View source for Pacific Northwest Ballet

{{short description|Ballet company of Seattle, USA}}
{{Infobox ballet company
|name=Pacific Northwest Ballet
|logo=Pacific Northwest Ballet simplified logo.jpeg
|previous_names=Pacific Northwest Dance Association
|founded={{start date and age|1972}}
|founders={{unbulleted list
  | Kent Stowell
  | [[Francia Russell]]
  }}
|founding_choreographers=
|venue=[[Marion Oliver McCaw Hall]]
|website={{URL|http://www.pnb.org//}}
|artistic_director={{unbulleted list
  | Kent Stowell
  | [[Francia Russell]]
  }}
|music_director=[[Emil de Cou]]
|orchestra=Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra
|official_school=Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|associated_schools={{unbulleted list
  | [[Royal Danish Ballet]]
  | [[Canada's National Ballet School]]
  }}
|formation=
}}
'''Pacific Northwest Ballet''' ('''PNB''') is an American [[ballet company]] based in [[Seattle]], Washington. It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States,<ref>
  {{cite journal
  | last = Flatow
  | first = Sheryl
  | title = Full Length Ballets
  | journal = [[Dance Magazine]]
  | date = July 1, 1995
  | url = http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-17618458.html
  | access-date = April 23, 2008
  }}
</ref> with 11,000 subscribers in 2004.<ref name="macdonald">
  {{cite news
  | first = Moira| last = Macdonald
  | title = Ballet's artistic directors to retire
  | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2001855909_pnb12.html
  | newspaper = [[The Seattle Times]]
  | date = February 12, 2004
  | access-date = January 3, 2012
  }}
</ref> The company consists of 49 dancers and hosts more than 100 performances throughout the year; it is especially known for its performance of the Stowell/[[Maurice Sendak]] ''[[The Nutcracker|Nutcracker]]'', which it presented from 1983 through 2014 and produced as a [[Nutcracker: The Motion Picture|feature film]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pacific Northwest Ballet's ''Nutcracker'' |url=http://www.pnb.org/Season/14-15/Nutcracker/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522153045/http://www.pnb.org/Season/14-15/Nutcracker/ |archive-date=May 22, 2014 |access-date=April 23, 2008}}</ref><ref name="PNB Artists">{{cite press release
  | title = The Artists
  | website = Pacific Northwest Ballet
  | year = 2018
  | url = http://www.pnb.org/Artists/
  | access-date = April 24, 2018}}</ref> 

In 2006, the company was chosen to perform at the [[Jacob's Pillow]] Dance Festival and [[New York City Center]]'s [[Fall for Dance Festival]].

PNB performs at [[McCaw Hall|Marion Oliver McCaw Hall]] in the [[Seattle Center]].

== History ==
Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972 following the two-month residency of the First Chamber Dance Company,<ref name=Campbell2>
  {{cite news
  | last = Campbell
  | first = R.M.
  | title = Dance professional Bennett raised standard in Seattle
  | newspaper = [[Seattle PI]]
  | date = January 2, 2003
  | url = http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Dance-professional-Bennett-raised-standard-in-1104530.php
  | access-date = January 10, 2012
  }} Campbell cites the residency as occurring in 1971.
</ref> as part of [[Seattle Opera]] and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association.<ref>Campbell refers to the organization as the Pacific Northwest ''Ballet'' Association.</ref> Under the directorship of Kent Stowell and [[Francia Russell]], originally of [[New York City Ballet]],<ref name=kisselgoff>
  {{cite news
  | last = Kisselgoff
  | first = Anna
  | title = The New York Debut of Pacific Northwest
  | newspaper = [[The New York Times]]
  | date = March 28, 1984
  | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/28/arts/ballet-the-new-york-debut-of-pacific-northwest.html?scp=9&sq=%22pacific+northwest+ballet%22&st=nyt
  | access-date = January 3, 2012}}</ref> it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978.<ref>
  {{cite web
  | url = http://www.pnb.org/company/company.pdf
  | title = PNB History and Fact Sheet
  | access-date = April 23, 2008
|website=Pacific Northwest Ballet
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071112163944/http://www.pnb.org/company/company.pdf
  | archive-date = November 12, 2007
  }}
</ref> Stowell and Russell left at the end of the 2004–2005 season.<ref name="pnb.org">
  {{cite web
  | url = http://www.pnb.org/company/about.html
  | title = PNB Vision and Mission
  | access-date = April 23, 2008
|website=Pacific Northwest Ballet
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080228152051/http://www.pnb.org/company/about.html 
  | archive-date = February 28, 2008
  }}
</ref> 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]].<ref>
  {{cite web
  | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/arts/dance/25nort.html?pagewanted=print
  | title = An Idiomatic Balanchine, Walking the Walk in Seattle
  | date = September 27, 2007
  | work = [[The New York Times]]
  | last = Macaulay
  | first = Alastair
|author-link=Alastair Macaulay
  }}
</ref>

In July 2005, [[Peter Boal]] succeeded Stowell and Russell as artistic director following their retirement.<ref name="pnb.org" /> After dancing with the New York City Ballet for 22 years, he had been a full-time faculty member at The School of American Ballet from 1995-2005.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}
[[File:McCaw Hall Kreielsheimer Promenade.JPG|thumb|McCaw Hall, PNB's principal venue]]
In 2013, the company and its orchestra toured to New York for the first time in sixteen 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]].<ref name="Macaulay">{{cite news
 | last =Macaulay
 | first =Alastair
|author-link=Alastair Macaulay
 | title =Performers From the West Coast Serve Up Balanchine
 | newspaper =[[The New York Times]]
 | date =17 February 2013
 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/arts/dance/pacific-northwest-ballet-at-city-center.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=dance&
 | access-date = 17 February 2013}}</ref>

In 2012, PNB brought in [[Twyla Tharp]] as its first artist in residence for a year-long residency.<ref name=Kaderlan>{{cite news
 | last =Kaderlan
 | first =Alice
 | title =Pacific Northwest Ballet debuts its talented new status symbol
 | newspaper =[[Crosscut.com|Crosscut]]
 | location =Seattle
 | publisher =Crosscut Public Media
 | date =23 September 2013
 | url =http://crosscut.com/2013/09/23/arts/116543/air-twyla-tharp-pacific-northwest-ballet/
 | access-date =4 October 2013
 | archive-date =29 September 2013
 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20130929055654/http://crosscut.com/2013/09/23/arts/116543/air-twyla-tharp-pacific-northwest-ballet/
 | url-status =dead
 }}</ref>

== Pacific Northwest Ballet School ==
The Pacific Northwest Ballet School was founded in 1974.<ref>
  {{cite web
  | url = http://www.pnb.org/pnbschool/philosophy.html
  | title = School Philosophy
  | access-date = April 23, 2008
|website=Pacific Northwest Ballet School
  }}
</ref> 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."<ref>
  {{cite web
  | url = https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-17878935
  | title = Pacific Northwest Ballet School: doing it right
  | date = February 1, 1996
  | last = Horosko
  | first = Marian
  | publisher = [[Dance Magazine]]
  }}
</ref> The teaching is structured on that of the [[School of American Ballet]].<ref name=Campbell>
  {{cite news
  | last = Campbell
  | first = R.M.
  | title = Pacific Northwest Ballet school's annual spring performances brim with talent
  | newspaper = [[Seattle PI]]
  | date = June 16, 2008
  | url = http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Pacific-Northwest-Ballet-school-s-annual-spring-1276717.php
  | access-date = January 10, 2012
  }}
</ref> 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.<ref name=Datz>{{cite news
 | last =Datz
 | first =Melody
 | title =Approaching Heaven
 | newspaper =[[The Stranger (newspaper)|The Stranger]]
 | location =Seattle
 | date =20 March 2013
 | url =http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/approaching-heaven/Content?oid=16295596
 | access-date = 20 March 2013}}</ref>

=== Principals ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Nationality
!Training
!Joined PNB
!Promoted to Principal
!Other companies <br /> (incl. guest performances)
|-
|Jonathan Batista
|
|[[English National Ballet]]
|2021
|2022
|[[Boston Ballet]]<br/>Cincinnati Ballet<br/>Oklahoma City Ballet
|-
|Leta Biasucci
|rowspan="11"|
|Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet<br/>San Francisco Ballet School
|2011
|2018
|Oregon Ballet Theater
|-
|Kyle Davis (dancer)|Kyle Davis
|Makaroff School of Ballet<br/>Rock School for Dance Education<br/>North Carolina School of the Arts<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2009
|2020
|
|-
|[[Angelica Generosa]]
|[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Princeton Ballet
|2012
|2020
|
|-
|Cecilia Iliesiu
|[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Studio Maestro
|2015
|2022
|Carolina Ballet
|-
|Elle Macy
|Orange County Dance Center<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2013
|2021
|
|-
|Elizabeth Murphy
|Academy of Ballet Arts<br/>Rock School for Dance Education
|2011
|2015
|[[Pennsylvania Ballet]]<br/>Ballet West II<br/>[[Ballet West]]
|-
|Lucien Postlewaite
|[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2004
|2008, 2017
|[[Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo]]
|-
|[[Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan]]
|Rock School for Dance Education<br/>Metropolitan Ballet Academy<br/>School of Pennsylvania Ballet
|2017
|2023
|[[Pennsylvania Ballet]]
|-
|Dylan Wald
|Minnesota Dance Theatre<br/>The Dance Institute<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2015
|2020
|
|-
|}

=== Soloists ===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Name
!Nationality
!Training
!Joined PNB
!Promoted to Soloist
|-
|Madison Rayn Abeo
|rowspan="10"|
|Cornish Preparatory Dance Program<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2017
|2022
|-
|Luther Demyer
|Indianapolis School of Ballet<br>Pacific Northwest Ballet<br>Miami City Ballet School
|2019
|2024
|-
|Dammiel Cruz-Garrido
|[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet
|2016
|2022
|-
|Christopher D'Ariano
|[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2017
|2022
|-
|Clara Ruf Maldonado
|[[School of American Ballet]]
|2018
|2023
|-
|Amanda Morgan
|Dance Theatre Northwest<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2017
|2022
|-
|Miles Pertl
|Pacific Northwest Ballet School<br/>International Ballet Academy<br/>[[John Cranko Schule]]
|2015
|2021
|-
|Christian Poppe
|Pacific Northwest Ballet School<br/>Cornish College of the Arts Preparatory Dance<br/>Dance School in Everett<br/>Johnson and Peter's Tap Dance<br/>Ballet Bellevue<br/>Betty Spooner's Creative Arts Foundation
|2014
|2022
|-
|Kuu Sakuragi
|Pacific Northwest Ballet School 
|2020
|2023
|-
|Price Suddarth
|Central Indiana Dance Ensemble<br/>[[School of American Ballet]]<br/>Pacific Northwest Ballet School
|2011
|2018

|-
|Leah Terada
|
|Dallas Metropolitan Ballet<br>
[[School of American Ballet]]
|2015
|2022
|-
|}

=== Corps de ballet ===

{{div col|colwidth=17em}} 

* Luca Anaya
* Malena Ani
* Emerson Boll
* Dylan Calahan
* Ryan Cardea
* Mark Cuddihee
* [[Ashton Edwards]]
* Melisa Guilliams
* Connor Horton
* [[Zsilas Michael Hughes]]
* Rosalyn Hutsell
* Kali Kleiman
* Larry Lancaster
* Audrey Malek
* Noah Martzall 
* Joh Morrill
* Ginabel Peterson 
* Samuel Portillo
* Juliet Prine
* Yuki Takahashi
* Genevieve Waldorf
* Lily Wills
* Destiny Wimpye
{{div col end}}

== Notable former dancers ==
{{div col|colwidth=17em}} 
* [[Rachael Bade]]<ref>{{Cite web|first= |last= |authorlink=   |title= Rachael Bade  |website=agoradance.org|date= |url=https://www.agoradance.org/rachael-bade  |accessdate=|archive-url=| archive-date=}}</ref>

* Patricia Barker{{r|Macaulay2}}{{r|Campbell}}
* Maria Chapman
* [[Karel Cruz]]
* Brent Davi
* [[Lindsi Dec]]
* [[Chalnessa Eames]]
* [[Laura Gilbreath]]
* [[Carrie Imler]]
* [[Carla Körbes]]
* [[Stanko Milov]]
* Louise Nadeau{{r|Macaulay2}}
* Kaori Nakamura<ref name=Nakamura>{{cite news
 | last =Datz
 | first =Melody
 | title =Bowing Out: When and Why Ballet Dancers Retire
 | newspaper =The Stranger
 | location =Seattle, United States
 | date =28 May 2014
 | url =http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/bowing-out-when-and-why-ballet-dancers-retire/Content?oid=19671239
 }}</ref>{{r|Macaulay2}}
* [[Noelani Pantastico]]
* [[Lesley Rausch]]
* Julie Tobiason<ref name=Tobiason>{{Cite web
|url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20020606/pnb06/moving-on-pnb-dancers-tobiason-apple-5-others-are-bowing-out
|title=Moving on: PNB dancers Tobiason, Apple, 5 others are bowing out
|last=Holdcroft
|first=Lesley
|date=6 June 2002
|website=Seattle Times
|access-date=16 November 2024}}</ref>
* [[Miranda Weese]]
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{reflist|2|refs=
<!--
<ref name=Burbank>{{cite news
 | last =Burbank
 | first =Megan
 | title =Balanchine's ''Nutcracker'' Will Never Be The ''Nutcracker'' Of My Childhood 
 | newspaper =Portland Mercury
 | location =Portland, OR, United States
 | language =en
 | date =13 December 2017
 | url =https://www.portlandmercury.com/critiquing-christmas/2017/12/13/19542639/balanchines-nutcracker-will-never-be-the-nutcracker-of-my-childhood
 | access-date = 25 September 2018}}</ref>
 -->
<ref name=Macaulay2>{{cite news
 | last =Macaulay
 | first =Alastair
 | title =Carla Körbes Grandly Bows Out of Pacific Northwest Ballet
 | newspaper =New York Times
 | location =New York, United States
 | language =en
 | date =9 June 2015
 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/arts/dance/carla-korbes-grandly-bows-out-of-pacific-northwest-ballet.html?_r=0
 | access-date = 10 June 2015}}</ref>
}}

=== Reviews ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/05/arts/dance/05nort.html NY Times] by [[Alastair Macaulay]], November 5, 2007
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/25/arts/dance/25nort.html?_r=1&oref=slogin NY Times] by [[Alastair Macaulay]], September 25, 2007
*[https://sunbreakmagazine.com/2011/06/14/pnbs-season-encore-a-momentous-farewell-to-eight-dancers/=slogin Sunbreak Magazine] by [[Rosie Gaynor]], June 14, 2011
*[https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Swan-Lake-is-a-feast-for-the-senses-1125469.php=doin Seattle Post-Intelligencer] by [[R. M. Campbell]], September 26, 2003
{{col-end}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://www.pnb.org}}
* [http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=10135 Pacific Northwest Ballet] at [[HistoryLink]]

{{Dance Companies in the United States}}
{{Ballet companies}}
{{Ballet schools}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Culture of Seattle]]
[[Category:Ballet companies in the United States]]
[[Category:Ballet schools in the United States]]
[[Category:1972 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Performing groups established in 1972]]
[[Category:Dance in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Non-profit organizations based in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Seattle]]