Woo Hoo! A New Year, More New Dance!

Whim W'Him's elegant Tory Piel.
photo by Bamberg Fine Art, courtesy Whim W'Him

I finally pulled my head out of the post-holiday sand in which it was hidden. I’ve spent months working on a long profile of PNB Principal Dancer Jonathan Porretta. You can find that here. 

Jonathan Porretta in Molissa Fenley's "State of Darkness"
photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy Pacific Northwest Ballet

Now it’s time to see some dance. And, as always, there are many performances to choose from, starting this weekend.

Whim W’Him presents “IN-spired,” an evening of three new works; Whim W’Him founder Olivier Wevers has been back in the studio. The company also presents commissions by award-winning Seattle choreography Mark Haim, and by Texas-based Dominic Walsh, a former principal dancer with Houston Ballet. Really excited to see all three dances.

“IN-spired” is on this weekend and next at the Cornish Playhouse at Seattle Center.

Whim W'Him dancers rehearse for "IN-spired"
photo by Bamberg Fine Art, courtesy Whim W'Him

Also this weekend: the University of Washington Dance Faculty performance, at the Meany Studio Theater.

Velocity’s Bridge Project is up next weekend, January 29-31 at Velocity Dance Center on Capitol Hill. The show helps kick-off for Velocity’s 20^th year in Seattle, and features four up and coming contemporary dance makers: Stephanie Liapis, ilvs strauss, Nathan Blackwell, and Ashleigh Miller.

The weekend of February 4-7^th brings more notable dance our way. The Trisha Brown Dance Company will be at Meany Hall with a series of lectures, performances and other events. It’s the last time to see Brown’s stage work performed by her own company. I’m kind of excited to see Bandaloop’s Rachael Lincoln will perform Brown's 1970 work “Man Walking Down the Side of a Building” on Friday morning, February 5^th.  

PNB's Noelani Pantastico and Lucien Postelwaite in "Romeo et Juliette", 2008
photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB

Also February 5^th, Pacific Northwest Ballet opens Jean-Christophe Maillot’s “Romeo et Juliette.” Casting hasn’t been posted yet, but I’m crossing my fingers that newly-returned PNB Principal Dancer Noelani Pantastico will appear opening night as Juliette, with James Moore as her Romeo. And, it could be the long-awaited return to the stage for Jonathan Porretta.

Okay, okay. That’s enough to fill up your calendars for now. Have fun!