along the way, or at least something to make them want to give it another try. If most never come back -- and most new audience members don't -- Copeland's black audiences* will differ only in that their presence or absence is more visible than other constituencies, aside from the aural presence or absence of the Russian-speaking community at performances in NYC, for example. And why wouldn't they come back, when they can see her in other ballets? Why is there a higher expectation from Copeland's audiences? She's already sold a bunch of tickets at crazy prices in DC, besides going viral on social media and the mainstream press. *Copeland's white, Asian, Latino, etc. audiences would be invisible to most, because people don't wear dancer jerseys to the ballet.

The discussion comparing and contrasting next season's rep has been moved here: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/40054-choreographic-diversity-in-american-ballet/#entry352773

Now there's an endorsement .

Or you could say that 1. They solved the problem and 2. The more the audience sees it, the more the audience will expect it. I think the issue is that too many people don't care about the music unless there is movement to it. Many people don't shut up when a ballet overture is playing: they think it's background noise while they finish their conversations.

TICKET INFORMATION & DISCOUNT OFFERS Tickets ($30-$184) may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: Phone - 206.441.2424 (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm) In Person - 301 Mercer Street, Seattle (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm) Online - PNB.org (24/7) Subject to availability, tickets are also available 90 minutes prior to showtime at McCaw Hall. GROUP SALES Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For group tickets, please call Group Sales Manager Julie Jamieson at 206.441.2416, email JulieJ@PNB.org or use PNB’s online contact form at PNB.org/Season/GroupTickets. YOUNG PATRONS CIRCLE NIGHT Friday, June 5 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.” $15 TICKETS FOR AGE 25 & UNDER All Thursday and Friday performances: May 29, June 4 & 5 at 7:30 pm One ticket for $15 or two for $25 for patrons 25 years and younger! To purchase tickets, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424 or visit 301 Mercer Street. This offer is good for the May 29, June 4 and 5 performances only. Offer is subject to availability and not valid on previously purchased tickets. Each attendee must present valid ID upon ticket retrieval. TEEN TIX PNB is a proud participant of Seattle Center’s Teen Tix program. Young people 13 to 19 years old can purchase tickets to PNB performances and other music, dance, theater and arts events for only $5. To join Teen Tix or view a list of participating organizations, visit teentix.org. STUDENT AND SENIOR RUSH TICKETS Subject to availability, half-price rush tickets for students and senior citizens (65+) may be purchased in-person with ID, beginning 90 minutes prior to show time at the McCaw Hall box office. SPECIAL EVENTS FRIDAY PREVIEWS Friday, May 15, 6:00 pm The Phelps Center, 301 Mercer Street, Seattle Join PNB for an hour-long dance preview led by Artistic Director Peter Boal and featuring Company dancers rehearsing excerpts from CARMINA BURANA. PNB Friday Previews offer an upbeat and up-close view of the Company preparing to put dance on stage. Tickets are $12 each. (These events often sell out in advance.) Friday Previews are sponsored by U.S. Bank. BALLET PREVIEW — FREE Tuesday, May 26, 12:00 noon Central Seattle Public Library, 1000 Fourth Avenue, Seattle Join PNB for a free lunch-hour preview lecture at the Central Seattle Public Library. Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington will offer insights about CARMINA BURANA complete with video excerpts. FREE of charge. LECTURE SERIES & DRESS REHEARSAL Thursday, May 28, 2015 Lecture 6:00 pm, Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Dress Rehearsal 7:00 pm, McCaw Hall Join PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal for an engaging discussion during the hour preceding the dress rehearsal. Attend the lecture only or stay for the rehearsal. Tickets are $12 for the lecture, or $30 for the lecture and dress rehearsal. Tickets may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street. LISTEN TO THE BALLET! Friday, May 29 at 7:30 pm PNB partners with 98.1 Classical KING FM to bring listeners some of the world’s most popular scores, featuring the mighty Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra performing live, direct from McCaw Hall. Tune in to KING FM to listen to the Opening Night performance of CARMINA BURANA on Friday, May 29 at 7:30 pm. Only on 98.1 fm or online at king.org/listen. PRE-PERFORMANCE LECTURES Nesholm Family Lecture Hall at McCaw Hall Join Education Programs Manager Doug Fullington for a 30-minute introduction to each performance, including discussions of choreography, music, history, design and the process of bringing CARMINA BURANA 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.

Here is the press release Carmina Burana May 29 – June 7, 2015 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 Performances: May 29-30 & June 4-6 at 7:30pm May 29 at 2:00pm June 7 at 1:00pm SEATTLE, WA – PNB closes its 2014-2015 season with CARMINA BURANA, a dynamic duo of repertory works. Set to Shostakovich’s galvanic score, Alexei Ratmansky’s crowd-pleasing Concerto DSCH, an “endlessly suspenseful construction [with] passages of breathtaking dance brilliance” (New York Times) dazzles the eyes and ears with its playful, propulsive energy and glimpses of storytelling. In Kent Stowell's primal Carmina Burana, a grand-scale synthesis of dance, chorus, and orchestra, the famous cantata’s poems materialize as the entire Company unites song and score for a jubilant communal experience under Carmina scenic designer Ming Cho Lee’s colossal golden wheel. The program also includes a musical prelude to shine the spotlight on the world famous PNB Orchestra, currently celebrating its 25th Anniversary. CARMINA BURANA runs for seven performances only, May 29 through June 7 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $30 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org. PROGRAM NOTES & ARTIST BIOS Orchestra Prelude Music: Aaron Copland (“Hoe Down” from Rodeo, 1942) Running Time: Three minutes Pacific Northwest Ballet salutes the mighty PNB Orchestra as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary, with an orchestral selection to spotlight our acclaimed musicians in the pit, and beef on the grill. Concerto DSCH Music: Dmitri Shostakovich (Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102, 1957) Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky Staging: Tatiana Ratmansky Costume Design: Holly Hynes Lighting Design: Mark Stanley Running Time: 20 minutes Premiere: May 29, 2008; New York City Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet Premiere: March 18, 2011 The 2011 PNB premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH was generously underwritten by Peter & Peggy Horvitz. Alexei Ratmansky first made an international impact with fresh, invigorating re-inventions of two 1930s Shostakovich ballets for the Bolshoi Ballet, where he was artistic director from 2004 to 2008. He was soon invited to create works for New York City Ballet, where he seemed poised to become resident choreographer. But in a surprising move, American Ballet Theatre snapped him up; he became the company’s Artist in Residence in January 2009. His works now grace the repertories of both companies. Because of his demonstrated affinity for the robustly colorful music of Dmitri Shostakovich in The Bright Stream—and the strong reports about Bolt, another long-forgotten 1930s ballet by the composer that Ratmansky brought back to life for the Bolshoi—there was much to anticipate when Ratmansky chose another Shostakovich score for his second NYCB creation. Concerto DSCH, which had its premiere in May 2008, proved to be one of the most original and impressive new ballets in many a year, one that reveals new surprises and insights on each viewing. Ratmansky displays a degree of musical sophistication in this work that is breathtaking. All of its many pleasures—whirlwind bravura, unexpected ensemble patterns, eloquently nuanced partnering, and effortless yet sophisticated craftsmanship—spring with amazing naturalness from the score. One can almost sense a choreographer and composer collaborating across the decades. Concerto DSCH is set to Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 2 in F Major, Op. 102. (The “DSCH” of the ballet’s title refers to a musical motif of four notes that form an abbreviation of the composer's name when written in German.) The concerto was a birthday gift for his 19-year-old son Maksim, who was the soloist at its premiere, and youthful energy is certainly in evidence in its brisk, playful first and third movements, while its central Andante evokes longing and nostalgia. Ratmansky’s choreography is filled with playful camaraderie in the outer movements, turning reflective and quietly haunting in the middle movement. The richness of invention is such that one cannot immediately take in all the unexpected and witty ways in which Ratmansky deploys his ensemble. Costumed to evoke swimmers or athletes of an earlier era, they weave in and out of patterns that constantly redefine the stage picture. The principal couple alternates—and entertainingly interacts—with a bounding, frisky trio during the outer movements, and turn contemplative for their extended duet in the second movement. There are delicate evocations of Jerome Robbins’ works in the natural way the dancers present themselves and relate to each other. For all of its virtuosic demands, the ballet also suggests real people and their encounters. Competitiveness, jealousy, wistfulness, and much more, are seamlessly evoked. As New York Times critic Alastair Macaulay wrote, “There seems no end to the human detail that’s woven through the piece.” (Excerpted notes © Susan Reiter, 2011) Born in St. Petersburg, Alexei Ratmansky trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow. He was a principal dancer with the Ukrainian National Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet. As a choreographer, Mr. Ratmansky has created ballets for Dutch National Ballet (including Don Quixote), Kirov Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the State Ballet of Georgia. His 1998 work, Dreams of Japan, earned a prestigious Golden Mask Award by the Theatre Union of Russia. In 2003, Mr. Ratmansky was invited to mount a full-length ballet, The Bright Stream, at the Bolshoi Theatre, a production which would win for him the appointment of Bolshoi Theatre artistic director in 2004. For the Bolshoi Ballet, he also choreographed full-length productions of The Bolt (2005) and re-staged Le Corsaire (2007) and the Soviet-era Flames of Paris (2008). Under Mr. Ratmansky’s direction, the Bolshoi Ballet was named “Best Foreign Company” in 2005 and 2007 by The Critics’ Circle in London, and he received a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award for The Bright Stream. In 2005, Mr. Ratmansky was awarded the Benois de la Danse prize for his choreography of Anna Karenina for Royal Danish Ballet, and in 2007, he won a Golden Mask Award for Best Choreographer for his production of Jeu de Cartes for the Bolshoi Ballet. During his Bolshoi tenure, Mr. Ratmansky also created works for New York City Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Since joining American Ballet Theatre as Artist in Residence in 2009, Mr. Ratmansky has created On the Dnieper, Waltz Masquerade, Seven Sonatas, Dumbarton, The Nutcracker, and a new full length The Sleeping Beauty for that company. Other recentpremieres include Psyché for Paris Opera Ballet, The Firebird at ABT, and a new Romeo and Juliet for National Ballet of Canada. Carmina Burana Music: Carl Orff (1937) Choreography: Kent Stowell Scenic Design: Ming Cho Lee Costume Design: Theoni V. Aldredge and Larae Theige Hascall Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli Soprano Soloists: Maria Mannisto and Christina Siemens Tenor Soloists: Zach Finkelstein and Marcus Shelton Baritone Soloist: Weston Hurt Featuring The Tudor Choir and Pacific Lutheran University Choral Union Running Time: 70 minutes Premiere: October 5, 1993; Pacific Northwest Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell’s magnificent rendering of Carl Orff’s 1937 musical cantata, Carmina Burana, has been an audience favorite since its premiere in 1993. Uniting sets, costumes, chorus, soloists, dancers, and choreography in a multi-media visualization of Orff’s primal score, Stowell’s Carmina Burana is that “total theater” which Orff dreamed might cut across social, educational, and temporal boundaries to engage audiences in a powerful communal experience. For his text, Orff turned to a collection of irreverent medieval songs and poems discovered in 1803 at the Bavarian monastery of Benediktbeuren. Hence, Carmina Burana, or “Songs of Beuren.” In these profane lyrics of minstrels and monks long dead, Orff heard clearly the voice of the human condition, with its indestructible hunger for the sensual pleasures of the world persisting through the capricious turns of Fortune’s wheel. Setting this text to music of primitive force rivaled in our time only by Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Orff married the medieval and the modern in a timeless vision of humanity’s vitality and endurance. That musical vision takes on corporeal life in PNB’s production. Scenic designer Ming Cho Lee’s massive golden wheel of Fortune dominates the world of the ballet, as does musically the hymn to the goddess Fortuna, which opens and closes Orff’s score and frames all the various songs between. Beneath the wheel, subject to its rule, the dancers—cast as ragged everymen, lusty country revelers, debauched tavern-haunters (including clerics fallen from grace), and aristocratic celebrants—express the indomitable yearning for fulfillment in love that persists no matter what life deals us. Within each grouping and, reflecting the medieval interest in numerology as a key to divine order, Stowell has choreographed patterns based on the number twelve, thereby subtly reinforcing the experience of cosmic forces beyond human control. But, for all the limits placed upon our lives, Stowell suggests (through recurring contrasts between the clothed and the naked) that the first relationship in paradise, though it eludes us in this fallen world, informs our fantasies and may be experienced by us in moments of grace. (Notes by Jeanie Thomas) Kent Stowell was Artistic Director and principal choreographer of Pacific Northwest Ballet from 1977 until his retirement in June 2005. Mr. Stowell began his dance training with Willem Christensen at the University of Utah, later joining San Francisco Ballet. He joined New York City Ballet in 1962 and was promoted to soloist in 1963. In 1970, he joined the Munich Opera Ballet as a leading dancer and choreographer. In 1973, Mr. Stowell was appointed ballet master and choreographer of Frankfurt Ballet, and he was named, with Francia Russell, Co-Artistic Director of the company in 1975. In 1977, Mr. Stowell and Ms. Russell were appointed Artistic Directors of Pacific Northwest Ballet. In addition to Carmina Burana, his many contributions to the repertory include Swan Lake, Cinderella, Nutcracker, Firebird, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Hail to the Conquering Hero, Carmen, and Silver Lining. In 2001, the University of Utah honored Mr. Stowell with its Lifetime Achievement Award. His other awards and honors include the Washington State Governor’s Arts Award, the Dance Magazine Award and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Seattle University. In 2004, Mr. Stowell received the ArtsFund Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, the Seattle Mayor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was recognized by the King County Council for his achievements in the arts. On June 12, 2010, Mr. Stowell was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts from the University of Washington. For full program notes, visit PNB.org.

Calmels said he is "almost 6'7"" in this Samsung commercial, in which Carla Korbes makes an appearance: PNB just tweeted the link

I'd see it in a heartbeat.

A lot of people hated it.

Here is the press release: Season Encore Performance Performance to include works by Balanchine, Duato, Forsythe and more! Featuring the PNB Orchestra. ONE NIGHT ONLY! Sunday, June 7, 2015 – 6:30 pm Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109 SEATTLE, WA – The curtain comes down on Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 42nd season with its annual Season Encore Performance, a crowd-pleasing reprise of some of PNB’s greatest hits. An evening of thrilling selections and inspired performances, the program will feature PNB’s entire Company, along with the mighty PNB Orchestra (now celebrating its 25th Anniversary) under the baton of Music Director/Principal Conductor Emil de Cou. The evening also celebrates the extraordinary careers of PNB’s departing dancers with George Balanchine’s Serenade and selections from his Jewels, the local premiere of a work by former PNB Company member Andrew Bartee, a sneak preview of Jessica Lang’s The Calling (to be presented as part of PNB’s 2015-2016 season) and others. The Season Encore Performance will be presented one night only, Sunday, June 7 at 6:30 pm at McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street. Tickets may be purchased exclusively through the PNB Box Office (206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301 Mercer Street at Seattle Center.) “The Encore Performance has become not only a favorite of mine but also of our audiences,” said PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal, when announcing the line-up for the one-night-only event. “The evening brims with excitement and emotion as we bid farewell to favorite artists and revisit cherished repertoire. With two PNB premieres, several retirements, the return of George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Carla Körbes’ final onstage moments, there won’t be a dry eye in the house.” In addition to the previously announced departures of principal dancer Carla Körbes and corps de ballet dancer Brittany Reid, the Season Encore performance will be the audience’s chance to offer a fond farewell to soloist Kiyon Gaines, who will be leaving the Company and joining the PNB School as a faculty member. “Kiyon has been such a vital part of PNB for the last 14 years,” said Mr. Boal. “When I first met Kiyon, he was an eager teenager bouncing around the studio and nodding in agreement to every word I said. His infectious energy filled the room. What a pleasure it has been to watch him develop over the years, not only as a dancer, but as a choreographer and a person. Though Kiyon takes the stage for the last time as a member of this Company, we’re so grateful that he will join the Pacific Northwest Ballet School as a faculty member and continue to be a part of the institution.” Other company members leaving PNB at the end of the season are corps de ballet dancers Raphael Bouchard, Jahna Frantziskonis, and Charles McCall. The line-up for the 2014-2015 Season Encore Performance includes: Emeralds (excerpt) Music: Gabriel Fauré Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Rubies (excerpt) Music: Igor Stravinsky Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Diamonds (excerpt) Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Rassemblement (excerpt) Music: Toto Bissainthe Choreography: Nacho Duato The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude Music: Franz Schubert Choreography: William Forsythe The Calling (PNB Premiere) Music: Anonymous, 12th-13th century Choreography: Jessica Lang Dirty Goods (PNB Premiere) Music: The Chromatics Choreography: Andrew Bartee Serenade Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust TICKETS & INFORMATION: Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Encore Performance will be performed one night only, Sunday, June 7 at 6:30 pm at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center. Tickets range in price from $35 to $200 and may be purchased through the PNB Box Office: · By calling 206.441.2424 (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm) · In person at 301 Mercer Street, Seattle (Mon.-Fri. 10am–6pm; Sat. 10am–5pm) · Online 24/7 at our website, pnb.org · 90 minutes prior to the performance at McCaw Hall, located at 321 Mercer Street. (Subject to availability.) Please Note: No student/senior rush tickets or Teen Tix discounts are available for this performance.

From today's press release about the season-ending Encores performance:

Millions of dollars in bonus money? For what? What is the source for this claim? According to the 2012 990 filed by ABT, McKenzie's compensation at ABT was less than $310K.

Hello Kris, and welcome to Ballet Alert! I used to travel to the Bay Area regularly for work and got to see San Francisco Ballet often. I miss seeing them and look forward to reading about what you see.

They had plenty of time for ads during the film clips, which were not shown on the stream.

I didn't get ads from a Canadian IP, at least in the afternoon session.