Forget the fuss over the Sounders losing Freddie Ljungberg?this spring Pacific Northwest Ballet artistic director Peter Boal signed on for another five-year term! In his first five, Boal managed to take over gracefully from longtime leaders Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, and then amplify what they'd established. He's added new choreographers to the roster (Morris, Tharp, and Wheeldon among them), new programs to the mix (Friday studio previews sold out from the beginning, a great way to see dancers up close), and new buzz in the lobby with each show. The next five will start off with great choices, from the very new (Alexander Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH looks wonderful in rehearsal) to the very old (an original-sources reconstruction of the Romantic-era icon Giselle). ?Sandra Kurtz pnb.org