Pacific Northwest Ballet Tickets: Ballet With the Fairies
About Ballet
Ballet is a French word which originated in the Italian ballet, which means "dance" and is a diminutive of ballo (dance), which originated from Latin ballo or ballare.
Ballet beauty is truly stunning – a magnificent show of grace and elegance which looks absolutely intuitive.
Ballet's origins are famous, but ballet is somewhat harder to define. Even famous ballets are also excluded from almost any definition that is not desperately generic and could cover practically anything. Perchance, the best we can do with a definition is nothing more than the comments from Potter Stewart in the Upper Court of Justice concerning pornography, "I know when I see it," although he could not define it.
The Evolution of Ballet
For a time in France, ballet and opera have been combined, and ballet has been linked to storytelling. When the two forms of art were eventually shown more by themselves than in conjunction, the idea of a ballet which told a story continued.
The Russians also played an important role in the development of the ballet technique and in the dominance of skilled, women ballet dancer or ballerinas. In the 19th century, ballet migrated to Russia giving us classics such as "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty" and famous "Swan Lake".
Ballet, Is a type of performance dance which began in the fifteenth century during the Italian Renaissance and then became a formal concert dance in France and Russia. Since then, it has become a widely used, highly technical dance based on French words. It has played a global role, defining the basic techniques used in many other types and cultures of dance.
In various schools around the world, ballet has been taught and historically incorporates their own cultures, resulting in art evolving in various ways.
A ballet, includes a choreography and ballet music. Ballets are played and choreographed by qualified and experienced ballet dancers. Classical Ballets are usually done with classical music, with elaborate costumes and stage work, and modern ballets are often performed in simple costumes without the use of elaborate settings and scenarios, as the neoclassical artworks of George Balanchine.
History of Pacific Northwest Ballet
The Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972 and is one of America's largest and most respected ballet companies. The highest per capita participation in the United States is reported to have been achieved in 2004 with 11 000 subscribers. The company is made up of 49 dancers; over 100 performances take place year-round. The ballet company has traveled around the world – from Europe through Australia, from Canada to Taiwan.
The Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers perform in McGaw Hall at the Seattle Center. It's known for its Stowell / Maurice Sendak Nutcracker performances, both presented and made into a feature film from 1983 to 2014. In 2006, the company was selected in New York's City Center Theater for the Fall of Dance Festival and in the Jacob Pillow Dancing Festival.
They have diverse and varied performances. They did repertoire with large ballet pieces like Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky, but also with new works such as John Adams and Philip Glass. The PNWB has performed its classics and those of American big artists such as Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern with special emphasis on choreographer George Balanchine.
They are not only performing on major stages around the world, but also fostering future ballet stars with Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Established in 1974, it is one of the top three American schools for ballet training. More than 900 students are offered a full professional curriculum.
The Nutcracker by Pacific Northwest Ballet
Every fall, ballet dancers throughout the United States prepare for their annual shows in The Nutcracker, a celebration which is proven to be a historical tradition of holiday and that supports the entire rest of the year of an entertainment company. More than one million Americans will have the opportunity to practice professional dance while assisting the non-profit organizations to thrive, and "The Nutcracker" is usually the first ballet player experience.
On the other side, however, a full range of professional dancers and dancers experience their hardest performance schedule of the year.
"We live pretty much for the run of 'The Nutcracker' at McCaw Hall" says Madison Rayn Abeo, a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet Corps de ballet. Annually, from morning and evening shows through dress - rehearsal events, PNB presents 35 - 40 performances by "The Nutcracker."
Rehearsals of "Nutcracker" may take several weeks for 6 hours a day. While PNB has performed "The Nutcracker" for three previous seasons, new dancers require plenty of time to rehearse everything for brand - new members of the audience.
Why does every ballerina want to be the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker?
The golden rule of the ballet during the 19th century is that ballerina is always the center of attention. Dainty, romantic Giselle, fast-witted Swanilda, and glowing Princess Aurora-these women are heroines of not only their own stories, but their character, dance, and style defines their poetry.
One exception exists, however. The Sugar Plum Fairy may appear to embody everything that is benign in The Nutcracker's Christmas fantasy, but is almost marginal in its performance. She does not play an active role in the story and can only dance in the final minutes. Indeed, choreographer Christopher Hampson put it: "Sugar Plum is bizarre. Each other ballerina role is important to the action, but from nowhere, she's coming out to dance her big number, and that's it.
The Sugar Plum Fairy was also a classical case in which an adult actor was performed by a child, little Clara, daughter of the Stahlbaum Family, whisking a series of magical or (in some productions) imaginary adventure away from the strikingly powerful Herr Drosselmeyer. The task of Clara is to protect her Nutcracker doll from the wicked mouse King's curse; Clara is sleighing to the kingdom of sweets, where a world of sweet bliss and brightly colored dances awaits her.
With the exception of a short moment at the start of Act Two, when Sugar Plum welcomes Clara into her realm, the ballerina has no room to perform other than to perform its very own climactic pas de deux with a Prince that does not even deserve a name. It's a weird frustrating experience, as Belinda Hatley of the Royal Ballet admits: "You sit almost two acts while you are all busy on the stage and you have to go on and do this incredibly difficult dance without having established any relationship with the audience."
In spite of their quest for perfection, dancers are also regular people – and in "Nutcracker" season they are celebrating holidays.
"During Nutcracker, the company is a very close knit family, since we spend so much time together," says Iliesiu. "There is a wonderful tradition for dancers to have "friendsgiving" in relation to Thanksgiving and celebrate our days off through eating and relaxation."
Those who are fortunate enough to have a family near them, such as Abeo, invite them to view their Nutcracker shows – and share the vacation with Seattle transplants.
Enjoy your holiday with PNB! See the Nutcracker, the Tchaikovski's highly esteemed live performance of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, the festive dance of dancers, the scenery and costumes of Ian Falconer, and McGaw Hall at the Seattle Centre. Please take a holiday with PNB! Spend your holiday with the Nutcracker!