It’s Been A Four Year Wait But PNB’s New Ballet, One Thousand Pieces Is Ready To Take Stage

Covid 19 helped delay a lot of big artistic projects but one that had a very long journey is finally ready to take the stage at McCaw Hall this March as Pacific Northwest Ballet prepares to debut its long awaited premiere of Alejandro Cerrudo’s ONE THOUSAND PIECES which features the music of Philip Glass.

Get tickets at: https://www.pnb.org/season/one-thousand-pieces/

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Delayed gratification: Four years after a global pandemic pushed back its Pacific Northwest Ballet premiere, Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces finally comes to the McCaw Hall stage as the fourth offering in PNB’s 2023-24 season. Featuring music from Philip Glass, Cerrudo’s large-scale ensemble work will be presented on a double-bill, paired with the joyous revelry of Matthew Neenan’s made-for-PNB Bacchus. ONE THOUSAND PIECES plays seven performances only, March 15 through 24 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at just $38. (The program will also stream digitally March 28 – April 1. Digital access is available by subscription only.) For tickets and additional information, contact the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer Street, or online 24/7 at PNB.org. (Follow hyperlinks below for additional notes):

One Thousand Pieces

Music: Philip Glass

Choreography: Alejandro Cerrudo

Staging: Pablo Piantino, Jessica Tong, and Ana Lopez

Scenic and Costume Design: Thomas Mika

Lighting Design: Michael Korsch

Running Time: 70 minutes

Premiere: October 18, 2012, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

PNB Premiere: March 13, 2020*; September 24, 2021 (excerpts); March 15, 2024 (full work)

*COVID shut-down

“For me, a stained glass window is a transparent partition between my heart and the heart of the world. Stained glass has to be serious and passionate. It is something elevating and exhilarating”

— Marc Chagall

One Thousand Pieces was created in celebration of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s 35th anniversary in 2012. The work was inspired by Marc Chagall’s America Windows, stunning panels of glowing stained glass created by the Russian-French artist and donated to the Art Institute of Chicago in 1977—the same year Hubbard Street was founded—to commemorate America’s bicentennial. When asked why he chose the title One Thousand Pieces, Cerrudo replied, “Literally because of the symbolism of the work, observing how each piece of glass combines to make a whole larger piece made from many individual pieces, the same way human beings come together to create a project. The windows have inspired my choreography, but I’m not intending to teach anyone about this artwork. Instead, it’s my personal interpretation. The set designer, the music, and the dancers have all inspired me. I’m not trying to tell a story or represent the art. The scenic design is quite abstract, yet I hope everyone will be immersed in the images that will appear and connect them to the windows.”

One Thousand Pieces was the fourth work by Alejandro Cerrudo to be added to Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertory.

PNB’s 2024 performances of One Thousand Pieces are supported by Lynne Graybeal & Scott Harron. The 2020 Pacific Northwest Ballet premiere of Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces was generously underwritten by Susan Brotman.

Bacchus

Music: Oliver Davis

Choreography: Matthew Neenan

Costume Design: Mark Zappone

Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli

Running Time: 24 minutes

Premiere: March 15, 2019, Pacific Northwest Ballet

Inspired by the lush and flamboyant music of Oliver Davis, Matthew Neenan’s Bacchus embodies the nature of the Roman god of wine, merriment, and abundance.