PNB is Listening is a collaboration between PNB artists and staff, highlighting diverse voices in our community.
May 2023
Meet the Seattle Arts Fellows! Enjoy this conversation between the four participants in the 2022-2023 Seattle Arts Fellowship program. Moderator and PNB’s Arts Fellow Stella Gonzalez guides this conversation with her fellow fellows Lorin Green (Seattle Symphony), Myah Rose Paden (Classical KING), and Tony Oteromarrero (Seattle Opera).
The Seattle Arts Fellowship is a year-long fellowship program hosted by Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, Classical KING, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and in partnership with Seattle University to develop the next generation of arts leaders. The fellowship is for individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color (BIPOC) and are seeking leadership positions in arts administration. The paid fellowship includes hands-on work experience in arts administration and learning opportunities including leadership training, skill building, mentorship, and networking. The fellowship cohort engages in peer-to-peer learning, connects with local arts leaders, and builds a strong network to support their career development. Learn more about the Seattle Arts Fellowship here.
April 2023
Catch up with former PNB dancers and Second Stage alumni in this edition of PNB is Listening! Maria Chapman Kennedy speaks with Kari Brunson, Alexandra Dickson, Kiyon (Gaines) Ross, and Josh Spell about their journeys after ballet, how they used the Second Stage program, and their advice for dancers thinking about a post-dance career.
Second Stage was founded by longtime PNB supporter Rick Redman and Principal dancer Maria Chapman in 1999; this career transition program provides resources for PNB Company dancers to take classes, access mentors and vocational counseling, and receive grants. Since its founding, Second Stage has provided nearly $950,000 in grants to almost 200 dancers.
February 2023
Join us for a special Black History Month edition of PNB is Listening, celebrating Black excellence in ballet. Associate Artistic Director Kiyon Ross speaks with soloist Amanda Morgan, corps de ballet member Audrey Malek, and apprentice Destiny Wimpye about their experiences at PNB, the dancers who have inspired them, and their words of wisdom for young Black dancers today.
Meet PNB’s newest dancers! In our latest edition of PNB is Listening, Sarah Kolat talks with PNB Corps de Ballet member Audrey Malek and PNB Apprentices Luca Anaya, Dylan Calahan, Rosalyn Hutsell, Larry Lancaster, and Destiny Wimpye about what brought them to PNB and what they’re most looking forward to this season.
October 2022
PNB dancer Dylan Wald moderates a panel of his PNB peers James Yoichi Moore, Lesley Rausch, and Leah Terada, all of whom have had to take breaks from their professional dance careers to recover from injuries. The panel talks about the mental and physical lessons of the healing process, their experiences moving through injuries healthily, and more.
September 2022
Join us for a new season of PNB is Listening! In our September edition, Artistic Director Peter Boal chats with PNB dancers James Yoichi Moore, Price Suddarth, and Ezra Thomson about what it’s like to be a father in the dance world.
August 2022
Enjoy this conversation on transitioning careers from professional dancers to what comes after with former PNB dancer and current Director of Company Operations Kiyon Ross and former PNB Principal dancer Benjamin Griffiths.
May 2022
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In this special edition of PNB is Listening, PNB School Consulting Therapist and former PNB dancer Josh Spell interviews New York City Ballet principal dancer Megan Fairchild about her book, The Ballerina Mindset: How To Protect Your Mental Health While Striving For Excellence.
May 2022
In this special edition of PNB is Listening, Sarah Kolat talks with PNB dancers Elizabeth Murphy and Sarah Pasch about parenting in a pandemic and finding balance as working moms.
May 2022
Ronnie Gatsby is a dance artist, choreographer, musician, and producer – longtime PNB followers will remember their 2019 premiere Oshun, performed by Purple Lemonade Collective at Seattle Center’s International Fountain as part of NEXT STEP: OUTSIDE/IN. In our latest edition of PNB is Listening, Ronnie speaks with fellow members of queer production collective BeautyBoiz about finding their community and chosen family, making art in the midst of a pandemic, and the power of sharing creative space.
March 2022
Meet PNB’s newest Company members! Sarah Kolat talks with PNB Apprentices Ashton Edwards, Melisa Guilliams, Zsilas Michael Hughes, and Joh Morrill about the transition from student to professional dancer, their experiences during the March 2022 performances of PLOT POINTS, and what they’re most excited about in PNB’s upcoming 50th season.
November 2021
Get to know PNB’s newest Company members Jonathan Batista, Ginabel Peterson, James Kirby Rogers, and Lily Wills, interviewed by Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director Sarah Kolat. You’ll get to hear about the experience of auditioning for PNB via Zoom, how they enjoyed their first performance with the company, and how they’re settling in to Seattle life.
October 2021
Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, co-artistic directors of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, met with Peter Boal to remember Ulysses Dove, one of the most innovative contemporary choreographers of the past half-century.
August 2021
Theater artist and activist Ana María Campoy recently met with PNB dancers Amanda Morgan, Clara Ruf Maldonado, and Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan for a rich conversation about their respective Chicana and Latinx heritages, how their identities inform their dancing, and their advice to young dancers today.
July 2021
At the start of the pandemic, PNB dancers Cecilia Iliesiu and Amanda Morgan began a mentorship program for PNB School’s Professional Division. In this edition PNB is Listening, they talk with PNB School’s Consulting Therapist (and former PNB dancer), Josh Spell, about their mentorship program, Josh’s holistic approach to mental health, and how PNB School has supported their students through this difficult past year.
June 2021
Happy Pride Month! Director of Company Operations Kiyon Ross sat down with four PNB artists & staff to talk about what Pride means to them. Thanks to Major Gifts Officer Jackson Cooper, Corps de Ballet dancer Christopher D’Ariano, Senior Marketing Manager Noel Pederson, and Principal dancer Lucien Postlewaite for sharing their experiences, and to Kiyon for hosting this fantastic conversation.
Keep the celebration going all month long with our curated Pride reading list on the PNB blog.
May 2021
Our May panel was inspired by the Our Stories Are Your Stories (#OSAYS) campaign. PNB’s DanceChance Manager Naomi Glass speaks with PNB artists Emilie Choi, Angelica Generosa, James Yoichi Moore, Noelani Pantastico, and Kuu Sakuragi about their Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) heritage and the stories they share. Our gratitude to the #OSAYS campaign and Wing Luke Museum for hosting this campaign.
April 2021
Somewhere, A Place For Us: A Conversation with Alexander Bernstein
In February 2021, PNB’s Jackson Cooper spoke with Alexander Bernstein about his childhood, memories of growing up with the creators of West Side Story and other artists, and how he has carried on his father Leonard Bernstein’s Artful Learning model, which uses music, visual arts, and performing arts to instill a love of lifelong learning in students. For a deeper look at West Side Story, visit the PNB blog for Jackson’s reflection on mid-century Manhattan and the complicated, inimitable creators of this classic American musical.
March 2021
In November 2019, PNB presented Locally Sourced, featuring three Seattle-based choreographers. One of them, Miles Pertl, partnered with his sister and fellow artist Sydney M. Pertl to highlight additional local artists in a pop-up art exhibit as part of his world premiere. Skid Road Gallery was produced by Seapertl Productions and featured artists without current professional gallery representation. Over 10,000 ballet attendees visited the gallery during its 10-day run. Last fall, Seapertls caught up with five of the Skid Road Gallery artists for conversations about what they’re up to a year later, how they are doing during the pandemic, and what it means to be an artist in Seattle at this moment in time. Read about the artists on the PNB Blog.
February 2021
Kiyon Ross (you may remember him as Kiyon Gaines, PNB Soloist) has had an illustrious career as a dancer, PNB School faculty member, Next Step Program Manager, and most recently as PNB’s Director of Company Operations. Kiyon is also an established American choreographer, having created over 25 works at PNB, Atlanta Ballet, and across the country. As Black History Month 2021 comes to an end, we are celebrating Kiyon’s excellence and many contributions to the field of dance. Watch this interview, conducted by his best friend Jonathan Porretta, and find out why Kiyon celebrates his birthday all month long!
January 2021
In our latest edition of PNB is Listening, Final Bow for Yellowface co-founder Phil Chan interviews PNB dancers Christopher D’Ariano and Yuki Takahashi about their experiences as dancers of Asian and Asian-American heritage.
December 2020
Seattle writer Andrew Hoge interviews PNB dancers Christopher D’Ariano and Joshua Grant about their experiences as dancers and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
December 2020
Wendy Whelan, Aesha Ash, Carla Körbes, Peter Boal, and Christopher D’Ariano speak about the brilliant life and work of Albert Evans in this short documentary. Watch to the end for a full performance of the solo One Body.
November 2020
PNB choreographer and teacher Eva Stone hosts this panel of female choreographers which includes PNB dancers Amanda Morgan and Leah Terada, as well as PNBS student choreographer Margarita Armas.
October 2020
A panel discussion about Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels between PNB’s 2020 cast members (Cecilia Iliesiu, Amanda Morgan, Lucien Postlewaite, William Lin-Yee), Artistic Director Peter Boal, and PNB’s Concertmaster Michael Jinsoo Lim.
July 2020
A Conversation with Donald Byrd: PNB Company Dancer Christopher D’Ariano recently connected with choreographer Donald Byrd to discuss his methods, inspiration, the process of creating Love and Loss for PNB, and his experience as a Black choreographer. Video by Christopher D’Ariano.
June 2020
Conversations About Race with SDT x PNB: Peter Boal and Donald Byrd