Ballet Northwest the Northwest’S Oldest Ballet Company Celebrates Turning 50
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OLy ArtsIssue No. 24 | Jan./Feb. 2020 Crescendo! Ballet Northwest The Northwest’s oldest ballet company celebrates turning 50. P. 6 Author Jim Lynch’s Highest Tide Harlequin adapts a South Sound novel for the stage. P. 12 Special event coverage: Oly Old Time Festival Featuring The Yodeladys, Ella Korth and more JOIN US FOR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON OF DANCE Olympia Dance Festival February 29, 2020 Featuring over 200 local dancers plus special guests from Cirque du Soleil. Photo: Jerome Tso 50th Anniversary CRESCENDO with members of the Gala Olympia Symphony January 25, 2020 May 8-10, 2020 Featuring dancers from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, San Featuring An American in Paris, Bolero, The Francisco Ballet, and Boston Ballet. Four Seasons, La Bayadere, and more! All performances are at THE WASHINGTON CENTER in Downtown Olympia, WA tickets: WASHINGTONCENTER.ORG/BNW info: BALLETNORTHWEST.ORG OLYMPIA’S DANCE COMPANY SINCE 1970 Artistic Directors Ken & Josie Johnson 2 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 oly arts We Proudly Support the Oly Arts Community Jan 25 • 4:00pm Feb 23 • 8:00pm Lunafest 2020 Ecstatic Productions: Ghost Note Jan 31 • 8:00pm Dosed with Paul Stamets March 5 • 8:00pm Summer Cannibals Feb 8 • 8:00pm HEATING & COOLING Reverend Horton Heat March 7 • 8:00pm Live Dead ‘69 • Maintenance & Repair, ALL MAKES! Feb 12 • 7:00pm • Gas Furances, Heat Pumps, Air Conditioners The Doors: Break March 13+14 • Air Duct & Dryer Vent Cleaning on Through Bikini Kill (sold out) • Ductless Systems • Thermostat Replacements Feb 15 • 8:00pm May 3 • 8:00pm • Custom Sheet Metal Tush! Burlesque Mudhoney • Home Automation • Great Financing Options, OAC • Insulation Services (360) 491.7450 CapitalHeatingAndCooling.com Owned & Operated by the Schmidtke Family for Three Generations + @olympiafilmsociety #CAPITHC948N3 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 3 Cover: South Sound author Jim Lynch OLY ARTS ISSUE No. 24 January / February 2020 OLY ARTS: The South Sound’s premier multiplatform arts publication. View more photos and exclusive content online at olyarts.com. All contents copyright OlyWorks LLC. All rights reserved 2015-2020 Publisher and Editor in Chief Billy Thomas • [email protected] Editor Christian Carvajal • [email protected] Advertising Sales [email protected] Business Operations Manager Cody Taylor • [email protected] Designer Tiana Crispino • [email protected] Founder and President Ned Hayes • [email protected] Contributing Writers Alec Clayton Molly Gilmore Billy Thomas Molly Walsh Christian Carvajal Ned Hayes Jonah Barrett Tom Simpson Melinda Minton OLY ARTS is published by OlyWorks, LLC 120 State Ave. NE PMB #304, Olympia, WA 98501-8212 with special support from Capitol City Press OlyWorks, LLC is proud to be a certified Thurston Green Business. Please consider recycling this magazine when you have finished reading. 4 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 oly arts DANCE COMMUNITY 6-7 16-17 Ballet Northwest Celebrates 50 Years Ice Solidifies in Downtown Olympia VISUAL ARTS OLY OLD TIME FEST 9-11 18-27 A Visit to Art House Designs Special coverage: OLY ARTS celebrates the Oly Old Time Festival Welcome to the Leonor R. Fuller Gallery Schedule of Workshops THEATER Old-Time Music: Where Did it Come From? 8-13 Number the Stars at Olympia Family Theater 6 Harlequin Productions Presents Noises off and The Highest Tide MUSIC 14-15 Azuri Quartet Brings Us Home 14 16 10 18 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 5 EVENTS Ballet Northwest En Pointe for Half a Century By Christian Carvajal or all the influence they had on popular music Performing Arts when that facility opened as such in genres, aside from success they’ve enjoyed on 1985. The Johnasens are “still very much involved and their own, the Fab Four were only together eight part of the family,” says Johnson. “We’ve been really Fyears. Alexander the Great ruled the Macedonian lucky to build on that great foundation that they laid.” empire from 336 BC till his death a mere eight years Ballet Northwest’s golden anniversary will be later. The Qin dynasty that reunified China lasted a celebrated in a semiformal gala headlined by talents decade and a half. (That’s about the length of time from around the world. “We’re really lucky,” says Julius Caesar held power in Rome.) Shakespeare’s Johnson, “to have six amazing dancers who have legendary playhouse, the Globe, opened in 1599 and danced with American Ballet Theatre New York, burned to the ground in 1613; the Bard’s career as a [including] one of their top ballerinas, Hee Seo. Ask playwright lasted less than a quarter of a century. la Cour … is a principal dancer at the New York City Perhaps that provides contrasting context as we note Ballet and danced with the Royal Danish Ballet; and Olympia’s Ballet Northwest, the oldest dance company then [there’s] an amazing Cuban couple, Adiarys in the state of Washington, is about to celebrate its Ameida and Taras Domitro, who danced with National 50th anniversary. This laudable institution is still going Ballet of Cuba, and he also was a principal with strong after outliving B. Dalton Bookseller, Blockbuster San Francisco Ballet and she danced with Boston Video, Judy Garland, Alexander Godunov, Marilyn Ballet. And then the program is rounded out with Monroe and Elvis Presley. In fact, Ballet Northwest James Moore and Angelica Generosa, who are lead hasn’t lost a step, as demonstrated by an upcoming gala dancers with Pacific Northwest ballet in Seattle. … at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. We’re bringing in these world-class dancers for our Asked how Ballet Northwest endures and prospers, community to witness, which is just a really neat its co-artistic director, Ken Johnson, points to “our core opportunity.” values. And that’s really to create a high-quality product Past dancers, dance teachers and board members — with high-quality sets and costumes and dancing appear in video clips to commemorate the company’s and choreography — for both the performers and the achievements over the decades. Attendees get heavy audience, while also creating a wonderful, positive hors d’oeuvres and desserts by Bayview Catering, with environment that’s nurturing and supportive and is dancing to follow in the venue’s black box theater. really a family environment. … We’re really proud here The Johansens will be there as guest emerita, as will in Olympia of this tradition,” he adds, “and we have Margie and Sam Reed. Margie Reed danced with Ballet 50 years of alumni out there who can attest to that.” Northwest for years, and Sam Reed was president of Johnson first danced with the company in 1988, as an its early board of directors. Ticket income goes toward eight-year-old “party boy” in The Nutcracker. He and costume and scholarship funds. VIP guests will enjoy wife Josie Johnson have been artistic co-directors since a pre-show reception with hors d’oeuvres, beer or wine Bernard “Bud” and Mary Johansen retired in 2008. and a souvenir wine tumbler plus priority seating. “When they came here in 1972,” Ken Johnson Before Christmas, Ballet Northwest closed the 35th explains, “the organization had been in existence for production of its annual holiday draw for dancers a couple of years, but [Bud] was really the one who and audiences alike, The Nutcracker. It follows its created the core company of dancers that performed anniversary gala with the 10th edition of Olympia in community.” Initially tied to The Evergreen State Dance Festival on, aptly, Leap Day 2020. O College, the Johansens moved Ballet Northwest to its enshrined status at The Washington Center for the 6 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 oly arts EVENTS WHAT Ballet Northwest’s 50th-Anniversary Gala WHERE The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia WHEN 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 HOW MUCH $48-$98 LEARN MORE balletnorthwest.org 360-753-8586 olyarts.com | Jan./Feb. 2020 7 THEATER Olympia Family Theater presents Number the Stars By Ned Hayes magine being 10 years old, and stage for the first time. “I hope Theater has had better success than Ia friend is caught in a place of that people will recognize the Astin at bringing its version of violence and struggle. Families devastating impact of hate and the this famous story to life. OFT co- are identified for racial profiling various ways we can resist tyranny,” founders Samantha Chandler and and are destroyed based on their explained Chandler. “Young people Jen Ryle started planning for their country of origin. Yet if the friend are likely to be the most fearless adaptation several years ago, and flees and illegally crosses the when it comes to fighting for what in January their dream will come to border, then her family may be is right. And, because we continue life on stage. incarcerated by the military in to live in a time where racism and “With a young female protagonist camps, where many children die. ‘othering’ divide and destroy, I hope and strong themes of bravery and There’s a chance to rescue her, but people will recognize this is an friendship,” explained Ryle, “we such an act requires resistance to ongoing struggle.” felt this was the right time to bring the law, and lying to the police and In 1990, the novel Number the it to life. We see so much hate and military. What is one to do? Stars was awarded the prestigious divisiveness in our country and our In Lois Lowry’s famous novel Newbery Medal as the “most world. It is important for children Number the Stars, published distinguished contribution to to hear that they can participate in in 1989, a young girl named American literature for children.” being a part of a solution and stand Annemarie Johansen faces this Yet the story’s route to stage and up for what is right.” O ethical choice.