Celebrating Kabby Mitchell III

As a part of Black History Month 2025, Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB) is celebrating Kabby Mitchell III, the first Black dancer at PNB. Mitchell danced with PNB from 1979 to 1984 and taught at PNB School.

PNB Associate Artistic Director Kiyon Ross reflects on Mitchell’s legacy, and his impact on Ross’s own career and artistic practice:

There is so much I have to say about our dear Kabby. He was one of the brightest lights I’ve ever known. To speak his name is to speak of resilience, generosity, and an unshakable love for dance. To remember him is to remember a man who paved the way for so many, including me, with a grace and determination that transcended the stage. 

When I think of Kabby, I think of all the sacrifices he made and the hardships he must have endured as the first Black dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet. He navigated an industry that, at the time, was not built to embrace him fully, yet he pressed forward, carving out a space for himself and, in doing so, making space for those of us who would follow. His presence, his talent, and his unwavering commitment to excellence showed me that the path to becoming a soloist at PNB was possible. Long before the dance world began embracing the values of inclusion and diversity that we strive for today, Kabby was already doing the work—breaking barriers, challenging norms, and setting a standard of artistry that could not be ignored. 

But Kabby was more than just a pioneer; he was a giver. A teacher, a mentor, a beacon of encouragement. He shared everything he learned, not just with words but with the way he moved, the way he inspired, the way he lifted others. I count myself among the many young Black dancers who were fortunate enough to learn from him, to be encouraged by him, to feel seen and valued because of him. 

When I joined the company [in 2001], Kabby never stopped showing up for me. He was there, in the audience, in the wings, in my heart—cheering me on, celebrating my successes, and reminding me that I belonged. His presence made my journey at PNB richer, fuller, more meaningful. His relentless determination and pure joy for life and dance were infectious, a force that shaped not only my career but also my understanding of what it means to uplift others. 

Today, as PNB’s first Black artistic leader, I stand on the foundation that Kabby built. His legacy is woven into the fabric of this company, living on through every Black dancer who graces this stage, through every student who finds inspiration in his story, through every artist who dares to dream beyond the barriers placed before them. 

We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Kabby Mitchell. His spirit will forever hold a special place in my heart and in the hearts of all those he touched. His light does not dim; it shines on in each of us. 

Thank you, Kabby. For everything. 

Kabby Mitchell III (1957 – 2017) was a dancer, teacher, and arts advocate. Mitchell grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and studied a wide variety of dance styles including ballet, his passion. In the late 1970s, fellow trailblazer Edna Daigre met Mitchell at a workshop in Oakland and invited him to Seattle. Mitchell joined PNB in 1979, just two years after Founding Artistic Directors Kent Stowell and Francia Russell started with the company. Mitchell performed featured roles in many of Stowell’s first works for PNB. He danced at PNB from 1979 – 1984, rising to the rank of Soloist. Mitchell also performed with Dance Theatre of Harlem, Nederlands Dans Theater, Oakland Ballet, and Seattle Musical Theatre (formerly Civic Light Opera) during his career.

Mitchell was also a dedicated dance educator and mentor. In 1998, Mitchell received his MFA in Dance from the University of Iowa and later became a Professor of Performing Arts and African American Studies at Evergreen State College. Mitchell taught at many Seattle dance institutions, including PNB, Cornish College of the Arts, The University of Washington, Seattle Academy of Arts and Science, DASS Dance, Spectrum Dance Theatre, and Ewajo Dance Workshop. In the words of fellow Evergreen College faculty member Gilda Sheppard, “Kabby wasn’t [just] the first. No, no, no, no. Kabby kept that door open.”

An important part of Mitchell’s legacy of “keeping the door open” is T.U.P.A.C. (Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center), a dance school that provides high-quality dance education for the youth of Tacoma, particularly Black and BIPOC youth. Mitchell co-founded T.U.P.A.C. with Klair Ethridge. The school opened in July 2017, two months after Mitchell’s death. To date, T.U.P.A.C. continues to offer excellent dance training to diverse students and recently produced Hilltop Holiday, an original musical about the historically diverse Hilltop neighborhood.

Mitchell was also a prolific choreographer, creating work for Spectrum Dance Theater, The Group, Seattle Rep, ACT Contemporary Theater, Seattle Public Theater, and Seattle Musical Theatre. Notably, he choreographed Ballet Bellevue’s Nutcracker, Seattle Opera’s Porgy and Bess (last performed in 2011), and Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity (1998 – 2012). In 2016, Mitchell was named the Cultural Ambassador of Seattle in recognition of his impact on the arts community, including his work as an advocate on several panels for Seattle, King County, and Washington state art commissions. Upon Mitchell’s passing, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said, “Kabby brought life and love to everything he did; teaching young people to dance, being out and proud as a gay man, and being the first African-American dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet in the 1970s. Seattle’s arts community would not be where it is today without Kabby.”

Sources and Continued Reading:

“The Life and Love of dancing – Kabby Mitchel III,” T.U.P.A.C.

“Kabby Mitchell III,” MoBBallet.org

“Kabby Mitchell III, first Black dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, dies,” The Seattle Times

Gallery photo credits: PNB company dancers in 1981, photo © Archie K Horspool. Kabby Mitchell in Kent Stowell’s Over the Waves, photo © Jim Cummins. Kabby Mitchell teaches PNB School students in 1989, photo © Fritz Dent.