Pacific Northwest Ballet
McCaw Hall
Seattle, Washington
September 21, 2012
September 22, 2012 Matinee
By Helene Kaplan
copyright © 2012 Helene Kaplan
For the opening of this 40th Anniversary Season, Peter Boal originally envisioned an all-Stravinsky program to honor Founding Artistic Directors Francia Russell and Kent Stowell, with a Balanchine staging by Russell and th "Firebird" choreographed by Stowell. As in recent seasons, Boal had to re-arrange the puzzle pieces of the schedule, and as a result, he chose Stowell's "Cinderella," last seen two years ago after a long hiatus, as the season opener, with a nod to the Stravinsky in a one-time performance of Jerome Robbins' "Circus Polka." A tribute to Russell's continuing legacy as a stager will come in the season-ending "Director's Choice" program in "Agon"; "Cinderella" celebrates her other key legacy -- perhaps more important for the Seattle ballet community -- in the creation and direction of the school, which is showcased in the many roles for children in the production. It is also a bittersweet tribute to the great designer, Martin Pakledinaz, whose costumes grace the stage. Finally the work shows Stowell at his best: as a story-teller who creates rich thematic layers and clear narrative, and who confidently takes a patient pace in a full-length neo-classical story ballet.