Calling all radicals, contemporary dance aficionados, and those needing a bit of a shake-up from our local leading ballet company: PNB is catering to you in their 43rd season. If you would just as soon listen to Sufjan Stevens as Tchaikovsky, live for the intrigue of world premieres, and are ready for some new Nutcracker choreography, the time has come.
Two thematic sets comprised of three or four shorter productions start the season. The first, SEE THE MUSIC, contains the most familiar works, including Balanchine’s Prodigal Son and Christopher Wheeldon’s Tide Harmonic, created for PNB two years ago. EMERGENCE goes up in November, and its wide range of musical styles—12th century to Stravinsky to local contemporary composer Barret Anspach—promises challenging new choreography, including one piece by PNB company member Price Suddarth.
The Nutcracker will provide some holiday cheer, perhaps even more than in years past. PNB’s customary Kent Stowell choreography will be replaced by a new-to-us Balanchine production, a smart revamp after Stowell’s 31-year monopoly. There has been talk of setting the classic German tale in America, and new costumes by author/illustrator Ian Falconer promise to crack even the most jaded Nutcracker-goers.
Full-length productions Romeo et Juliette and Le Corsaire: A Pirate’s Tale appeal to those of us who need a good story, while Coppélia provides some comic relief. An antithesis to these more conservative story ballets, Director’s Choice sets out to push the classic ballet boundaries into the hip and contemporary realm. All created in the past fifteen years, the three component numbers of this program guarantee fresh choreography to accompany curious scoring choices like the aforementioned Sufjan Stevens.
The season concludes with American Stories, a triple bill of American choreographers. Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free enhances the American landscape through young Leonard Bernstein’s scoring. Balanchine mimics homegrown America in Square Dance, and the genre-blending Twyla Tharp closes the season with her PNB-commissioned Waiting at the Station.
All performances are held at McCaw Hall in Seattle Center. Tickets and subscriptions may be purchased online here or by calling 206.441.2424.
PNB Performance Dates
See The Music: September 25 – October 5, 2015
Emergence: November 6 – 15, 2015
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker: November 27 – December 28, 2015
Roméo et Juliette: February 5 – 14, 2016
Director’s Choice: March 18 – 27, 2016
Le Corsaire: A Pirate’s Tale: March 20 – 26, 2016
Coppélia: April 15 – 24, 2016
American Stories: June 3 – 12, 2016
