Helene Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 After "Circus Polka," Peter Boal appeared before the curtain in his Ringmaster's costume, and he announced that Leta Biasucci has been promoted to Principal Dancer! Congratulations to Biasucci for this long-overdue and well-deserved promotion Peter Boal's statement: "Eight years ago a young dancer walked into Studio C to audition for PNB. To be honest, she didn't really seem to fit the group. It wasn't just her diminutive size, it was a wild and lush movement qualify that distinguished her. Weeks later I offered Leta a corps de ballet contract. From the moment she entered the stage, she turned heads. Early challenges like the formidable role of Swanilda in George Balanchine's "Coppelia" seemed not to phase her. Soon a line of principal men were standing outside my office asking to be paired with the new girl. I think this speaks as much to her talent as it does to who she is as a person. "Leta's crystalline technique and charming presence are on proud display as Princess Aurora in Ronald Hynd's "The Sleeping Beauty" and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Balanchine's "The Nutcracker." Her quicksilver speed dominates in William Forsythe's "Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude," while sheer bravery define her performances in Twyla Tharp's "Brief Fling." And who can forget Leta's star turn as femme fatale in Crystal Pit's "Plot Point"? She and frequent partner Ben Griffiths stunned Seattle and New York audiences with some of the purest and most sublime performances of Balanchine's "Square Dance" I have ever seen. They are paired together this evening in "In the Night." Please join me in congratulating Leta Biasucci on her promotion to principal dancer." That is high praise, because I remember Peter Boal's and Margaret Tracey's astonishing performances of "Square Dance" if I remember correctly, their debuts in the ballet. Also, last year's apprentices Christopher D'Ariano, Clara Ruf Maldonado, and Genevieve Waldorf have joined the corps de ballet, and Luther DeMyer is now an apprentice. Congratulations to them, too Link to comment
Helene Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 An excerpt of Leta Biasucci and Benjamin Griffiths in the first pas de deux of "In the Night": Link to comment
sappho Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 On 9/22/2018 at 2:34 AM, Helene said: Congratulations to Biasucci for this long-overdue and well-deserved promotion Ummm am I allowed to be super stoked by this even if I've never seen Leta dance live?! 🙌 Even on tape, it's clear what an absolute force of nature she is. I particularly love the short clips on PNB's YouTube (or possibly Facebook?) of Biasucci dancing Rubies and David Dawson works. Link to comment
pirouetta27 Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Seeing Leta in Afternoon Ball was also revelatory; she was filled with tenacity and grace. Many congratulations to her! Now I'm waiting for Dylan Wald to finally get moved out of the corps... Link to comment
tutu Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 On 9/23/2018 at 7:33 PM, pirouetta27 said: Now I'm waiting for Dylan Wald to finally get moved out of the corps... Until I saw your post, I’d convinced myself he’d already been promoted! I can’t believe he isn’t a soloist yet (or, for that matter, that Elle Macy’s still a corps member)—but I guess that’s what happens when you have a talented deep bench. Good time to be in Seattle! Link to comment
Helene Posted September 25, 2018 Author Share Posted September 25, 2018 We're hoping that Leta Biasucci's promotion opens up a spot in the Soloist ranks, but choosing between Macy and Wald would be awful. Plus we need at least two more spots right now. Link to comment
meunier fan Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) I saw Dylan Wald in Opus 19/The Dreamer twice this summer in Paris. His was one of the most outstanding performances I've seen by a danseur EVER. You could certainly see the influence of that giant, Peter Boal. Wald's dynamic pulsated. I had some mixed feelings by some of the offerings by other Companies but Wald's/PNB's performances in the dedicated Robbins Festival made - certainly for me - that particular sojourn at Le Seine Musicale entirely worthwhile. At the second performance in which we were graced with Wald's extraordinary presence - the Saturday matinee - the audience applauded so much at the end of the Opus 19/The Dreamer's first movement that the second had to be slightly delayed. It was a spine tingling moment. Later that evening I ran into Wald in the upper echelons of the Palais Garnier. I said that in years past a debut such as he had made in Paris would have immediately made him a ballet star. There is no question in my mind but that HE IS. May he be promoted soon. He heartily deserves it. I only hope I, myself, - living thousands of miles away - have another chance to ravish in the joy of his extraordinary gifts. Edited September 25, 2018 by meunier fan Link to comment
tutu Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 New apprentices are up on the website! Mark Cuddihee, Abby Jayne DeAngelo, Juliet Prine, Yuki Takahashi. Link to comment
Helene Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 Before tonight's opening performance of Sleeping Beauty, Peter Boal made a pre-show announcement in front of the curtain that Elle Macy and Dylan Wald were promoted to Soloist! Congratations to them both Link to comment
seattle_dancer Posted February 2, 2019 Share Posted February 2, 2019 On 9/24/2018 at 6:55 PM, Helene said: We're hoping that Leta Biasucci's promotion opens up a spot in the Soloist ranks, but choosing between Macy and Wald would be awful. Plus we need at least two more spots right now. Ha ha, now no one has to choose! Many congrats to Elle and Dylan!!! And it was super nice of Peter Boal to allow us the photo opportunity and that he quickly left the stage and let the two of them take a bow together just the two of them. I saw Elle as Fairy of Generosity last night at the dress rehearsal and tonight at the opening. She was so delightful and charming, it’s like her body is singing and has it’s own voice complementary to the music. I noticed Dylan was the last duke in the Rose Adagio who supported Aurora (Lesley Rausch tonight) in the pirouettes. Last night at the panel before the dress rehearsal, Lesley said that particular duke had to be someone the lead principal felt very comfortable with, so that is pretty neat Dylan was her choice. And according to the PNB website, that was his first time in the role. Link to comment
Helene Posted February 2, 2019 Author Share Posted February 2, 2019 At the curtain, Boal said that Wald was dancing in Gold and Silver. Macy came out in costume as Fairy of Generosity, and I was hoping Wald would come out dressed as the Duke of Bordeaux, but he was in dressy street clothes, and I didn't check the program for the list of Dukes. We wuzrobbed! It's such wonderful news that they both got promoted together. Link to comment
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