Nov. 2–11
All Premiere
One of Pacific Northwest Ballet’s annual highlights, All Premiere is a mixed-repertory program showcasing work from three choreographers, including the company’s own soloist Kyle Davis. The world premiere of Davis’ A Dark and Lonely Space is joined with two new-to-PNB works. Alejandro Cerrudo’s Silent Ghost is a dramatically lit and highly athletic piece that highlights the various strengths of individual dancers, and Alexander Ekman’s Cacti is a humorous counterpoint performed in front of an on-stage violin quartet. It pokes fun at itself and the contemporary dance world at large, but Ekman’s skill as a choreographer backs up what he throws down.
McCaw Hall
Nov. 8–11
Bitter Suites
Seattle dancer and choreographer Rainbow Fletcher premieres a new work steeped in neon-and-pastel nostalgia. Several years in the making, Bitter Suites, performed by Fletcher’s HYPERNOVA Contemporary Dance Company, consists of five vignettes that draw from the dancers’ memories and experiences surrounding the inevitable transition from childhood to adulthood. Laced with pop culture references from the late 20th century and an original score, the work showcases Fletcher’s inventive choreography beyond her decade in the local cabaret scene.
Velocity Dance Center
Nov. 8–10
Pixel
One of the leading companies in the contemporary experimental dance scene, Compagnie Käfig blends circus acrobatics, martial arts and street dancing. Pixel is a delightful visual fantasy in which dancers move through thousands and thousands of dots and matrices that appear to ripple and move in response to their bodies. At times, a grid on the floor seems to rise and travel across the stage and streams of dots follow one dancer’s arm to swirl around the others. But don’t be taken solely by the special effects—the technical skill and challenging choreography are impressive on their own.
Meany Center
Nov. 17
The Hip-Hop Nutcracker
This holiday mashup spins the ballet classic on its head. Through the spells cast by the mysterious Drosselmeyer, Maria-Clara and her Nutcracker Prince travel back in time to the moment when her parents first meet in a nightclub. The Land of Sweets is transformed to 1980s Brooklyn. Forget satin pointe shoes and sweet tulle tutus, The Hip-Hop Nutcracker brings together a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, an electric violinist and old-school MC Kurtis Blow for a high-energy dose of live holiday magic.
