Audio Description at PNB
“See the music, hear the dance” -George Balanchine
At PNB, we are led by our guiding principle—to inspire, engage, and educate through dance. Audio Dance Description (AD) is designed for Blind and Low-Vision audience members, but is available to all in attendance. It is more than an accessibility service: it is a way to experience live dance through another artistic lens. At its core, dance, as a dramatic art form, is abstract, lacking the dialogue that provides the emotional connection in traditional audio description. At PNB, we create a rich audio description that invites the listener to be part of the performance.
Video
Ghost Variations
Performances with Audio Description
Tickets & Pricing
Subsidized Tickets
$20 tickets are available for patrons using an AD listening device and one companion for the listed AD performances. Recommended: call the PNB Box Office for seating guidance 206.441.2424.
Free Tickets (LEAP)
A limited number of free tickets are available via The Seattle Public Library’s Library Equal Access Program (LEAP). Email leap@spl.org or call 206-615-1380. First-come, first-served; tickets held at Will Call.
How to Get Tickets
Buy online via performance pages.
Call the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424 for accessible seating, device questions, or group orders.
Yes. Braille and large-print programs are available at the device check-out station.
This program was developed in consultation with Krishna Washburn at Darkroom Ballet and PNB’s I.D.E.A. Committee, with institutional support from M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Our approach views AD as an artistic element of the performance, offering a rich and inviting experience for patrons.
Please call 206.441.2424 so we can arrange the best seat for you and your guide dog.
McCaw Hall provides complimentary infrared Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs). Inventory includes headset receivers and neck-loop units compatible with T-coil hearing aids.
Please arrive 30 minutes early to pick up a device; preshow AD begins about 15 minutes before curtain and during intermission.
Devices are available just inside ticket control at the north end of the building near coat check. Please bring a valid ID to check out a device; it will be returned when you bring the device back.
Live description is delivered by Alyson Ann Osborn, a longtime educator, theater artist, disability advocate, and audio describer.