A Toast to Olivier Wevers!

Cathi Hatch & Olivier Wevers

Tonight, I went to a surprise party at Jolene & Bruce McCaw's beautiful Hunts Point home to share in the tribute and celebration of Olivier Wevers Pacific Northwest Ballet dance career.  It was a beautiful evening to tour Jolene & Bruce's impeccable gardens and I was certain that fellow guest, Steve Poole, brought the beautiful weather for the party with him.

Olivier, who has recently retired from PNB, was totally surprised when he arrived at the party and realized it was about him.  There were wonderful full life-size cut-outs of Olivier in costumes from various ballet roles strategically placed through the McCaw home along with dozens of photos of Olivier with friends nestled on tables.

Carrie Imler & Jonathan Porretta

In addition to Jolene's spot-on tribute remarks, Olivier was toasted by a number of PNB Board members, dance partners and supporters including Sherry Raisbeck, Deborah Cobain, Charles Newton, and PNB Principal Dancer Carrie Imler.  PNB Principal dancer, Lucien Postlewaite, talked about when he joined PNB, his role model was Olivier and that he learned so much about partnering just by watching how Olivier worked to make his partners feel respected and secure.  It was very special to be part of the celebration of Olivier's magical PNB career and also to be one of the well-wishers as he launches his new career as choregrapher and Artistic Director of Whim W'Him.  There was just the right balance of bittersweet nostalgia and anticipation of the future.

Lucien Postlewaite before his toast.

Other celebrants and friends that I talked with included Alexis & Stewart Phelps, Madeleine and Bert Valdman, Susan Brotman, Peter Horvitz, Betty Tong & Joe Miner, Kim Richter, Peter Boal, Linda & Toby Warson, James Raisbeck, Steve Jensen & Vincent Lipe, Margaret dell Osso, Glenn Kawasaki, and current and past PNB dancers Louise Nadeau, Ariana Lallone, Kaori Nakamura, Maria Chapman, and Jonathan Porretta to name just a few.

Cheers, Olivier!