It was raining in Seattle.
Dale Chihuly’s GLASS FOREST at Chihuly Garden and Glass
Seeking refuge in the magnificent forest of Chihuly at Seattle Center, Ballet to the People downed two cups of Queen City Blend from Seattle’s famed Caffé Vita roastery (“pioneers of the Farm Direct movement, meticulously sourcing the best coffee available while developing long-term, mutually fruitful relationships with coffee growers in more than 11 countries”). There is something special about Seattle coffee – particularly in that setting, amid all that crazy beautiful swirling glass in those eye-popping colors.
- Dale Chihuly’s MILLE FIORI at Chihuly Garden and Glass
Dale Chihuly’s MACCHIA FOREST at Chihuly Garden and Glass
The GLASSHOUSE at Chihuly Garden and Glass blooms even on the greyest and rainiest of Seattle days
On a caffeine high, Ballet to the People zipped through the downpour to the Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The theatre makes a tremendous first impression with its inviting five-story glass-walled lobby.
Seattle’s modern and imposing Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, home to Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Opera
PNB doesn’t think it’s enough to just watch the ballet, they want to talk to us about it, too. Saturday’s matinee was bookended by an absorbing pre-show talk by the expert Doug Fullington, and post-show Q&A with Artistic Director Peter Boal, Jahna Frantziskonis and Andrew Bartee. These two corps de ballet dancers worked closely with Twyla Tharp during her eight-month residency at PNB, during which she developed her new one-act ballet, the New Orleans jazz-inspired Waiting at the Station, set to the music of Allen Toussaint. Fullington regaled us with anecdotes about how Twyla fine-tuned her Nine Sinatra Songs for this revival, and other intriguing details about the program.
This was Ballet to the People’s first encounter with PNB in their hometown – this wonderful company seems to be much-loved, judging from the packed house and the standing ovation that greeted Tharp’s new work. Check out our review of the all-Twyla program on BACHTRACK.
Leta Biasucci and Ezra Thomson in Twyla Tharp’s WAITING AT THE STATION (Photo: Angela Sterling )
Ballet to the People dashed back to the airport in time to catch an 8 p.m. flight back to San Francisco. And one more cup of coffee. She wrote her review on the plane, while the gentleman in the seat next to her nodded off, slumped against her shoulder.
It never stopped raining.
