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Home #Theater and Stage, Arts & Entertainment, StageSwan Lake opens to packed house in Seattle

Swan Lake opens to packed house in Seattle

April 10, 2009• by
Pacific Northwest Ballet company members in Kent
Stowell’s Swan Lake. Photo © Angela Sterling.

These pictures from last night’s opening of PNB’s Swan Lake literally give me goose bumps. Historically, there is not a more important or beautiful ballet piece ever created in the world.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Lucien Postlewaite and
Kaori Nakamura in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake. Photo © Angela Sterling.

One hundred and thirty years ago, a new work titled Swan Lake premiered in Moscow, Russia. Though the ballet is now considered an essential part of dance history, it was not an instant success. In fact, it was shelved for more than a decade. Tchaikovsky died in 1893. A memorial concert in St. Petersburg the next year included a revival of Swan Lake Act II. The performance was a success and plans were laid for a revival of the entire ballet in 1895.

Swan Lake returned with new choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Despite a fifty-year-old Prince Siegfried leading the cast, the new production earned both critical praise and widespread appeal and has since served as a standard by which performers and companies are judged.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancers Lucien Postlewaite and
Kaori Nakamura in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake. Photo © Angela Sterling.

Swan Lake has figured prominently in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s history. The first version, brought to Seattle in 1981, was created for the Frankfurt Ballet. It was a bold move because ballets like Swan Lake belonged almost exclusively to visiting Russian troupes. It won widespread praise, putting the Company on a new level locally and nationally. New sets and costumes were created for the unveiling of Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in 2003.

Here are a few facts you may not know from Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Artistic Director Peter Boal:

  • I first saw Swan Lake in Toronto performed by the National Ballet of Canada. My grandparents had to remove me from the auditorium at intermission (too cranky).
  • Tchaikovsky was given 800 rubles to compose the score which, during the choreographic process, was deemed “undanceable.”
  • Stewart conducted Swan Lake for Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
  • Miranda Weese was given one hour’s notice that she would have to replace the injured Darci Kistler in Peter Martins’ production of Swan Lake with the New York City Ballet. That’s kind of scary, especially if it’s Live from Lincoln Center! It was, and Miranda performed beautifully.
  • Kaori Nakamura wears three pairs of pointe shoes for each show. The Swan Lake pointe shoe bill is $15,997 for ten performances. Louise Nadeau microwaves her shoes for 22 seconds.

    • Whether you are discovering Swan Lake for the first time or returning to an old favorite, I know you will enjoy PNB’s sublime production of one of the greatest ballets ever made.

    Looking forward to seeing all of you at the ballet,

    – Peter Boal

    Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake runs through April 19, 2009 at the Seattle Center’s beautiful McCaw Hall. Discount tickets for “Under 25 Fridays” have now sold out. Tickets are selling fast and the production will be conclude next weekend on Sunday April 19, 2009.
    For tickets and information go here.

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