Artistic Director’s Notebook: Sweet Fields, The Calling, The Seasons’ Canon
"What goes into planning a season? There are more factors to list than my word count allows."
Artistic Director’s Notebook: Bacchus, One Thousand Pieces
"We all have our harrowing stories from mid-March of 2020. Naturally, mine involves PNB. On the morning of March 12th Executive Director Ellen Walker informed me all theaters on Seattle Center campus had been asked to suspend any further activity. I told her I needed twelve more hours. That night we were scheduled to take the stage for the dress rehearsal of David Dawson’s Empire Noir and Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces. Though we were able to run and film the dress rehearsal before retreating to our homes, PNB has never performed the complete One Thousand Pieces for a live audience. How grateful we are to finally bring this piece to the stage with you in the audience.
Artistic Director’s Notebook: Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake
Just over twenty years ago, in September 2003, a theater called Marion Oliver McCaw Hall opened in Seattle. Built on the site of the Seattle Opera House, which dated back to the 1962 World’s Fair, the new hall was the realization of years of dreaming, planning, fundraising, and building. With Seattle Symphony’s recent relocation to Benaroya Hall, McCaw Hall was tailored to the needs of its two primary tenants, Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet. After a joint gala celebrating the new digs and the dawn of a new era for each arts organization, PNB offered another unveiling – a completely redesigned version of Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake.
Artistic Director’s Notebook: George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® 2023
Ask anyone what their introduction to ballet was – most will tell you it was a performance of The Nutcracker. They probably attended as small children. I was five. PNB expects to welcome about 85,000 people of all ages to our performances this year alone. Many will attend for the first time, starting a new tradition of enjoying this timeless holiday classic...
Dancer Promotions! Clara Ruf Maldonado, Kuu Sakuragi, and Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan
Before the curtain-raiser performance of Alexei Ratmansky’s Wartime Elegy on opening night of LOVE & LOSS, Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal and Associate Artistic Director Kiyon Ross announced to the audience that corps de ballet dancers Clara Ruf Maldonado and Kuu Sakuragi have been promoted Soloists, and Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan has been promoted to Principal dancer.
Artistic Director’s Notebook: The Window, Wartime Elegy, Love and Loss
When we think of storytelling, we think of words – spoken, signed, sung, or written. Recall a favorite novel or poem. Words illuminate plots and plays bringing them to vivid existence. How does dance tell a tale without words? Classical ballets have relied on two methods of communication – mime and program notes. But storytelling has changed in ballet.
Celebrate National Book Month
Celebrate National Book Month with these Books by PNB-ers
We’re sure you know by now that PNB Faculty and the whole PNB Community is multi-talented. But did you know there are multiple published authors in our midst? Keep reading to explore our list of books for all ages by members of the […]
Artistic Director’s Notebook – Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze, Cacti
PNB is also a culture of creativity with dancers, musicians, designers, and choreographers working to offer fresh takes on dance. Watch for a season filled with new creations and new ideas. So much of this happens beyond the mainstage.
Artistic Director’s Notebook: The Veil Between Worlds, Khepri, …throes of increasing wonder
Turning 50 never felt so good. PNB’s celebratory season has brought us so many treasured moments, with a few more just around the corner. What is your 50th anniversary highlight?
Ballet Book Rec: Peter Boal’s New Book Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir
If you’re looking for something to add to your summer reading list, we recommend Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir, Peter Boal’s new book. Although not exactly a beach read, it is certainly a barre read perfect for any ballet fan!