PNB School 2024/25 School Year Highlights
From PNB School’s Halloweek to the launch of our first Dance for All Sharing Day, there’s lots to celebrate from PNB School’s 2024/25 year! Keep scrolling to read the highlights of our 2024/25 school year and see some fun photos.
New Voices
This year was productive and inspiring for PNB School’s year-round student choreography class, New Voices: Choreography and Process for Young Women in Dance! Led by PNB Faculty member Eva Stone, Level VII and VIII students explored choreographic concepts while creating solo and group choreography. Students presented their work in class regularly to give and receive constructive feedback. Three studio presentations were held allowing students to perform their choreographic creations for an audience of family and friends. New Voices II students had the opportunity to co-create and present an original work on a larger stage at PNB’s DISCOVER DANCE performance in November. Guest choreographer Rena Butler met with students to share and answer questions about her experience as a professional choreographer. New Voices students attended performances by PNB and Alonzo King LINES. These collective experiences provide an enriching foundation for students to draw upon as they explore the art and craft of choreography. We are excited to see what the future holds for them!
DanceChance
Partnering with 18 Seattle Public Schools, PNB School’s DanceChance program provides access to and improves equity within classical ballet training. During the 2024/25 school year, DanceChance led presentations and movement classes for roughly 1300 third graders, and provided eight ballet classes weekly, attended by 62 third graders and 20 fourth graders! DanceChance families enjoyed backstage tours during The Nutcracker, and over the course of the Fall and Spring Sessions, students learned about the array of occupations within the professional ballet field. Visiting guest instructors taught classes in dance anatomy, music, and musical theatre, and PNB Company member Destiny Wimpye shared about life as a dancer. DanceChance II danced in March’s DISCOVER DANCE performance and are excited to return to the McCaw Hall stage for School Performance. DanceChance Mentorship Program held fun-filled events throughout the year for DanceChance alumni and their families aimed at building camaraderie, support, and community
Dance for All
Dance for All, a PNB School program that offers inclusive creative movement classes for individuals with diverse cognitive, developmental, and physical needs, held its first Sharing Day at the Francia Russell Center. The year-end celebratory event included digital compilations of Dance for All classes, performances of three New Voices pieces, a drumming circle with students and families, and a reception sponsored by Macrina Bakery. Dance for All’s year included twice-weekly classes during Fall and Spring Sessions, movement stations at PNB’s sensory-friendly performances, and a joy-filled visit to Seattle Children’s Hospital. Nicole Sanchez’s Seattle Channel story capturing Dance for All aired this month!
Community Ed
Since 1997, PNB has partnered with Seattle Public Schools and the Bellevue School District as part of our DISCOVER DANCE program. This year, 30 classrooms from 10 schools participated in DISCOVER DANCE, including touring the PNB studios and costume shop, attending a student matinee, working as a class to choreograph their own dance, and performing on the McCaw Hall stage and/or in-school. PNB’s DANCE TO LEARN program partners with multiple area schools/districts, with this year marking the third year of a partnership with Highline Public Schools! A customizable, in-school arts integration program, DANCE TO LEARN engages K-12 students to creatively communicate their ideas through movement.
Halloweek at PNBS
It’s the spookiest day of the year at PNB, as students show off their creative costume skills.
Petite Finale
Nearly 300 Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet students (ages five to seven) danced for family and friends at PNB School’s annual Petite Finale performances, held in May. After demonstrations of classroom work and individual class pieces, the young dancers were treated to performances of excerpts from George Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht Ballet by Level VII and VIII students, and variations by Advanced C students. Following the performances, proud families and friends snapped photos during a reception hosted by the PNBS Parent/Guardian Association. This year’s Petite Finale performances were generously sponsored by On Pointe Dancewear.
NEXT STEP
The NEXT STEP performance returned to McCaw Hall! This annual choreographic workshop culminated in a one-night only performance featuring Professional Division students in new works by PNB Company dancers Jonathan Batista, Amanda Morgan, Sam Portillo, Lily Wills, and the co-choreographic team of Kyle Davis and Sarah-Gabrielle Ryan.
2025 Teachers’ Seminar
Dance educators from across the country and as far away as Scotland gathered together in April for PNB School’s 29th Teachers’ Seminar. 40 participants attended 25 events over the four-day seminar. Demonstrations of the PNB syllabus featured students in Creative Movement, Levels I-VIII, and the Professional Division. PNB School consultants and faculty presented lectures and discussions on anatomy, nutrition, mental health, PNB’s New Voices choreography program, and classroom-related topics. As always, participants left the seminar renewed and inspired to share new ideas with their own students.
Students in PNB Productions
Performing on the McCaw Hall stage is an exciting opportunity for students. This year, 120 students participated in PNB’s world premiere production of The Sleeping Beauty. Many more performed in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and the all-student production of Beauty and the Beast. Bravo!
Open House
PNB School hosted our first ever Open House at The Francia Russell Center last fall. PNB School families and friends gathered for a leotard swap hosted by the PNB School Parent/Guardian Association, a Nutcracker ticket raffle, and more. We had so much fun we’re hosting another Open House on Saturday, September 6th!
Christina Johnson at PNB School
Christina Johnson, former principal dancer with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, taught classes for Levels VII, VIII, and the Professional Division in February. Ms. Johnson is a sought-after ballet teacher and coach across the USA and in Europe.
Family Matinee: Beauty and the Beast
This year’s Family Matinee was a stunning success! PNB Students performed in Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, and PNB School faculty member Nancy Crowley began her new role as Family Matinee Rehearsal Director. PNB’s Community Education department once again offered a sensory-friendly performance of the ballet to welcome neurodiverse audiences.
