Even decades after Balanchine’s death, there still exists a popular notion that only a Balanchine dancer (one trained at the School of American Ballet, apprenticed at New York City Ballet, and generally sheltered from undue influence) can properly perform his creations.
Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Lindsi Dec in The Four Temperaments, part of PNB’s All Balanchine. Photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy of Pacific Northwest Ballet.
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s All Balanchine, which opened April 15, may finally silence these antiquated whispers. The three selections presented by PNB span Balanchine’s inception as an American institution through the sometimes controversial 1970s.
Serenade, with its stripped-down gaze back at romanticism, introduced American audiences to Balanchine during the height of the Great Depression. The opening offers an unforgiving adagio that requires perfect synchronism of subtle gestures. The PNB corps was slightly ragged at the outset, but quickly resolved their lines for an ethereal, utterly transparent presentation of a dismantled classical ballet, awash in shades of pale blue.
Square Dance, staged by artistic director Peter Boal, gave soloist Rachel Foster the chance to have fun with a hybrid of ballet, all-American folk dance, and old court dances. Benjamin Griffiths threw himself with unflagging energy into a spirited dance-for-the-sake-of-dance, set to the music of Vivaldi and Corelli.
The showpiece of the showcase is The Four Temperament: arguably the most visionary of Balanchine’s early work. Staged by Francia Russell, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s artistic director from 1977 until 2005, it still feels groundbreaking some 32 years after its PNB premiere. Spare and precise, its lack of plot, set and costumes pulled focus to the exacting performances of the soloists. Lesley Rausch and Seth Orza matched and challenged each other in the electrifying Sanguinic variation, with Lindsi Dec bringing a controlled frenzy to the Choleric variation. Pianist Christina Siemens tackled Paul Hindemith’s Theme with Four Variations with a perfect balance of verve and restraint.
All Balanchine runs through April 25 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle Center. For tickets, visit www.pnb.org.
Katherine Luck
