Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancer Lesley Rausch Announces Retirement
Pacific Northwest Ballet principal dancer Lesley Rausch has announced that she will be retiring at the end of the 2022-23 season. Lesley joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2001. She was promoted to soloist in 2007 and principal in 2011. Lesley’s incredible 22-year career will be celebrated at the Season Encore […]
Building a World Premiere with Jessica Lang
Go behind the scenes as Jessica Lang creates a world premiere for PNB. Learn about her collaborative process and artistic vision in this in-depth Q&A.
Q&A with Principal Dancer Leta Biasucci
How has your approach to the career changed over time? I am able to find much more enjoyment in opportunities than I did when I was younger. Early in my career, I would become easily bogged down with performance anxiety and it played a huge role in how I approached rehearsals and performing. Once I […]
Q&A with Penny Saunders: Returning to PNB and to Wonderland
Choreographer Penny Saunders discusses returning to PNB to restage Wonderland, her creative process, and what audiences can expect from the revival.
Q&A with Principal Dancer Jonathan Batista
What are you most looking forward to for the 50th Anniversary Season? Definitely looking forward to performing in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, and Peter Boal’s Giselle alongside Angelica Generosa, and Carmina Burana with Elizabeth Murphy! What is one role that holds special significance for you? Albrecht (from Giselle) holds such special significance for me. I was going to perform it with […]
Q&A with Principal Dancer Kyle Davis
What is one role that holds special significance for you? Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The first time I was cast to learn the role of Oberon I was contemplating a change of career – I had lost my passion for dancing and performing. Working on and performing the role allowed me to dive into […]
10 Fast Facts About Giselle’s Costumes
Discover fascinating details about the costumes in PNB’s production of Giselle, from romantic-era tutus to the ethereal designs of the ghostly Wilis.
PNB by the Decades: 1980s at PNB, the Origins of Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake and Nutcracker
PNB took tremendous leaps toward establishing itself as an acclaimed ballet company in the 1980s. As the company grew artistically, it was compelled to grow administratively. More and more staff were hired, which led to an important physical move for the company. PNB’s original productions of Swan Lake and the Nutcracker, which both premiered in the ‘80s, were pivotal steps […]
Six Degrees of Promotion: Pacific Northwest Ballet Announces Slate of New Soloists!
November 4, 2022 – Seattle, WA – Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal announced the promotion of six corps de ballet dancers to the rank of soloist during the opening night performance of THE SEASONS’ CANON: Madison Rayn Abeo, Dammiel Cruz-Garrido, Christopher D’Ariano, Amanda Morgan, Christian Poppe, and Leah Terada. PNB’s newly-promoted dancers are all performing in the current […]
Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon by the Numbers
By Leta Biasucci Each dancer’s preference for what they most enjoy dancing varies as much as their taste in food, books, and fashion. While some dancers relish the classicism of Swan Lake and Giselle, and perhaps find comfort in revisiting the familiar, others would prefer to spend their days working on a world premiere. And then there are […]