Artistic Director’s Notebook: THE TIMES ARE RACING
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the first program of the new season. What a season it promises to be with the unveiling of our much-anticipated new production of The Sleeping Beauty, the return of Roméo et Juliette, and three world premieres. There are also plenty of fan favorites like Crystal Pite’s Emergence, Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, Marco Goecke’s Mopey, and Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. The excitement starts right here – right now, with Rep I.
Edwaard Liang’s The Veil Between Worlds comes to you from a series of performances at The Kennedy Center this past June. PNB joined numerous other companies and one school as part of 10,000 Dreams: A Celebration of Asian Choreography. Arts advocate, choreographer, author, and co-founder of Final Bow for Yellowface, Phil Chan, curated the festival with The Kennedy Center. PNB was proud to participate, and we are equally proud to bring this beautiful ballet back to the McCaw Hall stage for you.
Justin Peck just won a Tony Award for his Broadway hit, Illinoise! PNB has performed four works by Justin. We revive his electrifying “sneaker ballet” The Times Are Racing to close this program. Justin has a singular ability to capture the optimism in the air, the hope for the future, and the voice of a new generation. What a pleasure it was to welcome Giovanni Villalobos and Craig Hall back to our studios to restage this iconic piece.
Jessica Lang creates the central work on this program. This is the first chapter in her tenure as PNB’s new Resident Choreographer. It’s also the fifth work we have performed by Jessica. Between rehearsals the other day, I asked her how it was going. She swooned and said, “It’s so wonderfully familiar. They know me. We’re not starting from scratch. It’s coming together so quickly and so beautifully. They’re amazing.” Imagine my pride! This statement, so off-the-cuff, so from-the-heart, embodies the reasons for having a resident choreographer.
Jessica understands the role, seeking to work with new dancers in each new creation, looking forward to speaking with our New Voices students and our NEXT STEP choreographers to talk craft, creative blocks, team support, and the incredible value of collaboration. She will work with our marketing department, invite friends and patrons into her rehearsals, and offer her gratitude to the people in our scenic and costume shops for their extraordinary contributions. Shout out to lighting designer Brandon Stirling Baker, scenic designer Libby Stadstad, costume designer Jillian Lewis, and partner, collaborator, and assistant Kanji Segawa. Jessica brings a new composer to the PNB Orchestra with Salina Fischer. She also brings an infectious energy and a new era to PNB.
We are entering an exciting time. As we welcome familiar friends and fans back to McCaw Hall, we recognize how many of you just came to PNB recently. We are so pleased to have you with us. Welcome to the family! We aspire to be an organization that reflects you, sees you, hears you and represents your taste, interests, and values. Thank you for choosing us and thank you for helping to guide us to be the best we can be.
Kind Regards,
