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Pacific Northwest Ballet Season Encore

Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancers Amanda Morgan and Sarah Pasch with company dancers in Diamonds from Jewels, choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. PNB is presenting Jewels, with new sets and costumes designed by Jerome Kaplan, September 22 – October 1, 2017. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers Amanda Morgan and Sarah Pasch with company dancers in Diamonds from Jewels, 2017. Photo © Angela Sterling.

This is the first season that I’ve attended any of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “extra” events – like performance previews, lectures, and now the Season Encore performance. Although it’s called a season encore, it’s not just a highlights reel of the past season. As I wrote yesterday, it’s also a farewell to departing dancers. In fact, several pieces performed at Season Encore were not even from the last season.

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Farewell Karel

Karel Cruz final bow at Pacific Northwest BalletI’ve attended regular season ballet performances since I was 18. But this is the first season that I’ve attended any of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “extra” events – like performance previews, lectures, and now the Season Encore performance. Although it’s called a season encore, it’s not just a highlights reel of the most popular dances of the past season. The Encore program is also a farewell to company members who are leaving for other companies or retiring.

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Income Tax – Constitution Article 1 §9.4

ConstitutionOn Wednesdays we study the Constitution. I thought I’d never finish Article 1, Section 8, which lists the powers of Congress. I finally got to Section 9, which denies Congress specific powers. It started off weak with a 20-year timeline for denying the importation of slaves, but it’s getting better. Last week I learned about ex post facto laws. This week I’m on to Article 1 §9.4, which never uses the word “income tax” but used mean America didn’t have one. Read More

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Music I Liked – Hegemone and Maybe Pangyrist

album cover Hegemone We DisappearAs the weekend unfolded, I realized with a bit of panic that I didn’t really have any music to write about. Sofi Tukker has been on high rotation in my house this week, but I wrote about them last time. So with the limited time I had left, I dove into the blogs on a mission to find some new music. I found Hegemone, which I really liked, and Pangyrist which I – maybe liked?

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Black Bamboo

black bamboo

If there is a purple version of a vegetable, that’s the one I plant. If there’s a black-flowering variety of a plant, that’s what I want in my garden. In Seattle, black mondo grass is the go-to plant for dark foliage. In it’s small way, it’s awesome. I have some planted in my yard.

I’m scared of bamboo, with its kudzu-like tendency to take over the world. I don’t trust myself to be consistent in maintenance and keep it in check. But I covet Phyllostachys nigra, the black bamboo. It looks so cool. It’s the bamboo with a leather jacket and a tattoo. I think, as far as bamboo goes, it’s relatively well behaved. But I still wouldn’t trust it.