Tag Archive ballet

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Ballet 101: Contemporary Ballet at Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in William Forsythe’s One Flat Thing, reproduced, which PNB is presenting as part of DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, March 16 – 25, 2018. Photo © Stacy Ebstyne.

Forsythe’s not-a-ballet One Flat Thing, reproduced, 2018 PNB. Photo © Stacy Ebstyne.

This season Pacific Northwest Ballet launched an audience education program called Ballet 101. It was great timing for me. It coincided with my decision to give up on my hippie-dippy pure experience approach to ballet and start learning about the art form that I enjoy so much. But the timing wasn’t perfect – I couldn’t make it to the first two sessions. But this week I finally attended my first Ballet 101 event, Contemporary Ballet: New Works and Current Trends in Ballet. Read More

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Choice Time at Pacific Northwest Ballet

In kindergarten, almost every kid has the same favorite subject in school – Choice Time. Choice time usually disappears in third grade, but when it does appear in later life, it’s usually still a favorite. For me, that means the annual Director’s Choice program at Pacific Northwest Ballet. Of course, it’s the director’s job to pick the programs, so in a sense every program is the director’s choice. But the idea behind Director’s Choice is that for this one program, the director picks ballets he likes best without consideration for budgets and ticket sales. I doubt that the director is ever free from those considerations, but it’s a nice idea and it is true that Director’s Choice includes more premieres and bolder works than other programs throughout the season. Which is why I always end up liking it best.

This year was even more special to me, because for once, I only brought my kids to the introduction of the blog post, but was free to attend and enjoy the actual ballet for myself, without consideration for what kind of value it may have for kids or how to help kids understand and enjoy it. Even better, my companion for the evening is a dancer herself, so I could share her insights that I would never get on my own. Read More

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Elsewhere on the Web

January was a bit of a slow month, since I spent most of December visiting family and entertaining kids over the holiday vacation instead of pitching new stories. But I wrote a few things that showed up on the internet, and if you’re interested, here they are.  Read More

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The Vertiginous Thrill of Forsythe

Photo by Angela Sterling for Pacific Northwest Ballet

Photo by Angela Sterling for Pacific Northwest Ballet

Before I saw Pacific Northwest Ballet’s all Forsythe repertory The Vertiginous Thrill of Forsythe, I never realized that in some ways, the avant-garde contemporary ballet that thrills me has more in common with the straight-laced classical ballet that puts me to sleep than it does with anything that came between. Read More

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A Childish Review of Director’s Choice at Pacific Northwest Ballet

Directors Choice 2014 BookletThe Director’s Choice program is always one of my favorite ballet performances of the year. I look forward to Peter Boal’s selection of modern, intriguing, challenging pieces all year. So when I ran a 102 F temperature the day before I was supposed to go, I hated the thought of missing it. Fortunately, as a season subscriber, I was able to call the box office and change my dates without any fees. Unfortunately, on the day of the final performance, I was still completely out of commission, so I ended up sending my husband and daughter. My daughter has been attending the ballet for half of her life. That’s only five years of ballet, so her opinions are not necessarily the same as mine. But her opinions (lightly edited) are the ones you’re getting today.

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