PNB to present ‘Kylian + Pite’ mixed bill
Spellbinding premieres by renowned choreographers Jiří Kylián and Crystal Pite join Kylián’s sensual Petite Mort and raucous Sechs Tänze (Six Dances) in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s upcoming program of contemporary works, entitled Kylian + Pite. Set for November 8-17, this program also marks the debut of two new company dancers.
Choreographer Crystal Pite’s Emergence will mark PNB’s debut excursion with the sensational Canadian native, recognized as founder and artistic director of Vancouver’s Kidd Pivot. A riveting ensemble piece, Emergence will showcase Pite’s gift for provocative imagery as swarms of dancers ebb and flow against a towering hive backdrop.
PNB will also expand its Kylián repertory with the soulful and kinetic Forgotten Land, set to Benjamin Britten’s haunting score. The image of land taken over by the sea—together with a painting by Edvard Munch—is the primary inspiration for Kylián’s choreography.
The evening performances will be rounded out by audience favorites Petite Mort, a sexy, gold-washed duel for six couples and six fencing foils, and the joyfully charming Sechs Tänze, “an 18-century court gone delightfully mad,” according to The Seattle Times.
The Kylian + Pite program also marks the debut of two new company dancers, apprentice Christian Poppe and corps member Raphaël Bouchard. Poppe was a Professional Division student with PNB School, and has recently returned from PNB’s exchange program with The Royal Danish Ballet. He has danced in many company productions and even toured with the company to Las Vegas last fall to perform in the corps of George Balanchine’s Diamonds. On the other hand, Bouchard comes to PNB from Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, where he danced for the past nine years. Seattle audiences may remember him from last season when he stepped in at the last second to replace an injured dancer and perform Benvolio in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette.
Kylian + Pite will run for seven performances only, November 8-17 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424. For more information, visit pnb.org.
Photo: Lesley Rausch and Jerome Tisserand in Petite Mort. Photo by Angela Sterling.