Serenade at McCaw Hall — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect

Pacific Northwest Ballet opened its 2026/27 season on Friday, September 25, with a triple bill built around George Balanchine’s Serenade. The same program includes a world premiere by Jessica Lang and Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, so you get a classic, a brand-new work and a modern favorite in one evening at McCaw Hall.

About the Program

Serenade. Balanchine made Serenade to Tchaikovsky’s music as his first ballet in America. It was first shown by students of the School of American Ballet in White Plains, New York, on June 10, 1934, and PNB first danced it in 1978. PNB describes it as a celebration of the ensemble rather than the individual, so watch the patterns the whole group makes. The costumes are by Karinska.

Pages (world premiere). This is Jessica Lang’s newest work for PNB, and it had its world premiere on opening night, September 25, 2026. The score is by David Lang, and Jessica Lang also designed the set. The final weekend is your last chance to see it in this run.

Pictures at an Exhibition. Ratmansky created this ballet for New York City Ballet in 2014, and PNB added it in 2017. It is set to music by Modest Mussorgsky, with projections designed by Wendall K. Harrington.

What Makes This Run Special

• Season opener. This is the first program of PNB’s 2026/27 season.
• A brand-new work. Pages had its world premiere on opening night, September 25.
• Casting news. PNB’s posted casting for opening night shows several dancers performing their roles for the first time. Casting can change, so check PNB’s casting page close to your date.

Who Should Go

• First-timers: a mixed bill is a good way to try ballet. Each piece is shorter than a full-length story ballet, and the three works feel very different from each other. Ballet for Beginners: 10 Works to Start With has more starting points.
• Balanchine fans: Serenade is one of the most loved works in his repertory.
• Fans of new work: a world premiere plus a Ratmansky piece from the last decade.

Seats and Booking Tips

• Serenade and Pictures at an Exhibition both use big group patterns, so a seat with some height helps you see the full picture. More in how to choose seats at a ballet performance.
• Ballet Talks: PNB hosts a free half-hour talk about the program one hour before every performance, downstairs in the Nesholm Family Lecture Hall.
• Audio-described performance: Saturday, October 3 at 2 pm, with $20 tickets for patrons using a listening device plus one companion.
• For discount options, see How to Get Cheap Ballet Tickets in the US.

Getting to McCaw Hall

McCaw Hall is at 321 Mercer St, on the north edge of the Seattle Center campus. PNB warns that parking near Seattle Center can fill up quickly and recommends buying pre-paid parking for the Mercer Street Garage, which connects to McCaw Hall. PNB also suggests checking Seattle Center’s website for transportation updates before you leave.

Back to This Week

See every ballet performance in New York, Chicago, and Seattle this week in Ballet This Week: September Week 3, 2026.

---

Schedules and prices can change. Please confirm on the official site before booking. Spotted an error? Let me know.

---

Read next

• Jewels at David H. Koch Theater — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect
• Liliom at Lyric Opera House — Dates, Tickets, and What to Expect
• Ballet This Week: September Week 3, 2026 — New York, Chicago, Seattle