Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet
General information
Name Pacific Northwest Ballet
Previous names Pacific Northwest Dance Association
Year founded 1972
Principal venue Marion Oliver McCaw Hall
Website http://www.pnb.org/
Senior staff
Director Peter Boal
Artistic staff
Principal Conductor Emil de Cou
Other
Orchestra Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra
Official school Pacific Northwest Ballet School
Formation Principal
Soloist
Corps de Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is a ballet company based in Seattle, Washington. In the United States it is considered an "elite" company.[1] It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States,[2] with 11,000 subscribers in 2004.[3] The company consists of 44 dancers;[4] there are over 100 performances throughout the year.

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 as well as made into a feature film.[5] 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.[6]

History

Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972, after the two-month residency of First Chamber Dance Company,[7] as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association.[8] Under the directorship of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, originally of New York City Ballet,[9] it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978.[10] Stowell and Russell left at the end of the 2004–2005 season.[11] A portrait by artist Michele Rushworth was painted of Stowell and Russell and installed in the Phelps Center, Seattle, to commemorate their careers and retirement. Both had studied with and danced for George Balanchine.[12] Peter Boal succeeded Stowell and Russell as Artistic Director following their retirement.[11] In 2013, the company and its orchestra toured to New York for the first time in 16 years. The New York Times dance critic Alastair Macaulay, stated of their presentation that "This is a true company," more "unified in its understanding of Balanchine" than the New York City Ballet.[13]

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."[14]

In 2012 PNB brought in Twyla Tharp as its first artist in residence for a year-long residency.[15]

Pacific Northwest Ballet School

The Pacific Northwest Ballet School was founded in 1974.[16] 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."[17] The teaching is structured on that of the School of American Ballet.[18] Pacific Northwest Ballet holds an annual summer course in the month of July and is considered one of the leading summer dance education facilities in the country.

Dancers

Pacific Northwest Ballet is noted for choosing dancers that have physique, expressivity and a variety of body shapes.[19]

Principals

  • Lindsi Dec
  • James Moore
  • Elizabeth Murphy
  • Jonathan Porretta[25]
  • Jerome Tisserand
  • Laura Tisserand

Soloists

  • Leta Biasucci
  • Joshua Grant
  • Benjamin Griffiths[27]
  • William Lin-Yee
  • Margaret Mullin
  • Sarah Ricard Orza[29]

Corps de ballet

  • Chelsea Adomaitis[30]
  • Jessika Anspach[31]
  • Guillaume Basso
  • Nancy Casciano
  • Henry Cotton
  • Angelica Generosa
  • Cecilia Iliesiu
  • Steven Loch
  • Elle Macy
  • Leah Merchant
  • Sarah Pasch
  • Miles Pertl
  • Christian Poppe
  • Nicole Rizzitano
  • Carli Samuelson[36]
  • Emma Love Suddarth
  • Madison Sugg
  • Dylan Wald

Notable former dancers

Former principals

  • Patricia Barker[40]

  • Jeffrey Stanton[46]

Former soloists

References

  1. ↑ "Goings on about Town: Dance listings". The New Yorker. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  2. ↑ Flatow, Sheryl (July 1, 1995). "Full Length Ballets". Dance Magazine. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  3. ↑ Macdonald, Moira (February 12, 2004). "Ballet's artistic directors to retire". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  4. ↑ "The Artists" (Press release). Pacific Northwest Ballet. 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Pacific Northwest Ballet's Nutcracker". Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  6. ↑ Kurtz, Sandra (December 27, 2006). "New Kid in Town". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  7. ↑ Campbell, R.M. (January 2, 2003). "Dance professional Bennett raised standard in Seattle". Seattle PI (Seattle, United States). Retrieved January 10, 2012. Campbell cites the residency as occurring in 1971.
  8. ↑ Campbell refers to the organization as the Pacific Northwest Ballet Association.
  9. ↑ Kisselgoff, Anna (March 28, 1984). "The New York Debut of Pacific Northwest". New York Times (New York City, United States). Retrieved January 3, 2012.
  10. ↑ "PNB History and Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 12, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  11. 1 2 "PNB Vision and Mission". Archived from the original on February 28, 2008. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  12. ↑ Macaulay, Alastair (September 27, 2007). "An Idiomatic Balanchine, Walking the Walk in Seattle". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ Macaulay, Alastair (17 February 2013). "Performers From the West Coast Serve Up Balanchine". New York Times (New York, United States). Retrieved 17 February 2013.
  14. ↑ "Press Release-"Pacific Northwest Ballet dancers launch new website PNB Unleashed"" (PDF). Pacific Northwest Ballet. October 12, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 8, 2007. Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  15. ↑ Kaderlan, Alice (23 September 2013). "Pacific Northwest Ballet debuts its talented new status symbol". Crosscut (Seattle, United States: Crosscut Public Media). Retrieved 4 October 2013.
  16. ↑ "PNB School – School Philosophy". Retrieved April 23, 2008.
  17. ↑ Horosko, Marian (February 1, 1996). "Pacific Northwest Ballet School: doing it right". Dance Magazine.
  18. ↑ Campbell, R.M. (June 16, 2008). "Pacific Northwest Ballet school's annual spring performances brim with talent". Seattle PI (Seattle, United States). Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  19. ↑ Datz, Melody (20 March 2013). "Approaching Heaven". The Stranger (Seattle, United States). Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  20. ↑ "Batkhurel Bold". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 1996, was promoted to soloist in 1999, and principal in 2004
  21. ↑ "Karel Cruz". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2002, was promoted to soloist in 2007, and principal in 2009
  22. ↑ "Rachel Foster". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2002, was promoted to soloist in 2008, and principal in 2011
  23. ↑ "Carrie Imler". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 1995, was promoted to corps de ballet in 1996, soloist in 2000, and principal in 2002
  24. ↑ "Seth Orza". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007, was promoted to soloist in 2008, and principal in 2010
  25. ↑ "Jonathan Porretta". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 1999, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2000, to soloist in 2002, and to principal in 2005
  26. ↑ "Lesley Rausch". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as member of the corps de ballet in 2001, was promoted to soloist in 2007 and principal in 2011
  27. ↑ "Benjamin Griffiths". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2005, was promoted to soloist in 2008
  28. ↑ "Kylee Kitchens". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2000, was promoted to soloist in 2012
  29. ↑ "Sarah Ricard Orza". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a corps de ballet dancer in 2007, was promoted to soloist in 2010
  30. ↑ "Chelsea Adomaitis". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2009, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2010
  31. ↑ "Jessika Anspach". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2004, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2005
  32. ↑ "Ryan Cardea". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2009, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2010
  33. ↑ "Amanda Clark". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2008, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2009
  34. ↑ "Kyle Davis". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2008, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2009
  35. ↑ "Matthew Renko". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2011
  36. ↑ "Carli Samuelson". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a corps de ballet dancer in 2008
  37. ↑ "Price Suddarth". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2010, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2011
  38. ↑ "Ezra Thomson". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 2009, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2010
  39. ↑ "Michael Auer". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1979 as a principal dancer
  40. 1 2 3 Macaulay, Alastair (9 June 2015). "Carla Körbes Grandly Bows Out of Pacific Northwest Ballet". New York Times (New York, United States). Retrieved 10 June 2015.
  41. ↑ "Brent Davi". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 1989, was promoted to soloist in 1990, and to principal in 1992
  42. ↑ "Casey Herd". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on March 6, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 1999, was promoted to soloist in 2002, and to principal in 2006
  43. ↑ "Ariana Lallone". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 1987, was promoted to corps de ballet in 1988, to soloist in 1993, and to principal in 1994
  44. ↑ "Stanko Milov". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a principal dancer in 1999
  45. ↑ Datz, Melody (28 May 2014). "Bowing Out: When and Why Ballet Dancers Retire". The Stranger (Seattle, United States).
  46. ↑ "Jeffrey Stanton". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 1994, was promoted to soloist in 1995, and made a principal in 1996
  47. ↑ "Mara Vinson". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 1999, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2000, to soloist in 2004, and to principal in 2007
  48. ↑ "Olivier Wevers". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on October 8, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a soloist in 1997, was promoted to principal in 1998
  49. ↑ "Chalnessa Eames". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2001, was promoted to soloist in 2007
  50. ↑ "Jodie Thomas". Pacific Northwest Ballet. Archived from the original on April 15, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2012. joined PNB as an apprentice in 1995, was promoted to corps de ballet in 1996, and to soloist in 2000

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