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 […]
Staying Healthy at The Nutcracker
Our youngest Nutcracker performers, all students at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, are some of the most dedicated kids in the ballet world. Each year, from late September to late December, they devote themselves to telling this timeless holiday story. From our littlest golden angels, to Clara’s bed rollers, each and every student is an integral part […]
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. […]
Meet the 2019 Claras
Clara is a dream role for many young ballerinas. Each year, two students alternate performing Clara in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® . This year, Marissa Luu and Piper Begley, both twelve-year-old Level V students at our PNB School in Bellevue, will share this title role. We sat down with them to learn a little more about stepping into […]
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 Festival: Circus Polka, The Concert (or, The Perils of Everybody), and Dances at a Gathering
PNB kicks off the 2018-2019 season with a festival dedicated to the 100-year anniversary of Jerome Robbins’ birth. We wanted to make it BIG, so we’re performing two alternating programs. It’s something we haven’t done in years, and we’re excited to share the experience with our audiences! Let’s dive a little deeper into Program B, […]