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Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Miles Pertl and principal dancer Lindsi Dec in William Forsythe’s Slingerland Duet, which PNB is presenting as part of DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, March 16 – 25, 2018. Photo © Lindsay Thomas.
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Slingerland Duet at PNB Director’s Choice

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Laura Tisserand and Karel Cruz in William Forsythe’s Slingerland Duet, which PNB is presenting as part of DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, March 16 – 25, 2018. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer Miles Pertl and Lindsi Dec in Slingerland Duet 2018. Photo © Lindsay Thomas.

“Slingerland Duet (Pas de deux)” is only eight minutes long. But what wonderful minutes they are. “Slingerland Duet” is the second of four pieces presented at this year’s Director’s Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet. Director’s Choice is my favorite rep of the season most years, but this year was the best yet. Artistic Director Peter Boal says he chooses pieces that he wants audiences to understand “are worth their attention and exploration.” That is certainly true of “Slingerland Duet.” Read More

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Perpetual State of Director’s Choice at PNB

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Jerome Tisserand and soloist Leta Biasucci, with company dancers in the world premiere of Ezra Thomson’s The Perpetual State, which PNB is presenting as part of DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, March 16 – 25, 2018. Photo © Angela Sterling.

PNB’s Jerome Tisserand and Leta Biasucci in Perpetual State. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Every year, Director’s Choice is my favorite rep at Pacific Northwest Ballet, but this year, Peter Boal knocked it out of the park with his selections. I’ve described Director’s Choice as omakase in the past. Boal himself says he chooses pieces he “wants audiences to understand are worth their attention and exploration.” He has also said that this year, a theme emerged after he chose the four pieces: each piece was choreographed by a dancer who was “given a chance” by their ballet director. The first piece of Director’s Choice, appropriately, was choreographed by one of PNB’s own dancers, Ezra Thomson. Read More

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Friday Preview of Director’s Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet

PNB dancers Lindsi Dec and Jerome Tisserand in Red Angels, 2018. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Last Friday, I got to watch a professional ballet rehearsal through PNB’s Friday Previews program. I’m not sure whether the assortment of peripheral ballet experiences has expanded in recent years, or if it’s only my awareness of them. For ages, I religiously attended every Pacific Northwest Ballet rep while studiously avoiding any activities that might increase my knowledge and understanding of ballet. It was some kind of misguided hippie idea about pure experience or something, I don’t know. So I don’t know when Pacific Northwest Ballet started selling tickets to rehearsals, but I’m so glad they did. Last Friday, I attended a Friday Preview of Director’s Choice, and from now on, attending ballet rehearsal is going to be part of my experience of every production. Read More

Lesley Rausch as Odette© Angela Sterling
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The Evolution of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake

Lesley Rausch as Odette© Angela Sterling

Photo by Angela Sterling c/o PNB

Swan Lake is almost the definition of “canon” for classical ballet. What could be more rigid and tradition-bound than the most famous ballet? It turns out, a lot of things can. Swan Lake has changed a lot from its premiere in 1877, and even today, every performance is a little different. Since it’s also performed every three or four years in Seattle, we can actually watch the evolution of Swan Lake.   Read More

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Mystery Dancers

A few years ago at Bumbershoot, a group of Native Americans appeared near the fountain in full regalia and began dancing. I couldn’t find any reference to them in the festival schedule, and since I was chasing after two little kids that day, I didn’t get to stick around long enough to talk to any of them after they were done.

To this day I don’t know if they were official performers, indigenous flash mob (pop-up pow wow?), or protesters.

Does anyone else know?

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