Anti-Racism Action Plan | Pacific Northwest Ballet

This page includes PNB’s Commitment to Racial Justice, Our Action Steps, and a list of Anti-Racism Resources.
Click here to read our Racial Equity Statement.

Pacific Northwest Ballet is saddened and angered by the rise in anti-Asian racism in Seattle and across the country. From March 2020 to February 2021, nearly 4,000 anti-AAPI hate incidents have been recorded by the group Stop AAPI Hate. The artists and staff of PNB denounce these racist acts of verbal and physical violence and stand in solidarity with Asian, Asian-American, and Pacific Islander communities.

March 17, 2021

Take Action
Asian-Americans Advancing Justice
Hollaback
Stop AAPI Hate

Our Commitment

As we witness repeated injustice and persistent inequities in our country and world, and as we see racial injustice called out in all its manifestations in our society, Pacific Northwest Ballet wants our patrons and supporters to know we stand in complete solidarity with our Black and Brown performers, students, colleagues, and community, and with those who experience discrimination and prejudice.

We acknowledge when we look at systemic racism, we must start by looking in the mirror, and at our own systems. When a child enters our ballet studios or McCaw Hall and doesn’t see any one who looks like them in the class, in the front of the room, on staff, or on stage, how welcome do they feel? Though our commitment to this issue is longstanding, we have more work to do. PNB is committed to dismantling systemic racism in our institution. We believe that everyone deserves to feel safe, welcomed, and represented.

Please read on to learn about the concrete steps PNB plans to make in the coming weeks and months, and to see a list of resources we’ve compiled to help PNB and our community make real and lasting change.

Action Steps

Understanding that every individual at PNB must uphold our organizational commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, we are committed to giving PNB’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee additional resources to expand its work across our organization and the larger PNB community.

Executive Director Ellen Walker and Artistic Director Peter Boal, will continue to build upon their work with The Equity Project.

In the summer of 2020, we reiterated our commitment to our Black and Brown colleagues, students, and community members on social media, in meetings with staff, company dancers, board, and faculty, and in email communications to all PNB School families. Dialogue and development of action steps continue.

We will further engage and employ experts outside of our staff to help inform PNB’s racial equity work. Additionally, we recognize we have powerful voices within PNB who are being heard and who are a vital part of our growth as a company and school. “PNB Is Listening”, a new video series that highlights diverse voices from our community and beyond.

We are committed to PNB School, including its DanceChance and Community Education teams, to increase equity and access to ballet training for young people.

We will build upon our commitment to diversifying our organization by engaging more Black and Brown dancers, students, teachers, choreographers, contributors, musicians, administrators, community partners, and artists while recognizing we are stronger with diverse voices represented throughout our institution.