Unwrapping …throes of increasing wonder | Leah Terada in conversation with Kiyon Ross   

By Leah Terada

I’m writing this blog from a room tucked away in the Phelps Center, just above Studio C, the company’s main studio. Through the walls, I can hear the familiar sounds of rehearsal, the boisterous score of …throes of increasing wonder by composer Cristina Spinei as it seeps its way into my corner of the building, accompanied by the unmistakable voice of choreographer and Associate Artistic Director, Kiyon Ross. I smile without realizing. This music and energy… it can be contagious.

Two years ago, I had the privilege of dancing in …throes, and even then, it felt like a gift. It felt like something vibrant and generous and full of life. That feeling returns now, as I listen to the sounds of rehearsal and remember something Kiyon said earlier today:

That sense of comfort and of accessibility is easily noticed in …throes. Kiyon shared how important it was to him that the music be visible in the piece. That may sound simple, but it’s a powerful mission. When dancers can see the music in the movement, it means dancers understand which paints they get to use to color a picture, and the illustration can be fuller and more realized.

Cristina’s score, elegant with rhythmic interplay, invites just that. It creates a playground of grooves and counterpoints for dancers to inhabit, allowing them to explore both the precision and the freedom that comes with musical clarity.

Kiyon and Cristina first collaborated for New York Choreographic Institute, back when he was a choreographer-in-training and she was at Juilliard. …throes is their third collaboration. “She knows I’m a very musically conscious choreographer,” he says. “I dream in color and texture.”

In the studio, Kiyon often describes music using tactile terms. “Oh, this sounds like it wants to be a turn,” he’ll say. Or, “This sounds like it wants to go down low.” His process begins with feeling the music, internalizing it, and then naming the steps that phrase suggests. The rhythm becomes his palette, and the choreography, his canvas.

This sensory-based approach is shared by …throes costume designer Pauline Smith. Kiyon recalls sitting down with her and hitting play on the score, as she opened a book of color swatches.

From there, Pauline took inspiration from the patina of aged vases, a glossy finish, or a natural result that is accomplished by the oxidation of metal, and began crafting a costume design that would echo a layered iridescence of both the music and the choreography. It was a visual rhythm, building just like the piece itself: gradually, intricately, and led by the joy of creation.

The collaborative spirit between choreographer, composer, designer, and dancers is the beating heart of …throes. And at its center is Kiyon’s lifelong relationship with music and movement. A former PNB dancer, Kiyon found his choreographic voice through a love of rhythm and physicalized emotion and expression. After retiring from dancing, he wanted to find a means to share his light, and choreography grew to fill that position.

Of course, the journey hasn’t always been this easy. Kiyon admits that early on, he approached choreography with an urge to control every detail. But over time, he’s learned to loosen the reins and notice his dancers’ instincts and musical sensibilities.

This evolution towards trust and an authentic self has made Kiyon a confident and grounded artist, one who welcomes critique without losing sight of his purpose.

“Anyone who is an artist understands that you are opening yourself to other people’s opinions. But I know why I made this piece. I made it as a gift to our company. To give something special to the place I’ve spent my whole life. I wanted to give dancers something they could be proud of—something they could dance well, and something that let them be the phenomenal ballet dancers that they are.”

Created in honor of PNB’s 50th anniversary in 2023, …throes is just that: a gift. A celebration. A work that invites both dancers and audiences into a moment of joy, a shared experience of rhythm and color and discovery. It explores what it might mean to be “in the throes” of movement, of music, and of becoming.

There is momentum in the work, a sense of building and unfolding. Each section of the piece reveals something new, like unwrapping a beautifully layered present. And as Kiyon would be the first to tell you:

It’s always the right time for a gift.

Pacific Northwest Ballet is proud to present …throes of increasing wonder as part of DIRECTOR’S CHOICE, our final production of the 2025/26 season, and we invite you to unwrap it with us; one joyful, surprising, music-filled layer at a time. Click here for more.