Best Idea Ever: PNB Will Live-Stream Carla Körbes' Farewell

Körbes looking impossibly beautiful in “Diamonds” from Jewels (photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB)

We still can’t quite believe Carla Körbes is retiring. The gorgeous ballerina—who has been a principal at Pacific Northwest Ballet for much of her career—announced last fall that her June 7 performance with PNB would be her last. The news came as a shock to much of the dance world, because Körbes is just 33, and still at the height of her powers. In a New York Times interview, she explained that she’d had a hard time recovering from recent injuries, and that ballet “doesn’t feel like it’s working” for her right now.

But here’s some happy news to soften the blow, especially for those of us far from Seattle: PNB will live-stream Körbes’ farewell performance. So we’ll all get to say our own goodbye to Carla. Which is a lovely idea, isn’t it? Paris Opéra Ballet live-streamed Nicholas Le Riche’s adieu last year, too, and the response was fantastic. Let’s make it a trend.

Körbes’ farewell program is pretty great, too: It’s PNB’s annual Season Encore Performance, during which the company reprises some of its most popular works. Körbes will dance Jessica Lang’s The Calling and two George Balanchine classics, “Diamonds” from Jewels and Serenade. (Oof, get your tissues ready for that last one.)

Watch the live stream this Sunday, June 7 at 6:30 pm PST at pnb.org/live. And in the meantime, turn to p. 15 of the May/June issue of Dance Spirit to read Körbes’ wise, moving advice for students.

Wait, we’re not ready to say goodbye yet! (Körbes after a performance of “Diamonds”; photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy PNB)