Asked what are the qualities needed by a ballet master, Gibson cites patience as the first. “You have to be able to deal with everybody’s completely different personalities, and know them as individuals. They learn at different speeds. Some can be pushed, others can’t, they’ll back off. You have to teach every dancer individually, so each rehearsal is different, the vibe is different.” Continue reading In Step With a PNB Ballet Master: Paul Gibson
The only question about Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Modern Masterpieces program (at McCaw Hall through March 24) is at which point your soul may incandesce. My instinct is that this is likely to occur in the second half, during Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven or Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, with its spectacular use of the “fog of minimalism.” Continue reading PNB’s Modern Masterpieces Lives Up to the Hype
So what does Gibson’s new baby look like? It differs in spirit from his sleek, red, sharp Piano Dance. What we saw of this new ballet feels more courtly, using old music and recognizable steps. It feels true to Mozart: energized, elegant, clean, delighting in patterns. Continue reading After Preview of Gibson’s “Mozart Pieces,” PNB’s Men Hold Court
With Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette in PNB’s repertoire, the company now had the perfect Valentine’s Day ballet to go with The Nutcracker at Christmas. Its bold infusion of frank sensuality with gorgeous pas de deux left mouths agape — one moment Juliette was arcing backward, held aloft by her Roméo, the next, hands were everywhere! Continue reading Maillot’s Knockout “Roméo et Juliette” Returns to PNB
223 children participate each year, in several casts, so no one is on for all thirty performances. The care and training they receive is phenomenal. This is not a school performance. These kids are performing like professionals. When they are on stage they are totally on, acting their roles with seeming naturalness. Continue reading Still Nuts About PNB’s Nutcracker
Morris at times uses the stage as a sort of scrolling score, with dancers leaping in from the wings to dance a phrase, and leaping back off when it’s done. The synchronization is so acute that when, suddenly, a line of male dancers jetés diagonally across the stage through a second group of dancers, it generates a strongly visceral thrill. Continue reading First Glance at Mark Morris’s Kammermusik No. 3 (and More) at PNB
Get your calendars and planners ready! Here’s a rundown of the best Seattle classical music events of the upcoming 2012-13 season, including highlights from the major local ensembles, notable events, and groups to watch in the coming year. Continue reading 2012-13 Season Preview: The Year Ahead in Seattle Classical Music
