Pacific Northwest Ballet: The Evolution of Balanchine's Aesthetic

     So I have some good news and I have some bad news. The good news is I am at the halfway point of my quarantine classes review!(yaaaaaaaaay). The bad news is I may have to postpone my graduation until 2021. I have 2 weeks until I turn in my last assignments, so I am going to need a prayer, a miracle and a lucky foxtail to pull this one off. I will have to take a break from Barre Diaries for a while in order to focus on getting everything done. This entire graduate school at 33 experience has been very bittersweet for me.
     This week I participated in online classes from Pacific Northwest Ballet. They only posted 2 classes on YouTube. They also posted pre-recorded classes from the company and summer intensives from previous years. Due to my current state of anxiety, I will only be discussing the 2 main quarantine classes of Peter Boal(the current Artistic Director) and Jonathan Porretta(former Principal dancer of PNB).
     Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972 in Seattle, Washington. The school was established in 1974.  Former NYCB dancers Kent Stowell and Francia Russell were the original directors of the company and retired in the 2005. This establishment is deeply rooted in the Balanchine style and training method. The company has been home for many exceptional ballet artists such as Patricia Barker, Noelani Pantastico, Carla Korbes and Wade Walthall.  They are also known for their iconic Maurice Sendak designed Nutcracker, which is my personal favorite version( to this day I want to be the Arabian Peacock🦚lol!). The choreographic repertoire of PNB is stunning! Everything from Balanchine and Petipa to Forsythe and Justin Peck. Most people just assume that PNB is all Balanchine, but it is a refreshingly multifaceted jewel in the ballet world. A lot of the training in the school has elements of Balanchine’s technique and style. However, what makes this company truly “Balanchine-esque”, in my opinion, is the variety of it’s repertoire. Balanchine was inspired by everything! He was inspired by his Russian background, art, music, museums and the American way of life. Variety is the spice of life and that is the true spirit of Balanchine, not just hands positions, speed and long lines. Balanchine nurtured newness, uniqueness and innovation, that’s what made him so amazing. He was able to give the audience what they wanted and evolve with the specific trends of the time.  PNB is one of the few “Balanchine companies” that keep his essence alive through the variety of body types,  eclectic repertoire and new training methods. Here are a few key notes that I would like to add in my classes. Both of these classes were part of Ballet In Form, a website that offers insightful tips and classes from professional dancers and teachers.
     Friday July 17, 2020- Today I took class from the very talented and clever Peter Boal, former Principal dancer of NYCB. Boal was made Artistic Director in 2005 after his retirement. He is also on the Advisory Board of Ballet In Form. Peter Boal really focused on alignment and anchoring of the standing leg. For example, he would did plies in 1st position, with one hand on the barre facing the barre. This was good for establishing the central line of balance. This also saved time because when we did plies, we started from 2nd position right away. Another brilliant idea of his was how he made the dancers take their hands of the barre periodically to make sure they were really pulling up on their standing leg. His combinations seemed easy but then we had to repeat them without holding the barre. This was hard because I thought I was on my leg but when I removed my hand from the barre, it I felt like I could not maintain my turnout(I need to work on this lol). His class showed me the importance of the having a strong supporting side at barre in order to move with abandon in the center. Boal also showed me the importance of simple combinations mixed in will slight changes. He would have very logical combinations that challenged the dancers by the change in tempo of the music and with no hands on the barre. The theme of his class seemed to be "less is more" because alignment is what’s most important. Simple combinations that focus on alignment and weight transferal, help the dancer move freely with more intricate and complex enchainement or choreography. I have to keep this in mind when I plan my classes. I also found that by pulling in my abdominal muscles and lengthening my back, I was able to feel more control of my arms and legs. Lengthening the torso/powerhouse is a necessary for fluid movement of the limbs and head!
     Tuesday July 21, 2020- The second class I took was from the dynamite tour de force Jonathan Porretta. He is a former Principal dancer of PNB who was handpicked for the company by Kent Stowell during his dance education at SAB. He's now is part of the teaching faculty for the PNB school. His class had me dripping in sweat! He showed me the power of simple combinations as well but with artistry mixed with speed. I’m not used to the SAB speed so whenever I take a “Balanchine class” I always feel like a Kentucky Derby thoroughbred! You could see and feel Porretta’s Balanchine roots throughout his class. Porretta showed me the importance of speed, repetition and dynamics as training tools. By unexpectedly making us repeat the combinations, I had to really breathe more and make the dimension of my movement smaller. His center exercises were also fast yet fluid( another Balanchine trademark) but the barre made me feel strong and free to move. He also emphasized expression of the dynamics. For example, even though the fondus were fast, he still wanted us to be very mindful of the presenting the heel and bringing the knee back fully.  His tendus in the center made me focus on my standing heel because he changed direction quickly. Changing direction and promenades have always been challenging for me because my legs are hyperextended and I have to really pull up on my standing leg/waist and slightly bend my knee so I can move faster and sharper. I also sometimes have to execute tendus in center from first to establish my center line of balance, then I do them from 5th better.  Porretta made me more aware of this fact and I need to be mindful of my student’s standing leg and central line of balance more, especially for the ones with hypermobile limbs. He also subsitutued jumps with a beautiful and releve combination that changed directions on one leg. I will be adding more fondu/releves in the center for faster core muscle activation. He also gave the dancers different ways to execute the steps if they were having trouble. Tailoring the steps for individual needs is important because it makes the student feels noticed and it also makes them aware of what they need to work on in order to get to the next level.  Core foundation and full execution of a step is more important then just bulldozing through a combination and hoping for the best. It also builds technical consistency which is key  or the improvement of technique.
     Both classes taught me so much and I will apply what I learned not only to my students but to myself. By working on my technical flaws I am able to plan my classes based on the needs of my students. I have learned so much through this research blog. The things I struggle with will also be things most of my students will struggle with. That’s the beauty of ballet, you never truly master it. There is always something to improve! Whether you’re a student, company member or teacher. I am always learning something new from ballet and that’s why I love it so much. There is no ceiling to ballet technique.
     Now back to the bad news. So….I am really worried about passing my classes. This is my last semester and everything has gotten so crazy. The quality of my assignments has gone down significantly. It is so hard to focus. I was so proud of myself for having a 3.8 GPA in the first 2 semesters, but now I don’t know if I'll even graduate this year. Now that everything is online, I find myself with limited resources and artistic inspiration. The fact that all this chaos is going on in the world and I’m still expected to produce A+++++++ level work gives me anger and anxiety. This situation has taught me that the world is cold. Some people can’t just “keep calm and carry on” but the world gaslights and labels individuals like me as "pessimistic" or "negative". It has forced me to just lie and say “I’m fine” because deep down I know people don’t care. Or they’re just trying to push through their own “new normal”. I can’t stand it, it’s so suffocating.  I pride myself on being born the Year of the Tiger because even when I’m scared or insecure I still face my fears with ferocity and ease but this is all new to me. I don’t’ really feel confident about my assignments or future. I procrastinate due to extreme sadness and  anxiety. Sometimes I just stare at the ceiling for hours worried that I won’t find a job or that I will fail. NYC really provided me with so much inspiration for my ideas. Now I’m back in Baltimore….in my room suffocating. I put on my happy mask when I log onto ZOOM for my classes. The second I’m off I cry for hours sometimes or just stare into space. I really hope I am able to pass and graduate. These last 2 weeks coming up is going to be intense/draining and as usual I am completely alone. I am my only emotional support. I get so angry when I see people running around mask-less, entitled and partying like it’s any other summer! Meanwhile I’m up to my neck in blank 25 page papers, stiff ankles from dancing in my living room and empty job applications. I was so hopeful before all this mess. For the first time since my mental breakdown, I felt like things in my life were finally improving. I was really pushing out quality work now I feel like I am doing the bare minimum. I hate doing mediocre work….and I hate crying. I cry all the time now. The only positive force is my life is this blog. It’s the only place where I don’t have to be fake. It’s the only place where I feel free and creative. No one sees my blog and that makes me feel free too. I don’t know what the future holds. I feel completely hopeless and I just want to be finished with school whether I pass or not. I just want to be done because I am so mentally exhausted. So yeah….see you in 2 weeks when I will be reviewing classes from my old stomping ground Dance Theatre of Harlem!🤎