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Jewels: A Multifaceted Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Jessika Anspach backstage, prior to a performance of Diamonds, choreographed by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Lindsay Thomas....
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My “Last” Nutcracker
Pacific Northwest Ballet corps de ballet dancer Jessika Anspach (center) with company dancers in Kent Stowell and Maurice Sendak’s Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling. by Jessika Anspach McEliece The...
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My Pretty Feet
Pointe shoe “gear” – photo by Jessika Anspach McEliece He looks over at me with that twinkle in his eyes, and I see the mischievous 7-year-old boy gleam through my husband’s 32-year-old self. “Come on...
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Searching For Swans…
Jessika in Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Swan Lake. Photo by Lindsay Thomas by Jessika Anspach McEliece The dreary landscape stretched out before us as we migrated northward on I-5. Headed to the Canadian...
View ArticleCurtain Call With Pacific Northwest Ballet: Carla Körbes
by Rachel Hellwig Carla Körbes shocked and saddened the ballet world last fall when she announced her early retirement at age 33. On Sunday night, she gave her final performance with Pacific Northwest...
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On The Marley Floor…
Maria Chapman of Pacific Northwest Ballet. Photo by Angela Sterling Photography. by Jessika Anspach McEliece Her deafening scream reverberated through the studio. Remembering it and my stomach still...
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Spoiler Alert: The Original Endings Of Ballet’s Great Love Stories
by Rachel Hellwig So, you think you know how all of your favorite romantic ballets end? Think again! The original finales might surprise you… Giselle Spoiler alert: Albrecht get backs together with...
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But He Married A Ballerina: The Real Husbands Of Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer Jessika Anspach McEliece with husband Ryan. by Jessika Anspach McEliece Sitting on the couch, wearing a flannel shirt and jeans, he picks up the guitar positioned next...
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Inside My Dance Bag: Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Emma Love Suddarth
Emma in David Dawson’s A Million Kisses to My Skin, photo by Lindsay Thomas by Emma Love Suddarth Laptop… billfold… Ziploc bag of toiletries… socks… binder… normal Tuesday. Pointe shoes? Foot thongs?...
View ArticleKylián Keyword: Connection
My first experience with the work of Kylián came and went in a blur. As a fairly new dancer in the company, simply learning one of the four women of Sechs Tanze was an unbelievable thrill. As a PNB...
View ArticleEmma’s “Summer Bowl” Recipe – Peach & Beet Salad
by Emma Love Suddarth Summer… a break… rest. For almost every professional dancer in the United States, summertime means layoff—a time to trade in the pointe shoes for flip-flops (or sneakers, if...
View ArticleCurry: A Truly British Dish!
by Jessika Anspach McEliece It’s funny to look back and remember what you were up to a year ago… This time last year my husband and I were in the chaotic process of preparing for a very big move....
View Article“Mr. Fix It”– Meet PNB’s Director of Physical Therapy, Boyd Bender
During Swan Lake Boyd Bender's physical therapy table was occupied by a never-ending stream of swans with any number of lower leg problems—a common one being a bad calf. The audience might likely never...
View ArticleOn Love, Ballet, And Sleeping Beauty
by Emma Love Suddarth Emma LOVE? “Yeah I suppose it is a pretty great last name—thanks!” I can’t count the number of exclamations at the uniqueness of that last name. I can’t keep track of the number...
View ArticleNo Nutcracker…
Through the month leading up to Christmas, ballet dancers live and breathe The Nutcracker—leaving the theater pretty much only to eat and sleep. Whether you love it or hate it, it’ll keep coming back...
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