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Carla Körbes Retiring


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Official release:

Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer Carla Körbes to Retire at End of the 2014-2015 Season

Special Tribute to be part of Season Encore Performance, June 7, 2015

SEATTLE, WA — Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal and principal dancer Carla Körbes have announced that Ms. Körbes will retire from the Company at the end of PNB’s 2014-2015 season. Ms. Körbes joined PNB as a soloist in 2005 and was promoted to principal in 2006.

"I have had unforgettable moments with Pacific Northwest Ballet,” said Ms. Körbes regarding her decision. “I am thankful and honored to have shared the stage with all the dancers at PNB and have had the opportunity to work with such a generous staff. At this moment I am ready to start a new phase in my life. My body is ready to move on, so I need to respect that. Ballet has been my life, so I hope to continue to explore the art form in new ways and try new artistic endeavors."

“I've been in denial about Carla's insistence that this season be her last,” said Mr. Boal in his announcement. “When I think about the many exquisite moments she has afforded us over the past decade, I think I might be selfish to want more. One more Kitri, one more Odette/Odile and one more In the Middle, please? Yes, we may have those, but I trust Carla with this difficult decision. After all, she's always had impeccable timing.”;

Mr. Boal continued: “Our story began almost twenty years ago when I arrived in Porto Alegre, Brazil to perform Apollo with ‘a local girl.’ I was apprehensive to say the least, having performed with a few too many ‘local girls’ in my day. But when a stick of a girl named Carlinha entered the stage with a blonde bun the size of a brioche and arches to match, I was in awe. Trust me when say that I'm not the kind of person who would summon a translator to tell a fourteen-year-old she needed to leave her home and her family in order to move to New York City to train at the School of American Ballet, but after one seamless run-through of the pas de deux in Apollo, I knew I needed to take action. Carla was that rare bird with a gift greater than she, her parents or even her teachers understood. She offered the very essence of the Balanchine aesthetic coupled with true graciousness and instinctive musicality. She was a breath of fresh air and continues to be just that almost twenty years later at the height of her career. How fortunate we are to have her artistry on proud display in our city, on our stage and on stages around the world. Carla is an absolute treasure.”;

Audiences will have several more opportunities to see Ms. Körbes perform during the 2014-2015 season, including the upcoming Jewels (September 26 – October 5), Nutcracker (November 28 – December 28), Don Quixote (January 30 – February 8, 2015), and Swan Lake (April 10 – 19), among others. (She will also be appearing in the preview performances of Justin Peck’s Debonair at The Joyce Theater in New York City on October 8 – 12, and in the work’s premiere in Seattle, November 7 – 16.) During the run of Jewels, Ms. Körbes is scheduled to dance the lead role in Diamonds on Friday, September 26 (opening night) and Saturday, October 4; and Emeralds on Saturday, September 27 (matinee), Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3. (For up-to-date casting information, check performance details on PNB.org. Schedule and casting is subject to change). The season will conclude with PNB’s annual Season Encore Performance (6:30 pm on Sunday, June 7) which will feature Ms. Körbes reprising some of her signature performances. Tickets to Jewels, in addition to the rest of PNB’s season offerings, may be purchased through the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301 Mercer Street. Tickets to the Season Encore Performance are on sale now for PNB’s season subscribers only, and will go on sale to the general public on January 19, 2015.

Carla Körbes was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and began her ballet training at age five with local teachers. At age eleven, she began studying at Ballet Vera Bublitz. In 1996, Peter Boal danced with her as a guest artist of the school and encouraged her to come to New York to study at the School of American Ballet. For academic year 1997–1998, her tuition was paid by Alexandra Danilova so she could continue studying at the School of American Ballet. In 1999, she was the Mae. L. Wien Award recipient and was made an apprentice with New York City Ballet. She joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet in 2000 and was the Janice Levin Dancer Honoree for 2001–2002. She was promoted to soloist in 2005 and later that year joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a soloist. Ms. Körbes was promoted to principal dancer in 2006.

In 2006, DANCE magazine selected Ms. Körbes for their annual “25 to Watch” feature, and she appeared on the cover of DANCE in February, 2010. Gia Kourlas, in a New York Times profile, described Ms. Körbes as “one of America’s most remarkable ballerinas. When she burst onto the scene, seeing her glittering intensity and silky phrasing was like watching Balanchine with new eyes.” In a 2012 review of her performance at the Vail International Dance Festival, Alastair Macaulay, dance critic of The New York Times, wrote that “;There’s no question that she is one of the finest ballerinas appearing in America today; some think her the finest, and last weekend I felt in no mood to contradict them.”;

For PNB she has originated leading roles in Paul Gibson's Sense of Doubt, Benjamin Millepied's 3 Movements, Christopher Wheeldon’s Tide Harmonic, and Twyla Tharp's Opus 111. She has performed leading roles in the majority of PNB’s repertory, including the works of George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Kent Stowell, and Twyla Tharp. She has danced leads in all of PNB’s full-length repertory, including Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Nutcracker (Clara, Flora), and Cinderella (Cinderella); George Balanchine’s Coppélia (Swanilda); Peter Boal’s Giselle (Giselle); Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Gold and Silver pas de trois, Lilac Fairy); Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Juliet); and Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote (Kitri).

At New York City Ballet, Ms. Körbes first danced leading and featured roles in Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Episodes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania, Helena), and Serenade; Peter Martins' Concerto for Two Solo Pianos, Sinfonia, The Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake; and Jerome Robbins' Antique Epigraphs, Fanfare, The Four Seasons, I’m Old Fashioned, and Interplay. She originated leading roles in Albert Evans' Haiku, Peter Martins' Chichester Psalms, Susan Stroman’s Double Feature, Richard Tanner's Soiree, and Christopher Wheeldon's An American in Paris and Shambards.

Other leading roles have included George Balanchine's Agon, Apollo, Concerto Barocco, Diamonds, Duo Concertant, Emeralds, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Divertissement pas de deux), Prodigal Son, Serenade, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, La Sonnambula, Symphony in Three Movements, and La Valse; Val Caniparoli's The Bridge; Merce Cunningham's Inlets 2; Sonia Dawkins' Ripple Mechanics; David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin; Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels and Serious Pleasures; Nacho Duato's Jardí Tancat and Rassemblement; William Forsythe's Artifact II and In the middle, somewhat elevated; Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort; Mark Morris' A Garden and Pacific; Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH; Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, Glass Pieces, In the Night, and West Side Story Suite (Anita); Kent Stowell's Carmina Burana, and Hail to the Conquering Hero; Susan Stroman's TAKE FIVE…More or Less; Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances; Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and Waterbaby Bagatelles; and Christopher Wheeldon's After the Rain pas de deux, Carousel (A Dance), and Polyphonia.

In 2002, Ms. Körbes performed Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances for the nationally televised PBS Live from Lincoln Center broadcast, "New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography." In addition to her performances with New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ms. Körbes has performed with Peter Boal and Company and in the debut performance of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company. She has also performed as a guest artist on the Vail International Dance Festival’s “International Evenings of Dance” galas and at the “Dance Open” Gala in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2010.

TICKET INFORMATION

All performances are at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer Street at Seattle Center.

  • George Balanchine’s Jewels runs September 26 – October 5. Carla Körbes is scheduled to dance the lead role in Diamonds on Friday, September 26 (opening night) and Saturday, October 4; and Emeralds on Saturday, September 27 (matinee), Thursday, October 2, and Friday, October 3. (For up-to-date casting information, check performance details on PNB.org. Schedule and casting is subject to change).
  • Season Encore Performance will be presented one night only, Sunday, June 7 at 6:30 pm. The performance will include a special tribute to Carla Körbes. NOTE: Tickets to the Season Encore Performance are on sale now only to PNB’s subscribers, and will go on sale to the general public on January 19, 2015.

Tickets may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online at PNB.org.

Programming and casting are subject to change. For further information and casting, please visit PNB.org.

# # #

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2014-2015 Season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft Corporation.

Programming subject to change. For further information, please visit: PNB.org.

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I am devastated of course, but having watched Carla suffer thru injury after injury, I completely understand and support her decision. The universe's humor can be cruel at times. To give such great talent, but then to withhold a body strong enough to endure the expression of that unlimited skill, poise, dramatic presentation, and commitment is beyond my understanding.

I have seen Carla dance dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I have never felt that I even came close to seeing her limits. She is a truly remarkable dancer who will always be one of the iconic figures in my personal world as a lover of ballet.

THANKS Carla......for everything!

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I was thinking about that (comment) as well, since so many companies are working towards that varied repertory. I think that it's possible to run an ensemble with that kind of variety, but it does take more work outside the studio to prepare for that kind of breadth, and probably needs more recuperation time within the overall schedule of the season. In the same way that dancers always say they'd rather dance on pointe and then in bare feet (rather than the other way around) in a single program, there are likely other use patterns that make themselves known when you're expanding your personal rep.

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It's hard to imagine that if she told Peter Boal that she could only dance neoclassical and classical works to be able to extend her career another few years, he wouldn't have, especially since the number of full-lengths is greater than the number of mixed-bill programs, and she's been cast in all of the leads in the full-lengths: Kitri, Odette/Odile, Aurora, Titania, Giselle, Clara. However, it's perfectly understandable that when facing a cross-roads -- an engagement, wanting to be in the same place as her fiance, a difficult recovery -- she's decided to go in a different direction.

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Wow. I feel even more privledges to have seen her when PNB came to NY. I hope to see her at the Joyce. Anyone know if its one cast pqe baller ror the run?7

Korbes is in "Debonair," the new Justin Peck work. I don't know if she'll also dance the role created for her in Wheeldon's "Tide Mercuric," as her last major knee injury was doing one of the more torquey moves.

I doubt that with seven performances in five days there can be only one cast for each ballet: not everyone is Megan Fairchild, and this is just the beginning of the PNB season, and they need every warm body for "Nutcracker", which is two months from the end of the Joyce run. PNB is only taking part of the company to NYC, too, so although there are eight in "Tide Mercuric" and ten in "Memory Glow" -- I'm not sure about the Peck -- that's going to be a lot of work for the dancers on tour without doing every performance.

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Thank you Helene. It is a long haul. I have my tickets and will hope for the best. It seems the PNB tickets have gotten ever hotter.

I remember a ballet initiative podcast in which, Korbes said the pace at PNB was so much more civilized (my word) than NYC. Maybe that's changed some over the years. .BTW the podcast is well worth a listen. (forgive errors, my keyboard's gone crazy and I wasn't able to post the lke to the podcast)

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Here are the Links to the Ballet Initiative Podcast with Korbes:

Part One

Part Two

PNB has a much more civilized schedule. Each program, except the big full-lengths, run Friday/Sat Mat/Sat Eve first weekend and Thurs/Fri/Sat eve + Sun mat the second. (For the full-lengths, they tend to add two-three extra performances, matinees both weekends and sometimes a Sun eve, but it's rare for anyone to get more than three performances of those, spaced out.) NYCB runs six-eight weeks at a time, seven performances in six days, except for the short Fall season, and they can have fifty+ ballets a season. That's a lot of accumulated injuries, last-minute rehearsals and being walked through parts, and exhaustion.

While the salaries are less than in NYC -- mitigated by no state income tax in Washington State -- rent is a lot cheaper and many dancers can afford to live within walking distance of the studios and theater, if they choose, and commuting by car, if they choose not to, isn't as unaffordable as it is in NYC.

I hope you get to see Korbes, vipa -- if she does do the Wheeldon, I'm guessing she'll do one ballet in every performance. I can't imagine that she's also in "Memory Glow," although the creator of the central female role, Rachel Foster, is on family leave and due to have a child soon. (Whille someone will take her role, I don't see Korbes in it, but that could be a lack of imagination.)

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Click here for a link to the printed program for PNB's upcoming run at the Joyce in NYC. If I'm reading it correctly, it looks as if Körbes is scheduled to dance the lead in Justin Peck's Debonair at every performance. In fact, with just a couple of exceptions, it looks as if casting will be the same at every performance for all of the ballets on the program.

Note that Debonair is billed as a Preview; apparently the official premiere will be on November 7, 2014 in Seattle.

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She dances the central pas de deux with Jerome Tisserand, and she is indeed scheduled to dance every performance. I was at a run-through of this program earlier in the week (they only did the last two movements of the Peck -- they were still ironing out spacing in the first section)

Wheeldon's Tide Harmonic was made on Körbes as well, but she's not performing in it currently.

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You are reading it correctly: seven performances in five days, including five performances within 48 hours. Plus, no extra dancers on tour, the upcoming mixed reps and "Nutcracker," and rehearsals for "Don Q" coming up, which, like "Nutcracker" uses every breathing body. Korbes is scheduled for a heavy Spring in her last season, with Kitri, in the middle, and Odette/Odile on her plate. The risk matrix for this project must be very long.

Korbes will concentrate on the new Peck; Elizabeth Murphy replaces her in the Wheeldon, "Tide Mercuric," the work in which she suffered a devastating knee injury. (It's a shame Maria Chapman isn't back, because she was fantastic in that role, which has the central PDD.)

In the Wheeldon, Margaret Mullin replaces Rachel Foster, who is on maternity leave, too, and James Moore is splitting the partnering with Price Suddarth, so that he is not in every performance of every work. I hope he gets a humane "Nutcracker" schedule, because next month he'll have the Peck, the Duato, and the Ochoa, at the least.

In the Cerrudo, "Memory Glow," Angelica Generosa replaces Foster in what is closest to the central role in the work. Charles McCall moves from male corps to take Andrew Bartee's role, and Eric Hippolito, alternating with Renko, and Price Suddarth join the small male "corps."

There are three young, extremely talented, short ballerinas in the ranks now: newly minted Soloist Leta Biasucci, who won't be in NYC, and corps members Angelica Generosa and Jahna Frantziskonis, who will. They are godsends to the shorter male Principals and Soloists, who don't have to be shunted into modern and jester roles. Keep an eye out for both, and for the taller Leah Merchant, who's equally at home in contemporary and neoclassical work. I'm also glad to see Sarah Ricard Orza on the list; shehad to miss "Jewels."

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