"It has been 14 years since I asked Ian Falconer if he would collaborate with me on the production you are about to see. The Boal family had all the Olivia books and can still recite them from memory. I knew Ian loved ballet—so did Olivia who dreamed of dancing in The Nutcracker. Ian said, "Yes." In fact, it was more like, "Yes, I would love to..."
Read Peter Boal's insightful reflections on Jewels, AfterTime, The Window, and In the Upper Room. PNB performs these works this fall.
"PNB hasn’t presented Nine Sinatra Songs in 13 years, so many of you will be revisiting this piece with fresh perspective or seeing it for the first time..."
The 2025/26 Season marks Artistic Director Peter Boal's 20th year with the company. PNB has thrived under Peter's leadership, and we are so excited to celebrate his remarkable achievements. Read on to learn more about Peter’s tenure and what he's most looking forward to next season!
"I still marvel at the audacity and honesty of this production. I know some of you are returning to this familiar work while many will see it for the first time. I hope you share my awe and admiration. Know the cast members you see today stand on the shoulders of past casts who continue to shape choreography and individual interpretations. A torch is being passed, and it’s lighting the way to the streets Verona..."
When Crystal Pite suggested [Emergence] for PNB, she explained that her inspiration came from a book on ants, brains, cities, and software... On opening night in 2013, I wondered how audiences would react as a hot flood light interrupted endless silhouettes of writhing dancers, while the descending curtain signaled a statement made. After seconds of stunned silence, a deafening ovation filled the house. In that moment, we were united in wanting more of Crystal Pite’s singular brilliance. Great art has a way of unifying us and allowing us to see humanity in its most expressive, poignant, and powerful ways.
"It is with great excitement that PNB presents our all-new production of The Sleeping Beauty. You may ask what’s “all-new” when the original Beauty premiered 135 years ago..."
"There’s a place along the western oceanic coast where madrone trees bend gently toward the sea. Lofty eagles soar above while mischievous ravens dart below and the monarch butterflies are known to return to this spot each spring, boasting brilliant black and saffron wings..." Immerse yourself in the mythical world of The Sleeping Beauty, as told by Peter Boal, PNB's artistic director and the concept designer of this world-premiere production.
Welcome to George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. We debuted this whimsical production, designed by children’s book author Ian Falconer, in 2015. After almost a decade, we are closing in on 400 performances. Perhaps this is your first time seeing the show, or maybe you have seen it often enough to know when the bunny pulls the Mouse King’s tail, or when Mother Ginger shows off her flock of dancing children, or when the pair of prancing reindeer take flight...
To capture Balanchine’s contribution to ballet in America in a few paragraphs is impossible, but I’ll attempt to scratch the surface. Balanchine, often in partnership with benefactor and arts impresario Lincoln Kirstein, founded the School of American Ballet and New York City Ballet. These institutions served as his dance laboratories. In these humble studios, with the help of dancers, musicians, and fellow artists, revelatory discoveries in ballet technique and dance-making came to life. Dancers hold Balanchine’s ballets in a place of reverence. That is especially true of PNB dancers, who enjoy a wealth of Balanchine repertoire and possess an innate technique and musicality acquired at schools like ours...