Each June, the Encore program at Pacific Northwest Ballet wraps up the season with memorable moments from the year’s productions and says farewell to departing dancers. This year, it was special: Sunday night was devoted in large part to celebrating the career of ballerina Kaori Nakamura, who has graced this stage for 17 years and who retires now to pass on her knowledge as a faculty member at the PNB school.
There were many lumps in throats as people saw photos and read tributes to her in the eight page program book: not only to “her impeccable work ethic and crystalline technique” (artistic director Peter Boal), “superb in all the great classical roles” and “rare ability to bring forth many emotions: admiration, joy, laughter and tears” (Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, past artistic directors), “a beautiful layer of expression beyond anything in the glorious music” ( a review from Alastair Macaulay in The New York Times) and her openness to contemporary choreography, but also to her kindness, generosity, fun-loving warmth and friendliness to all with whom she comes in contact. She has been a much loved member and sought-after partner at PNB, and for audiences, the pinnacle of what a great ballerina should be.
The excerpts for her farewell were well chosen, though there was no room to show off the quirky roles in which she has excelled as well. The Balcony pas de deux from Maillot’s Romeo et Juliette had James Moore as her Romeo and the two were the epitome of very young love: thrilled, excited, reaching out and drawing back shy, awed and ecstatic. Moore matched her in quality every inch of the way.
With Seth Orza, an excellent partner, she danced the slow Act IV pas de deux from Swan Lake, which requires fine control and steadiness. Nakamura danced as though she floated in the air, grace personified. Not at any time in the evening could one hear her shoes as they touched the floor. Perhaps they didn’t.
Lastly, she danced the Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty, another of those moments which can make or break a ballerina, thanks to the many long moments when the ballerina is poised on one pointe, arms raised, where rock solid balance is crucial and where Nakamura seemed as light as a butterfly.
Her four cavaliers for this, often corps members, were all principal dancers, and the non-dancing roles of the King, Queen and major domo were PNB’s three ballet masters, all paying tribute to her by sharing in her last performance.
Nakamura’s is not the only departure from PNB at this time. D. David Brown has been executive director since 2000. A past principal dancer himself, as well as executive director of Boston Ballet, he has kept a firm hand on PNB’s administration and finance, and has been deeply appreciated by Boal for his support and strength.
Among the dancers, two corps members leave now, both of them dancers of considerable promise. Liora Neuville danced the Bluebird pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty with an able partner, Benjamin Griffiths, which displayed well her deeply musical approach to dance as well as her quick lightness. She leaves after seven years with PNB to go to nursing school. Andrew Bartee, was one of the many in the mass chorus of bees? spiders? ants? which swarm the stage in Crystal Pite’s Emergence. Judging by the roars which greeted his solo bow at the end, he too will be sadly missed. Here since his high school days, he goes now to Ballet British Columbia.
Neuville and Bartee received big bouquets with their bows. After the Rose Adagio, Nakamura received one bloom. But then, one by one, about half the company, both conductors, members of the administration, faculty from the school and Kent Stowell and Francia Russell all brought her a bloom till she had an armful, receiving hugs and kisses in return, and then bouquets came as well.
Boal went on one knee to her, both her parents came on stage, and lastly her tiny daughter ran on stage with a posy, turing and making a deep bow to the audience as Nakamura’s husband came on also. She was surrounded by flowers. We look forward to seeing the dancers she will train in the years to come.
However, all luster is not gone with her departure. More fine dancers are coming up through the ranks. The evening opened with Susan Stroman’s TAKE FIVE…More or Less, in which corps member Angelica Generosa shone as Yellow, Lesley Rausch and Kiyon Gaines showed their inimitable timing in the jazzy sections and Sarah Orza and corps member Ezra Thomson caught the eye for their fine work.
