Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's STORYTELLING IN MOTION Runs Next Month

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) will kick off the 2022-2023 Season with Storytelling in Motion, running October 7 - 9 at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. This production highlights a mixed repertoire of internationally-acclaimed contemporary pieces, including Nacho Duato's Duende, Helen Pickett's The Exiled and and the world premiere of a new piece by PBT's own principal dancer Yoshiaki Nakano. These unique, innovative performances will inspire audiences with thought-provoking pieces and will push the dancers out of their comfort zones with athletic choreography.

Nacho Duato's Duende was inspired by Debussy's ethereal score, especially with the way the composer transformed the sound of nature into music. "The audience is invited to surrender themselves to the fantasy world and be transported to a dimension where the ordinary laws of human life lose their power and significance," Duato says. His choreography visualizes forms, creating a sculptural piece in which physical movement and sound are one.

Helen Pickett's award-winning piece The Exiled is an innovative work of art and a departure from traditional ballet. It takes the form of a dramatic story told within the confines of a single room. The front wall is plexiglass, which creates an uncommon, disruptive barrier. The Exiled features narration as well as choreography from the dancers. The premise of the story centers around three strangers destined to spend eternity together, while two Proprietors function as the story's narrators, curators and instigators, creating a cat-and-mouse dynamic between the characters. Audiences will be entranced by the exploration of human choices and morality in the captivating story that is Pickett's The Exiled.

Finally, audiences will get to see the world premiere of a brand new work by PBT's own principal dancer Yoshiaki Nakano. Nakano choreographed this piece specifically for Storytelling in Motion, highlighting the dancers' grace and athleticism.

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