Returning to the Studios to Celebrate PNB’s 50th

Returning to the Studios to Celebrate PNB’s 50th

By Leta Biasucci

A Golden Anniversary Season 

PNB is turning 50, and there is much to celebrate! To mark this milestone, Peter Boal has curated a season that pays homage to PNB’s rich past, honors its exciting present, and looks ahead […]

Q&A with Kaori Nakamura

Kaori Nakamura is from Gumma, Japan. She trained at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet Company and the School of American Ballet. In 1986, she won first prize at the 14th Prix de Lausanne competition in Lausanne, Switzerland. In 1988, she won a bronze medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. Ms. […]

The Story of Giselle-Act 2

The curtain opens in a dark and gloomy forest on the banks of a pond. Giselle’s tombstone can be seen at the left; the bluish gleam of the moon gives a cold and misty appearance to the scene. Several gamekeepers arrive, hoping to set up an observation post, but Hilarion warns them away: […]

The Story of Giselle-Act 1

As the curtain rises on a picturesque scene in a small German village, vinegatherers depart for the harvest. Hilarion the gamekeeper arrives, hoping to see the lovely Giselle. He hides when his rival Albrecht—really a Duke disguised as a peasant named Loys—emerges from his cottage, with his squire Wilfride. Wilfride begs his master […]

Q&A: Giselle Designer Jérôme Kaplan

Peter Boal’s radiant staging of Giselle returns with all-new scenery and costumes by award-winning designer Jérôme Kaplan (above) who is best known to PNB audiences for his designs for Don QuixoteRoméo et Juliette.

Q: What steps were critical to your process in creating designs for sets and costumes for PNB’s Giselle?

PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal’s Staging of Giselle

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2011 production of Giselle has been staged by PNB artistic director Peter Boal, based in part on primary sources from Paris and St. Petersburg, with the assistance of dance historians Marian Smith and Doug Fullington. In 2014, new scenery and costumes designed by Jérôme Kaplan will be added to the production.

Photo Shoot: Kaori Nakamura as Giselle

Recently, during a rare photo shoot in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s studios, the work of three exceptional artists–principal dancer Kaori Nakamura, costume designer Jérôme Kaplan, and photographer Angela Sterling–produced these striking images. 

The shoot was an ideal opportunity to showcase Kaori Nakamura’s artistry in anticipation of the conclusion of her brilliant, 17-year performing career with the […]

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