Fairy tales, by definition, are timeless. And yet they also seem to have their moments. This year, Cinderella seems to be having hers. I’m not sure what it is about Cinderella that makes it more important to people right now than Snow White or Sleeping Beauty. But I have seen three different adaptations of Cinderella this season across three different art forms. The Cinderella season concluded for me last weekend at opening night of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella by Kent Stowell.
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)
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. Of the three, Donald Byrd is the most well-known. Byrd is the Tony-nominated (The Color Purple) and Bessie Award-winning (The Minstrel Show) choreographer in charge of the contemporary dance company Spectrum Dance Theater. I can’t remember when I first became aware of Donald Byrd, or which of his works I first saw. But by the time I saw Christopher D’Ariano perform his piece Wake the Neighbors at Next Step, I already knew I liked his work. So I was looking forward to Love and Loss, and it did not disappoint.
The second program of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season is Locally Sourced, a mixed rep comprising three world premieres by local choreographers. The first ballet in the program was F O I L by Eva Stone.
Since PNB started sharing their images with me, I’ve stopped using snapshots of the program booklet. But this image is just gorgeous.
The second program of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season is Locally Sourced, a mixed rep comprising three world premieres by local choreographers. The title Locally Sourced is a gift to bloggers. It begs for restaurant metaphors and punny references to house-made ingredients and sound-to-stage production. But I’ve been a bit overwhelmed lately and can’t generate my usual enthusiasm for a writerly gimmick. Fortunately, enthusiasm for the actual program is in abundant supply. Locally Sourced was a high point in an otherwise bleak week.
