About
PNB School

As Seattle’s premiere ballet school, Pacific Northwest Ballet School goes beyond exceptional technical training.

For over 50 years, PNB School’s thoughtful, holistic approach has benefited dance enthusiasts and future professionals alike. Students ages two to adult thrive in our prestigious classes and programs as they explore the joy of dance.

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Programs

PNB School offers a wide range of classes and programs, designed to be enjoyed by students ages two through adult.

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PNB School’s Children’s Division is the perfect introduction to ballet for students ages 2 – 7.

Children’s Division (Ages 2 – 7)

PNB School’s Children’s Division is the perfect introduction to ballet for students ages 2 – 7. Children’s Division classes encourage imagination, self-expression, and group interaction while introducing basic ballet movement and music concepts. Students build body and spatial awareness, focus, and confidence. Enrollment in PNB School’s Children’s Division classes is on a rolling basis with no audition required.

Student Division (Ages 8 –17)

Designed to develop well-rounded young dancers, the Student Division offers progressive levels of ballet technique from Level I – VIII in a nurturing and professional environment. Programs to supplement ballet training include Health and Wellness seminars, performance opportunities at McCaw Hall, and the New Voices choreography program. Enrollment in PNB School’s Student Division classes is on a quarterly basis after a required audition.

Adult Classes

From Ballet Fundamentals to Advanced, PNB School offers weekly and drop-in classes for ages 13 and up, suited for every skill level. Classes are taught by PNB School’s renowned faculty, held in PNB’s airy studios in Seattle and Bellevue, and feature live accompaniment. PNB also offers private and semi-private Pilates classes designed to develop core strength, increase flexibility, and work for any fitness level.

Professional Division

PNB School’s Professional Division program is designed to help students transition from student to professional dancer. In addition to rigorous classes focused on perfecting technique and developing artistry, Professional Division students receive career planning support, individual mentorship with Peter Boal and Denise Bolstad, access to PNB’s consulting staff, and performance opportunities in Pacific Northwest Ballet productions.

Summer Course

PNB School’s prestigious Summer Course offers serious ballet students ages 12-19 the highest caliber of intensive classical training, augmented by a rich diversity of dance forms necessary to meet the eclectic demands of dance companies today. Summer Course students benefit from PNB School’s rich history of wholistic dance education, participating in seminars on topics like injury prevention, mental health, nutrition, strength and conditioning, and pointe shoe care.

Community Education

PNB School believes that dance should be accessible to all who wish to participate. In support of that vision, PNB’s Community Education programs seek to engage our Pacific Northwest community through programs and partnerships that provide access and equity. Each year, PNB reaches nearly 20,000 community members through in-school programming such as DISCOVER DANCE and DANCE TO LEARN, adaptive dance classes like Dance for All, fieldtrips to PNB, student matinees, and more.

Our History

PNB School began in 1974 and has a rich history of providing world-class dance education to all. PNB School’s first Director Janet Reed, previously a ballet mistress at New York City Ballet, began PNB School’s rich Balanchine lineage. In 1977, Founding Artistic Director Francia Russell (a former NYCB dancer and NYCB ballet mistress) became director of PNB School and created the School’s class levels and syllabus. Russell began PNB’s DanceChance program in 1994, which provides access to and improves equity within classical ballet training by providing ballet classes, attire, transportation, and more to talented Seattle Public School students. In 2005, Peter Boal joined PNB as the Artistic Director and Director of the School, continuing PNB School’s Balanchine heritage and commitment to dance education for all. Under Boal’s leadership, PNB School has added STG Dance for PDⓇ and Dance for All, an inclusive creative movement class for individuals with diverse cognitive, developmental, and physical needs, to our programing.

PNB School’s history goes hand in hand with the history of the professional company, as the majority of PNB Company dancers are previous PNB School students. PNB School students interact with the Company in a variety of ways including mentorship from PNB Company dancers, classes in the Phelps Center (the home of the Company), and live performance opportunities at McCaw Hall.

For over 50 years, PNB School has recognized ballet’s impact inside and outside the studio. Today, the School sees dance as catalyst for confidence, creativity, collaboration, understanding, community, and self-esteem. PNB School is a place where students of all ages discover themselves and the possibilities of their expression.

Locations

PNB School has two locations to better serve aspiring dancers in the Puget Sound region.

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Studios
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Dance Libraries

The Phelps Center / Seattle

Originally constructed for the 1962 World’s Fair, The Phelps Center is the home of PNB’s professional company as well as PNB School. The Phelps Center features eight spacious studios with sprung flooring, locker rooms with showers, a student lounge, and a dance library with quiet study spaces.

301 Mercer Street / Seattle, WA / 98109 / 206.441.2435

The Francia Russell Center / Bellevue

The Francia Russell Center features seven state-of-the-art dance studios including a 140-seat performance space, Pilates studio, locker rooms with showers, a library, multipurpose arts room, green room, kitchen, and lounge space. Each studio includes acoustic panels, mirrors, sprung flooring, and triple-height bars to accommodate students of all ages.

1611 136th Place NE / Bellevue, WA / 98005 / 425.451.1241

Faculty

Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s diverse faculty, under the leadership of Peter Boal, includes accredited instructors and former members of Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and more, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the studio.

The PNB School Approach

Founded in 1974, Pacific Northwest Ballet School is recognized as one of the top ballet training institutions in the United States. Under the direction of Peter Boal, PNB School offers a complete, prestigious curriculum in the Balanchine tradition. As the first ballet school in the US to have a therapist, dietician, and physical therapist available for all students, PNB School combines professional guidance with mental, physical, and emotional support to wholistically prepare ballet students for the demands of professional dance and beyond.

PNB School’s esteemed faculty includes former members of Pacific Northwest Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and more. Our accredited instructors bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their teaching. Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s alumni have gone on to dance with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Carolina Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, and St. Louis Ballet.

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Years of World-Class Dance Education

Holistic Training

PNB School students have access to the following resources focused on developing skilled, resilient, and well-rounded dancers:

  • Career advice from PNB company dancers
  • Designated Outpatient Response Team
  • Free of charge Consulting Therapist for short-term counseling, intervention services, and professional consultations
  • Recommendations for other Sports Medicine and Nutrition providers
  • Variety of seminars offered throughout the year led by our Consulting Staff
  • Career planning workshops and audition process resources, including one-on-one guidance
  • Yearly conferences to discuss student progress and goals
  • Programs that offer focused learning for students to develop their artistic voices
  • Application support for students interested in studying dance in college
  • Teaching assistant opportunities where students learn the process of teaching dance from renowned PNB School faculty

Performance Opportunities

PNB School students have several opportunities to perform throughout the year.

  • School Performance: Dancers Level I through the Professional Division perform in new work choreographed by PNB School Faculty on the McCaw Hall stage.
  • Family Matinee: PNB’s Family Matinees are hour-long ballets with full costuming and set design performed entirely by PNB School students.
  • NEXT STEP: NEXT STEP is PNB’s annual choreographic workshop where PNB Company dancers create original works for PNB School Professional Division students.
  • PNB Productions: PNB School students are invited to audition for appearances in PNB productions like George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.
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Performance Opportunities Each Season