Don't Mess with Boston (Ballet)

February 12, 2015

In a battle of East Coast vs. West Coast, who reigns supreme? For many Americans, the answer to this question came on February 1, when the New England Patriots (#teameast) defeated the Seattle Seahawks (#teamwest) in Superbowl XLIX. But the dancers among us were not so sure.

Earlier this week, we raved about Pacific Northwest Ballet’s triumphant manège to Boston, the outcome of a Superbowl bet with Boston Ballet. PNB artistic director Peter Boal laid down the smack talk, claiming his dancers’ superiority in all things feet, turns and jumps. He had us wondering: Is West Coast really the best coast? The plot thickens…

Bostonians are nothing if not tough (I mean, what other city could handle the crazy winter they’ve been having?), and Boston Ballet didn’t let PNB have the last word. A handful of BB dancers filmed themselves dancing to same song (Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston”). There’s no smack talk and no fancy graphics. It’s just one take of raw Bostonian awesomeness.

We’re calling a tie here, folks. ‘Tis the season of love, after all, and we LOVE BB and PNB.