Why Seattle Has Fallen For PNB's New Principal, Leta Biasucci

Rehearsal is in full swing, and Leta Biasucci, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s newest principal dancer, finds herself in unfamiliar territory. Biasucci is always game for a challenge, but choreographer Kyle Davis wants her to lift fellow dancer Clara Ruf Maldonado. Repeatedly. While she’s known for her technical prowess, lifting another dancer off the floor is a […]

Secrets from a Star: Day in the Life of Noelani Pantastico

This fall, Dance Magazine followed Noelani Pantastico for a day as she was rehearsing “Emeralds” and performing “Diamonds” in George Balanchine’s Jewels. It was the start of the principal’s third season back at Pacific Northwest Ballet, returning to the company she grew up in after a seven-year journey dancing with Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Les Ballets de […]

You Can Now Listen to Playlists Based on Your Favorite Ballets

If you’re at all like me, the key to getting through Mondays (in addition to copious amounts of coffee) is music. And thanks to Pacific Northwest Ballet, I’ve got my new #MondayMotivation mix all set. PNB has a dedicated Spotify account with playlists tied to upcoming ballets. Some, like “Jewels” (pegged to the Balanchine ballet […]

How Becoming a Mother Changed Lindsi Dec's Dancing

Lindsi Dec is one of the pillars of Pacific Northwest Ballet: From Balanchine to Wheeldon, her mastery of principal roles brings a dynamic spark, strength and expansive spirit to the stage. Last year in January, Dec took on the biggest role of her life when she and husband Karel Cruz (also a principal with PNB) […]

Work Out Like a Dancer: Seth Orza's Body-Transforming Routine

Somewhere between Pacific Northwest Ballet’s fall 2015 production of Kiyon Gaine’s Sum Stravinsky and its winter 2016 Romeo et Juliette, Seth Orza completely changed his look: from a strong, commanding presence to a lanky, impetuous boy. “For Romeo, I wanted to seem more youthful,” says Orza. “I’m 6 feet, and I wanted to lose about […]

What Makes Balanchine's Jewels So Timeless

A long time ago, I was a teenager, just hired as a member of the corps with New York City Ballet. I found myself standing in B-plus at the very back corner of the State Theater stage, clutching the hand of fellow teenage corps member Shawn Stevens. Though the expansive stage was filled with dozens […]

5 Self-Promotion Mistakes You Should Never Make

From dancers to presenters to directors, no one in dance is exempt from the task of building an audience. But keeping up with email, social media and other marketing efforts can chip away at precious time spent honing your craft. Add in the fear of coming across as vain or self-absorbed, and it can be […]