PNB Brings New Charm to 32-year-old ‘Cinderella’ Production [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest Ballet – Cinderella Digital Stream – Recorded at Seattle Center’s McCaw HallFebruary 12-16, 2026 By Steve Sucato There was a lot to love about Pacific Northwest Ballet’s remounting of Kent Stowell’s ballet Cinderella. The 32-year-old production, which debuted in 1994, was blessed with clear storytelling, heartfelt performances by PNB’s dancers, sumptuous sets and costumes, and the kind of storybook magic that has kept Cinderella … Continue reading PNB Brings New Charm to 32-year-old ‘Cinderella’ Production [REVIEW]

BEST OF 2025 

By Steve Sucato 2025 was a year of experimentation for me as a professional dance writer/reviewer. I launched a monthly Airings digest on my website, artsair.art, featuring select dance news, performance impressions, and upcoming event listings, and expanded my arts coverage to include more non-dance events. So, why not end the year with one more experiment, compiling best-of-2025 lists from the dance productions and dancer … Continue reading BEST OF 2025 

PNB’s Jam-Packed ‘Emergence’ was Contemporary Ballet at its Finest [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest BalletEmergence – Digital PerformanceMarch 27-31, 2025 By Steve Sucato The fourth repertory program on their 2024-2025 season, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Emergence, was some of the finest contemporary ballet presented this dance season. The jam-packed program kicked off with the world premiere of PNB soloist Price Suddarth’s second mainstage ballet for the company, “Dawn Patrol.” The digital performance of Emergence, which I reviewed, was … Continue reading PNB’s Jam-Packed ‘Emergence’ was Contemporary Ballet at its Finest [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Opener: From Joyous to Surreal and Back Again [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest Ballet – The Times Are RacingSeattle Center – McCaw HallSeattle, WashingtonDigital Performance Stream – October 3-7, 2024 By Steve Sucato Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) opened its 2024-25 season at Seattle Center’s McCaw Hall with the triple bill The Times Are Racing. The live production, filmed for digital streaming on September 20, 2024, featured a new ballet by recently appointed resident choreographer Jessica … Continue reading Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Season Opener: From Joyous to Surreal and Back Again [REVIEW]

Alejandro Cerrudo, Charlotte Ballet’s New Artistic Director, Talks About His Vision for the Company

By Steve Sucato for Pointe Magazine Each step along Alejandro Cerrudo’s 24-year career, he’s planted the seeds for his next area of growth in the dance field. Born in Madrid, he first became a dancer, then a choreographer and, most recently, the producer of his own dance projects. Now, the 41-year-old is taking his next step, as Charlotte Ballet’s new artistic director. On April 7, the company … Continue reading Alejandro Cerrudo, Charlotte Ballet’s New Artistic Director, Talks About His Vision for the Company

PNB’s Rep 2 Highlighted by Lang’s Brilliant ‘Ghost Variations’ [REVIEW]

Pacific Northwest BalletRep 2Digital Stage PerformanceNovember 12-16, 2020Reviewed by Steve Sucato Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Rep 2 digital stage production began with a “Five Minute Call,” a short film by principal dancer Dylan Wald. The film was a candid, behind-the-scenes look at PNB company members and musicians preparing to perform Rep 2. Most entertaining were scenes of dancers goofing off in the dressing rooms and hallways … Continue reading PNB’s Rep 2 Highlighted by Lang’s Brilliant ‘Ghost Variations’ [REVIEW]

Attracting a Crowd: Wallace Foundation Study Offers Up More Analytics on Audience-Building

The Road To Results: Effective Practices For Building Arts Audiences, seeks to take some of the guesswork out of choosing the right answers to your organization’s particular audience-building riddles by examining the examples of ten arts organizations. Continue reading Attracting a Crowd: Wallace Foundation Study Offers Up More Analytics on Audience-Building

Grand Rapids Ballet Renaissance

By Steve Sucato Underneath Grand Rapids Ballet artistic director Patricia Barker’s million-watt smile lies an unyielding determination to realize her artistic visions. So when friend Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild Things Are, unexpectedly died before he could introduce her to fellow author Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express and Jumanji), Barker took it upon herself to visit Van Allsburg’s Massachusetts home to convince … Continue reading Grand Rapids Ballet Renaissance

‘Polar Express’ Author and ‘Wicked’ Designer join with Choreographer Caniparoli and Director Barker to create new ‘Nutcracker’ for Grand Rapids Ballet

By Steve Sucato When it comes to Christmas holiday season entertainment in the U.S., The Nutcracker ballet ranks high on the list. The magical tale of a young girl who dreams of a heroic handsome prince that whisks her off to a land of sweets is a favorite of children and adults alike.  So when former Pacific Northwest Ballet star Patricia Barker took over as artistic … Continue reading ‘Polar Express’ Author and ‘Wicked’ Designer join with Choreographer Caniparoli and Director Barker to create new ‘Nutcracker’ for Grand Rapids Ballet