Over the last century, Swan Lake has become a quintessential ballet pop culture reference. Its iconic score, choreography, and costumes are synonymous with ballet performance and easily recognizable to anyone with even a casual ballet knowledge. While the 2010 film Black Swan may be the first to spring to mind, there are many examples from the last 100 years. Check out this blog to watch just a few!
When Swan Lake premiered at Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1981, PNB was a small, relatively unknown company. Over 40 years later, Kent Stowell's Swan Lake has been enjoyed by thousands of audience members and is still a PNB favorite. Take a look at PNB's 14 Swan Lake programs through the years, and let us know which one is your number one pick!
Performing in The Nutcracker is a rite of passage for many young dancers and something they look forward to each December. From Polichinelles to Party Children, see how Pacific Northwest Ballet Company dancers began their lifelong journey of dancing in The Nutcracker!
George Balanchine once said that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's music made him fall in love with ballet, and many ballet lovers echo Balanchine’s sentiment. To this day, some of PNB’s most popular ballets (Swan Lake and The Nutcracker) are set to Tchaikovsky’s music. Read on to learn about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s turbulent life and his iconic ballets!
Each Nutcracker costume is full of delicious details! Some ballet fans might feel they know this holiday classic like the back of their hand. Well, today on the blog, we're here to test that knowledge! Can you identify these seven Nutcracker costumes by their close-up photos?
A sensory-friendly performance provides a welcoming and supportive environment for people with sensory processing challenges to enjoy live ballet with their friends and family. Have questions about PNB’s sensory-friendly performance? We’re here to help! Read on to learn about what a sensory-friendly performance is, what to expect at the shows, and more.
On behalf of everyone at PNB, thank you for choosing to celebrate the season with us. Over the years we’ve heard from many in our audience about what this production means to you. It may mark the official start of your holidays, be the destination for a much anticipated annual outing with visiting family, or offer a nostalgic antidote to a too-busy time of year...
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...
In Pacific Northwest Ballet’s second repertory of the season, we are excited to present The Window, a world premiere work by a choreographer who isn’t yet familiar to PNB audiences. Dani Rowe is a former dancer, the Artistic Director at Oregon Ballet Theater in Portland, and now a choreographer who PNB is lucky to include in our roster of repertory choreographers. Read on to get to know a little bit more about Dani Rowe!
The second repertory of PNB’s 2023/24 season is a true mixed triple bill. We’re more than excited to showcase works by three choreographers with distinct styles. Read on for a few fun facts to get to know returning choreographers Donald Byrd and Alexei Ratmansky, and new-to-PNB-audiences Dani Rowe.