Eastside Summer Dance Workshops
Children’s Division
Ages 5* – 7
July 8-August 2, 2024
Students ages 5*–7 participate in a week-long workshop session meeting daily at the Francia Russell Center in Bellevue for three hours (Students may register for more than one session). Week-long sessions focus on different ballets (George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Beauty and the Beast, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Swan Lake). Each day includes an hour-long dance class, music class, story, craft project and a break for a snack. Sessions culminate with an informal mini-performance featuring choreography relating to that week’s theme and scenery and props created by the students.
Dance Class
Dance classes provide students with an imaginative introduction to dance, rhythm and music. Beginning ballet vocabulary is introduced while encouraging confidence, creativity, the flexibility of movement and self-expression. Class structure and content is age-appropriate and focused on the ballet theme of the week.
Arts, Crafts, and Stories
Students spend an hour of each day creating unique and fun projects (magic wands, sock puppets) relating to the ballet theme of the week and developing the scenery and props for the mini-performance. The ballet is further explored through story time.
Session Information
Ages 5*-7
*students must be 5 by July 1, 2024 and can register for more than one session
Cost: Cost $312 per session
Morning Sessions: 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Monday-Friday
Each daily session includes a one-hour dance class, music class, story time, arts and crafts, and a snack break.
For more info call 425.451.1241 or email pnbschool@pnb.org.
Contemporary Dance Workshops
Summer 2024
August 5-9
Contemporary Dance Summer Workshop
Pacific Northwest Ballet School is thrilled to announce a new summer intensive experience. Developing dancers ages 12 and up are invited to a week-long contemporary dance workshop with PNB Company dancer Leah Terada.
What does it mean to exist in the space of a new choreography? How does one tap in to their own self-expression in order to make choreographic choices? This week-long workshop with Pacific Northwest Ballet Soloist Leah Terada will give young dancers the tools they need to discuss and think critically about the choreographic process, create thoughtful movement with intention, and provide a guide to learn to explore their own voice through dance and the choreographic process.
This new contemporary dance workshop led by Leah Terada will take place August 5-9, 2024. The week-long workshop will culminate in an informal showcase of learned choreography.
August 5 -9, 2024 | 11:30am – 4:30pm | Francia Russell Center – Eastside
Daily Schedule: 2 hour class | 30 minute break | 2.5 hour process/repertory workshop
Donald Byrd Workshop
Summer 2024
August 19-23, 2024
Contemporary Dance Summer Workshop
Pacific Northwest Ballet School and The School of Spectrum Dance Theater are thrilled to announce a new collaborative summer intensive experience. PNB School will host an extension of SDT’s annual Donald Byrd Workshop for dancers ages 16-30 at the Francia Russell Center in Bellevue. Developing dancers are invited to a week-long contemporary dance workshop with Spectrum Dance Theater’s artistic director and choreographer Donald Byrd (whose work Love and Loss was recently performed during PNB’s 2023/24 Season). Each day will include technique class and choreography class where students will work with Mr. Byrd on new choreographic phrases as well as excerpts of classic Donald Byrd dance works. Technique class focuses on Mr. Byrd’s movement aesthetics. It emphasizes a relaxed, strong, and flexible torso with highly articulated feet and legs with increasing rhythmic and spatial exactness. With this focus, the dancer becomes more efficient in managing energy and more able to control the visual, emotional, and physical impact of their body moving.
The PNB School + Spectrum Dance Theater Byrd Workshop will take place August 19-23, 2024. The week-long workshop will culminate in an informal showcase of learned choreography.
August 19-23, 2024 | 11:30am – 4:30pm | Francia Russell Center – Eastside
Daily Schedule: 2 hour class | 30 minute break | 2.5 hour process/repertory workshop
Student Division Summer Course
Summer 2024
July 8-August 2
Students enrolled in the Francia Russell Center Summer Course will continue to learn progressive levels of ballet technique in a nurturing and professional environment.
Enrollment in the Francia Russell Center Summer Course will be open to all PNB School students currently registered in Levels I-V in the 2023-24 School Year. Registration for FRC Summer Course 2024 is currently open through the PNB School Portal.
Classes
The Francia Russell Center Summer Course will offer ballet technique classes three to six days a week for students in Level I-V. Classes in other forms of dance complement the weekly schedule for Level III-V, providing students with a rich summer dance experience.
“I really enjoyed PNB School’s summer program. I learned a lot about how I can improve my dancing and take care of my body. The program was a good experience for me. I hope to come back next summer!”
PNBS Summer Course student
Summer Course Faculty
Marisa Albee
Emily Coello
Nancy Crowley
Rachel Foster
Susan Gorter
Ikolo Griffin
Dana Hanson
Eric Hipolito
Carrie Imler
Deborah Kenner
Kaori Nakamura
Abbie Siegel
Marjorie Thompson
Jennifer Turner
Guest Faculty
TBD
