Category Archive Pacific Northwest

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The Comfort of Swan Lake

The ballet Swan Lake needs no introduction. But a blog post does. So by way of introduction let me start by saying that if you are only going to see one ballet in your lifetime, it should probably be Swan Lake, and Pacific Northwest Ballet is one of the best places to see it. I’m not going to do a full review because I’ve done that before, and except for the person sitting behind me who told his friends, “I didn’t look at the booklet, like at all, because I didn’t want any spoilers,” I think most people have a pretty good idea what to expect anyway. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have anything to say about it.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Leta Biasucci and Kyle Davis with company dancers in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake, on stage April 15 – 24, and streaming digitally May 12 – 16, 2022. Photo © Angela Sterling.
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Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Plot Points

Rep 4 of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2021-2022 season is Plot Points, a mixed rep program of four pieces that play with the concept of storytelling. I’m a little late to the party because I attended on the second weekend. There’s a world premiere and a PNB premiere by choreographers who are already well-loved by PNB audiences. The (almost) title piece, Plot Point, is already an audience favorite.

Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Crystal Pite’s Plot Point. Photo © Angela Sterling. c/o PNB
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Beyond Ballet at PNB

PNB dancers in Alonzo King’s The Personal Element. Photo © Angela Sterling. c/o PNB

Beyond Ballet is Pacific Northwest Ballet’s second post-lockdown in-person program and the third in McCaw Hall, which also hosts Seattle Opera. I’ve attended all three programs, so by now you’d think watching shows in person would be back to normal. Or at least the new normal. It is not. But that does not mean it isn’t worth it. And it does get easier.

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A Damn Fine Release From Damfino Arts

I’ve missed the big arts organizations’ live performances in world-class spaces during the pandemic. But I’ve discovered a lot of small, innovative projects that I would have missed in normal years. Many of them might not even have happened during business as usual. One of them is “We’re All in This Together: An (almost) Post-COVID Ballet.” It’s a six-minute ballet video filmed at Vashon Center for the Arts. And it’s really beautiful. 

Image c/o Damfino Arts
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PNB’s Digital Season Rep 4

Promotional Poster for PNB Rep 4

The fourth program of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s digital season, appropriately titled Rep 4 – launched? opened? posted? Premiered? – on Thursday, but I couldn’t watch it until Friday. It’s only available until Monday. So since time is short, I’ll try to keep my comments short. Rep 4 is a mixed rep program comprising world premieres by two of my favorite choreographers, and archival video of a third piece that PNB performed in 2017. I have mixed feelings about it.

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