BWW Update: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES VIDEO RELEASES OF BALLETS DURING SHELTER-AT-HOME

While Pacific Northwest Ballet waits for the green light to get back to doing what we do best - live performances for live audiences - Artistic Director Peter Boal and Executive Director Ellen Walker are pleased to announce a bit of good news during these trying times: A series of videos of PNB dress rehearsals and performances will soon be available for limited-time viewing online. The series kicks off tonight at 7:00 (Pacific) with an encore of Alejandro Cerrudo's One Thousand Pieces, which had previously been released exclusively to donors, subscribers, and ticket-buyers. Videos will be released via Pacific Northwest Ballet's Facebook (facebook.com/PNBallet) and YouTube (youtube.com/pacificnwballet) pages.

"It's hard to imagine a ballet company that doesn't offer live performances, but in this new world we live in, we adapt as best we can," said Mr. Boal in the announcement. "At PNB, we keep dancing, making music, creating choreography and lifting spirits. We see ballet as an essential art form and we know our audiences do too. How proud we are to share these inspired rehearsals and performances with you."

The line-up includes the following works viewable by anyone in the universe:

One Thousand Pieces

Music: Philip Glass

Choreography: Alejandro Cerrudo

Recorded at the final dress rehearsal, March 12, 2020.

Approximate running time: 72 minutes

Release date: Friday, May 1, 7pm PDT* (Viewable until 7pm Wednesday, May 6)

Swan Lake

Music: P.I. Tchaikovsky

Choreography: Kent Stowell

Staging: Francia Russell (after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov)

Recorded at the final dress rehearsal, February 1, 2018, featuring Noelani Pantastico and Seth Orza.

Approximate running time: Two hours and 10 minutes

Video release date: Friday, May 22, 7pm PDT* (Viewable through Wednesday, May 27)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Music: Felix Mendelssohn

Choreography: George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

Recorded at the final dress rehearsal, April 11, 2019, featuring Laura Tisserand and Kyle Davis.

Approximate running time: One hour and 45 minutes

Video release date: Wednesday, June 24, 7pm PDT* (Viewable through Monday, June 29)

The following videos are being released exclusively as a benefit to PNB donors, subscribers, and ticket purchasers for the respective ballets, and will be packaged as part of the PNB House Party thank-yous sent to these supporters. The performance cancellations of the latter half of PNB's 2019-2020 season, coupled with the concurrent PNB School closure has had a substantial impact on the organization: PNB earns over 75% of its funding through ticket sales and PNB School tuition. To offset these losses, PNB has established an ambitious Relief Fund with the hopes of keeping employee benefits intact and funding our return to the stage and studios when it is safe to do so. For more information or to become a donor to PNB's Relief Fund, visit PNB.org/Relief.

Giselle

Music: Adolphe Adam

Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, & Marius Petipa, with additional choreography by Peter Boal

Archival video from opening night, May 30, 2014, featuring Kaori Nakamura and Jerome Tisserand.

Approximate running time: One hour and 50 minutes

Video release date: Friday, May 8, 7pm PDT* (Viewable through Wednesday, May 13)

*PNB House Party:

Waiting at the Station

Music: Allen Toussaint

Choreography: Twyla Tharp

Recorded at the final dress rehearsal, September 27, 2013.

This video release will also include tributes to departing dancers Benjamin Griffiths and Margaret Mullin. Approximate running time: 50 minutes

Video release date: Friday, June 5, 7pm PDT* (Viewable through Wednesday, June 10)

*PNB House Party: This video is available exclusively to donors, subscribers, and Pite-Tharp-Liang ticket buyers.

All works are accompanied by the world famous Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra under the direction of Music Director/Principal Conductor Emil de Cou.

PNB would like to thank the choreographers, designers, music rights holders, and our dancer (AGMA), musician (PNBOPO) stage (IATSE Local #15) and wardrobe (TWU #887) unions for allowing the company to share these special videos.

Pacific Northwest Ballet's 2019-2020 season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft. Special thanks also to 4Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, The Shubert Foundation, City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, and The Wallace Foundation.

Everything is subject to change. To donate to PNB's relief fund, visit PNB.org/Relief. To see what else PNB is up to when we're not on stage, visit PNB.org/Social