Tips for Thriving at Summer Course: Part 3
10 Strategies for thriving at summer course Read Part I here and Part II here! The faculty at PNB is rarely aware of any issues of homesickness during the summer course because of the extensive experience of the dorm staff. Dave Jensen, Summer Course Residence Director, will be in his 21st year of overseeing the dorm lives of PNB […]
Tips from a Professional Dancer on Surviving Summer Course: Part 2
Read tips 1-3 in Part I here! Take advantage of all the opportunities that your summer course has to offer you! Be open to trying new things and experimenting with new styles & methods of dancing. Not only will your Modern, Spanish and Jazz classes make you more ready for contemporary work, but exploring other […]
Tips from a Professional Dancer on Surviving Summer Course Part 1
When you think about the professional dancers that you see in magazines and on social media, it might be hard to imagine them having fretted over decisions about which summer intensive would be the best fit for them. Believe it or not, though, all dancers start as students who go through the same training processes […]
Q and A with Summer Course Students
With summer course auditions just around the corner, we asked three students from 2017’s summer course to give advice on how to prepare yourself for the intensive training and how to get the most out of your summer course experience. Below are excerpts from a conversation with Charlotte Sanford (age 13) Maeva Laube (age 17), and […]
What is NEXT STEP?
Pacific Northwest Ballet fosters young choreographers in an unique program called – NEXT STEP. What is it? NEXT STEP is where Company dancers rise as choreographers and PNB School’s Professional Division students take center stage in an all-premiere lineup of works created just for them. “PNB has to be constantly creative and open to new ideas […]
Inside the Ballet: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
By Peter Boal As the hints of mid-summer weather start to be felt, along comes George Balanchine’s enchanting production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This production is unique to PNB, not in choreography, but in the wondrous set and costume designs created for us by Martin Pakledinaz. Marty chose designs elements that were particular to the […]
From the Wings: Ballet Master Otto Neubert
Imagine this: A large studio filled with young children auditioning for PNB’s Nutcracker. Adults sit behind a table at the front of the studio talking quietly with their lists of numbers and names, pencils and notepads. Groups of students are led across the floor doing various steps until, suddenly, one young girl trips and falls in […]
Mythbusters: The Summer Course Audition Edition
When it comes to ballet summer course auditions, young dancers put a lot of pressure on themselves to be accepted by their top choice. And, it doesn’t help that are a lot of myths surrounding the audition and selection process! Last year, corps de ballet dancers Elle Macy and Jahna Frantziskonis shared some practical tips to make the most of your […]
Audition Tips from PNB’s Apprentices
PNB apprentices share their best audition tips for summer intensive programs, from preparation and mindset to what ballet schools are looking for in dancers.