Helene Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 I know "Swan Lake" isn't over yet, but PNB just published the trailer for the "Director's Choice" program, the last rep of the season, which runs from 31 May-1 June and second weekend 6 June-9 June. The three ballets on the program are: "Agon" (Balanchine/Stravinsky) New Christopher Wheeldon Ballet with music by Jody Talbot "Diamonds" (Balanchine/Tchaikovsky) Here is the video: The "Diamonds" clips feature Carla Korbes and Stanko Milov. I'm not sure who the man is in the first Pas de trois from "Agon"; the women are Maria Chapman and Lesley Rausch. In the second Pas de trois, I'm fairly certain it's Mara Vinson with Batkhurel Bold and Karel Cruz. In the "After the Rain 'Pas de deux'" shots, Wheeldon works with Maria Chapman and Karel Cruz, with Kaori Nakamura in the background to the left and Paul Gibson taking notes on the right. The still at the end is Batkhurel Bold and Lesley Rausch in the "Agon" Pas de deux. Link to comment
SandyMcKean Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I have a hard time watching Agon to that music!! Link to comment
sandik Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 It is an odd fit! Nicholas Ade? I might have programs, but they're in the files... Link to comment
doug Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 It's Benjamin Griffiths in the First Pas de Trois. Link to comment
sandik Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Good to know -- many thanks! Link to comment
Helene Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 Thank you so much, doug! I thought it might be Ade, too: I didn't recognize Griffiths. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 7, 2013 Author Share Posted May 7, 2013 I just received an email that PNB is offering a 25% Mother's Day sale discount for up to four tickets per household on all Director's Choice performances. (This doesn't apply to the least expensive tickets or to previously purchased tickets.) Website prices reflect the discount; the discount code for phone sales is "Glow." https://www.pnb.org/promo/glow?utm_source=Pacific+Northwest+Ballet&utm_campaign=470b1d5b7c-Director_s_Choice_Email_15_6_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4f2d9028e9-470b1d5b7c-291617869 I don't see a deadline. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 8, 2013 Author Share Posted May 8, 2013 Peter Boal just tweeted some info on the new Wheeldon work: @ wheeldondance arriving Monday to start choreographing a new piece for four couples to # Jobytalbot's Tide Harmonic PNB published a new video of Peter Boal talking about the program: Link to comment
Helene Posted May 20, 2013 Author Share Posted May 20, 2013 PNB posted a video of Francia Russell rehearsing the first Pas de Trois from "Agon" with two casts. Allan Dameron is the pianist. The first cast is Jonathan Poretta with Elizabeth Murphy (light leotard) and Kylee Kitchens (black leotard). The second cast is Benjamin Griffiths with Brittany Reid (aqua leotard and print skirt) and Chelsea Adomaitis (dark blue leotard). I'm not having much luck identifying the other people in the studio. Maybe Ezra Thomson (unless another man also has creative facial hair) and Jessika Anspach (in gray over white). Link to comment
Helene Posted May 21, 2013 Author Share Posted May 21, 2013 Casting's up for the first week of "Director's Choice," and, as always, it is subject to change. It should be published to the website soon at this link: http://www.pnb.org/S...oice/#Castingin In the meantime, here is the spreadsheet, which includes corps casting for "Diamonds." Rep 6 performance casting week 1.xls Principal Casting: Agon Friday, 31 May: PDD-Rausch/Cruz; 1st PDT-Poretta/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Chapman/Tisserand/Bartee Saturday, 1 June matinee: PDD-Rausch/Cruz; 1st PDT-Poretta/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Griffiths/Kitchens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Dec/Gaines/Thomson Saturday, 1 June evening: PDD-Gilbreath/Grant; 1st PDT-Griffiths/Kithens/Murphy; 2nd PDT-Dec/Gaines/Thomson New Wheeldon All performances: Dec/Tisserand, Foster/Moore, Gilbreath/Bold, Korbes/Grant Diamonds: Friday, 31 May: Korbes/Cruz Saturday, 1 June matinee: Nakamura/Orza Saturday, 1 June evening: Korbes/Cruz I'm looking forward to seeing a Rausch/Cruz pairing in "Agon": (Rausch has danced it before with Bold.) Of the partnerships in the new Wheeldon, only a Foster/Moore pairing was at all predictable. Orza's partner for "Diamonds" in the last run was Mara Vinson. Link to comment
tutu Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Noticed a "Hipolito, En" among the corps for Diamonds—do we have a younger Hipolito on the rise? Link to comment
Helene Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Yes, that's Enrico Hipolito, who's in the Professional Division and was in the "Swan Lake" corps just last month. Link to comment
sandik Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Enrico went to Copenhagen last summer, as part of a joint scholarship program PNB has with the RDB. Link to comment
SandyMcKean Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Korbes/Grant That's interesting!......and as you say Helene, not predictable. Link to comment
sandik Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 It's always interesting to see who visiting choreographers choose to work with, and how they organize them. Link to comment
Jayne Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Mr. Grant hasn't been featured very often. I'm happy to see him appear at stage front! Link to comment
seattle_dancer Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 I saw him and Karla (plus the others) at a working studio rehearsal. They all looked great - the piece is very different from the other Wheeldon pieces performed by PNB to date. Costumes totally awesome too. Joshua looks more muscular and like he lost some weight (not that he needed to). I only mention this observation because I had just seen him featured standing in the front of the Trocadero ad, kind of funny. He is looking really lean and mean (in a good way). I'm excited he was given this opportunity and hope we see more of him next season. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 PNB posted a short video of a part of a Wheeldon rehearsal for his new ballet that premieres Friday, "Tide Harmonic": Link to comment
sandik Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Oh fun -- I saw part of that rehearsal last week and was fascinated with how Wheeldon kept inventing new material! Link to comment
Helene Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 I'm hoping for a second cast second weekend: in the background I saw Carrie Imler, Andrew Bartee, Karel Cruz, Leta Biasucci, Benjamin Griffiths, Kiyon Gaines, and maybe Eric Hipolito. (Of course, that would be one man too many for a second cast.) Link to comment
Helene Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 No such luck: there's a single cast for all performances of "Tide Harmonic." Week 2 casting is now up on the PNB website: http://www.pnb.org/S...Choice/#Casting Joshua Grant is partnering Laura Gilbreath in the "Agon" Pas de Deux first weekend Saturday, and then Maria Chapman second weekend Thursday and Saturday night. Agon: Thursday, 6 June-First PDT: Suddarth/Anspach/Mullin; Second PDT: Kitchens/Tisserand/Bartee; PDD: Chapman/Grant Friday, 7 June-First PDT: Porretta/Kitchens/Murphy; Second PDT: Foster/Hipolito/Davis; PDD: Korbes/Bold Saturday, 8 June (eve)-First PDT: Griffiths/Adomaitis/O'Connor; Second PDT: Foster/Hipolito/Davis; PDD: Chapman/Grant Sunday, 9 June (mat)-First PDT: Griffiths/Adomaitis/O'Connor; Second PDT: Dec/Gaines/Thomson; PDD: Korbes/Bold Tide Harmonic: All performances: Dec/Tisserand, Foster/Moore, Gilbreath/Bold; Korbes/Grant Diamonds: Thursday, 6 June: Imler/Bold Friday, 7 June: Gilbreath/Cruz Saturday, 8 June (eve): Imler/Bold Sunday, 9 June (mat): Nakamura/Orza Here are the .pdf versions of both weeks of casting: Rep 6 performance casting week 1.pdf Rep 6 performance casting week 2.pdf Link to comment
sandik Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Lots of combinations to think about! Link to comment
Helene Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 PNB just sent out an email with the post-performance Q&A schedule (as always, subject to change): Week 1: Friday 31-May eve: James Moore Saturday 1-Jun mat: Kiyon Gaines, Ezra Thomson Saturday 1-Jun eve: Laura Gilbreath, Joshua Grant Week 2: Thursday 6-Jun eve: Price Suddarth Friday 7-Jun eve: Carla Korbes Saturday 8-Jun eve: Rachel Foster, Benjamin Griffiths Sunday 9-Jun mat: Chelsea Adomaitis, Leah O'Connor Link to comment
Helene Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 I didn't look closely enough at the "Diamonds" couples: Matthew Renko is listed as Leta Biasucci's partner. He's been missed as he recovered from injury. Link to comment
Helene Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 In this interview for Seattle Met, Carla Korbes speaks about the "Director's Choice" program and a little about her history with Christopher Wheeldon: http://www.seattlemet.com/arts-and-entertainment/culture-fiend/articles/a-fiendish-conversation-with-carla-korbes-may-2013 Link to comment
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