Music & Dance: Musicians, Composers, Singers, Dancers, Choreographers, Performers Talk Art, Creativity & The Creative Process

“There’s this children’s book called Miss Rumphius, and I’ve carried it around with me my entire life. It’s about a woman who grandfather tells her three things, and the last one in the most difficult thing of all and that’s to fill the world with beauty. And I give this book to every one of my friends who are having babies, I have a copy with me almost at all times, and I’m reminded of that feeling that Jonathan Larson had in Tick, Tick…Boom! Of how much time do we have to do something great.”

Alice Brooks is a cinematographer who has worked on award-winning features, television and commercials. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where her creative partnership with director Jon Chu first began. Since, they have worked on several projects together, most recently on the film In The Heights based on the musical by Lin Manuel Miranda. Brooks is known for her use of dramatic lighting and compassionate camerawork. Her latest film is Tick, Tick…Boom! which is set to release on Netflix this fall.

· www.alicebrooks.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Alice Brooks is a cinematographer who has worked on award-winning features, television and commercials. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where her creative partnership with director Jon Chu first began. Since, they have worked on several projects together, most recently on the film In The Heights based on the musical by Lin Manuel Miranda. Brooks is known for her use of dramatic lighting and compassionate camerawork. Her latest film is Tick, Tick…Boom! which is set to release on Netflix this fall.

· www.alicebrooks.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D., and Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s hosted the Oscars, Tony, and Emmy Awards, and performed in several Broadway shows, including Rent, Cabaret, Proof, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His film credits include Starship Troopers , the Harold and Kumar series, and Gone Girl.

www.creativeprocess.info

Neil Patrick Harris is a Tony and Emmy award-winning stage and screen performer, famous for his roles as Barney Stinson in the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and as the iconic and beloved Doogie Howser, M.D., and Count Olaf in A Series of Unfortunate Events. He’s hosted the Oscars, Tony, and Emmy Awards, and performed in several Broadway shows, including Rent, Cabaret, Proof, and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. His film credits include Starship Troopers , the Harold and Kumar series, and Gone Girl.

www.creativeprocess.info

Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States, was founded in 1972. In July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. The Company of nearly fifty dancers presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow and in New York City and Washington DC.

In this interview, we speak with soloist Price Suddarth and corps de ballet Christopher D’Ariano and Amanda Morgan.

· www.pnb.org

· www.pnb.org/artists/price-suddarth/

· www.pnb.org/artists/christopher-dariano/

· www.pnb.org/artists/amanda-morgan
· www.creativeprocess.info

Price Suddarth | Soloist

Price Suddarth is from Westfield, Indiana. He studied at Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the Rock School, the School of American Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. Mr. Suddarth joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2010. He was promoted to corps de ballet in 2011 and soloist in 2018.

Mr. Suddarth has performed as a guest artist with Panama National Ballet. He has choreographed for the Regional Dance America gala in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s NEXT STEP, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s annual School Performance. In 2015, he choreographed Signature for PNB’s mainstage repertory, and in 2017, he choreographed Shifted Figures for Sculptured Dance, a collaboration between Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Art Museum presented at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park.

Christopher D’Ariano | Corps de Ballet

Christopher D’Ariano is from The Bronx, New York. He studied at Ballet Tech, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses at Ballet Tech, Boston Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He was the recipient of the School of American Ballet Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise. Mr. D’Ariano joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2017 and was promoted to corps de ballet later that year.

Mr. D’Ariano also has danced with Lunge Dance Collective, and he has choreographed for the Seattle International Dance Festival.

Amanda Morgan | Corps de Ballet

Amanda Morgan is from Tacoma, Washington. She studied at Dance Theatre Northwest and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she attended summer courses at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Boston Ballet School, and the School of American Ballet. She participated in PNB School’s exchange with the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, where she also performed with Dresden Semperoper Ballett. Ms. Morgan joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2017.

Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States, was founded in 1972. In July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. The Company of nearly fifty dancers presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow and in New York City and Washington DC.

In this interview, we speak with soloist Price Suddarth and corps de ballet Christopher D’Ariano and Amanda Morgan.

· www.pnb.org

· www.pnb.org/artists/price-suddarth/

· www.pnb.org/artists/christopher-dariano/

· www.pnb.org/artists/amanda-morgan
· www.creativeprocess.info

Price Suddarth | Soloist

Price Suddarth is from Westfield, Indiana. He studied at Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the Rock School, the School of American Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. Mr. Suddarth joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2010. He was promoted to corps de ballet in 2011 and soloist in 2018.

Mr. Suddarth has performed as a guest artist with Panama National Ballet. He has choreographed for the Regional Dance America gala in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s NEXT STEP, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s annual School Performance. In 2015, he choreographed Signature for PNB’s mainstage repertory, and in 2017, he choreographed Shifted Figures for Sculptured Dance, a collaboration between Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Art Museum presented at Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park.

Christopher D’Ariano | Corps de Ballet

Christopher D’Ariano is from The Bronx, New York. He studied at Ballet Tech, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses at Ballet Tech, Boston Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He was the recipient of the School of American Ballet Mae L. Wien Award for Outstanding Promise. Mr. D’Ariano joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2017 and was promoted to corps de ballet later that year.

Mr. D’Ariano also has danced with Lunge Dance Collective, and he has choreographed for the Seattle International Dance Festival.

Amanda Morgan | Corps de Ballet

Amanda Morgan is from Tacoma, Washington. She studied at Dance Theatre Northwest and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she attended summer courses at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Boston Ballet School, and the School of American Ballet. She participated in PNB School’s exchange with the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden, where she also performed with Dresden Semperoper Ballett. Ms. Morgan joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2017.

“‘Architecture is frozen music.’…There is something about when you’re exploring not knowing exactly where it’s going to go or how it’s going to turn out which creates an element of surprise and an element of intrigue.”

Michael Daugherty is one of the ten most performed living American composers. Recordings of his pieces Metropolis, Deus ex Machina and Tales of Hemmingway have earned him a total of 6 GRAMMY Awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2011 and 2017. Daugherty has written music for orchestra, band, and chamber ensemble. He is currently a Professor of Composition at the University of Michigan.

· michaeldaugherty.net
· www.creativeprocess.info

Michael Daugherty is one of the ten most performed living American composers. Recordings of his pieces Metropolis, Deus ex Machina and Tales of Hemmingway have earned him a total of 6 GRAMMY Awards, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2011 and 2017. Daugherty has written music for orchestra, band, and chamber ensemble. He is currently a Professor of Composition at the University of Michigan.

· michaeldaugherty.net
· www.creativeprocess.info

“I try to preserve the Chinese music flavor. So, you imagine in Chinese band, the country music that people usually reserve for weddings or for big moments or for funerals. That kind of a feeling. Drums and music playing. I try to preserve it from my memory because what we have now is just a tune. You can probably recognize the tune, but the execution of translating that for a Western orchestra and make it sound like it’s a Chinese band playing Chinese instruments.”

Bright Sheng is a composer, conductor, and pianist. His work has been commissioned and performed by many prestigious institutions throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and special commissions from the White House and for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Sheng has collaborated with many distinguished artists, including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, David Henry Hwang, Christoph Eschenbach, and many others.

· www.brightsheng.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Photo: Santa Fe performance of Madame Mao

Bright Sheng is a composer, conductor, and pianist. His work has been commissioned and performed by many prestigious institutions throughout the world, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and special commissions from the White House and for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Sheng has collaborated with many distinguished artists, including Leonard Bernstein, Yo-Yo Ma, David Henry Hwang, Christoph Eschenbach, and many others.

· www.brightsheng.com
· www.creativeprocess.info

Photo by Peter Shin