In the shoot, Lindsi is wearing two ensembles; the first is Class Act Tutu’s V Neck Tutu Bodice (in wine) and Classical Tutu skirt in Wine/Black

The other one (as featured on p 10 of Pointe) is Vala Dancewear’s “Siren” in one of the new fabrics/colors we are testing (consider this a sneak peek!!!), along with Class Act Tutu’s Layered Romantic Tutu in our 5-Layer “Bird of Paradise” palette.

If you want to own one of these georgeous tutus worn by Lindsi in the Pointe Photo shoot, they are in our Sample Sale!

• 5 Layer Juicy Tutu / Bird of Paradise
• Black and Wine Accent
  

Not your size? No problem! Just contact us.

Photo by Nathan Sayers

“Lindsi Dec steps out from the “Rubies” corps, lowering her arms slowly, a flash in her eyes. And then she bursts into action, her 5′ 9″ worth of angular beauty unfurling into head-high extensions. Darting and slinking through Balanchine’s hip-jutting steps, the Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist is having the time of her life. And so is the audience.” – Pointe Magazine

Congratulations to Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist (and Vala Dancewear model), Lindsi Dec – on her awesome feature in the October/November issue of Pointe Magazine! Read all about Lindsi, her rise to fame and her incredible work ethic here.

{PS: On page 10, Lindsi is modeling Vala Dancewear’s “Siren” in one of our new colors.   Don’t miss it!}

Just think: You would observe countess rehearsals, exhilarating performances, daily classes, nerve-wracking auditions and necessary board meetings. You would get to know the dancers and their artistic director, the stage hands, lighting directors, costume designers, marketers, fundraisers – even catch a glimpse of a few dance moms and their children.

Every question would be answered. Every rumor laid to rest. Absolutely no one (and nothing) would be off limits! It would be a dream come true, right?

Well, give yourself a good pinch because trust me – you’re awake and your wish has been granted! In his newest book, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear, best-selling author, Stephen Manes pulls back the gilded stage curtain and shares what it was like to spend a year with Seattle’s own Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Four years in the making, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear isn’t just another textbook-ish tome; it instead reveals just how ballets are produced, marketed, and funded. In short, this beefy book – with all of its juicy gossip and first-hand dancer accounts – boldly goes where no balletomane has gone before!

Through Manes’ watchful eye, you’ll discover many facets and secrets of the Land of Ballet such as: What it takes to keep the holiday cash-cow known as Nutcracker running year after (endless) year; how the company survived its most tumultuous, injury plagued and downright stressful staging of Roméo et Juliette; the harsh reality of “body is destiny”, and just how much a dancer will (can?) put up with – physically and emotionally – before calling it quits.

You will be a fly on the wall during artistic director, Peter Boal’s most difficult decisions and discover why he and others in his position must be “willing to be hated”. You’re there as members of the “Who’s Who in Choreography” (Christopher Wheeldon, Twyla Tharp, Jaime Martinez, and Bernice Coppieters), give corrections and guidance for proper staging of their work. You’ll also witness the drama that surrounds a dancer’s life – the fiery contentions, the painful jealousies and cherished friendships.

Also revealed are the accounts from Pacific Northwest Ballet School students, as well as those from the oftentimes unsung “heroes of the pit” – orchestra pit, that is.

Now although PNB is certainly at the book’s center, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear is by no means exclusive to the Seattle crowd. In fact, this literary work of art (not exaggerating!) could have just as easily been written about any other top ballet company, from New York to London. Because no matter how you slice it, a dancer’s needs, desires, fears and frustrations are the same.

Quite honestly, I cannot say enough great things about this book. Its exciting and insanely in-depth coverage of “life on the inside” is exactly what tired, musty-dusty dance library shelves have been craving for years! Stephen Manes has done an excellent job at conveying all the intricacies of a ballet company’s success, without sacrificing a single note from the chorus of countless artistic voices behind it. (Bravo!)

From union mandates to marketing strategies, to painful injuries to exhausting perfectionism, Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear leaves no stone left unturned and is an absolute must for the die-hard ballet fan!

To read excerpts (Come on, you know you’re dying to!) and to purchase a copy of the book in either hardcover or digital format, please visit Where Snowflakes Dance and Swear.com

In this article, Murphy talks about her start in ballet and how she keeps herself in top shape to keep up with the demands of her blossoming career. Read all about it here.

Bernice Coppieters in Roméo et Juliette. Photo courtesy: The Prague Post, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo

For the past 20 years, Bernice Coppieters has danced all of the leading roles in Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s repertoire, including Juliet in “Romeo et Juliette”. (Side note: We had the privilege of reviewing Pacific Northwest Ballet’s performance of this piece back in 2009, in which Coppieters’ beautiful fingerprints could be seen and felt throughout the entire evening.)

Now this gorgeously complex dancer talks about one of her most rewarding roles to date: instructor.

In her early 40s, Coppieters’ age is not a sensitive topic of conversation, as one might expect. She isn’t scared of the fact that her career as an active prima ballerina is very likely coming to its end. She says she is putting her focus in a different direction, working with dancers in companies around the world who are staging Maillot’s productions.
Read more here.

While Gary’s many talents play a crucial role in PNB’s favorable status within the dance community, his sparkling sense of humor and charming wit are the icing on the cake!

So who is the man behind the press release? How does the world of ballet–and the arts world in general–look from his perspective? We decided to go straight to the source to find out! Ladies and gentlemen, the honorable Gary Tucker… {Insert thunderous applause here}

So how did you become the Sir Gary of PNB?

That’s only a title that you have bestowed upon me. My preferred title is ‘Lord High Peon’. Well, let’s see…how I got started at PNB. About four years ago, I was working for the Film Festival and then I wasn’t working for the Film Festival. Let’s leave it at that! {Laughs} Then I was enjoying the summer, did a couple of freelance gigs. And just when I was starting to think, “I should get a job because I’m running out of money!” my friend Ellen Walker – the Director of Marketing and Communications here at Pacific Northwest Ballet – called me. We’ve known each other for a thousand years and she called me in kind of a panic; I mean her message just sounded urgent. She said “Gary, you have to call me immediately!” Apparently their PR gal had given her two weeks’ notice and it was something like—ten days before the opening of Nutcracker! {Laughs}

Oh my goodness…!

I told Ellen I’d help with Nutcracker and then we’ll see how it goes. You know, to see if I liked it or not. And within about a day Ellen was asking, “You’ll just take the full-time job, won’t you?” {Laughs} So once I made it through that, I thought, “If I can make it through Nutcracker, then full-time should be a breeze!” Which it hasn’t been, of course! {Laughs}

Famous last words, right?

Yeah, it was! I’ve worked for a lot of arts organizations in town doing PR but I’d never worked on a show as big as Nutcracker, in terms of both size and expectations. As a matter of fact, when they told me what their number goals for Nutcracker were, I actually laughed because I thought it was a joke. And then I realized…it wasn’t a joke! {Laughs} But it’s fun; this is a great place to work. Everyone said I’d get the hang of it and I did, so–here I am!

Would you say you thrive in a busy environment? Do you like to constantly go, go,go?

Well I would like a little slow, slow, slow once in awhile! It would be nice to catch up because you’re never on top of everything. You’re constantly distracted. You’ll say to yourself, “Today I’m going to put out the Tharp press release!” Then you get to your desk, turn on your computer and the first thing that pops up is something else you have to do, right then and there. Then someone else needs something, or a photo need comes up for a magazine, and then the next thing you know, it’s the end of the day and you haven’t even looked at that press release!

But I do like the atmosphere. I like working for arts organizations and have been working for them almost exclusively my entire career.

What brought that about? Were you into the arts like drama or theatre when you were younger?

I was totally into theatre when I was in school! I wanted to sing, I wanted to dance, I wanted to act– even though I wasn’t a very good dancer or singer. I was an okay actor, though. I took ballet for 2 years at the University of Washington with Eve Green, as well as jazz with Edna Daigre. Okay, funny story; at the end of the term, there was a faculty dance concert. Well, I did not dance in the ballet portion; I danced in the jazz portion. And at the end of the show, someone from the ballet class came up to me and said, “Umm…you should stick with jazz.” Which was their kind way of saying, ‘You should get out of ballet!’ {Laughs}

You’re right, that’s pretty humorous! I thought you had a background in dance, judging by our previous conversations. You always sound like someone who knows the business well—not just because it’s your job.

I’m not what I would call a “dance scholar” by any stretch of the imagination, not even close! In fact, I have my little glossary of ballet terms so I can look up how to spell them. I’ll put it this way – I know enough about it that it serves me well in this position.

How did you get from there to becoming the PR guru you are today?

Please – You can’t call me a “guru”! (You can call me a “kan-guru.”) My first job after college was working with the city parks department putting on the Concerts in the Park series. I did this back home in Hawaii as well. Yes, I’m an island boy. The concert program was fun but very short-term. Then I worked for an ad agency as a receptionist, and from there I started working for a small, local theatre company [the late, great Skid Road Theatre]. Then I started working for The Egyptian Theatre just to have some additional income. I ended up working there for a long time, and it led to other film-related jobs. Fast forward (because this story could go on forever!)—I was taking a summer off from the film biz, working for the underground tours when I heard that Intiman Theatre was looking for a PR guy. I’d never worked in PR before, but at that time I was an Intiman subscriber and I thought to myself, “You know what? The Egyptian was an independent theatre and we were doing all our promotion ourselves. I can probably sell theatre!” And from that point on, I’ve been in arts PR. I’ve had stints at many fantastic arts organizations around town. But hopefully I’m here at PNB for good!

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to get into PR and “do what you do”?

First of all, I do this because I love working for performing arts organizations. I don’t necessarily “live” to do PR. Obviously I’ve made a good career out of it, but my choice was to work in the arts: PR was just the avenue I got to take. Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want to do. If you want to get a job, any job, in the arts, develop more than one skill so that you’ll be the right candidate no matter what the position is that they’re hiring for. If you want to get a job doing PR, well there are many, many opportunities out there for the right people. (Although they might not actually pay a living wage!) But if you want to get a job doing PR in the arts, I wouldn’t look for PR jobs with a steel manufacturer or something like that.

I would also suggest you learn how to talk on the phone, learn how to communicate clearly via e-mail (so many people do not), learn how to write a press release, and have a good attitude.

How does your typical day begin?

I always start off my day by…listening to NPR and reading the newspaper! I read various publications so I can keep on top of everything; that’s what you have to do in this business. That and writing press releases! I do like my diet Coke and my lattes on occasion but I don’t start my day with caffeine. Shocking! {Laughs} I like to get going on my own, without additional stimulation.

Speaking of coffee, there was an article or little contest in Seattle Magazine awhile back called “Match the PNB dancer to their favorite coffee drink”. How did that come about?

Well, it was more of a quiz than a contest, because the only prize was a sense of self-satisfaction, and it was on PNB’s Facebook page. Seattle magazine was doing a coffee issue and asked a bunch of Seattle celebrities what their drink of choice was, and they’d asked if I could get a dancer to do one. Not knowing the intimate details of our dancers’ caffeine habits already, I decided to just send the query out and see who replied. Well, I got about five responses and they were all pretty interesting, but the magazine was only going to use one. So I thought, “Why don’t I just see how many I can get, and we can turn it into a little quiz on our Facebook page!”

And then we provided a link from our Facebook page to the Seattle Magazine article online, so there was a little tie-in. And Seattle magazine was so thrilled with that, that they sent a link back to us from their site.

Wow! So that was your idea?

It was my idea, but I got lots of help implementing it from my cohorts here at PNB, particularly Judith [Austin] who manages our Facebook presence!

Any other interesting ballet-related PR stories?

Last year when I was reading the sports section—I mean, how often would I find anything of use in the sports section?—But I was going through it and there was a little interview with Quincy Pondexter [then University of Washington basketball player; current team member of New Orleans Hornets]. And I thought to myself, “This guy sounds smart and funny, and he probably has a good sense of himself. I wonder if he’d be willing to be a guest Grandfather in Nutcracker!”

I wondered how that all came to be! How did you get him to do it?

I contacted the press department at the Huskies and they told me that, “Of all the players, he’d be the one to do it.” Quincy jumped at the idea and it was great! PNB’s Nutcracker got mentioned in so many places—including the New York Times sports section—because of Quincy. While I don’t watch sports on a regular basis, I do go through that section every day.

You literally are a fountain of wonderful ideas, aren’t you?

Well, thanks for the flattery, but they’re not always wonderful; For every good idea there are several more bad ones. For every “Yes” that you get, there’s at least three “No’s”. So, you just have to keep on persevering and don’t allow yourself to be dejected by defeat.

Don’t you just love him, folks? Let’s give him another round of applause, shall we?  Thanks, Gary! You’re the greatest!

Oh my! To read more interesting tidbits from Mr. Orza, click here.

Behind the scenes at the Vala Shoot: Laura Getting Into Position wearing Vala's "Enchant" Leotard

Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist and Vala model, Laura Gilbreath is–in a word–breathtaking. Her fabulous extensions, incredible technique and striking beauty make for a rather bewitching combination! We adored her in “3 By Dove”, wept over her haunting interpretation in “Afternoon Ball”, and were mesmerized by her peacock variation in “Nutcracker”. But what we find most intriguing however, is her stunning work ethic! This young woman’s been busting her chops since she was a teenager–an attribute which led to her success with Pacific Northwest Ballet!

Behind the scenes photos courtesy of Rachel Anne Fitzthum, Designer, Vala Dancewear

We recently caught up with the talented dancer and asked her some of our–and your–burning questions. Here are her answers…

Please share with our readers about how you got started in ballet.

I guess you could say I started dancing because my mother always had such a love and appreciation for it. She danced (ballet) up until she was in high school, and so when she had two little girls, it was only natural that she expose us to this beautiful art form.  My sister is two years older than I am, and she began lessons when she was about 4. When Mama and I would go pick her up (I was 2 1/2 at the time), I would constantly be dancing around in the waiting room wanting to join the class. The teacher and my mother must have gotten sick of seeing me jump around because they let me join the creative movement class early.

In a recent interview, you mentioned that you’d attended School of American Ballet when you were younger. Can you tell us how old you were when you accepted into their program? Was this your “dream” school at the time?

I started going to SAB for the summer course when I was 11, and then I began attending as a year-around student when I was 15. I would definitely say this was my dream school when I was younger. Aubrey Morgan (used to dance with NYCB) and Janie Taylor (currently dances with NYCB) are from my studio and they both attended SAB. I wanted to do exactly what they did. It all sounded so amazingly wonderful and exciting. I prepared my mother early on that I would be leaving home at an early age.

How did your family feel about such a big move?

As I said, my mother was somewhat prepared that I would leave home early, but that did not make it any easier. Not to mention the fact that she had already let one daughter go at the age of fifteen to train in ballet as well. My sister, Elizabeth, trained at the Harid Conservatory for 2 years and then ended up attending Indiana University. Before that, she did some trainee work with Ballet Austin. She still does some dancing occasionally around New Orleans. She is a beautiful dancer. So I guess all in all everyone was very supportive of the move and happy that I was fulfilling my dreams. Daddy just wanted his little girl to be safe and to be able to visit me when he could!

What was it like for you to live so far from home for the first time? How did you handle homesickness? (I think I’d personally have a panic attack..LOL)

It was hard being away that young. I think I talked to Mama on the phone probably 5 times a day! At the time I felt so grown up and sophisticated, but 15 is a baby looking back on it. Mama would try to visit at least every few months and Daddy would come as often as his work schedule would allow. The good thing about being at a place like SAB is that everything is in that one building: cafeteria, dorms, studios, and there were plenty of things to do in a 10 block radius, so my mom never had to worry about me galavanting around the city. My friends and I had plenty of good, clean fun in the dorms!

So what prompted your move to Pacific Northwest Ballet?

I moved to Seattle after attending 2 summer courses at PNB. When you are at SAB for the winter, they encourage you to go somewhere else for the summer to experience different places. I chose PNB. My last year at SAB, I started to see that NYCB was not looking like it was going to work out for me, and, where I didn’t know a lot about PNB, what I had heard and knew about the company I liked. So I became a Professional Division student in August, 2002, then I got my apprenticeship in the spring of 2003. And I’ve been here ever since!

And we’re so happy about that, too! So what’s a typical “day in the life” like for you?

A typical day in the life of me? Well, since we usually work until 7 pm, we don’t have to start our morning warm-up ballet class until 10:15. Seems crazy to people with “normal” jobs but that extra sleep can really help when the days are long and exhausting. I get up at 8 am when we have class at 10:15. I immediately go to my dog Bonnie and let her outside to play, eat, etc. My boyfriend, Jerome (Tisserand), and I like to eat outside in the mornings if it’s nice. We will usually throw the ball to Bonnie before we leave too. Then it’s off to work. Class goes until 11:45 and rehearsals start at 12:05. Our lunch break is 3-4 and then rehearsals start back from 4-7. Now everyday is not this full. Some days you might have 12-1 then 4-5 and be done. It just depends on what we’re  working on. Right now on Tuesday and Wednesday nights I have Spanish class through Seattle University. It’s spanish 1 and they will also be offering spanish 2 and 3 consecutively. These Seattle U classes are great, and I try to take all that I can in order to slowly chip away at getting my degree one day. If I don’t have some SU class (they last until 9:30), I love to come home and make dinner. Then usually a bath is in order and then it’s bedtime for me by 11:00. Not too exciting, huh?!

I think it sounds very exciting, actually! {Grins} Okay, next question. With it being the holiday season, would you mind sharing your favorite “Nutcracker” experience with us?

I guess my favorite Nutcracker experience/memory would have to be getting to do Clara as a young girl in New Orleans. That was such a special time for me. It was my first real dancing part in point shoes, and I remember feeling so beautiful. Now, that has carried over into adulthood as I get to take on the role of Clara with PNB. Last year was my first year doing the part, and I have fallen in love with it! I love that it is not only beautiful dancing, but a wonderful chance to act as well. Clara is by far my favorite role.

I think the same can be said for a number of “baby ballerinas”! Speaking of which, what advice would you like to share with young dancers?

My advice would be work hard each and everyday if you have the dream and desire to dance professionally as I did, but don’t miss out on your childhood. I remember afternoons when I would go over to my friend’s house to jump on her trampoline after school. Somedays I would be having so much fun that I didn’t want to go to ballet class. My mom would always say that was just fine and let me keep playing (until I had to come inside to do homework, of course!). But the point is, if you’re serious about it definitely pursue it, but always do it because you want to and because it makes you happy. I never missed a sleepover, I just arrived really late and left really early for my Saturday morning ballet class!

Thank you so much, Laura for taking time away from your busy schedule for us. We really appreciate it and cannot wait to see you on stage again very soon!

To check out Laura in action, please purchase your tickets to Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “Nutcracker”. Visit PNB.org for more information.

Snow on stage! Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers in the Kent Stowell/Maurice Sendak Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling

For more than 50 years, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” has been an American holiday tradition. The Pacific Northwest Ballet continues to make their exclusive Stowell & Sendak Nutcracker production a warm and delightfully magical onset to our wintry festivities by exuding the finest artistry from the scenic and lighting design to the richly animated choreography, and of course, the musical compositions performed by sixty-five of the most talented musicians. Nevertheless, what made this story come to life were the dancers and their interpretation of ETA Hoffman’s characters.

The cast for the opening night of PNB’s Nutcracker included a number of the company’s finest dancers along with several of its own Pacific Northwest Ballet School students. The audience reveled in watching the young students inherit the stage of McCaw Hall, some for the first time. The innocent and uninhibited way they captured the essence of Hoffman’s characters was remarkable and enchanting.

Among the professional cast, Batkhurel Bold’s representation of the Prince is passionately strong and daringly dynamic. Perfectly paired with Bold was Carla Körbes. She captivated our hearts with her exquisite and gentle adaptation of Clara. Olivier Wevers delivered an outstanding performance as his magnetic personality encapsulated that of Drosselmeyer/Pasha. Ariana Lallone was brilliantly flawless in her transcendental presentation of the Peacock. Carrie Imler was powerfully breathtaking in Waltz of the Flowers. Her performance was an absolute treasure to behold. PNB’s company of dancers executed each step with such vitality and sincerity, the evening concluded with a blissful aspiration for more.

Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Carla Körbes as Clara in PNB's Stowell/Sendak Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s vivid adaptation of this childhood storybook re-establishes a dreamlike imagination in audience members of all ages. Performances will run from November 26^th until December 27, 2010. Come and enjoy the magic of Stowell & Sendak’s Nutcracker.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit PNB.org.

Review By: Amanda Calderon

Vala Dancewear / Class Act Tutu Associate