Meet the 2026 Summer Course Auditioners
Beginning this January, PNB School is headed to a city near you for our 2026 Summer Course Audition Tour! Each audition is a full technique class adjudicated by a member of PNB School’s renowned faculty. We asked this expert team if they have summer course audition tips, what you should know about auditions, and more!
Marisa Albee – PNB School Principal
Do you have any advice for dancers attending the Summer Course audition?
“First, make sure to warm up before the audition. Auditions can be crowded, which often means that the adjudicator will spend more time in the center. As a result, the barre portion of the audition is usually shorter than usual.
Additionally, don’t worry about making mistakes. Remember, no one is judging you for any errors in the combinations. What matters most is how you present yourself, your potential for growth, and the quality of your movement.”
Marisa Albee with PNB School students, photo © Angela Sterling.
Marisa Albee (she/her), born in Brooklyn, NY, joined Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s faculty in 2001. She trained with her parents at the Albee School of Dance and later the School of American Ballet. Albee first joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice and later got promoted to Soloist, dancing for eight seasons. Teaching since 1998, she previously taught at Washington Academy of Performing Arts. At PNB, she serves as School Principal. Albee focuses on engaging younger students through encouragement, fun, and instilling confidence. Albee is also the founder of Ballet in Form, an educational website for teachers and dancers.
Peter Boal – PNB Artistic Director and Director of PNB School
What are you looking for during an audition?
“I look for engaging dancers who move with precision and musicality. I like to give atypical combinations to see how dancers process material and use it to showcase their artistry and technique. In the end, I hope auditioning dancers will discover how dance can serve as an expression of individuality.”
Peter Boal with PNB School students, photo © Angela Sterling.
Peter Boal (he/him), serves as Artistic Director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Mr. Boal assumed the directorship of Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2005 following a successful career with New York City Ballet as a principal dancer, and as a faculty member at the School of American Ballet. He received his dance training from SAB under the directorship of George Balanchine. His performance career spanned 22 years with New York City Ballet, and he was a frequent guest artist with national and international companies. In 2002 he founded Peter Boal and Company, a critically acclaimed chamber ensemble. He joined the faculty of the School of American Ballet in 1997, teaching technique, variations, men’s and women’s classes, and partnering. He was a guest teacher at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Royal Danish Ballet School.
Lauri-Michelle Houk – PNB School Managing Director
What’s one of your favorite Summer Course memories?
“Summer course has always been such a big part of my life; I have experienced it through several different lenses. As a student, I have vivid memories of packing a huge suitcase to go away to summer course, I always was so excited. Now, as a teacher and adjudicator, my most sincere piece of advice for students is to try to relax and have fun in your audition! We have all been in your shoes, and we remember how it feels. It may also help you to know that teachers get nervous, too! We really hope to see you at the PNB Summer Course audition this January!”
Lauri-Michelle Houk, photo © Lindsay Thomas.
Lauri-Michelle Houk (she/her), trained under Marjorie Tallchief and George Skibine at the Dallas Ballet Academy, as well as the School of American Ballet. From 1987-1995, Lauri-Michelle performed with PNB, rising to the rank of soloist. She also danced professionally with Dallas Ballet, Chicago City Ballet, and the Nashville Ballet. She taught on the faculty of the Nashville Ballet School, the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet School, and PNB School before founding San Elijo Dance & Music Academy in 2001. She is also the founder and CEO of West Coast Ballet Theatre, San Elijo Dancewear, and San Diego Performing Arts in Education. In the fall of 2025, she officially joined PNB School as Managing Director.
Dana Hanson – PNB School Faculty
Do you have any advice for dancers attending the Summer Course audition?
“One of my favorite things about PNB School Summer Course is seeing returning students, many of whom become Professional Division students and go on to have their own professional ballet careers, here at PNB and all over the country and abroad! Some of the things I look for most in an audition are energy, a readiness to dance, and an eagerness to learn. It’s OK to make mistakes; we can see around that, but I even advise my own students to be as prepared and as engaged as they can be. During exercises, don’t be a teacher watcher!”
Dana Hanson, photo © Angela Sterling.
Dana Hanson (she/her), born in Carson City, NV, joined Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s faculty in 2006. Trained at School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, she had a 16-year performing career with New York City Ballet. Career highlights include performing in George Balanchine’s Agon, Concerto Barocco, and Symphony in C, and originating a role in Jerome Robbins’ final ballet Brandenburg. She studied at Fordham University and previously taught at School of American Ballet as Guest Faculty. Hanson brings extensive knowledge of Balanchine technique and style to her teaching.
Jonathan Porretta – PNB Rehearsal Director
What’s one of your favorite Summer Course memories?
“My favorite thing about teaching in PNB School Summer Course is introducing new choreographers and choreography to the dancers every year. Something inside them clicks, and their eyes widen and faces light up. Sharing all that was taught to me from some of my favorites, like David Dawson and William Forsythe, brings me so much joy!”
Jonathan Porretta with a PNB School student, photo © Angela Sterling.
Jonathan Porretta (he/him), is from Totowa, New Jersey. He trained on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet. Mr. Porretta joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 1999. He was promoted to corps de ballet in 2000, soloist in 2002, and principal in 2005. He joined the PNB School faculty in 2019, and became rehearsal director for the professional company in 2024.
Abbie Siegel – PNB School Faculty
Do you have any advice for dancers attending the Summer Course audition?
“I love to see familiar faces and students who have attended our summer course in previous years. It’s always great to say a quick hello and put a face to your number!
Wearing something that helps you feel confident in your dancing is important. Make sure your leotard is well-fitted, no holes in your tights, your shoes are clean, and your pointe shoes are broken in. You want to trust that you will show your best self.”
Abbie Siegel with a PNB School student, photo © Angela Sterling.
Abbie Siegel (she/her), performed with Connecticut Ballet and became the company’s Associate Ballet Mistress. Before joining the PNBS faculty in 1991, she was on faculty at the Harkness School, Eliot Feld Ballet in New York, and Connecticut Ballet. In addition to teaching, she was Director of PNB School’s DanceChance program (1999–2002); she was appointed Principal of The Francia Russell Center in 2002; and was School Principal from 2012-2024.
Kiyon Ross – PNB Associate Artistic Director
What’s one of your favorite Summer Course memories?
“As a former PNB Summer Course student, some of my favorite memories are of the incredible people I met from all over the country. Learning from new teachers and sharing space with new peers was thrilling. There is something powerful about being surrounded by people who love dance as much as you do. The friendships I made during those summers are still some of my most cherished.
Now, as Associate Artistic Director and a PNBS faculty member, my favorite memories come from my students. Watching them learn, grow, and unlock something new within themselves over five weeks is both rewarding and inspiring. The summers I spent in Seattle at the PNB School were unforgettable, and it is a privilege to help shape that same experience for the next generation.”
Kiyon Ross with PNB School students, photo © Angela Sterling.
Kiyon Ross (he/him), trained at the Baltimore School for the Arts, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He joined PNB as a new dancer in 2001. While dancing, he earned his BA in Non-Profit Leadership from Seattle University through the Second Stage program. Kiyon retired as a Soloist in 2015. After retirement, he served on the PNB School faculty, where he taught in the DanceChance program and coordinated the Next Step program. In 2019, he became Director of Company Operations, and in 2022, he was appointed Associate Artistic Director. He has choreographed works for PNB, PNB School, Ballet Arkansas, and Atlanta Ballet and staged works by Twyla Tharp.
