Cover photo: Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in Benjamin Millepied’s “Appassionata.” (Photo © Angela Sterling)
Benjamin Millepied is the featured 21st-century choreographer for Pacific Northwest ballet’s opening program for the 2016-2017 season, Tricolore. His two works on the program bracket the output of this still young creator, his “3 Movements” of 2008, which he choreographed for PNB, and “Appassionata,” which debuted last February for the Paris Opera Ballet, and the program wrapped up with a Balanchine favorite, “Symphony in C.”
(l-r) Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancers Christian Poppe, Guillaume Basso, Henry Cotton, and soloist Matthew Renko in Benjamin Millepied’s “3 Movements.” (Photo © Angela Sterling)
“3 Movements,” to music by Steve Reich, is full of fluid energy from the start, when six male dancers tumble out onto the stage in a network of moving bodies. All the dancers, male and female, wear street clothes in muted greys and blacks, even a couple of ties on the men (they must be glued on as they stay in place no matter what).
Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Sarah Ricard Orza and principal dancer Lindsi Dec in Benjamin Millepied’s “3 Movements.” (Photo © Angela Sterling)
The whole is side lit by Brad Fields so that shadows abound, adding to the kaleidoscopic feel of groups shifting around the stage, partnering, lifting, arms and legs waving in what seems but isn’t aimless shapes. Laura Tisserand made a graceful lead with easy balance, ably partnered by corps member Miles Pertl.
(l-r) Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Leah Merchant and corps de ballet dancer Elle Macy in Benjamin Millepied’s “Appassionata.” (Photo © Angela Sterling)”
Where “3 Movements” has 16 dancers (not a thousand feet, but quite a few at any rate), Millepied has refined his choices to just three couples in “Appassionata,” respectively in blue, red, and purple to start with. The women are on pointe for the first movement, thereafter with flat shoes and hair down and all six in what look like shadowy colored pajamas and shortie nighties. Performed to Beethoven’s great piano sonata of that name, played here by Allan Dameron, the work is a tour de force for all the dancers, exciting but smooth, athletic but lyrical at the same time. It’s delicately clear that the couples are lovers. The fluid work of Elizabeth Murphy in purple and Jerome Tisserand in red were standouts.
Pacific Northwest Ballet company dancers in “Symphony in C,” choreography by George Balanchine © The School of American Ballet. (Photo © Angela Sterling)
Friday night’s opening performance showed off the talent of some of PNB’s upcoming bright lights as well as some of the soloists and principals we have seen often. Angelica Generosa has been promoted to soloist and she took the place of an injured Margaret Mullin for a solo role in the first movement of “Symphony in C”, where she shone. This sparkling, musical dancer has the kind of aura which draws eyes to her. The other well-deserved promotions are Matthew Renko to soloist and Benjamin Griffiths to principal. Corps dancer Steven Loch took the male principal role in the first movement, partnering Carrie Imler (newly returned from maternity leave), and in his short solo showed himself to be another musical, neat-footed dancer with fine elevation.
Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Sarah Ricard Orza (left) with corps de ballet dancer Ezra Thomson and company dancers in “Symphony in C,” choreography by George Balanchine © The School of American Ballet. (Photo © Angela Sterling)
This beautiful ballet with all the women in white classical tutus is hard to match, thanks to Balanchine’s peerless use of the stage and imaginative classical movement, which always seems fresh. Laura Tisserand and Karel Cruz, always an excellent partner, achieved a seamless synchrony in the Adagio movement.
Conductor Emil de Cou and the PNB orchestra gave as always solid support to the dancers and their playing enhanced the whole experience.
