The time has come again to turn our eyes towards the fall and winter although spring has barely sprung. I look forward to Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season announcement like other people anticipate the NFL draft, or the Oscars, or… well, that’s where my knowledge of popular culture cuts off. March is always a terribly exciting time to visit McCaw Hall. It’s only the fourth rep of the season, and yet, little glimmers begin to appear of what will be coming the following year. We get the chance to look ahead and learn what our future selves will be lucky enough to delight in; we get to anticipate, a wonderful gift in itself. This year’s announcement was filled with so many gems that I’m not quite sure where to direct my excitement.
Opening the 24/25 season is Edwaard Liang’s The Veil Between Worlds, a personal favorite of mine that got its stage debut last June after premiering during PNB’s digital season in 2021. I can’t think of a better way to welcome audiences back into the theater next fall, than with this burst of color and life. Last June, when the curtain came down on this piece, I turned to my mother and said “I feel like my soul has just been bathed in chamomile and honey”. It’s truly something remarkable to experience. I cannot wait to see this gem grace the stage once more and kick off the new season with an abundance of beauty and joy.
Justin Peck’s Copland Dance Episodes has been flourishing at New York City Ballet, and now PNB audiences will get the chance to see another one of his highly celebrated works. The Times are Racing was last performed at PNB in March 2022, and I’m excited to experience this high-energy, toe-tapping, sneaker ballet again. Add in a world premiere by new resident choreographer Jessica Lang (choreographer of last season’s Let Me Mingle Tears With Thee), and this first rep promises to be a beautiful start to the season.
The Times are Racing runs September 20-29, 2024.
It’s been many years since Pacific Northwest Ballet put on an all Balanchine rep, but that’s what is coming this November! Square Dance(1957), Prodigal Son(1929), and Stravinsky Violin Concerto(1972) will fill the second rep of the season, promising Balanchine fans and newcomers alike the opportunity to see some of the most well-known creations of the 20th century.
If you would like to learn more about Balanchine, I highly recommend reading Mr. B by Jennifer Homans, as well as Serenade by Toni Bentley, which not only dives deep into his first American-made work, but paints a fascinating picture of this man and the works that changed the world of ballet forever.
All Balanchine runs November 1-10, 2024
(These links are shared through Amazon's affiliate program)
Not mentioned in the season announcement is, of course, Balanchine's The Nutcracker. I can’t wait to write about this ballet which fills so much of my heart. Look out for some exciting posts coming in November and December as the most beautiful time of year descends upon Seattle.
The Nutcracker runs November 28- December 28, 2024
If you were at PNB’s Swan Lake last month, you may have seen in the program that Peter Boal hinted at there being another collaboration with costume designer Paul Tazewell. I went to bed that night thinking about what that might be, and it turns out that my guess of a new production of The Sleeping Beauty was correct. Like this season, Seattle will receive the gift of two Tchaikovsky ballets in a row, The Nutcracker, and then a world premiere of The Sleeping Beauty! With scenic design by Preston Singletary, projection design by Wendall K. Harrington, costume design by Paul Tazewell, puppetry design by Basil Twist, and lighting design by Reed Nakayama, this “Pacific Northwest-inspired fairyland” promises to be truly something to look forward to.
The Sleeping Beauty runs January 31- February 9, 2025
In less than a month, PNB audiences will get the chance to experience the wonder of Crystal Pite’s The Season’s Canon once more, and next season, though lacking that spectacle of a work, will include Pite’s Emergence. Emergence is joined in rep 4 by Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, Marco Goecke’s Mopey, and a world premiere by PNB’s own Price Suddarth.
Emergence runs March 14-24, 2025
I had a feeling that Jean-Christophe Maillot's Romeo et Juliette was coming back next season, and I’m so thrilled to say that it is! There’s a list of ballets that PNB should consistently cycle through, and Romeo et Juliette is one of them. (That list includes Giselle, The Season’s Canon, The Veil Between Worlds, Swan Lake, Khepri, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and many others. That may be a post all on its own). Two years ago, it felt like a brand new beauty coming out of the pandemic, with stunning new casts and the audience’s own newfound appreciation. I can’t wait to see Dominique Drillot’s breathtaking lighting flood the stage once more, hear Prokofiev’s stunning score, and experience this beauty of a ballet again.
Romeo et Juliette runs April 11-20, 2025
Finishing off the season, Director’s Choice includes Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, a world premiere by Rena Butler, and, perhaps most exciting, the revival of Kiyon Ross’ …throes of increasing wonder, which brought audiences to a roar last June in one of the most powerful standing ovations I have yet to see. I can’t think of a better way to end a season than with that celebration of life itself.
Director’s Choice runs May 30- June 8, 2025
As we begin to think about a brand new season of world-class ballet at McCaw Hall, be sure to check out Affordable Ways to Bring Ballet Into Your Life to help make experiencing this beautiful season a reality!
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