We don't get a lot of PBT followers posting anymore (if any), but if there's any lurkers in the Pittsburgh area, there's a performance at Hartwood Acres on August 20. The program looks pretty good and it's free.

http://www.pbt.org/support/events

Thursday, August 20, 2009 7:30 PM
Hartwood Amphitheatre

Experience ballet under the stars with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's annual free performance at Hartwood Acres, featuring Dwight Rhoden's Step Touch and George Balanchine's Theme and Variations.

Step Touch
Get set to sh-boom, sh-boom to your favorite doo wop hits as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre blends the fantastic vocal harmonies of Charlie Thomas' Drifters and Pure Gold with the dynamic choreography of Dwight Rhoden. Including classic tunes such as "Under the Boardwalk," "Up on the Roof" and "This Magic Moment," this toe-tapping ballet is not to be missed!

Theme and Variations
Master choreographer George Balanchine wrote that Theme and Variations was created "to evoke that great period in classical dancing when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tchaikovsky's music." Highlighting the skill and agility of the dancers and the musicality of Balanchine himself, the work is set to the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Third Orchestral Suite and features twelve variations including a central pas de deux.

Bring your friends, family, blanket and picnic!

As a former PBT dancer, I can say that Hartwood was a difficult venue, mostly b/c the stage faced into the setting sun. (We rehearsed and warmed up with sunglasses on!) Is that still the case? And it was a very large stage--kind of shapeless--with no wings. Theme will be difficult to perform there.

I appreciate that Ray. I'm not a big fan of watching ballet outdoors, except at a place like Saratoga. Too noisy, bad sight lines, too many bugs. But I do hope some people take advantage of this opportunity.

We always envied the audiences and their picnics, though. Especially those big glasses of wine.

The last time I saw PNB perform outdoors, it was at Chateau St. Michelle. It was so cold that night that the company had to perform the last piece in leg warmers.