1000 Pieces at Pacific Northwest Ballet

Little did I suspect when I watched the final performance of Yardbird at Seattle Opera that it would be the last performance anyone saw at McCaw Hall for the foreseeable future. Like many others, I had tickets to see Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new program 1000 Pieces the following weekend. But two days before the program was to premiere, the governor shut down all large gatherings. In the midst of pandemic, it was a minor tragedy, but it wasn’t a total loss. In fact, it turned into a special event, the memory of which I will both cherish and grieve.

A Dress Rehearsal to Remember

I’ve wanted to attend a PNB dress rehearsal for years, but my schedule rarely allows Thursday night events. Once or twice a year, I try to block out time for one, but so far I’ve always had to skip it due to illness or family commitments. I had a ticket to the dress rehearsal of 1000 Pieces. Despite cancellation of the performances, the dress rehearsal went on as scheduled, albeit with only a fraction of the viewers who would normally be allowed to attend. I was not among them. But a videographer was.

Because the production was so far along when the order to close came through, PNB (with cooperation from the many unions, artists, and workers involved) decided to film the dress rehearsal. The video was then made available for a limited time for viewing by ticket holders.

The Program

Attendance at a dress rehearsal is permitted as a courtesy and press are asked not to review the performance, but I will say a bit about the program that would have been.

Empire Noir

The first piece was Empire Noir by David Dawson. When I saw it in 2017, I described it as the most metal ballet.

It is described in the press release as:

fast-paced and relentless in its own journey through the darkness of the night, the color black, the void of madness… a pure dance event

It is a beautiful choice to pair with 1000 Pieces. Both are simultaneously austere and bombastic, characterized by chiaroscuro rather than color.

Empire Noir

Music: Greg Haines (2015)
Choreography: David Dawson
Staging: Rebecca Gladstone
Scenic Design: John Otto
Costume Design: Yumiko Takeshima
Lighting Design: Bert Dalhuysen
Running Time: 24 minutes
Premiere: June 17, 2015, Dutch National Ballet (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
PNB Premiere: March 17, 2017

1000 Pieces

This was to be a PNB premiere. Although I’ve seen it, I don’t know if what I saw counts as a premiere – maybe a preview? But it’s a crying shame (and I mean it, tears were shed and not just by me) that this wondrous ballet didn’t get the full premiere treatment on March 13. Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo is PNB’s first resident choreographer, and although this piece wasn’t created for us, it is the fourth of his ballets to enter PNB’s repertory. Memory Glow, Little Mortal Jump and Silent Ghost are among my favorite ballets.

Without saying too much about 1000 Pieces, I can say that it holds up against the others and I look forward to seeing it in person. I will share some background from the press release, which does a pretty good job of framing the work. (For the record, Chagall is one of my favorite painters.)

“For me, a stained glass window is a transparent partition between my heart and the heart of the world. Stained glass has to be serious and passionate. It is something elevating and exhilarating”

Marc Chagall

And more from the press release:

One Thousand Pieces was created in celebration of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 35th anniversary in 2012. The work was inspired by Marc Chagall’s America Windows, stunning panels of glowing stained glass created by the Russian-French artist and donated to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1977—the same year Hubbard Street was founded—to commemorate America’s bicentennial.

 When asked during the creative process why he chose the title One Thousand Pieces, Cerrudo replied, “Literally because of the symbolism of the work, observing how each piece of glass combines to make a whole larger piece made from many individual pieces, the same way human beings come together to create a project. The windows have inspired my choreography, but I’m not intending to teach anyone about this artwork. Instead, it’s my personal interpretation. The set designer, the music by Philip Glass, and the dancers have all inspired me. I’m not trying to tell a story or represent the art. The work will have three sections, and the scenic design is quite abstract, yet I hope everyone will be immersed in the images that will appear and connect them to the windows.”

One Thousand Pieces – PNB Premiere

Music: Philip Glass*
Choreography: Alejandro Cerrudo
Staging: Ana Lopez, Pablo Piantino
Scenic and Costume Design: Thomas Mika
Lighting Design: Michael Korsch
Running Time: 70 minutes
Premiere: October 18, 2012; Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

*Music details: “The Illusionist” from the motion npicture soundtrack The Illusionist, 2006; “Tissue No. 7” from the film Naqoyqatsi: Life as War, 2002; “Song VII” from Songs & Poems for Solo Cello, 2007; “Renfield,” “When the Dream Comes,” “Seward Sanatorium,” “The Crypt,” “Renfield in the Drawing Room,” “Carriage Without a Driver,” and “Dr. Van Helsing & Dracula” from the motion picture soundtrack Dracula, 1998; “Etude No. 12” from Etudes for Solo Piano, Book 2: Nos. 11-20, 1994/2012; “Cassandra’s Dream” from the motion picture soundtrack Cassandra’s Dream, 2007; “The Land” from Piano Concerto No. 2: After Lewis and Clark, 2004; Mad Rush, 1979; “Knee Play No. 5” from the opera Einstein on the Beach, 1975

Home Viewing

I want to say a bit about the experience of watching a live-recorded ballet at home. It is obviously no substitute for the in-theater experience of a live performance. But I found that it had its own appeal besides just the simple “finding out what you missed.” Cozying up on the couch with snacks and drinks led to more conversation and interruption than I’d put up with at the theater, but it wasn’t bad.

And even though the stark, all-black ballets with harsh white light wouldn’t have been the first choice for a video recording, the camera work was really good. They didn’t just film a full stage panorama, but let the camera settle on individual dancers and move around they way one’s attention does when watching in person. Even though it’s less complete of a record of the performance that way, and it makes the choices for you, it did feel more like watching a live ballet. Except you could see the dancers’ faces clearly and even peek into the orchestra pit at times.

When this is all over, I would actually enjoy having the option to rewatch ballets on video or paying to see ballets streamed from distant companies that I can’t attend in person. Streams like this one might be an option for companies looking to make ballet more accessible to a wider audience.

Actually, I think I’m going to go watch the video again before it expires….

Supporting the Arts

In the immediate future, the big question is how soon can performances resume? Giselle in April has already been canceled. People are worried that McCaw Hall may will still be closed for La Boheme in May. But the even bigger fear – especially for smaller arts organizations – is that the doors may never open again. Arts organizations operate on a very small margin, and canceling performances, especially when the money is already spent to produce them, is enough to push many of them into bankruptcy.

We need the arts at times like these more than ever. Considering the danger that these organizations are in, I find it so moving how many of them are finding ways to share their work, often for free, through these sorts of digital events. I know that a lot of people are in bad financial shape right now. But for those of us who still have incomes, there are ways to help keep our arts organizations afloat.

Buying season subscriptions for next year is a vote of confidence and an injection of cash that gives back a direct reward in the form of tickets. For small organizations and independent artists, there has never been a better time to mail-order merch.

Obviously, donations are always welcome. Donate directly to your favorite art organizations; donate to local author Ijeoma Oluo’s GoFundMe for the most vulnerable local artists; or donate to ArtsFund, which supports more than 120 local arts organizations.

{I’m so tickled by how many of these ballets I can recognize.}

{My video link to view the recording of 1000 Pieces was provided courtesy of PNB. As always, the tickets were theirs but the opinions are mine.}