Northwest Ballet Theater bringing Swan Lake to Bellingham

As it turns out, you don’t have to go to Seattle to see ballet.

Northwest Ballet Theater, known locally for their annual production of The Nutcracker, is celebrating their 20th year with their first-ever production of the celebrated ballet Swan Lake in Bellingham.

Northwest Ballet artistic director John Bishop said it’s the most demanding production one can do. With custom costumes, dramatic backdrops and a crew of over 70 dancers and technical staff, this massive production is sure to shock and delight any audience.

The high cost and physical demand of this renowned production is part of the reason the theater had yet to try it, Bishop said. Though The Nutcracker itself is not a walk in the park, it draws a regular holiday crowd for whom the dance is a tradition. Embarking on a production such as this was a risk.

“Though we have a lot of patrons, we don’t have as many donors, so we have to make sure we do everything we can to get the word out,” said Bishop. “If we could import our Nutcracker audience for a spring production, we’d be in heaven.”

The ballet is comprised of traditional choreography, with some additions and amendments by Bishop to include some younger dancers and appeal to local clientele.

The theater has hired a guest dancer, Alberto Gaspar, who is currently a principal dancer with Olympic Ballet in Edmonds. As Prince Siegfried, he will partner with Northwest Ballet artist and Bellingham High School student Julia Schwartz, 16, as Odette/Odile (the White Swan and the Black Swan).

Schwartz is a phenomenal dancer who has received accolades nationally for her traditional Russian ballet style. Bishop said Schwartz is one of the reasons he decided to do Swan Lake.

“Julia’s quite exceptional. Her control is amazing,” Bishop said. “It makes it a professional-level production when you have that. If I didn’t have her, I probably wouldn’t have done the ballet.”

Bishop, 61, started Northwest Ballet Theater with his wife Mieko following a lengthy career in ballet as a dancer and choreographer. Though it took him a while to adjust to Bellingham (he prefers the city), Bishop says he’s happy in the “big family” that is Northwest Ballet.

The theater has six instructors that teach all ages from pre-K through high school. Each year, the theater does three main productions. Dancers have been rehearsing for Swan Lake since January.

“The kids are really dedicated; they just breathe ballet,” Bishop said. He encourages dancers to stay engaged in school, and they do. Most of the dancers at Northwest Ballet are straight-A students, Bishop said.

In a production of this magnitude, it’s hard not to be moved by the beauty and athleticism of the young dancers, Bishop said.

“If you like dance, this is for everybody. Everything that goes into it, the costumes, the scenes, the special effects, are things you don’t expect to see in a town this size,” Bishop said. “But that’s what we’re bringing.”

The production will come to Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham June 8 at 7:30 p.m. and June 9 at 2 p.m. The next weekend, June 15-16, they will appear at McIntyre Hall in Mount Vernon at the same times. Tickets are between $10 and $40 and are available online at mountbakertheatre.com and mcintyrehall.org.