Ghost Variations

Choreography

Jessica Lang

Creative Associate

Kanji Segawa

Costume Design

Jillian Lewis

Lighting Design

Reed Nakayama

Duration

18 minutes

Cast

8 dancers

Premiere

November 12, 2020
Pacific Northwest Ballet (digital release)

Music

Robert Schumann (Ghost Variations, 1854, Theme, Variations II & V; Lierderkreis, Op., 39, No. 5 “Mondnacht”, 1840, arranged by Clara Schumann, 1872–1874) and Clara Schumann (Three Romances, Op. 11, 1839, I. Andante; Scherzo No. 2 in C minor, Op. 14, after 1840)

The 2020 world premiere of Jessica Lang’s Ghost Variations is principally supported by Bob Benson and Deidra Wager, with additional support by H. David Kaplan.

Ghost Variations was composed by Robert Schumann in 1854, the last work he ever wrote, just prior to being committed to an asylum for insanity. Schumann believed he was being haunted by composers from the grave who were dictating the theme to him—forgetting he had already written it himself. The work was dedicated to his wife Clara, who guarded this final score and would not allow the theme and five variations to be published until finally they appeared in 1939.

This ballet to the same title weaves Robert Schumann’s “ghost” theme and two of the variations with Clara Schumann’s own piano compositions: her Andante movement from Three Romances and her Scherzo No. 2 in C Minor. The final movement of the ballet is a lieder entitled Mondnacht, written by Robert and arranged for solo piano by Clara, marking their indelible collaboration of life, love, and music.

Ghost Variations was created in August 2020 during the global pandemic. Keeping to the protocols of two pods of four dancers, donned in masks, physically distanced, and never touching (unless cohabitating), sometimes behind plexiglass, with covers on Zoom in other studios, this is a ballet created for the stage with costumes and theatrical lighting. It was my intention to create a ballet for the stage that was filmed and broadcast as opposed to making a “dance film.” Even though our only way to experience the world premiere was on a screen, now Ghost Variations seamlessly transfers to the stage for live performance as we finally gather in theaters again.

Program notes by Jessica Lang.

Artist Biographies

Clara & Robert Schumann

The Schumanns, Clara (neé Wieck, 1819–1896) and Robert (1810–1856), were partners in life and artistic endeavors. As individuals, their contributions to 19th-century German music were remarkable. Clara was admired throughout Europe by luminaries of the time, including Chopin and Liszt. Robert was a central figure of musical Romanticism, emphasizing self-expression and extra-musical associations, realized primarily through his piano and vocal works. Together they championed and mentored composers and conductors, such as Brahms and Berlioz, and held musical salons in their home. The Schumanns communicated to each other through their music and writings, including diaries and over 20,000 letters.

Jessica Lang

A celebrated choreographer of her generation, Jessica Lang is Resident Choreographer of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Artist in Residence at Sarasota Ballet. She has created over 115 original works on companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, PNB, The Royal Ballet, Vienna State Ballet and her eponymous company Jessica Lang Dance of which Lang was Artistic Director from 2011-2019. For opera, Lang has directed and choreographed Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for Glimmerglass; choreographed Aida for San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera (WNO), Seattle Opera, LA Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago; and choreographed Salome for Des Moines Metro Opera. In 2024, Lang co-choreographed with Kanji Segawa WNO’s new production of Turandot, directed by Francesca Zambello.

Jillian Lewis

Jillian Lewis is a high-end fashion and costume designer based in New York City. She has been working in the fashion industry for almost two decades, and has a history of collaborations in the dance community. She has costumed productions at The Royal Opera House, American Ballet Theater, PNB, The Washington Ballet, The Guggenheim Museum, The Joyce Theater, and Baryshnikov Arts Center. She has designed costumes for Jessica Lang, Stephen Petronio, Pam Tanawitz, Brian Reeder, and Liz Gerring.

Kanji Segawa

Kanji Segawa was a dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 2011–2023 and became Assistant Rehearsal Director for the company in 2024. Originally from Kanagawa, Japan, Segawa is a former member of Ailey II, Battleworks, and danced extensively for Mark Morris. Since 1999, Segawa has worked with Jessica Lang, assisting her creations for companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, PNB, The Royal Ballet, and The National Ballet of Japan.

Reed Nakayama

Reed Nakayama is a Seattle-based Lighting and Projection Designer. He joined PNB in 2013 as a stagehand, and in 2019, was promoted to caretaker of the company’s copious designs. Here, he has illuminated stages in collaboration with artists such as Alexei Ratmansky (Wartime Elegy), Jessica Lang (Ghost Variations), Danielle Rowe (The Window), and Christopher Wheeldon (Curious Kingdom). He received a BFA in Performance Production from Cornish College of the Arts.