Pacific Northwest Ballet unveils two new works with CONTEMPORARY 4, a cutting-edge mixed bill premiering acclaimed choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH, “passages of breathtaking dance brilliance” (New York Times), plus a World Premiere from Germany’s “enfant terrible”, Marco Goecke that is sure to generate lively debate. Joining PNB’s double debuts are prized works from Seattle’s renowned Mark Morris and the Company’s own Paul Gibson.

PNB Facebook fans and Twitter followers will have access to behind-the-scenes webcasts, images, and artist bios for these four captivating artists over the next few weeks, beginning with Marco Goecke.

Marco Goecke was born in Wuppertal, Germany. He began his ballet traiing in 1988 and danced with the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin and the Theater Hagen Ballet. He created his first choreographic work, Loch, for the Theater Hagen Ballet. Loch was subsequently performed at the International Choreography Competition in Hannover, Germany. In 2001, Mr. Goecke created Chicks, his first work for the Stuttgart Ballet. In 2002, Mr. Goecke was invited by the Choreographic Institute of New York, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to choreograph a work for NYDB’s Diamond Project. He subsequently created Mopey for Peter Boal and Company. Mopey has been performed at Jacob’s Pillow Festival, at the Biennale in Venice and at the 2004 Pina Bausch Festival in Wuppertal. Mr. Goecke has also worked in opera, creating a solo for Die verkaufte Braut for the Staatstheatre Stuttgart Opera in 2003. Also in 2003, he entered the Prix Dom Perignon choreographic competition in Hamburg, where he was awarded First Prize for Blushing, a piece for eight dancers. Blushing has since entered the repertory of the Stuttgart Ballet and John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet. In 2005, he created Sweet Sweet Sweet for the Stuttgart Ballet, and the work has since been acquired by the Staatsballet Hannover. Also in 2005, he created Beautiful Freak for the Hamburg Ballet and won the art prize of the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg 2005. At the beginning of the 2005-2006 season, Mr. Goecke was appointed resident choreographer of Stuttgart Ballet.

CONTEMPORARY 4
March 18-27, 2011
McCaw Hall
Tickets start at $27!206.441.2424 or PNB.org

Featured photo: © Marcia Breuer