Executive Director’s Notes: Roméo et Juliette
Dear Friends, As I write this, we are in the homestretch of 37 performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Without a doubt, this was our most complicated production in many years, with Covid protocols alone requiring multiple PNB teams to implement. And yet, what a joy it has been. Enthralled audiences back in festive holiday attire, […]
The Enduring Popularity of Romeo and Juliet
By Leah Dooley The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare’s second most popular play. It is one of the most produced and most depicted in the visual arts, and it’s the only Shakespeare play referenced in Taylor Swift’s discography. But did you know that ever since the 16th century, Romeo and Juliet has been a hit? While […]
Artistic Director’s Notebook-Roméo et Juliette
The story of Roméo et Juliette offers many takeaways: humor, drama, tears, and passion, to name a few. From my first read of the play in Mr. Crosby’s seventh-grade classroom to a recent viewing of the new Steven Spielberg film version of West Side Story, I’ve enjoyed a lifetime of different perspectives. Now in my sixth decade, I […]
Leaping from Caricature into Character
By Phil Chan, co-Founder, Final Bow for Yellowface As a Chinese person, the second act of The Nutcracker has always bugged me. Looking more broadly at the historic depictions of “Chinese” people on the Western performing arts stage, we see fantasy elements of what Europeans thought Chinese people looked like handed down to us from the baroque era. Sallow “grotesque” […]
A Historical Look at George Balanchine’s Jewels
Explore the history of Balanchine’s groundbreaking three-act ballet Jewels—Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds—and its significance at Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Balanchine Foundation Interviews
The Balanchine Foundation has conducted recorded interviews with dancers and stagers of Balanchine’s works like Maria Tallchief, Suzanne Farrell, Arthur Mitchell, Patricia Wilde, and more. The Balanchine Foundation’s YouTube Channel is a seemingly bottomless resource of amazing interviews. Below are just a few videos from The Balanchine Foundation about works in PNB’s current repertoire including Agon, Emeralds, The […]
Artistic Director’s Notebook: One Thousand Pieces and Empire Noir
Dear Friends, Recently, we made an exciting announcement: Alejandro Cerrudo will be PNB’s first Resident Choreographer. I’m a big fan of Alejandro’s work and hope you are, too. If you’re not, you may soon become one. One Thousand Pieces is the fourth Cerrudo work PNB has done in the last decade, following Memory Glow, Little mortal jump, and Silent Ghost. […]
12 Fun Facts About A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Discover 12 fun facts about Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from Mendelssohn’s score to the magical costumes and characters in PNB’s production.
Answering Nutcracker FAQs
Get answers to frequently asked questions about PNB’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, from what to wear to how long the show lasts and more.
Jerome Robbins Dances at a Gathering
While Jerome Robbins is best known in popular culture for this innovative work in Broadway musicals, such as On the Town, Gypsy, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof & West Side Story, for which he received two Academy Awards in 1961, his first love was ballet. His career began as a dancer and his first successful musical, On the Town, […]