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]

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Spring Mix: 5 for 55’: A Preview and Conversation with Choreographer Caili Quan 

By Steve Sucato Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Spring Mix: 5 for 55, taking place on April 4-6 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, is a mixed repertory program celebrating the company’s 55th anniversary. For it, PBT Artistic Director Adam W. McKinney has programmed five ballets that represent each decade of the company’s existence. They include reprises of Dwight Rhoden’s elegantly moving pas de deux … Continue reading Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s ‘Spring Mix: 5 for 55’: A Preview and Conversation with Choreographer Caili Quan 

Apocalyptic Winter of Discontent

Louisville Ballet – The Rite of SpringStreaming Digital PerformanceApril 22 – May 31, 2021 Reviewed by Steve Sucato A frozen post-apocalyptic world where a seeded band of humans battle a viral plague to survive. That’s the plot of Louisville Ballet resident choreographer Andrea Schermoly’s re-interpretation of Vaslav Nijinsky’s ballet The Rite of Spring. Part of Louisville Ballet’s all-digital 2020-21 Season of Illumination, the ballet art … Continue reading Apocalyptic Winter of Discontent

‘Rite of Spring’ Highlights Joffrey Ballet’s Program at Blossom Festival

The Joffrey Ballet in Nijinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”. Photo by Roger Mastroianni. Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio August 17, 2013 Reviewed by Steve Sucato Chicago’s Joffrey Ballet continued its longstanding relationship with The Cleveland Orchestra that began in 1971 with two performances at the orchestra’s summer Blossom Music Festival. Since 2009 the company has made annual appearances with the orchestra in the Cleveland, … Continue reading ‘Rite of Spring’ Highlights Joffrey Ballet’s Program at Blossom Festival

Kudelka’s ‘The Rite of Spring’ Lustful Mayhem

BalletMet Columbus – The Rite of Spring Ohio Theatre – Columbus, OH March 23, 2013 Reviewed by Steve Sucato It must have felt like deja vu for James Kudelka. The former artistic director and chief choreographer of the National Ballet of Canada hadn’t worn both those hats together since 2005. This season he did that again but to a lesser extent for BalletMet Columbus, where … Continue reading Kudelka’s ‘The Rite of Spring’ Lustful Mayhem

Airings: Choreographer David Shimotakahara talks about the community approach to his new ‘Rite of Spring’ production

By Steve Sucato This year marks the 100th anniversary of one of ballet and classical music’s most beloved and controversial masterworks, The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps). Both Igor Stravinsky’s brilliant and avant-garde score and Vaslav Nijinsky‘s modern ballet choreography redefined music and dance at the outset of the 20th-century. In the process The Rite, and its tale of a pagan human sacrifice … Continue reading Airings: Choreographer David Shimotakahara talks about the community approach to his new ‘Rite of Spring’ production