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Review: Pacific Northwest Ballet Finally Makes It Back to New York

On Thursday’s mixed bill, Ulysses Dove’s “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven” was the most arresting and emotionally resonant work.

By Siobhan Burke

A cross-country visit from a major American ballet company is almost always of interest; after so much pandemic upheaval, it merits appreciation just as a logistical feat. For the first time in six years, Pacific Northwest Ballet , from Seattle, has made its way to New York with a full-fledged season, which originally was scheduled for June 2020. The company even brought its orchestra.

Presented by the Joyce Theater Foundation at the David H. Koch Theater, the engagement includes two mixed repertory programs. The first of these, on Thursday (following a special opening-night Joyce gala program on Wednesday) featured Ulysses Dove’s “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven: Odes to Love and Loss,” Crystal Pite’s “Plot Point” and the New York premiere of Twyla Tharp’s “Waiting at the Station.”

While introducing New York audiences to some fabulous West Coast dancers, the two-and-a-half-hour evening (including two long intermissions) felt oddly anticlimactic. Maybe it had to do with the sparse crowd on Thursday. Or maybe it was just the choice of repertory, much of which seemed selected to lift or lighten our collective mood, but didn’t quite do the trick.

The most arresting and emotionally resonant work came first, Dove’s prayerlike ballet for six dancers , to Arvo Pärt’s spacious and somber “Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten.” Created for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1993, in the thick of the AIDS epidemic, “Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven” depicts a series of relationships marked by longing, within a framework of communal ritual. Dove would die from AIDS-related complications just three years later, and it’s hard to watch this work without wishing we’d had more time with him.

The dancers — three men and three women, all in white unitards — begin in a circle at the center of the stage, linking hands around a bright white spotlight. They repeatedly disperse from this arrangement, into other pools of light, and flock back to it, their foundation.

Against the echo of tolling bells, angular poses and plunging pliés conjure their own urgent rhythm. And as much as the dancers reach out for one another — with a splayed hand shooting forward, or bourrées contracting backward — we also see their wholeness as individuals. At the intersection of two corridors of light, Jonathan Batista pirouettes with breathtaking equanimity. Juliet Prine delivers every move with precise assurance, and Amanda Morgan’s long limbs bloom out from her center, communicating both freedom and devotion. When, in the end, the dancers find themselves each in separate spotlights, they are isolated but still together.

“Plot Point” (2010) swings in a different direction, a deliberately exaggerated extrapolation of film noir, whose 14 impressive dancers comprise a double cast of “real life” characters and their shadowy “replicas.” Set to Bernard Herrmann’s score for Hitchcock’s “Psycho” (with additional sound by Owen Belton), the work accentuates the comedy of horror, in scene after scene of over-the-top conflict and intrigue, at times resembling stop-motion animation. It’s fleetingly funny and — thanks in large part to the stark, evocative set by Jay Gower Taylor — visually handsome. But for all its meandering and doubling back, little seems to lie beneath its stylish surfaces.

“Waiting at the Station,” choreographed for the company in 2013, doubles down on a more wholesome kind of fun, bringing us to 1940s New Orleans via colorful costumes and sets by Santo Loquasto and a soulful medley of music by the R&B artist Allen Toussaint. Though you might not know it without the program notes, the ballet tells the story of a father (James Yoichi Moore) imparting dance steps to his son (Kuu Sakuragi) before he dies. Both dancers nail their roles with polish and charisma; their solos and interactions are the ballet’s highlights.

With lots of rollicking ensemble work, “Waiting” plateaus on a kind of relentlessly jolly note, even in its funeral scene. Sometimes leaning into loss, as Dove’s work does, feels truer.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Through Sunday at David H. Koch Theater; joyce.org .

Stepping Into the World of Dance

As Black roller skaters from around the country bring their styles to Atlanta, some locals look for space to preserve the moves the city  is known for.

A gala-style piece can be done in a rote or fresh manner, and at New York City Ballet’s spring gala, the two premieres — one by Justin Peck, one by Amy Hall Garner  — were fresh enough.

Eduardo Vilaro celebrates his 15th year as artistic director  of Ballet Hispánico with a premiere exploring the life of the painter Juan de Pareja.

The spring season at New York City Ballet  opened with an all-Balanchine program and a vintage miniature from 1975: “Errante,” staged for a new generation.

Under the banner “American Legacies,” the Martha Graham Dance Company dusted off a classic, “Rodeo,” premiered a companion piece  and welcomed FKA twigs for a guest solo  at City Center.

As Harlem Stage’s E-Moves dance series turns 25, Bill T. Jones and other major choreographers discuss its impact on Black dance  in New York.

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Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Journey Across Classic and Brand-New Is an Epic Yes

The triple-bill combines a lesser-known classic with a timely world premiere, then finishes with a mighty flourish. Carmina Burana runs live through 10/2, then streams from 10/6-10. 

Varied. Exuberant. Complex.   If I had three words to describe the triple-bill on now at Pacific Northwest Ballet, those would be my go-to. 

And the title program would merit a fourth: Epic .

The Kent Stowell-choreographed Carmina Burana   is undoubtedly the most well-known of the show’s trio, and the capstone performance for the evening. It’s not hard to see why the work is so popular. 

Carmina Burana manages to capture almost every contradiction inside one epic work. Ethereal and worldly. Dogmatic and liberated. Ancient and contemporary. Solo and chorus. Solemn and euphoric. Revelrous and monastic. 

And, in visual form, the most curious of contrasts: a dozen or so bare-assed-looking men running around the stage beneath a quartet of angels. And at the end, it seems, an age-old Adam and Eve dance the Ice Capades alongside stirring solos, before all of humanity goes naked (again, in appearance only, with clever costuming) and packs the stage, given over to free will beneath the enormous wheel of fortune. It’s like the Nutcracker ball, only naked and weirder. 

This show is not subtle. It bursts with drama and flourish and spectacle — a full choir looking on, three soloist singers, dozens of dancers, and a ceiling-mounted, stage-length contraption looming over all of them — and yet it all flows so fluidly. And it doesn’t force anything. What you take away is up to you. 

If I had known that ballet could do this, who knows, I might have actually liked it as a kid. 

The epic was preceded by two shorter works, as different as can be. I usually very much like the combination of Balanchine choreography with Tchaikovsky’s dramatic compositions, which is what we have here in Allegro Brillante , but this one felt a little hollow, the music disjointed. But a statuesque Jonathan Batista (promoted at opening night to principal dancer), who is a joy every time I’ve watched him and immediately commands the stage, and Angelica Generosa, whose sharpness is the picture perfect ballerina, is always worth a view. As a duo, the intimacy of their performance is so practiced it appears the opposite: natural and effortless. 

In contrast to the age-old classic pairings of Balanchine and Tchaikovsky was the world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Wartime Elegy , a piece created amid and about present strife in Ukraine. Visual art by Maria Prymachenko and Matvei Vaisberg sets wide-ranging moods of struggle, levity, and morosity, accentuating the moody musical compositions by Valentin Silvestrov and Ukrainian village music. Wartime Elegy paints a picture of a resilient people characterized by helpfulness and humor, even as they’re darkened under a hardened gray of war. But then, skies brighten. Hope prevails.

Under the title of Carmina Burana , PNB’s evening-length trio of works strikes a beautiful balance of challenging and inviting. It’s a rich and varied showcase of what ballet can do.

View full designer credits and dancer information in the digital program, here .  

Carmina Burana  runs through 10/2 at Pacific Northwest Ballet (in McCaw Hall, Seattle Center/Mercer side). Tickets ($44-$202)  here .  Accessibility notes: main restrooms are gendered and multi-stall, with gender-neutral, single-stall restrooms available by most of them. Theatre and common areas are wheelchair accessible. Financial accessibility note: Pay-what-you-choose tickets and reduced-price “Beer and Ballet” tickets are available for Thursday night’s performance; see info here . A streaming version is available 10/6-10; see info here .

Chase D. Anderson  is Editor & Producer of NWTheatre.org.

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Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces 2021-22 Season

The season kicks off with Rep 1 – SINGULARLY CERRUDO, running September 24 – 26, 2021.

Following a year that nobody wants to revisit anytime soon, Artistic Director Peter Boal has optimistically announced the line-up for Pacific Northwest Ballet's 49th season, running from September 2021 to June 2022. A love letter to PNB's loyal fans, highlights of PNB's return to the McCaw Hall stage include full-evening programs devoted to the works of Alejandro Cerrudo and Twyla Tharp, PNB premieres by Alonzo King and Justin Peck and a world premiere by Robyn Mineko Williams, the triumphant return of classic story ballets Swan Lake and Roméo et Juliette, as well as works by Ulysses Dove, Jessica Lang, and Crystal Pite. (And, of course, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker®.) PNB will continue to offer its digital subscription as well - during the past pandemic year the company's offerings were viewed by ballet fans in every state and 34 countries - although the digital season will not run day-and-date with the live performances. (Details to be announced.) Full-season subscribers will have access to the digital season as part of their subscription.

PNB is currently accepting season subscription renewals and new digital-season subscription orders; new subscriptions, single tickets to the season, and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® will go on sale to the public later this summer. For further information, contact the PNB Box Office by phone at 206.441.2424, or online at PNB.org. As always, everything is subject to change. For further details, see "SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION" and "F.A.Q.s," below.

Rep 1 - SINGULARLY CERRUDO

September 24 - 26, 2021

The creative power of PNB's Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo is on full display in this triple bill. Breathe in the moving tranquility of Silent Ghost, take a tantalizing look at spectacular teamwork in an excerpt from One Thousand Pieces, and journey through the unexpected twists and turns of Little mortal jump.

Silent Ghost

Music: Dustin Hamman, King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm

Choreography: Alejandro Cerrudo

One Thousand Pieces (Excerpt)

Music: Philip Glass

Little mortal jump

Music: Beirut, Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire, Alexandre Desplat, Philip Glass, Hans Otte, Max Richter, Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan

Rep 2 - BEYOND BALLET

November 5 - 7, 2021

Three unique voices of three internationally-acclaimed choreographers: the combination of Ulysses Dove's mournful Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, Jessica Lang's haunting Ghost Variations, and the PNB premiere of Alonzo King's The Personal Element promises unmatched emotion, expression, and musicality.

Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven

Music: Arvo Pärt

Choreography: Ulysses Dove

Ghost Variations

Music: Clara Schumann and Robert Schumann

Choreography: Jessica Lang

The Personal Element (PNB Premiere)

Music: Jason Moran

Choreography: Alonzo King

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

November 20 - December 28, 2021 (NOTE: Not part of the 2021-22 Subscription season.)

Celebrate the holidays with renewed gusto! With its classic score, thrilling dancing, resplendent costumes, and magical scenery, George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday celebration. Cheers!

Music: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Costume & Scenic Design: Ian Falconer

Roméo et Juliette

February 4 - 13, 2022

Presented during PNB's 2020-21 digital season, but nothing compares to the in-person experience: Jean-Christophe Maillot's Roméo et Juliette will sweep audiences to Verona through powerful choreography, Prokofiev's rich score, the flush of first love, and the drama of Shakespeare's classic story.

Music: Sergei Prokofiev

Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot

Rep 4 - PLOT POINTS

March 18 - 27, 2022

Bold experimentation is the theme for this set of trailblazing pieces. PNB audiences will remember the power of Crystal Pite's Plot Point; the arresting complexity of Justin Peck's The Times Are Racing and a world premiere by Robin Mineko Williams (The Trees The Trees) are sure to make a similar impression.

The Times Are Racing (PNB Premiere)

Music: Dan Deacon

Choreography: Justin Peck

World Premiere

Choreography: Robin Mineko Williams

Music: Bernard Herrmann

Choreography: Crystal Pite

Beauty and the Beast

March 20 - 27, 2022 (NOTE: Not part of the 2021-22 Subscription season.)

Featuring students of Pacific Northwest Ballet School.

Based on the beloved fairy tale, this narrated, one-hour performance is the perfect introduction to ballet for young theatre-goers. Performed by the accomplished students of PNB School, Bruce Wells' Beauty and the Beast will take the audience on a journey to a magical world of adventure, unlikely friendships, and true love.

Music: Léo Delibes

Concept and Choreography: Bruce Wells

April 15 - 24, 2022

PNB's return to the stage wouldn't be complete without Swan Lake. Every element of this production is carefully crafted to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, from the masterful choreography, to the stunning sets and costumes, to the undeniably iconic score. And most captivating of all: the story at the ballet's heart - a classic tale of good versus evil, temptation, tragedy, and love of the highest order.

Choreography: Kent Stowell

Staging: Francia Russell (after Petipa and Ivanov)

REP 6 - ALL THARP

June 3 - 12, 2022

PNB's final rep of the season is all about the legendary dancer, director, and choreographer Twyla Tharp. From the echo of her own Quaker roots in Sweet Fields, to the haunting Scottish clan in Brief Fling, to the all-out joy of New Orleans that runs through Waiting at the Station, Tharp draws inspiration from around the globe and yet her style remains quintessentially her own.

Brief Fling

Music: Michel Colombier and Percy Grainger

Choreography: Twyla Tharp

Sweet Fields (PNB Premiere)

Music: 18th- and 19th-century American hymns and Shaker songs

Waiting at the Station

Music: Allen Toussaint

The Pacific Northwest Ballet Box Office is now taking orders for subscription renewals and digital-season subscriptions to PNB's 2021-22 season. Full-season [seated] subscriptions start at $190 for seats to all six programs. Four-show partial-season subscriptions, with seats to the February - June performances, start at $130.

Full-season subscriptions include access to six digital performances as well. Partial-season subscribers may purchase digital access for $150. A digital-only subscription is available for $249.

Subscribers should be receiving detailed renewal information via email, and may contact the PNB Box Office by calling 206.441.2424 or online at PNB.org.

New subscriptions and single tickets to season performances as well as tickets to George Balanchine's The Nutcracker will be available for purchase from the PNB Box Office beginning later this summer, date TBA.

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Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake Review: A Classic Interpretation and a Shining Swan Queen

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Swan Lake Review: A Classic Interpretation and a Shining Swan Queen

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s  Swan Lake  Review May 12, 2022 | Digital

When I visited Seattle earlier this year to see Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Romeo et Juliette , I noticed just how enthusiastic their audience was. And it was the same for their recent run of Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake .

Having audience members root for you is precisely what you would want if tasked with the iconic dual roles of the White and Black swans. Incredibly demanding, it is the quintessential ballerina role, requiring drama, endurance, and incredible strength.

That, and the commanding Tchaikovsky score, are perhaps why we should be inclined to forgive the somewhat silly storyline.

Stowell’s version remains committed to the classic interpretation with mild alterations.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the production was the set and costume design. The former, designed by Ming Cho Lee, features large pillars on the outskirts of the stage and looming tree branches that clump near the ceiling, almost mimicking the edges of a bird’s nest. It is only after a few minutes of dancing have passed that one might notice the set is delightfully off-kilter.

The costumes by Paul Tazewell feature citrus and deep gem colors for the various characters. The swans are in sophisticated tutus with silvery-blue and white feather shapes that fade into skin-toned shoulders.

The other highlight to this performance was the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra whose notes varied between honeyed and electric.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's Swan Lake featuring Lesley Rausch and James Kirby Rogers

The choreography remains just good. Nothing risky or offensive, the steps are adequate and the dancers look like they are enjoying themselves.

The shining star is Lesley Rausch, Queen of the Swans and queen of suspended balances. Almost able to catch air in her arabesques, her balances give the effect of skimming the surface of a pond. Not only is she an exquisite dancer, she has acting chops too. Your heart aches for her in the delicate White Swan pas de deux , we cheer her on when she switches to the calculating Black Swan, and then we’re back to anguish when she dons the white costume again.

Paired with James Kirby Rogers as her Siegfried, the couple are well-matched in partnering and on-stage chemistry. Rogers is a generous dancer with a deep plié , giving his solos a wonderful groundedness.

The Prince and Odette’s first meeting is always difficult to manage.

The issue being that the swan is supposed to be flighty and suspicious and yet they need to partner with each other, and subsequently enter personal space. The pair manage it well despite it not making much sense.

In the exciting Black Swan pas de deux , Rausch is saucy and plays hard to get while Rogers is both intrigued and confused. What makes the pas de deux is Rausch’s enthusiasm upon completing the intimidating 32 fouettés , a victorious air bite and a glimmer in her eye, the audience joins her on the same level.

A shoutout must be made to the corps de ballet dancers who go from party attendant, to swan, to third act diverts, and then back to swans for the fourth act. That’s right, some dancers are in all four acts and this should be celebrated along with Odile’s 32 fouettés .

The lake scenes rely heavily on the flock of swans weaving around the stage in different formations and moving in unison. A spectacle of unicity, the Pas de quatre (sometimes known as Four Little Swans) is always an audience favorite. Stowell goes for a traditional rendition and the dancers execute the synchronicity well.

Also excellent was Kuu Sakuragi as the Jester. A newer member to the company and still in the corps de ballet , Sakuragi is sure to be a dancer to watch.

Additionally, the pas de trois danced by Leta Biasucci, Kyle Davis, and Angelica Generosa was a polished opener to the ballet.

Pacific Northwest Ballet Performances ⤞

The end of Swan Lake is always a toss-up in my opinion: Does the couple die? Does Rothbart die? Does nobody die?

I’ve never been fully satiated by any rendition; the destruction of Rothbart is always cheesy (usually a wing ripped off while the dancer tucks an arm behind their back) leaving the couple’s fate overshadowed.

Or one could opt for Stowell’s choice, where Siegfried’s incorrect vow of love to Odile dooms Odette back to her life in the flock. Everyone is unharmed physically, but the heart break of Siegfried’s mistake lays heavy on the stage.

I almost prefer this version if only because there is no corny fighting. It’s a safe choice. And that’s really what this version is: a classic that’s been dusted off but not redone.

Featured Photo of Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Lesley Rausch and soloist James Kirby Rogers (with Otto Neubert) in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake.  Photo © Angela Sterling.

Nadia Vostrikov

Nadia Vostrikov is a former television actress and dancer for Boston Ballet II, Alberta Ballet, and numerous freelance dance companies. She currently works as a Digital Marketer in NYC. (Photo by: Katrina Cunningham)

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Pacific Northwest Ballet opens 2023-24 season with two sublime works

Dance review.

A little Mozart, a little fencing, a little ballet — what more could one want on a fall evening? Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season-opening repertory, called “Petite Mort” after the first dance on the program, may have on paper looked a bit underwhelming for the company’s 2023-2024 kickoff: three contemporary works, all of them previously presented; no big-story ballet or showy new work. But a good-sized opening night crowd gathered, rewarded by two sublime Jiří Kylián works and a third ballet that … well, did I mention Kylián?

“Petite Mort,” which involves 12 dancers, six fencing foils, six empty baroque dresses on wheels and a dramatic wave of black silk, was choreographed by Kylián in 1991 in honor of the second centenary of Mozart’s death; it was first presented at PNB in 2009. Set to two of the composer’s piano concertos (played with soft sensitivity by Christina Siemens), it alternates creative prop work with six liquid pas de deux, each lovelier than the last. Ashton Edwards and Mark Cuddihee whirled weightlessly; Dammiel Cruz-Garrido and Clara Ruf Maldonado struck an eerily beautiful pose, his arms forming wings as he hovered above her. Angelica Generosa and Lucien Postlewaite seemed to delicately shape each other, her perfect arabesque seeming an extension of his limbs. I love this ballet’s final note: the empty dresses whirling, as if possessed by the dancer’s spirits.

“Sechs Tänze,” which wittily reuses those dresses, is a sort of companion piece to “Petite Mort”; also set to Mozart, it’s lighter and sillier and yet oddly moving. Eight dancers, dressed in baroque dishabille (the men sporting powdered wigs, which added its own punctuation), fluidly moved through a series of vignettes: chasing, arguing, flailing, soaring. Kylián’s movements here are often astonishingly quick, and the cast tosses the work off so fluidly you’d think it was simple; it’s not. Leta Biasucci, who does comedy so very well, was a standout here, as was an apple-chewing Zsilas Michael Hughes in a brilliant sight gag. Silly stuff for sure, but its final moment, as bubbles descend to the stage and the dancers respond in childlike rapture, is unexpectedly transporting.

Of Alexander Ekman’s “Cacti,” previously performed by PNB in 2018, let’s just say that you either love or hate this ballet (if indeed it can be called that), and I’m in the latter category. A busy mishmash of spoken word, endless repetition and plant-holding, taking place on a busy set filled with squares and involving very little actual dancing, it caused audible delight from some audience members and silence from others. Not the best note, to my mind, on which to end a night and start a season — these glorious dancers deserve better. May the season bring more opportunities for them to shine.

“Petite Mort,” through Oct. 1; McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., Seattle; $38-$210; 206-441-2424, pnb.org

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Pacific Northwest Ballet Events

Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States, was founded in 1972. In July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. The Company of nearly fifty dancers presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob's Pillow and in New York City and Washington DC.

Administrative Offices: 206-441-9411 Box Office: 206-441-2424

Please visit  Pacific Northwest Ballet's Health & Safety Policies page  to view specific COVID protocols and information related to their performances in McCaw Hall.

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The Classic Returns in 2024!

It just isn't the holiday season in Washington State without the annual The Nutcracker Seattle production, presented annually by the Pacific Northwest Ballet and featuring choreography by the immortal George Balanchine - and lucky for you, great tickets are available for every performance of the company's 2024 production!  Check out the schedule below to find out how you and your family can experience the whimsy, the magic, and the music of Tchaikovsky's beloved Christmas-themed ballet, live in 2024, but don't wait.  If you want the best The Nutcracker Seattle Tickets , then you'd better reserve yours today!

Sunday, November 17th, 2024 1:00 PM

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet Moore Theatre - WA Seattle, WA

Sunday, November 17th, 2024 5:00 PM

Moore theatre seating chart for the nutcracker.

Moore Theatre     Upcoming Events

Marcus king.

Monday, May 6th, 2024 8:00 PM

Prateek Kuhad

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 8:00 PM

Seattle Rock Orchestra: The Beatles Number 1's

Saturday, May 11th, 2024 7:30 PM

Sunday, May 12th, 2024 2:00 PM

Celeste Barber

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 8:00 PM

Phil Rosenthal

Friday, May 17th, 2024 7:00 PM

Saturday, May 18th, 2024 7:00 PM

Saturday, May 18th, 2024 9:30 PM

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Sunday, May 19th, 2024 7:00 PM

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Pacific Northwest Ballet – Summer Course Audition Tour

January 5, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - february 11, 2023 @ 12:00 am.

PNB School’s Summer Course curriculum offers serious ballet students the highest caliber of intensive classical training, augmented by a rich diversity of dance forms necessary to meet the eclectic demands of dance companies today. Our Summer Course also offers students seminars by PNB consultants and dance specialists on a wide variety of topics relevant to the young dancer including injury prevention, mental health, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and pointe shoe care. Our Audition Tour is coming soon to a city near you! This year, we’ll be touring to: Atlanta, Austin, Boca Raton, Boston, Carlisle, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoeinx, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Tacoma, Tampa, and Washington D.C. For more details, visit PNB.org/SummerCourse

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The Legacy of the Mouse King

The History of the Nutcracker

Photo source: Moscow Ballet

Under the gentle snow and multi-color lights during Christmas, the sounds and imagines of Tchaikovsky’s ballet swim through performances in metropolitan ballet companies and grade school productions. This classic Russian story has been a staple for ballet companies around the world. And though it is secular in its relation to Christmas, the Nutcracker has become synonymous with the winter holiday.

That is why it is surprising to discover that the story originated with a German writer whose original story was written as a dark Gothic fairytale with a seven-headed Mouse King and a little girl who would abandon her family forever for a bizarre world ruled by living dolls.

ETA Hoffmann and the Mouse King

Photo source: Book Depository

Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann was a professional lawyer and eventually a judge, though his passion was in the arts. He was a writer, an illustrator, and an artist. He was a passionate music lover and changed his name to Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann in admiration of Mozart, taking the pen name of ETA Hoffmann. He wrote one of the most influential reviews of Beethoven’s Fifth during its composition and his observations were well respected.

He was most remembered as a fiction writer and his stories were so admired by composers that they were set to music. Most famously, the 18th-century composer Jacques Offenbach crafted the opera, “The Tales of Hoffmann.”

When you read Hoffmann’s original version of “Nutcracker and Mouse King,” you quickly notice it is both dark and mesmerizing at the same time, and definitely not intended for children.

In Hoffmann’s story, a young girl named Marie falls in love with a nutcracker doll. The doll only comes to life when she sleeps. During a grisly fight between the nutcracker prince and the seven-headed Mouse King, Marie slips into a fevered dream in a glass cabinet, cutting her arm seriously. The Mouse King brainwashes her while she sleeps and heals from her injury. This leads to a series of adventures as she accompanies the nutcracker prince in his battle against the Mouse King. Later when she is awake, her stories about her dreams upset her parents badly enough that they forbid her from discussing them anymore. In the end, she vows to love the nutcracker prince and he comes alive in waking world. They marry and both leave her real life forever for the doll kingdom.

How Tchaikovsky Turned Dumas into Music

Photo source: National Public Radio

This story caught the eye of the French writer Alexander Dumas, author of the “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo,” who decided to turn it into children’s story. Dumas created changes in the story to make it less frightening and lighten the tone of the narrative. This version was called “L’histoire d’un casse noisette” (The Story of the Nutcracker) and was published in 1844, becoming the version of the story that most in the world recognize.

50 years later the popularity of Dumas’s story reached the director of the Russian Imperial Theatre, who commissioned Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky to compose an opera and Marius Petipa to create the ballet. The ballet was hit with the Czar but unfortunately faced harsh reception among others, mostly through complaints that the ballet was too childish and symphonic.

The Washington Ballet Nutcracker, December 2017 Image Credit: Theo Kossenas

Tchaikovsky is said to have composed music for the Grand Pas de Deux in the ballet from a bet with his friend who wagered he couldn’t create music based on the notes of the octave in sequence. Tchaikovsky asked if it was important whether the notes were in ascending or descending order. He was told to compose as he felt was correct. He took the bet and the rest is history.

The Russian production later collapsed due to the revolution but found new life in other countries, first in Budapest in 1927 than in London in 1934. The ballet had a spectacular introduction in the United State when Walt Disney used the entire score in Disney’s “Fantasia” in 1940, followed by the first American performance in San Francisco in 1944.

The watershed moment in the United States happens in 1954 with the New York City Ballet performance under the direction of dance pioneer George Balanchine, who learned the ballet when he was a young boy. Using the original story, he reimagined the ballet based on his own innovative ideas about art.

Maurice Sendak and the Hoffman Revival

1980 was a watershed moment for ETA Hoffmann. The Pacific Northwest Ballet, wishing to evoke the original story, commissioned Maurice Sendak, the author, and illustrator or “Where the Wild Things Are.” Seeking Sendak’s dark and foreboding vision, the ballet company felt that he was perfect to express the original stories tone. Sendak’s vision premiered with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1983. He released a book based on this version in 1984.

Photo source: Pinterest/Gabby Leon

In light of its global appeal, it is easy to see how Hoffmann’s story has become so important. From its origins in Germany to its children’s rendition in France and finally its ballet adaption in Russia, the Nutcracker has been reinvented several times to appeal to the different audience.

ETA Hoffmann’s name has slowly vanished in time as his story has developed universal recognition. Though his tale was dark and enriched with a bizarre otherworldly vision, it has become a familiar holiday story that evokes the Christmas season and absorbs its audience with Hoffmann’s unique imagination.

Further Reading

• History of Nutcracker
• “The Nutcracker’s” disturbing origin story: Why this was once the world’s creepiest ballet
• No Sugar Plums Here: The Dark, Romantic Roots Of ‘The Nutcracker’
• The History of The Nutcracker Ballet (Video)

As always, we include Spotify playlist created by GROM Audio, consisting of our favorite pieces from Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ballet “Nutcracker”.

Listening to Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker on VLine Infotainment System in Lexus Photo Credit: GROM Audio

Listen to SPOTIFY Playlist:

Open in Spotify

Moscow Ballet

~ moscow ballet's great russian nutcracker is the quintessential christmas experience.

Moscow Ballet Features “Dove of Peace” and “Land of Peace and Harmony” on 2018 Tour

10 Tuesday Apr 2018

Posted by Moscow Ballet in Great Russian Nutcracker , Moscow Ballet North American Tour

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alastair macaulay , dove of peace , great russian nutcracker , land of peace and harmony , moscow ballet , nutcracker

Dove of Peace aerobatic choreography defies gravity

“Sergey Chumakov…when partnering Elena Petrichenko…as the Dove of Peace confer an unusual thrill upon the work’s many lifts.” Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay, New York Times

2018 features the Moscow Ballet Dove of Peace Tour! The iconic character of the Dove of Peace has been a critical and artistic element of the Great Russian Nutcracker for the past 25 years. Exclusive to Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker the Dove of Peace performs in lieu of the Sugar Plum Fairy but to the same music by Tchaikovsky. Originally the Dove of Peace was danced by a single ballerina but in 2012, in celebration of the tour’s 20 th Anniversary, acro-ballet artists Sergey Chumakov and Elena Petrichenko created an entirely new Dove of Peace entwining their bodies and extending one arm each with a large feathered wing creating a Dove of Peace with a 20 foot wingspan.  The ballet has featured the Land of Peace and Harmony in Act II, traditionally called the Land of Sweets, and the Dove of Peace since their first 1993 North American tour. Hailing from all corners of the former Soviet Union, the Moscow Ballet company dance from NYC to LA, and from Miami to Calgary for world peace, as they have done since that first tour.

“This acclaimed version of the perennial ballet [the Nutcracker] includes some special touches… when two dancers become one as The Dove of Peace, a “bird” with a 20-foot wingspan, in a prayer for World Peace.” Chicago Tribune

The “Dove of Peace,” which replaces the traditional Sugar Plum Fairy role, was inspired by Bolshoi Ballet Principal danseur   Stanislov Vlasov , who was choreographer/balletmaster of Moscow Ballet’s inaugural 1993  Great Russian Nutcracker , and partner Lilia Sabitova, Honored as People’s Artist of Russia, when they performed their soaring choreography at Carnegie Hall and more venues around the world. Moscow Ballet’s “Dove of Peace” leads heroine Masha and her Nutcracker Prince into the Land of Peace and Harmony (traditionally known as the Land of Sweets).  The 2 person Dove of Peace premiered in 2012 on the 20 th Anniversary Tour of the Great Russian Nutcracker and was created by Moscow Ballet’s acclaimed Sergey Chumakov and Elena Petrichenko .

Tickets are On Sale now in many cities on the 2018 Tour. Go to www.nutcracker.com to get the best seats today!

“Moscow Ballet’s exclusive Dove of Peace, Elena Petrichenko and Sergey Chumakov, showcases the couple’s immense technical skills, athleticism, strength, and grace in a breathtaking way. Petrichenko and Chumakov’s chemistry and passion is hypnotizing,” Broadway World

Moscow Ballet dancers also participate in International Day of Peace celebrations in September of each year. The Audition Directors/Ballerinas, who tour the country in the fall auditioning local ballet students for children’s roles in Moscow Ballet’s Dance with Us program, perform the signature Dove of Peace choreography for the public in cities including El Paso, Asheville, Redding, Longview, and Edmonton and Brandon, in Canada.

“Masha, the heroine we know as Clara, dreams not of wondrous sweets but instead visits the Land of Peace and Harmony.  The twist works to expose more of her burgeoning maturity, making the journey not a childish dream but an honorable quest,” The Dallas Morning News

Moscow Ballet has dedicated 25 years of annual tours of North American to advocating for World Peace. In the 1980’s, during the collapse of the “Iron Curtain,” Moscow Ballet producers brought the   International Glasnost Festival Tours to the US featuring Prima Ballerina Assoluta Tatiana Chernobrovkina and Vadim Bondar of Stanislavski fame – the first time in many years American audiences had seen Russian dancers on American stages. In 1993, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker premiered in North America, the first of the annual tours performing in cities large and small across the continent.  Choreographed by Bolshoi soloist Stanislav Vlasov , the production featured the “Land of Peace and Harmony,” traditionally called the Land of Sweets, and the “Dove of Peace.” The Dove of Peace and the Land of Peace and Harmony is exclusive to Moscow Ballet and seen in each performance of Great Russian Nutcracker.   It was first performed by a single ballerina. In 2012, Moscow Ballet Principal Dancers Sergei Chumakov and Elena Petrichenko premiered the 2 person Dove of Peace with a 20 foot wing span! The Moscow Ballet dancers themselves are not strangers to violence. In 2013 Soloist Olga Aru was in Tahrir Square in Egypt during the Arab Spring uprising, avoiding bullets coming in studio windows, and was soon evacuated. In 2014 Principal Ballerina Olga Kifyak was present at Ukraine’s Maidan Square advocating for peace with a White Rose of Peace. Hailing from all corners of the former Soviet Union, Moscow Ballet artists dance from NYC to LA, and from Miami to Calgary for world peace, as they have done since Talmi Entertainment first brought Russian dancers Alexander Godunov and Valentina Kazlova to North America in the 1980’s.

“Using music that is usually wasted, [the choreographer] created a sweet Dove of Peace duet at the beginning of Act 2 in which each [dancer is] outfitted with one enormous wing… linked up gymnastically for artful avian imagery…. the result is disarmingly poetic.”

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Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker

Celebrate this Christmas with the experience taking North America by storm! Marking the 25th Anniversary Tour, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker features over-the-top production and world class Russian artists. Larger than life Puppets, Nesting Dolls and gloriously hand-crafted costumes bring the Christmas spirit to life. Gather the family and see why the press is raving “Knock Out!” – New York Times “Christmas Cheer!” – LA Times. Get the best seats today and memories for a lifetime at Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker! Tues. Dec 26: 3PM & 7PM Wed. Dec 27: 3PM & 7PM More Info below.

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PNB School Auditions

Scholarships & financial aid, pnb school audition for summer course at the francia russell center (july 8-august 2), saturday, april 6, 2024 the francia russell center 1611 136 th pl ne bellevue, wa 98005.

12:30-2:00pm, ages 8-11 2:00-3:30pm, ages 12-14*

*Students ages 12-14 should be at a stage of technical advancement proportionate to their age and have the physical qualifications suited to the demands of classical dance. Twelve year olds should be dancing at least 4 days per week and must already be training on pointe.

To Register

Please bring completed  REGISTRATION FORM and $45 Audition Fee to the audition. Registration begins 30 minutes prior to the audition. No head shots or resumes required.

What to Bring

• Female-identifying students: a solid-colored leotard, flesh-colored or pink tights (students should choose the color which is closest to their natural skin tone or the color in which they feel most comfortable), and technique shoes. Students on pointe should also bring pointe shoes to the audition. Technique and pointe shoes should align with the color of the tights.
• Male-identifying students: short-sleeved white leotard or a white fitted dance t-shirt; black or gray tights, White thin plain ankle socks, technique shoes.
• Facemasks are optional for all students.

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2024 Summer Course Audition Tour

Auditions for the 2024 summer course have concluded. information on the 2025 summer audition tour will be available in the fall of 2024..