Pacific Northwest Ballet

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See also: Category:Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers

Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington in the United States. Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association, it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978.[1] It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States,[2] with 11,000 subscribers.[3] Its founding artistic directors, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, left at the end of the 2004-2005 season.[4] Both had studied with and danced for George Balanchine.[5] Peter Boal succeeded Stowell and Russell as Artistic Director following their retirement.[6] The company performs with 44 dancers, fourteen of whom are principals; six soloists, twenty-four corps de ballet dancers, as well as two apprentices.[7] There are over 100 performances throughout the year.[8]

In 1974, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School was founded.[9] Formerly directed by Francia Russell, and now directed by Peter Boal, it has been considered to be, "One of the leading, if not the definitive, professional training school in the country."[10]

PNB performs in McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center. It is especially known for its performance of the Stowell/Maurice Sendak Nutcracker, which it has been presenting since 1983.[11] In 2006, the company was chosen to perform in the Fall for Dance Festival at New York's City Center Theatre and at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.[12]

In October 2007, PNB dancers Noelani Pantastico, Lindsi Dec, and Benjamin Griffiths, along with Pantastico's husband Brady Hartley, created the website PNB Unleashed. The website functions as a "more in-depth, behind the scenes perspective of the lives of PNB dancers and the necessary steps to creating a successful performance."[13] The website includes dancers' personal thoughts on upcoming performances, links to dancers' personal websites, photo albums, interviews, and an "A Day in the Life" of a PNB dancer.[14] It further includes a "Director's Blog" written by Boal discussing his role as artistic director.[15]

Contents

[edit] Dancers (2007-2008 Season)

[edit] Principals[16]

  • Batkhurel Bold
  • Casey Herd
  • Carrie Imler
  • Carla Körbes
  • Ariana Lallone
  • Stanko Milov
  • Louise Nadeau

[edit] Soloists[17]

  • Maria Chapman
  • Karel Cruz
  • Chalnessa Eames
  • Lucien Postlewaite
  • Lesley Rausch
  • Jodie Thomas

[edit] Corps de Ballet[18]

  • Jessika Anspach
  • Alison Basford
  • Kari Brunson
  • Lindsi Dec
  • Adrienne Diaz
  • Leanne Duge
  • Rachel Foster
  • Kiyon Gaines
  • Laura Gilbreath
  • Benjamin Griffiths
  • Rebecca Johnston
  • Barry Kerollis
  • Kylee Kitchens
  • Stacy Lowenberg
  • James Moore
  • Sarah Orza
  • Seth Orza
  • Jordan Pacitti
  • Anton Pankevitch
  • Brittany Reid
  • Sokvanna Sar
  • Josh Spell
  • Jerome Tisserand
  • Kara Zimmerman

[edit] Apprentices[19]

  • Liora Reshef
  • Leah O'Connor

[edit] References

  1. ^ PNB History and Fact Sheet. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  2. ^ Flatow, Sheryl (1995-7-1). "Full Length Ballets". Dance Magazine. 
  3. ^ Macdonald, Moira. "Ballet's artistic directors to retire", The Seattle Times, 2004-02-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-22. 
  4. ^ PNB Vision and Mission. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  5. ^ Macaulay, Alastair (2007-09-27). An Idiomatic Balanchine, Walking the Walk in Seattle. The New York Times.
  6. ^ PNB Vision and Mission. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  7. ^ Ibid
  8. ^ Ibid
  9. ^ PNB School - School Philosophy. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  10. ^ Horosko, Marian (1996-02-01). Pacific Northwest Ballet School: doing it right. Dance Magazine.
  11. ^ About Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  12. ^ Kurtz, Sandra. "New Kid in Town", Seattle Weekly, 2006-12-27. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. 
  13. ^ October 12, 2007 Press Release-"Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers launch new website PNB Unleashed". Pacific Northwest Ballet (2007-10-12). Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  14. ^ Ibid
  15. ^ Director's Blog. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  16. ^ PNB Principal Dancers. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  17. ^ PNB Soloists. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  18. ^ PNB Corps de Ballet. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.
  19. ^ PNB Apprentices. Retrieved on 2008-04-23.

[edit] External links


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