PABLO HERNAN PIANTINO portrait
  • Assistant to the Director for Student Support , School Of Dance
  • Assistant Professor, School Of Dance
801-581-8231

Creative Research

  • The Rosin Box Project, San Diego, CA - Choreographer Penny Saunders has invited me to re-stage her work "Sur le Fil" on The Rosin Box Project. Performance, refereed, scheduled 06/16/2023.
    https://www.therosinboxproject.com/debuts-2023
  • Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle, WA - Choreographer Penny Saunders has invited me to assist her in re-staging sections of the dance-film "Wonderland" into an in-person stage version. Performance, refereed, scheduled 03/17/2023.
    https://www.pnb.org/season/boundless/
  • Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati, OH - I was invited by choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo to re-stage, coach, rehearse and tech his choreography "Extremely Close" for Cincinnati Ballet. As Alejandro was not able to travel to Cincinnati, it was a tremendous responsibility to have full control of every artistic and technical decision the work required. Also, to re-stage the piece on such an important and nationally recognized ballet company. Performance, refereed, completed 11/04/2022.
    https://cballet.org/performances/carmina-burana/
  • Diablo Ballet, CA - Choreographer Penny Saunders invited me to re-stage "Sur le Fil" virtually via Zoom on Diablo Ballet. Performance, refereed, completed 04/01/2022.
    https://diabloballet.org/performances/
  • Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids, MI - Will be editing and re-creating three films from an already premiered dance film for a new work by Penny Saunders. Media Arts, refereed, in progress 03/16/2022.
  • Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids, MI. I was commissioned to edit and re-create a film for the live performance version of "Amiss" by Penny Saunders. Media Arts, refereed, completed 02/23/2022.
  • The University of Utah, School of Dance, Salt Lake City, UT - I was asked to re-stage "Sur le Fil" by choreographer Penny Saunders for the School of Dance Fall Dance 1 Concerts. "Sur le Fil" was choreographed for Tulsa Ballet 2 on 2018. Other, refereed, completed 10/23/2021.
  • Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI - I was asked to re-stage Penny Saunders's "Next To" via Zoom, for the students of Department of Dance. Other, refereed, completed 10/03/2021.
  • Dance Aspen (former Aspen Santa Fe Ballet artists), Aspen, CO - I was hired to re-stage (virtually via Zoom) "Next To" by choreographer Penny Saunders. Other, refereed, completed 08/03/2021.
  • Grand Rapids Ballet, Grand Rapids, MI - I re-staged (virtually) Penny Saunders's work "Next To" to be performed in the company's virtual season. Other, refereed, completed 03/19/2021.
  • Ballet Idaho, Boise, ID - I was commissioned by choreographer Penny Saunders to create a short film as part of the scenic design for her screen dance "Shot in the Dark." Media Arts, refereed, completed 03/05/2021.
    https://www.instagram.com/p/CN5dBHLAv4S/?utm_mediu...
  • Ballet Idaho, Boise, ID - I was hired to re-stage sections of choreography by Penny Saunders for the screen dance "Shot in the Dark." I also rehearsed and coached the dancers while on site during the filming. Other, refereed, completed 03/05/2021.
  • Video editor for choreographer PENNY SAUNDERS'S promotional materials. Salt Lake City, UT. Media Arts, completed 12/29/2020.
    https://vimeo.com/496073870
  • Staging and rehearsal assisting to PENNY SAUNDERS'S new choreographic work "Wonderland." Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle, WA. I was involved with rehearsal directing, coaching, filming and editing assisting to the work that was showcased on PNB's website as part of their virtual season. We rehearsed and filmed under strict COVID guidelines, which made the process very challenging. However, restrictions can sometimes be a blessing in disguise, as they can generate a level of creative thinking that would otherwise not be present. We filmed the work within McCaw Hall, on stage, in the pit, on a balcony and around the empty 2900 seat house. This made for a dance-film unlike any other Seattle audiences had experienced, by not only offering beautiful dance, but also dance from very different perspectives. Other, refereed, completed 11/04/2020.
    https://www.pnb.org/repertory/wonderland/
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Pacopepepluto." Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle, WA. I was in Seattle one more time to work with PNB for a fifth time. This was the forth choreographic work I restaged at PNB for Alejandro Cerrudo. This time, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Alejandro was not going to be present, I was asked to also direct the filming of "Pacopepepluto" and assist through the editing process. The choreography was released on several platforms, including the PNB website, as part of the company's annual gala. Other, refereed, completed 10/28/2020.
    https://www.pnb.org/season/events/first-look/
  • Stager, videographer and video editor to PENNY SAUNDERS'S dance-film "Switch." School of Dance, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. "Switch" was created with COVID-19 restrictions used as an opportunity to try something different. The film embraced the fact that “performing” can mean something quite different depending on how it is seen. By creating a dance-film within the walls of The Marriott Center for Dance, we were able to challenge compositional ideas and allowing the entirety of the university’s dance facilities to serve theatrically. This way both the cast of dancers and the viewer are able to experience dance from a whole new perspective. (Password: UB1) Other, refereed, completed 10/22/2020.
    https://vimeo.com/469035477
  • Performer, choreographer, videographer and editor of a short dance-film that was part of an exhibit in the Vision Gallery, Chandler, Arizona. "Pas De Deux in the time of quarantine" is a collaborative, interdisciplinary project by artist Shapira Cheuk that seeks to explore these questions in this unprecedented time. (Password: Pablo) Media Arts, refereed, completed 08/27/2020.
    https://vimeo.com/509614674
  • Video editor to PENNY SAUNDERS'S dance-film "Brown Eyes." Guggenheim Works in Process, New York City, NY. I was asked by choreographer Penny Saunders to edit a video co-commissioned by BalletX from Philadelphia and Works & Process at the Guggenheim. Also, co-presented by Grand Rapids Ballet, The Kennedy Center and Society for the Performing Arts. This was a very exciting opportunity to continue to develop as a video artist and gain a wide exposure in the dance world. Media Arts, refereed, completed 07/10/2020.
    https://youtu.be/sh9LeBxHhQk
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "One Thousand Pieces." Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle, WA. I was in Seattle working with the amazing PNB dancers for a fourth time. This work is over an hour long and it requires many elements besides the choreography. There are glass looking panels hanging from the ceiling, and as moving walls on stage. One of the sections is danced on water and there is a hanging men over the crowd who recites a poem by Philip Glass. I was in Seattle for a total of four weeks, which was the longest research trip I have ever taken. Other, refereed, completed 02/14/2020.
    https://www.pnb.org/repertory/one-thousand-pieces/...
  • Staging of PENNY SAUNDERS'S "Berceuse." Diablo Ballet, CA. Penny and I worked with two beautiful dancers from Diablo Ballet and although we had already set this work several times before, we still found joy in the process. The main challenge was getting "ballet" dancers to move from a raw and instinctual place, and helping them feel confortable dancing bear-foot. Other, refereed, completed 11/15/2019.
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Second to Last." School of Dance, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT. Although this was the fourth time I restaged this work, it was the first time at the U, which proved to be fun, yet challenging. The students were fabulous and I was very proud and pleased with the outcome. Other, refereed, completed 10/31/2019.
  • Staging of PENNY SAUNDERS'S "Sur Le Fil." Seattle Dance Collective. Vashon Island, WA. It was a treat to work with the dancers of SDC on the Vashon Center for Performing Arts stage. Penny's work speaks for itself, but these dancers truly made it their own and made our work much easier and rewarding in the process. Other, refereed, completed 07/12/2019.
  • Staging of PENNY SAUNDERS'S "In A Minute." Seattle Dance Collective. Vashon Island, WA. This is a solo Penny created a while back, and both directors of SDC (Noe Pantastico and James Moore, both Principal dancers with Pacific Northwest Ballet) danced it in front of the curtain at the very beginning of the performance. It was a lot of fun to work with such amazing dancers in helping them be the best they could possibly be. Other, refereed, completed 07/12/2019.
  • Staging of PENNY SAUNDERS'S "Berceuse." Indiana University. BLOOMINGTON, IN. This was a repeat of the work Penny and I did at Ballet Idaho last year. In fact, we danced this duet for a benefit gala in San Francisco in 2014, which makes our physical and emotional understanding of the choreography that much greater. The challenge in Indiana was the lack of professional experience from the dancers. It's a very different experience working with students instead of professional dancers, equally rewarding, only in very dissimilar ways. Other, refereed, completed 05/01/2019.
  • Christopher Alloways-Ramsey's Thesis Project. School of Dance, University of Utah. I was invited to perform in Christopher's Thesis Project about the aging body, its limitations and remaining beauty. Performance, refereed, completed 04/27/2019.
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Little Mortal Jump." The Juilliard School. NEW YORK, NY. I went to Juilliard for three weeks in January/February to set Little Mortal Jump, a work of Alejandro’s that I have already set in two other places. I graduated from Juilliard twenty one years ago, so this trip had a very special meaning for me. Even though I have restaged this work twice before and I am one of the original cast members, it is still a difficult piece to re-create since it requires complex choreography of props and costumes as well as dancing. Other, refereed, completed 01/28/2019.
  • Staging of PENNY SAUNDERS'S "Berceuse" - Ballet Idaho, BOISE, ID - I had the wonderful opportunity to work with my wife, and well known choreographer Penny Saunders. We restaged a duet she choreographed for Hubbard Street some years ago at Ballet Idaho. This work is extremely physical. It requires a lot of repetition in order to gain the stamina and also the coordination to fully embody the choreography. This particular re-staging was special because one of the dancers was a recent graduate of the Ballet Program from the School of Dance. Other, refereed, completed 11/24/2018.
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Silent Ghost." Pacific Northwest Ballet. SEATTLE, WA. Alejandro has entrusted me with a work he choreographed at Aspen Santa Fe Ballet a few years ago called Silent Ghost. I have never danced this work, and it will take extra time and effort to research the dancers’ movements, so I can fully embody their intent and physical truths. The huge advantage I will have, is that I have already worked with most of the wonderful Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers and I know how excited they are to begin. Their openness not only about Alejandro’s work, but also about working with me makes for truly interesting research as I take note of their development since our last process. https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlearts/2018/10/12/19672/ https://youtu.be/tqbScckgv8k Other, refereed, scheduled 10/08/2018.
  • Staging of NACHO DUATO'S "Jardí Tancat." SFDanceworks. SAN FRANCISCO, CA. I'm staging Duato's "Jardí Tancat" for a third time in four years. Juan Ignacio Duato is a world renowned Spanish choreographer and artistic director of many world renown theaters. I have had the privilege to work with Nacho directly throughout my career, and now I serve as one of his consistent stagers for this particular work. https://www.facebook.com/sfdanceworks/videos/1955983564437824?sfns=mo https://www.facebook.com/sfdanceworks/videos/1961731750529672?sfns=mo https://vimeo.com/287550683 Other, refereed, completed 06/07/2018.
    http://www.sfdanceworks.org/
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Little Mortal Jump." Pacific Northwest Ballet. SEATTLE, WA. This time I will be going back to Seattle to re-stage a work of Alejandro Cerrudo, "Little Mortal Jump." It will be performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the most important and well re-known ballet companies in the country. I reconstructed this piece two years ago. Now, I have been asked to come back for the re-mounting of it and to make sure the work looks as close to its original performance as possible. Even though most of the research for this particular work was done some time ago, I still have to polish and revisit the movement vocabulary in order to be able to rehearse and teach the piece. There will be a lot of new dancers who have never danced the work, and so it will be my responsibility to make sure it all looks correct and as close to the original intent of the choreography. This means many hours of physical research, so that my body understands the essence of the movement, and only then I will be able to pass this information along to the artist of Pacific Northwest Ballet. Other, refereed, scheduled 04/06/2018.
    https://youtu.be/8jkVjEYS5vM
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Never Was." Ballet Arizona. PHOENIX, AR. I have been hired by Ballet Arizona to stage this work. For this particular staging, I will not be as involved in the reconstruction part of the choreography. A fellow dancer, Brett Conway, will be teaching the movement. Alejandro has asked me to go to Phoenix for a few days to make sure the duet looks as close to the original choreography as possible and to put the work on stage, making sure the lights, music, costumes, and the feel of the piece is correct. Other, refereed, scheduled 03/11/2018.
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Extremely Close." Hagen Ballet. HAGEN, GERMANY. This particular work is a bit complicated not only because of the movement, but also because it requires theatrical props. There are three 6 feet by 6 feet moving white panels, and the stage is covered in white feathers. In order to re-stage this work, I had to research the technical and production aspects that make the work. Therefore, connect with the lighting designer, costume designer and props master. I also looked up video archives and photos of props and costumes in order to reproduce the piece as close as possible to the original. I had conversations with the choreographer and the artistic team in Germany to make sure all the necessary information was communicated. And finally, since I was part of the original cast of "Extremely Close," I spent several hours researching movement in order to properly remember and reconstruct the work. Since Alejandro was unable to be present for this project, the full responsibility of the staging and look of the work fell on my shoulders. Other, refereed, completed 01/13/2018.
    https://vimeo.com/250930194?ref=em-share
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Second to Last" and "Pacopepepluto." Los Angeles Ballet. LOS ANGELES, CA. I was in LA staging a choreographic excerpt from "Second to Last" and another work called "pacopepepluto" by Hubbard Street Resident Choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. Alejandro entrusted this responsibility to me, which was quite challenging. I was hired by Los Angeles Ballet, and even though I have staged these works in the past, re-staging them on a ballet company is always difficult. This type of contemporary movement, doesn't necessarily come easily to ballet dancers who have not had any modern or contemporary training before. So, the process was a bit slow and repetitive. I researched both pieces from video archives, old choreographic notes, meeting with the choreographer and some original cast members, and recalling my own personal experience of the works through many hours of physical research. It was extremely important for Los Angeles Ballet to perform Alejandro's works. It broadened the company's esthetic from solely ballet to a more European contemporary look, offering a learning experience for the audience and for the dancers performing the work. Other, refereed, completed 07/09/2017.
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Never Was." SFDanceworks. SAN FRANCISCO, CA. Alejandro entrusted me, again, to re-create his vision of a beautiful duet he choreographed for Hubbard Street II, with music of Henry Purcell and George F. Handel. I was hired by the San Francisco based repertory company SFDanceworks. I used video archives, personal notes from the choreographer, many hours or personal physical research and Skype and personal meetings with the choreographer and the original cast members. This reconstruction was important so that San Francisco could see the work Alejandro has been doing at Hubbard Street. There are not many repertory contemporary dance companies in the US, so SFDanceworks is vital to continue to push the Bay Area's dance movement forward, and I was glad to be part of this evolution. https://vimeo.com/231034735 Other, refereed, completed 04/23/2017.
    https://youtu.be/vkvPGnh0Iac
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Second to Last." School of Dance, George Mason University. FAIRFAX, VA. This staging was important in order to bring relevant professional repertory into an academic setting. Alejandro Cerrudo's work is being performed all over the world, so by acquiring his choreography George Mason elevated its artistic reputation within the academic environment. Thus, my great responsibility as a stager to represent Alejandro's creation as close to its original beginnings. I researched video archives, Skype and personal meetings with the choreographer and the members of the original cast, and information sent via email by the production department at Ballet Arizona where the work was originally performed. Alejandro entrusted this work to me, since he was not able to be present. Other, completed 03/28/2017.
  • Staging of NACHO DUATO'S "Jardí Tancat." Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. CHICAGO, IL. I was contracted by Hubbard Street to re-stage the masterwork "Jardí Tancat" of world renowned Spanish Choreographer Nacho Duato. I was entrusted with this great responsibility due to the fact that I have worked with Duato in the past and also performed this work with Hubbard Street. In order to stage this work, I had to research video archives, photos, Skype interviews with original cast members, newspaper and magazine articles from the choreographer and the musicians involved in the work, and countless hours of physical research. The end goal of the reconstruction is to reproduce on stage a work as close to the original choreography as possible, and in doing so, keeping dance history alive. Other, refereed, completed 03/01/2017.
    https://youtu.be/wQjoCNu9kv0
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Little Mortal Jump." Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, ASPEN, CO. It was an honor to work with the wonderful artist of ASFB, one of the most interesting and exciting companies in the country. Other, refereed, completed 07/09/2016.
    https://vimeo.com/193749181
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Pacopepepluto." Ballet Arizona, ARIZONA, AR. It was a wonderful challenge to teach such physically demanding work to the great dancers from Ballet Arizona. As one of the original members of this piece, I had many memories of performing "pacopepepluto," which was an invaluable asset in order to set the work. Other, refereed, completed 03/24/2016.
    http://balletaz.org/performance/todays-masters-201...
  • Staging of ALEJANDRO CERRUDO'S "Little Mortal Jump." Pacific Northwest Ballet. SEATTLE, WA. I went to Seattle to stage a work of Alejandro Cerrudo, "Little Mortal Jump." It was performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the most important and well re-known ballet companies in the country. I spent many hours of physical research, so that my body could understands and remember the essence of the movement, as I was part of the original cast who premiered this work. Only then, I was able to pass the information along to the artist of Pacific Northwest Ballet. This particular choreography has a very high production value. It requires four 7 feet x 7 feet x 4 feet black boxes on wheels that get moved all over the stage. Two of the boxes have 30 lightbulbs each, which light on at one point during the choreography. In order for this to happen, the dancers have to manipulate cables so to plug the lights in and out. There is a portable fog machine that is used behind one of the boxes, and there are two costumes that are covered in velcro material, in order for the dancers to stick to the two walls that also have velcro on them. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to bring to life such a beautiful choreography, and an honor to be entrusted with such a tremendous responsibility. Other, refereed, completed 03/16/2016.
    https://www.pnb.org/season/15-16/directors-choice/
  • Staging of NACHO DUATO'S "Jardí Tancat." Chamber Dance Company, University of Washington, SEATTLE, WA. Founded in 1990 by Professor Hannah Wiley, the Chamber Dance Company, composed of candidates for the Master of Fine Arts degree in dance, presents, records, and archives modern dance works of historical and artistic significance. I was honored to bring "Jardí Tancat" to the University of Washington, and it was a tremendous responsibility to stage the work of one of the most important and revered choreographers of our time. "Jardí" took many hours of physical research, interviews, video footage, my own personal memory of dancing the work and many emails and conversations with lighting designers, carpenters and original cast members from 1983, when the work was created. Other, refereed, completed 10/09/2014.
    http://www.washington.edu/news/2014/10/08/renowned...

Presentations

  • The Screen-Dance "Shot in the Dark" created in collaboration with Ballet Idaho, Front Runner Films and choreographed and directed by Penny Saunders was part of a faculty exhibition called Space Maker at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, in partnership with the Utah Film Center. I was part of the Zoom panel of choreographers/collaborators right after the film was presented via Utah Film Center's platform. Other, Presented, 10/07/2021.
    https://umfa.utah.edu/index.php/reframing-dance

Languages

  • Spanish, fluent.

Geographical Regions of Interest

  • Argentina
    I'm originally from Argentina!