PNB Blog
Artistic Director’s Notebook: Square Dance, Prodigal Son, Stravinsky Violin Concerto
To capture Balanchine’s contribution to ballet in America in a few paragraphs is impossible, but I’ll attempt to scratch the surface. Balanchine, often in partnership with benefactor and arts impresario Lincoln Kirstein, founded the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet. These institutions served as his dance laboratories. In these humble studios, with the help of dancers, musicians, and fellow artists, revelatory discoveries in ballet technique and dance-making came to life. Dancers hold Balanchine’s ballets in a place of reverence. That is especially true of PNB dancers, who enjoy a wealth of Balanchine repertoire and possess an innate technique and musicality acquired at schools like ours...
5 Reasons Why PNB’s The Nutcracker Tickets Are More Affordable Than People Think
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® is the Northwest’s favorite festive tradition – and it can only stay that way if people can enjoy it! Here at Pacific Northwest Ballet, we make sure Nutcracker tickets are affordable. Keep scrolling to learn how you can see The Nutcracker for less!
Meet Them Through the Music: PNB Concertmaster and Solo Violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim’s Playlist
PNB is the home of so many artists: dancers, costumers, musicians, and more. In this series, we highlight PNB Orchestra members through their musical taste. Today, meet PNB Concertmaster and Solo Violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim, who will be featured in Stravinsky Violin Concerto, part of PNB's upcoming ALL BALANCHINE program! Click here to read more about Michael and the music (and musicians) who influence him.
PNB Dancers You Should Follow on Instagram
Looking to beautify your feed with more ballet? We have the solution! Here’s a comprehensive list of all the PNB dancers with public Instagram accounts. Plus, be sure to follow the PNB Instagram and PNB School to stay up to date with the company.
Prodigal Son Story
George Balanchine's Prodigal Son is a dramatic masterwork. The story was the idea of Boris Kochno, Serge Diaghilev’s assistant and frequent artistic collaborator. His libretto is based less on the biblical account and more on a passage from Alexander Pushkin’s short story, The Stationmaster (1830), in which the author describes engravings depicting scenes from the parable that hang in a postal station somewhere in Russia. Read on to learn Kochno's story of Prodigal Son.
Spotlight on Square Dance – Balanchine’s Fusion of Ballet and American Folk Dance
George Balanchine’s Square Dance is a fascinating combination of two surprising elements: American square dancing and classical ballet. Balanchine (1904-1983) explained, “I have always liked watching American folk dances, especially in my trips to the West, and it occurred to me that it would be possible to combine these two different types of dance, the folk and the classic, in one work.” Today on the PNB Blog, we’ll explore how Balanchine combined these two styles of dance to make one beloved ballet, including fascinating details about the original version with a square dance caller onstage!
New Audio Dance Description Program at PNB
The old dictum, “timing is everything,” is everywhere in dance—the precise timing of a lift, the coordination of a musical phrase with a physical gesture, a moment of complete unison from the corps de ballet—timing is at the core of everything PNB does. Last year, we received a generous grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust to expand our accessibility offerings. We saw the opportunity to grow our accessibility options to include the Blind and Visually Impaired community by introducing Audio Dance Description to our regular season programming. In November 2023, the timing lined up, and a bit of fate intervened... Click here to read how PNB's Audio Description programming began!
Hispanic Heritage Month at PNB Roundup
This year, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, PNB is excited to share that we've created a podcast version of our 2023 Baila Conmigo Panel discussion, with transcripts in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Click here to access the podcasts, as well as many other resources PNB has curated in honor of this celebratory month!
PNB Welcomes New Board and Advisory Council Members at the Beginning of the 2024/25 Season!
On September 25, 2024, PNB welcomed new Governing Trustee Cindy Runger and new Advisory Council Members Anne Brinson, Collett Cox, and Andrea Snyder. Click here to meet these new members!