A Wash of Gray, Locally Sourced at PNB

The second program of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season is Locally Sourced, a mixed rep comprising three world premieres by local choreographers: Eva Stone, Donald Byrd, and Miles Pertl. Pertl is the youngest and least experienced of the three, but he is the most local. A Seattle native, Pertl trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and is a member of both the PNB corps de ballet and Seattle Dance Collective.

Native Son

It’s fitting then, that Pertl’s piece, A Wash of Gray, was a love letter to his hometown. All ballets are ultimately collaborations, but Pertl’s is as much about the local connections in its creation as in its movement. The creative was not only all-local, but mostly in-house to PNB. He and his sister (an artist herself) reached out to dozens of local visual artists, not only for set design but also to curate a pop-up art gallery of Seattle-themed artworks. Even the composer is from Seattle.

Jherek Bischoff

I’ve heard the name Jherek Bischoff for years, but I’d never really listened to his music before. A Wash of Gray used four of his pieces: “Red Cloak,” “Reminder,” “Cas(s)iopeia,” and “Ferry Song,” layered with field recordings by the Pertls. Even with the extra sounds, I really liked the music.

A Wash of Gray

I’m not sure how A Wash of Gray would read to audiences elsewhere, but watching it at McCaw Hall felt like getting a love letter. I guess it was – it opened with a projection dedicating the piece to Seattleites near and far.

Pertl chose to avoid cultural themes in the dance (no coffee cup props or slowing to merge), instead focusing on the things that don’t change. Dip-dyed costumes evoked rain, mist, moss, and hazy sunsets. Dancers performed in an aggressive mist that wet hair but not the stage – it was like the rain when I moved here, before climate change made us go out and buy umbrellas. The score was supplemented with field recordings of rain, tides, and ferry announcements. And projected on giant screens behind the stage, charcoal sketches of local landscapes progressed in real time.

Honestly, that part was pretty distracting at first. But eventually I learned to focus on the dancers instead of the developing sketches and only occasionally noticed that Smith Tower had transformed into Steven’s Pass. With so many non-dance things going on (aside from getting used to the live sketch), I was impressed that the overall performance didn’t seem gimmicky. It really felt like an expression of what we all love about Seattle and worked as a reminder that there is more to this place than bad traffic and skyrocketing real estate.  

But it wasn’t just an REI commercial either. The urban field recordings and contributions from local artists also celebrated the creative side of a city that persists despite pressure from libertarians and tech-bros.

Seattle Times commented that A Wash of Gray wasn’t as cohesive as the first two pieces, which is true, but also no insult. Pertl was sharing the stage with two well-respected artists who have literally decades more experience. Plus, A Wash of Gray was pretty busy with ideas, and it’s honestly impressive that the ballet wasn’t completely overwhelmed by them.

A Pregnant Pasch

Even if you stripped away the “extras,” A Wash of Gray was a beautiful and satisfying dance. I can’t say with certainty that the Seattle story would have come through simply through the movements (evidence, once heard, cannot be ignored by jurors), but it felt very homey and neighborly to me.  

One of the moments when high concept and choreography blended most beautifully was in a solo by corps de ballet member Sarah Pasch. Pasch is married to PNB soloist Ezra Thomson, and on opening night was 28 weeks pregnant. My understanding is that until recently, pregnancy was synonymous with retirement for ballerinas. Even though there are lots of PNB babies now, as far as I know, a visibly pregnant ballerina with a solo is a first for PNB and every other major ballet company. There is fodder for an academic paper on the power and meaning in that casting decision, and it is an important political and artistic statement. But the thing is, it didn’t feel like a major statement. Just like giving such a prominent role to new guy Luther DeMyer (take that Seattle Freeze!), it felt like giving a friend a chance to shine.

Seattle isn’t always the progressive paradise we like to imagine ourselves, but we do take care of our friends.  

Wash of Gray

World Premiere
Music: Jherek Bischoff
Choreography: Miles Pertl
Scenic Design: Sydney M. Pertl, Eli Lara, and Max Badger Woodring
Costume Design: Patrick Stovall
Lighting Design: Reed Nakayama

Performance Details

November 8 – 17, 2019

Marion Oliver McCaw Hall

Remaining performances:

November 15 & 16 at 7:30 PM

November 17 at 1:00 PM

Tickets ($37-$190) are available through the PNB Box Office.

Cast I Saw

Angelica Generosa*

Ezra Thomson*

Leah Merchant*

Joshua Grant*

Elizabeth Murphy*

Luther DeMyer*

Noelani Pantastico*

Price Suddarth*

Sarah Pasch*

Indicates first time in role * (of course, since it’s a world premiere, that’s everyone)