Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Seasons’ Cannon

all images by Angela Sterling for PNB When we do sensory reviews, I try not to let whether I personally like a piece or not be part of my review.  Yet last night’s The Season’s Cannon, from the amazingly creative choreographer Crystal Pite, was so mesmerizing that I had to share. While there was nothing sensory-excessive in this piece that was noteworthy, it WAS the most transcending piece of dance performance I have ever been witness to. As a past dancer myself, and frequent patron of dance, I have seen a lot of dance. But this piece, this experience, is not just dance. It is a moving experience with exquisite layering of visual, auditory and emotional environments, set to movement that you have likely never seen. The movements, the sound, the visuals are otherworldly. I am a huge fan of Max Richter, a modern composer whose music you have likely heard and been moved by through many enigmatic films. I had no idea I was about to sit through his music, and as I was listening to what was clearly Vivaldi, I could FEEL this underlying, otherworldy tone to the music, to the auditory landscape. It was only later that I found out that Richer had recomposed Vivialdi’s Four Season, with this being the result. Mix that with stunning lighting, both behind and from above the dancers, and the intricate movements choreographed by Crystal Pite, for this fantastic dance company, and I promise you will be transcended. Those of us neurodivergent individuals who experience soundscapes, movement, and visual environments differently will have an incredible experience. I hope all the neurotypical individuals will have the same, rich experience as we do – if any piece can accomplish that, it will be this one. People leaving the performance were asking “Have you ever seen anything like this? , “THIS is the future of dance” and my personal favorite by an elderly gentleman, “Who needs mind-altering substances when you get to experience this?”    Go see this show. Here is the Sensory Guide!