PNB Blog
Prodigal Son Story
George Balanchine's Prodigal Son is a dramatic masterwork. The story was the idea of Boris Kochno, Serge Diaghilev’s assistant and frequent artistic collaborator. His libretto is based less on the biblical account and more on a passage from Alexander Pushkin’s short story, The Stationmaster (1830), in which the author describes engravings depicting scenes from the parable that hang in a postal station somewhere in Russia. Read on to learn Kochno's story of Prodigal Son.
Spotlight on Square Dance – Balanchine’s Fusion of Ballet and American Folk Dance
George Balanchine’s Square Dance is a fascinating combination of two surprising elements: American square dancing and classical ballet. Balanchine (1904-1983) explained, “I have always liked watching American folk dances, especially in my trips to the West, and it occurred to me that it would be possible to combine these two different types of dance, the folk and the classic, in one work.” Today on the PNB Blog, we’ll explore how Balanchine combined these two styles of dance to make one beloved ballet, including fascinating details about the original version with a square dance caller onstage!
New Audio Dance Description Program at PNB
The old dictum, “timing is everything,” is everywhere in dance—the precise timing of a lift, the coordination of a musical phrase with a physical gesture, a moment of complete unison from the corps de ballet—timing is at the core of everything PNB does. Last year, we received a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to expand our accessibility offerings. We saw the opportunity to grow our accessibility options to include the Blind and Visually Impaired community by introducing Audio Dance Description to our regular season programming. In November 2023, the timing lined up, and a bit of fate intervened... Click here to read how PNB's Audio Description programming began!
Hispanic Heritage Month at PNB Roundup
This year, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, PNB is excited to share that we've created a podcast version of our 2023 Baila Conmigo Panel discussion, with transcripts in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Click here to access the podcasts, as well as many other resources PNB has curated in honor of this celebratory month!
PNB Welcomes New Board and Advisory Council Members at the Beginning of the 2024/25 Season!
On September 25, 2024, PNB welcomed new Governing Trustee Cindy Runger and new Advisory Council Members Anne Brinson, Collett Cox, and Andrea Snyder. Click here to meet these new members!
Interview with Salina Fisher, Composer for Black Wave
The premiere of Jessica Lang's Black Wave was an exciting celebration of many "firsts." Black Wave is the first work of Jessica Lang's Choreographic Residency at PNB. Black Wave is also the first work in PNB's repertory with music composed by award-winning artist Salina Fisher. In fact, this is Fisher's first experience collaborating with a choreographer! Click to learn more about Salina Fisher and her work in this interview!
Dancer Promotion! Luther DeMyer
Moments before Pacific Northwest Ballet launched its 2024-25 season, Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal and Associate Artistic Director Kiyon Ross stepped out in front of the sparkly-red McCaw Hall stage to announce to the audience that corps de ballet dancer Luther DeMyer has been promoted to Soloist. Click to read more about Luther and his career at PNB!
The Inspiration for Black Wave; Notes from Choreographer Jessica Lang
Choreographer Jessica Lang is busy in PNB’s studios putting the finishing touches on Black Wave, her first work as PNB’s resident choreographer. Jessica’s work for PNB is both thought-provoking and emotionally moving, and Black Wave is no different. Click to learn about Jessica’s unique inspirations for this piece.
Executive Director’s Notes: The Veil Between Worlds, The Times Are Racing, Black Wave
Welcome to the fall arts season in Seattle and PNB’s first repertory program of our performing year. We hope that with this program, and the rest of our 2024/25 season, you encounter the warmest welcome from PNB and experience the universal connection and sense of well-being that ballet can so often provide. We deeply appreciate your support and presence in our community – from all of us at PNB, thank you for joining us.