Turning 50 never felt so good. PNB’s celebratory season has brought us so many treasured moments, with a few more just around the corner. What is your 50th anniversary highlight?
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Build a good support system, don’t measure success too often, stay available and open to change, and always show up to life in the fullest way possible.
How has your approach to your career changed over the past years? My approach to my work has changed due to my experience in dance over time. As I build more confidence in my abilities, the more I can explore and push myself to the next step.
Describe your perfect day off. I love to make the most of my days off! In the summer, I usually try to get out of the city to hike or camp for a couple hours/overnight. I also love spending days on the lake (so does my dog), and trying new restaurants. On a day off in the winter, you can find me skiing at Alpental or Crystal!
What is the best advice that you've ever received? To consider what the intention is of the choreography. It is important to remember what it is you are trying to convey instead of it merely being a series of steps.
If you’re looking for something to add to your summer reading list, we recommend Illusions of Camelot: A Memoir, Peter Boal’s new book. Although not exactly a beach read, it is certainly a barre read perfect for any ballet fan!
If you were not a dancer, is there an alternate career path you would have chosen? If I wasn’t a dancer, I would’ve either tried to become a lawyer or model.
What are you looking forward to dancing this season? The Seasons’ Canon is an incredible work! Everyone is in it, and I’m so thrilled to be dancing with everyone onstage in that capacity.
If you were not a dancer, Is there an alternate career path you would have chosen? If I wasn’t a dancer, I would have chosen to be a hairdresser! I love to style, cut, and color hair. It’s fun to change someone’s hair and see how much confidence it can give them!
The 2000s began a new era of Pacific Northwest Ballet history with the retirement of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell and the hiring of Peter Boal as artistic director. In many ways, the PNB that audiences know and love today took shape during the 2000s. Read on to learn about this influential decade!