Pacific Northwest Ballet First Look Evolution

PNB Principal Dancer Carrie Imler with Ken

Last evening, Ken and I attended the black-tie opening night celebration of Pacific Northwest Ballet; First Look Evolution 2011 at McCaw Hall.  The evening began with a cocktail reception and dinner backstage prior to the ballet performance.  The menu was great and in addtion to the entree of beef tenderloin with roasted potatos and summer squash corn ratatouille included my favorite which was a delicious peach and endive salad with Serrano Ham, arugula and Banyuls vinaigrette.  

Sarah & John Rindlaub with Carrie Imler

We were seated with PNB Principal Ballet Dancer, Carrie Imler, who was not dancing until the next evening.  Also seated at our table were Sarah & John Rindlaub and Gaylee & Jim Duncan.  The event was filled with friends and other PNB ballet aficianados including Dan & Michele Heidt, Peter Horvitz, Aya Hamilton, Lynn & Frank Lindsay, Leena & Mel Sturman, Norma Cugini, Gail James, Rian & Peter McLeod, Caroline Goedhart, Betty Tong, Margaret Dell'Osso, Jane & David Davis, Sandra Dunn, Sharon Richardson, Bob Cremin, Carole Ellison, Jeanne Tweten & Jim Leslie and dozens of others.  (Ken doesn't actually admit to being a ballet aficianado, but I am still working on him!)

Following dinner, PNB Artistic Director, Peter Boal, announced and introduced several dancers new to PNB this season and on stage announced the promotions of both Lesley Rausch and Rachel Foster as Principal Dancers  Each was presented with a big bouquet of flowers onstage to thunderous applause. 

Carrie Imler

The performance was incredible.  It was ALL WHEELDON, a program with all works choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and included Carousel (A Dance), Polyphonia, Variations Serieuses and After the Rain pas de deux.  My personal favorites were Carousel and the After the Rain pas de deux.  Carousel was exquiste with Principal Dancers, Carla Körbes and Seth Orza dancing the lead roles and After the Rain was breathtakingly beautiful danced by Principal Dancers, Maria Chapman and Karel Cruz.  At the performance I sat next to PNB Soloist Dancer, James Moore, who was cast to dance the After the Rain pas de deux on the next night with newly announced PNB Principal Dancer, Rachel Foster.  I didn't hear him even breathe during the entire performance by Maria and Karel.

After the performance, the evening ended with an onstage dance party, where the party patrons and professional ballet dancers had a wonderful time dancing together into the wee hours. 

Magical PNB Season Encore Performance

Ariana Lallone in Lambarena

Tonight Kleenex was a must as I attended the Pacific Northwest Ballet Season Encore Performance honoring the PNB careers of Ariana Lallone, Jeffrey Stanton, Stanko Milov, Olivier Wevers, Chalnessa Eames, Stacy Lowenberg, Josh Spell and Barry Kerolis.

It was a spectacular evening of dance showcasing the multi-faceted talents of these dancers.  Stacy Lowenberg danced in Agon and her own choreographic piece, Rushed Goodbye. She and the stage were showered with flowers and after numerous curtain calls, the show had to be delayed while all the flowers were swept up.

Jeffrey Stanton danced in Petite Mort, Agon, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Who Cares and brought down the house in his Fred Astaire-like dancing in Silver Lining.  His dance partners past and present brought flowers for him and joined him during the thunderous applause onstage including gorgeous Patricia Barker in a bright red cocktail dress, whom I still miss seeing onstage now several years after her retirement.  He was also honored onstage by PNB Artistic Director, Peter Boal, and PNB Founding Artistic Directors, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell.

Neither Stanko Milov or Olivier Wevers danced.  Stanko has been recovering from an injury for almost the past two years so we had to make do with our memories of him along with a few photos and snippets of video featuring Stanko dancing with Ariana.  Olivier presented Monster, his choreographic piece which premiered in his new dance company, Whim W'Him earlier this year and the audience responded enthusiastically.  He was joined on stage and presented with massive bouquets of flowers by Peter Boal, Francia Russell, Kent Stowell, Kaori Nakamura and Lucien Postlewaite.

Biggest focus of the evening was for Ariana Lallone, who danced in Petite Mort, Rubies, Carmen, and Lambarena.  A film showed snippets of her dancing in dozens of ballets during her PNB career with Stanko Milov, Olivier Wevers, Jeffrey Stanton, Karel Cruz, Bathurel Bold, Christophe Maraval, among many others.  Before she took the stage for the final time to dance Lambarena, choreographer Val Caniparoli, talked about how much Ariana has meant to him as she has danced the roles he has created, with some created especially for her. She danced joyfully and brilliantly and at the conclusion of Lambarena, was rewarded with tumultuous applause and a standing ovation.  It took two strong men to bring a giant basket of flowers to center stage for her and then artistic directors, dancers, past dance partners, staff members, and friends joined her onstage each bringing massive floral bouquets in recognition of her amazing career.

As Founding Co-Artistic Director, Francia Russell, said it so well in the beautiful keepsake program, "It is both wonderful and painful to be celebrating the eight dancers who end their careers with PNB tonight.  The evolution of an arts institution inevitably  includes saying goodbye to people who have been important parts of its very fabric-in some cases, builders of the Company."

Having served on the PNB Board for 17 years and as Chairman of the Board for five years, I am invested in the careers of each of the dancers retiring and in my mind, they are all "my" dancers.  You have brought magic to all who have seen you perform!  Brava!  Bravo!

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!

Mesmerized once again by "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Francia Russell & Kent Stowell
PNB Founding Artistic Directors

Friday evening, Ken and I attended the pre-performance dinner at McCaw Hall for Pacific Northwest Ballet's opening night of George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  We were delighted to be seated with PNB Founding Artistic Directors and friends, Francia Russell and Kent Stowell.  PNB's unique production was staged by Francia and in addition to the beautiful score by Felix Mendelssohn, boasts set and costume designs by Martin Pakledinaz.

PNB Artistic Director, Peter Boal, recounted watching Francia rehearse the dancers sharing hundreds of corrections and comments until on the final night of dress rehearsal she told the dancers to "just go out and dance and forget all about the corrections, because this ballet now belongs to you".

Once we were ensconced in our seats in the Susan Brotman Auditorium and the lights dimmed, we entered the magical fairly kingdom in a forest with Carrie Imler dancing the role of Titania, Jonathan Porretta the role of Oberon and Josh Spell the role of Puck.  There were 24 children dancing their roles as bugs that added to the magic of the performance with their dancing sophistication.  I love not only the end of the ballet when the bugs wave tiny lights so appear to be fireflies, but also when they artfully collapse on stage in a huddle to sleep.

Since these are five of the eight dancers that will be departing PNB at the end of this season, I especially paid attention to Olivier Wevers dancing the role of Lysander, Chalnessa Eames the role of Hermia, Stacy Lowenberg part of Titania's Retinue, Ariana Lallone the role of Hippolyta, and Jeffrey Stanton dancing the Divertissment pas de deux in Act II.  Each danced beautifully and I will sincerely miss seeing them on stage next year, but will cherish my memories of their performances!

 

Party with a Prince!

Hostess Alexis Phelps & Stanko Milov

Earlier this week, I attended a lovely party hosted by Alexis Phelps at her home, to "Party with a Prince".  In this case, the "Prince" was Stanko Milov, who is a principal male dancer for Pacific Northwest Ballet and has multiple talents as a music composer, a concert pianist, dance choreographer, teacher, and visual artist.

Stanko grew up in Sofia, Bulgaria, where his chosen profession as a male ballet dancer, is a revered profession open to only the most talented classical dancers.  He began his classical dance and piano training at age eleven at the State Choreographic School in Sofia, where he graduated with honors before coming to the United States.  He was a principal dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre where he was the recipient of a 1997 Princess Grace Foundation Dance Fellowship Award.  He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a Principal dancer in 1999. 

Stanko is bigger than life, both physically at around 6'6" tall, and in personality.  I have heard several of the female ballet dancers say that he is their favorite dance partner, because of his height and strength and that they feel so safe when he does lifts with them.



Stanko Milov & Cathi Hatch

 Alexis invited many of her PNB Board of Trustees and STARS friends to join her in the opportunity to spend time appreciating Stanko's talents. When we first arrived, we were greeted by Stanko and one of his paintings was conspicuously displayed just inside the entrance.  Alexis made sure that her guests were all very well taken care of with glasses of champagne and delicious nibbles.  Alexis is a hostess who gets every detail right!  From her festive tabletop to the colorful collars on the champagne bottles to the homemade potstickers, it was a beautiful event and so much fun to see so many friends including Sherry Raisbeck, Pat Wallace, Sarah Rindlaub, Betty Tong, Cindy Lee, Suzy Krabbe, Laura Peterson, Leslie Chihuly and a host of others.  

Pat Wallace, Alecis Phelps, Cathi Hatch

When we departed, we were invited to take with us a CD of Stanko's piano solos, entitled Heartfelt which he has dedicated to his family and friends with this, ". . . I would like to thank my family in Bulgaria who taught me to believe in my dreams, and all of my friends who believed that this could be possible."

Suzy Krabbe & Stnko Milov

I know that I along with many others look forward to watching Stanko continue to grow and develop his artistic passions!

Stewart Kershaw and PNB - The End of an Era

Last weekend I attended the final PNB performance of the season featuring Stewart Kershaw conducting the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra for the last time.  Stewart was the visionary that 25 years ago built the PNB Orchestra, that has recently been referred to in the New York Times as “possibly the best ballet orchestra in the country”.  He has conducted The Nutcracker so many times that he has totally memorized the entire musical score.  Though gone from PNB, he will still have a chance to interact with the musicians, because he will continue to serve as the Music Director for the Auburn Symphony, and most of those musicians are also members of the PNB Orchestra.  See photos of Stewart and Peter Boal, PNB Artistic Director, above at the post performance reception.

In addition to saying farewell to Stewart, we also said goodbye to ballet dancers, Jordan Pacitti and Mara Vinson.  Jordan is retiring to pursue his fragrance business, but I know I will certainly miss seeing him onstage.  He danced beautifully last week in his final performance of Red Angels and in a fun encore romp featuring a rug!?  He received a standing ovation.  Mara was also exquisite dancing the role of Swanhilda in the final act of Coppelia and she will be missed too!

Wine, wine everywhere!

I was so impressed with the Seattle Wine Awards which occurred last Sunday at the Rainier Club!  Rainier Club Director of Wine and Spirits and Executive Director of the Seattle Wine Awards, Christopher Chan, organized another amazing wine event featuring 100 wineries with numerous awards presented.  See photos of Christopher above and a few of the people enjoying the event.  I saw several ZINO Society members there as well enjoying the afternoon of rubbing shoulders with the winemakers and vintners while sipping excellent Washington wines. 

I personally visited around 50 of the winery tables and though I limited myself to one sip at each table, it still became a blur by the time I had to leave in order to attend the Encore performance of Pacific Northwest Ballet. 

Congratulations to all the wineries who received awards!

A Dance Tribute to Brady Richardson

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a fascinating studio rehearsal for Pacific Northwest Ballet’s new production of Coppelia in honor of past PNB board member, Microsoftee, and friend, Brady Richardson who passed away a year ago from cancer.  We all still miss Brady!  His wife, Sharon, in the purple dress in photos above hosted the studio rehearsal in his honor and invited those of us that had donated to PNB in Brady’s name to join her.

A studio rehearsal is always the most interesting opportunity to see dancers at work, because you can really see how hard they are working.  They are close enough that you hear their loud breathing from the exhausting, athletic moves that they are making.  Plus, you can see how hard their muscles are working as the men lift the women, etc. while making it all look effortless and graceful.  Brady and Sharon have both been very active supporters of PNB and many of the dancers have been invited to their home on a regular basis.

Sharon continues to actively support PNB and has been an active and involved member of PNB STARS, the womens’ auxillary group that raises money for PNB as well as provides educational opportunities.  The top photo is of several of the STARS members who attended the rehearsal including Susie Ostrander, Carrie Lee, Amy Andersen, Lisa Hanna, Sharon Richardson and Cindy Lee.

Jordan Pacitti, in the 2^nd and 3^rd photos above, a PNB Corps de Ballet dancer and audience favorite, who is retiring at the end of this season, is dancing the role of Dr. Coppelius, in several of the upcoming ballet performances this week and next.

 

Jenna Fischer needs "A Little Help"

Last evening we had the opportunity to soak up an incredible panoramic view of Lake Union on the 24^th floor of the WEST 8^TH building (along with a glass of wine or a martini) at JJ McKay’s cocktail party.  He invited friends to join him to meet friends, Joe Gressis and Dena Hysell, who were premiering their new indie movie, “A Little Help”, starring Jenna Fischer (see photo of Jenna Fischer above with Stacy Lill and me).

It was an intriguing place for a party which included a vast open, unfinished space with no walls, lighting or HVAC, but perfect for an afternoon party before the sun went down.  There were scores of friends and interesting people there to meet Jenna and wish Joe and Dena well including Piper & Billy O’Neill,  Heather & Michael Sandoval, Afshan Lakha, Betty Tong (see photo of Betty, JJ and me above), Kim Richter, Stacy and Greg Lill, Princess Lada and Larry Schuiski, Vanessa Strickland (see Vanessa & Betty 3^rd photo above) and Nancy Auer, recently retired from Swedish Medical Center.  Also attending were Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Ballet Dancers, Lucien Postlewaite, recovering from a recent operation and sporting hip new glasses and Olivier Wevers, who will be dancing the role of Dr. Coppelius in the upcoming new production of Coppelia which opens next week at McCaw Hall.

In addition to recognizing the party honorees, JJ also made a birthday toast to Marnie Rosen and we joined in a decidedly off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday” in her honor.  It’s the thought that counts!

The BEST Pilates Instructor!

For the past three or four years, I have been attending Pilates classes at the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Francia Russell Center two days per week.  My instructor’s name is Tara Stepenberg, and though I don’t have much experience with other Pilates instructors, I am pretty sure that she is the best in the world!  When they are in town, Susan Neumann attends with me on Wednesdays and Patty Barrier attends with me on Fridays and they are both impressed with Tara also!

I know that each time I go to Pilates, I feel so much better when I leave.  I feel more flexible and my back isn’t tight and aching as it generally is when I arrive.  Tara always seems to know just the right thing to do and she mixes up all the exercises and equipment use so much that we never get bored.

This week, we celebrated Tara’s birthday with the gift of a new Kindle as she got ready to leave for a trip to India with her daughter.  See photos of Tara above celebrating with Susan and me.  Though Patty couldn’t join us, she sent her love and happy birthday wishes to Tara as well.

Have a wonderful vacation, Tara!  My stiff, aching body will welcome your safe return!

Not a tutu in sight.

Thursday evening, Ken and I attended opening night of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertory program, 3 by Dove.  At the pre-performance donors’ dinner, in addition to sitting with friends, Dan & Michelle Heidt, Sharon Richardson, and others, we had the opportunity to sit at the same table with Parrish Maynard, who was in town to stage Serious Pleasures, PNB’s fourth Ulysses Dove choreographic acquisition.  As PNB Artistic Director, Peter Boal shared in his Director’s Notebook, “Parrish Maynard was the central figure in the original premiere of the work created for American Ballet Theatre in 1992 turning in career-defining performances.  The work was controversial for addressing the shadowy underworld of sexuality at the dawn of the AIDS epidemic.  Audiences loved it.  The work was nearly lost, with the exception of a few grainy videos and Parrish’s keen memory.  He has brought the work back from extinction for this revival.”

I had not seen the Company in any of their rehearsals, so at dinner Parrish described the set of nine doors that were opened and closed rapidly as dancers entered and exited the stage.  The Lighting Designer, Rico Chiarelli, and his team had their hands full in managing the quick lighting changes in exact sequence.  We were astounded when Parrish shared that there were 53 lighting changes in just the first six minutes of the work!

The entire production and the PNB dancers were incredible!  Principal dancer, Lucien Postlewaite, had the role of the “narrator”.  In this case, the “narrator” doesn’t talk, but tells the story through dance and according to the program is the story of “the merciless battle between spirit and flesh.”  In addition, opening and slamming doors and dancing visually compelling vignettes with names such as “Demons of Light” and “Angels of Darkness” were Lindsi Dec, Karel Cruz, Sara Ricard Orzo, Seth Orzo, Ariana Lallone, Jordan Pacitti, Leslie Rausch and James Moore.

I have to pass along kudos and big thanks to friends and fellow ballet aficionados, Aya Hamilton, Carl & Renee Behnke, and Bob & Joan Cremin for their generous underwriting of this PNB premiere.  What a privilege to have a world-class ballet company of this quality in our community!