Submitted by Ballet Northwest
It’s an Olympic tradition – for years, Ballet Northwest has held a ballet performance on Mother’s Day weekend. Continuing the tradition this year, Ballet Northwest is pleased to present the classic romantic comedy ballet Don Quixote Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14 at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.
Don Quixote was first presented by the Imperial Bolshoi Theater Ballet in Moscow, Russia in 1869 and is now a famous classical ballet performed around the world, but mainly in larger cities. The story follows the legendary hero Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza on their journey to find Don Quixote’s love – Dulcinea. Premiered by Ballet Northwest in 2015, this Spanish ballet is fun for the whole family, starring toreros, mysterious gitanos and young lovers Kitri and Basilio. This comic-filled ballet features beautiful sets and costumes, as well as one of the world’s most famous duets, the wedding pas de deux in Act III.
“It is very exciting that we can offer this performance in Olympia. It’s so different from the other ballets we produce. I love the Spanish flair, the use of fans, capes and tambourines. For our Gitanos dance, we have a renowned flamenco teacher, Marisela Fleites-Lear, who comes in and performs the dances. There’s also a lot of comedy in Don Quixote, which makes it fun for viewers of all ages,” said Josie Johnson, Ballet Northwest Co-Artistic Director.
There are 75 dancers from Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Pierce counties performing in the ballet. The male lead of Basilio is danced by guest artist James Kirby Rogers, a principal dancer with Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet. Originally from San Francisco, Rogers was educated at the prestigious North Carolina School of the Arts and was a finalist at the 2014 Youth America Grand Prix. Before joining Pacific Northwest Ballet, he danced with the Houston Ballet II and the Kansas City Ballet. The female lead, Kitri, is danced by Ballet Northwest Company dancer Nina Ivanenko von Lacey, who trained at the Johansen Olympia Dance Center and previously trained at the Oregon Ballet Theatre. Jim Eychaner, a frequent character artist with Ballet Northwest, will play the role of Don Quixote, a knight errant.
Ballet Northwest presents “Don Quixote” with the support of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Capital Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Dr. Andrew J. Kapust, Olympia Federal Savings, The Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, ArtsWA, Olympic Dermatology, Kell-Chuck Glass and Timberland Bank.
Don Quixote will be performed at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Olympia on May 12-14, Mother’s Day weekend 2023. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 5 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $14 to $35, with student, senior, and youth discounts. Student Rush tickets are available one hour before the start. Tickets are available through the Washington Center Box Office at 512 Washington Street SE in Olympia or by calling 360.753.8566. Visit the Ballet Northwest website for more information or purchase tickets online at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts website.
WHO: BalletNorthwest
WHAT: “Don Quixote”
WHEN: May 12 7:30 p.m., May 13 5 p.m. and May 14 2 p.m.
WHERE: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts
512 Washington Street SE Olympia, WA 98501
HOW: Ticket Office – 360.753.8566 or order online at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts website.
PRICES: Tickets range from $15 to $36 plus a $4.00 service charge per ticket. Student, senior and youth discounts available. Student Rush ticket sales begin one hour prior to commencement.
biographies
Josie Johnson, Co-Artistic Director
Josie and her husband Ken are the directors of the Johansen Olympia Dance Center. She trained at the Orange County Ballet Theatre, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and the Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where she received a BFA in dance education. Josie has danced professionally with Dance Connecticut/Hartford Ballet, Connecticut Opera, Roxey Ballet and ARC Dance Productions. Guest appearances include Eliot Feld’s Mr. XYZ with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Kirk Peterson’s The Nutcracker with the American Ballet Theater Studio Company. Josie has taught and choreographed extensively in New Jersey, Connecticut and Washington.
Ken Johnson, Co-Artistic Director
Ken and his wife Josie are the directors of the Johansen Olympia Dance Center. He trained at the Johansen School of Ballet, Evergreen City Ballet and the School of Hartford Ballet. As a fellow, he attended summer programs at American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Ken has danced professionally with the Hartford Ballet, Dance Connecticut and Connecticut Opera, as well as the renowned Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Ken received a bachelor’s degree from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Ken has worked at American Repertory Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Connecticut, ACT Theater and Tacoma Art Museum.
Since 1970, Ballet Northwest has been a community-based group dedicated to promoting, teaching and preserving the art of dance in southwest Washington. The company provides educational opportunities for local dancers as well as outreach activities throughout the community.
