PNB Blog Entries

Here are the most recent entries from the PNB Blog. Visit the blog for for insider information on what's happening, commentary by artistic staff, and news & events!

PNB Soloist Benjamin Griffiths on Arriving in Vail, CO

By website@pnb.org (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Friday, Jul 30 at 10:09 AM

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Artistic Director Peter Boal on PNB's Vail Tour--Part 1

By website@pnb.org (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Thursday, Jul 29 at 12:37 PM

In any case, tomorrow will bring a quiet day starting with my organically sensitive, low stress, user-friendly Company class and a few rehearsals held in the Vail Mountain School's gym. It's officially a day off for the dancers, but many will choose to adjust to the 8,000+ feet of altitude with technique class. I'll be bringing Ezra a beer.

It's good to be back in Vail. Artistic Director of the Festival, Damian Woetzel, has built quite a following for his fresh and innovative programming. PNB was one of the first companies he brought to the valley under his leadership. The festival is now regarded as one of the country's top summer hot spots for dance. Check out
their website.
Audiences in Vail are great. I can't forget the roar we heard after performing Twyla Thap's Nine Sinatra Songs four years ago. Seeing peers from the dance community is part of the fun. The Paul Taylor Dance Company and Larry Keigwin Dance will be here along with Savion Glover and guest stars from NYCB, Royal Ballet, Boston Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. The New York Philharmonic performs tomorrow night. We are in for an exciting time here. More to come soon.   -- Peter Boal 0 Comments

PNB School & Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra's Collaboration

By website@pnb.org (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Friday, Jun 18 at 11:21 AM

Forty or so lanky teenagers sat on the very lip of the stage peering over the edge to see forty or so young musicians playing a rousing rendition of John Philip Sousa's Stars and Stripes from our vast orchestra pit. Awed expressions could be seen on the young dancers' faces as timpanis pounded alongside the triumphant notes from the brass. Challenging passages for flute and oboe were met with brio. At the conclusion, the dancers offered wild applause for their talented peers.


This is the first time that the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra will play for PNB's Annual School Performance and hopefully not the last. You could feel the pride and excitement as these accomplished young artists prepared to share strengths in Saturday's performances.

There is a freshness to the sound of this remarkable ensemble. They struggle with reserve but make up for it in gusto. They sometimes feel individual strength over esprit de corps, and yet they feed off of each other absolutely affecting every corner of the massive McCaw Hall.

Eventually we began rehearsals of the men's regiment from Stars and Stripes and later Chaconne. There were a few discussions about tempi and a few missteps, but the possibility of greatness was hovering nearby. The presence of the orchestra breathed new life into the dancers who have spent months preparing with piano and cd.

To see this impressive level of musicianship from 15 to 19 year olds matched by our 15 to 19 year old ballet students is one of the more inspiring moments I've witnessed in a long time. If you are able to attend one of the performances on Saturday, be sure to make the trip to the edge of the orchestra pit to see this talented crew preparing.

This is not the first time that these two groups have met. Our Professional Division students attended a SYSO performance of a Mahler Symphony at Benaroya Hall in May. About three weeks ago we brought dancers and musicians together in our Studio C at the Phelps Center to watch a run-through of Chaconne. After the rehearsal the assembled teens spent almost an hour comparing notes about the rewards and pressures of being accomplished artists at such a young age. There was an unspoken mutual respect for one another. The extraordinary achievements were understood and shared.


With several hundred students performing on the stage and in the pit, youth power will be filling the theater. I saw an electric new creation by Kiyon Gaines earlier in the day to a commissioned score by young composer Aaron Severini. I have also watched as each class from Level I through Level VIII prepares their school dances. The combination of talent, energy and enthusiasm will be phenomenal. This performance is ours to witness and theirs to enjoy. The future of dance and music looks to be in very capable hands and feet and that fact will be on proud display at McCaw Hall tomorrow. Catch it if you can. You won't regret it. Tickets are still available for the evening performance through PNB.org and at the PNB Box Office. - Peter Boal, PNB Artistic Director 0 Comments

Director's Notes from Artistic Director Peter Boal

By website@pnb.org (Pacific Northwest Ballet)
Friday, Jun 04 at 12:01 PM

By now you've probably heard the old story about me and Coppélia. To do it justice, I'll have to go back to 1948, when the New York City Ballet was born. That same year, my grandfather accepted a position working for the United Nations, causing my grandparents to relocate to New York. Watching the nascent ballet troupe, they developed an appreciation for the choreography of George Balanchine. My mother was introduced to ballet and developed a love for it. Later, my father became an equally ardent admirer. My parents were subscribers to the New York City Ballet before I was born. When my sister and I were old enough, we were encouraged to join this family tradition and began attending. I'm sure my parents were merely planning to develop our appreciation for the art form, not to put us into tights. But, during one of our trips to the ballet, we were treated to Coppélia, and somewhere in the middle of Act I, I turned to my parents and said, “That's what I want to do. I want to dance.”

So it began. I was nine and can't say I fully understood what I was in for. I did try to politely thank the School of American Ballet for an interesting introductory year, while also letting them know I would be quitting. Natasha Gleboff, executive director of the school, informed my parents that quitting was not an option. I continued. About eight years later, I found myself in the corps de ballet of Coppélia, with no regrets. Later came Franz and now a stint as Dr. Coppelius.
Balanchine, the groundbreaker and innovator who brought us The Four Temperaments and Serenade, was less known for his few story ballets. His The Nutcracker is well-known and often imitated, but Coppélia has hardly been seen outside of New York. For this creation, he called on longtime friend Alexandra Danilova, and the two recreated and reconstructed from memories of productions they had grown up with.

With the delightful composition of Léo Delibes as the guide, the tale is told. Delibes makes you want to dance. His music is not complicated, just infectious, joyous. It works its way under the soles of your feet. Balanchine said there was no finer composer for ballet. Delibes was Tchaikovsky’s predecessor and inspiration. Our orchestra, under the baton of three conductors during the run of Coppélia, will bring the score to new heights.

Bringing this production of Coppélia to PNB has been a long and rewarding process. I started talking about it six years ago. An important gift from Glenn Kawasaki four years ago moved the idea from dream to possibility. Subsequent gifts from Dan & Pam Baty, Sharon Richardson, Patty Edwards. Marcella McCaffrey, and Bruce & Jolene McCaw, partnered with more than one hundred participants in a year-long “book drive,” raised 1.3 million dollars. (The names of these New Works patrons can be found on the spines of books in Dr. Coppelius’ workshop.) Significant help also came in the form of a co-production with San Francisco Ballet. With financing in place, I engaged internationally acclaimed scenic and costume designer Roberta Guidi di Bagno. Roberta has guided us through the creation of three acts, a few dozen props, and nearly 150 costumes. Each carries a whimsy and an effervescence that will delight. Her sense of color palette is sublime, and she has been an absolute joy to work with over the past two years.

Judith Fugate has staged almost the entire work for PNB. I remember Judy as both a technically pure and wickedly funny Swanilda. Critics described Danilova’s portrayal in the same way. Judy is selfless as a coach, offering insight and encouragement. Garielle Whittle taught our third act corps de ballet of students. Balanchine offered these ten-to-fourteen year-old future ballerinas elegant choreography, never playing to their cuteness, but rather showcasing them with quality.

If ever there was an opportunity for all of us to be united in one production, it is now. There is no corner of our institution that has not contributed to making Coppélia happen. Both our scenic and costume shops have devoted most of the year to building this production. All counted, close to one hundred individuals have painted, hammered, stitched, and beaded. Marketers, fundraisers, dancers, and musicians join students and stage hands to present this new creation. You are a part of it, too. We are all proud to unveil a wondrous new addition to our repertory. Thank you all for being a part of this dream. Enjoy Coppélia! 0 Comments