Blog by PNB dancer Cecilia Iliesiu.

I am thrilled to introduce myself as both a new PNB Company dancer and PNB blog writer. Our first journey together will be PNB’s upcoming tour to my hometown New York City next week!

To start, I’m Cecilia Iliesiu. A born-and-raised Manhattanite, I began dancing at the ripe age of three. At eight-years-old, I began my core training at the School of American Ballet (SAB) for the following decade. During Peter Boal’s New York City Ballet (NYCB) career, I was lucky to be in Girls V level when he taught that level.

My graduating year, I performed George Balanchine’s Serenade and Stars and Stripes, as the leader of Regiment II (aka. the Tall Girl Regiment), alongside PNB dancer Angelica Generosa as the Liberty Bell.

“Stars and Stripes” from the 2009 Workshop Performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik; choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.
Cecilia Iliesiu in Stars and Stripes from the 2009 Workshop Performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik; choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.
Angelica Generosa and Taylor Stanley in “Stars and Stripes” from the 2009 Workshop Performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik; choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.
Angelica Generosa and Taylor Stanley in Stars and Stripes from the 2009 Workshop Performances. Photo by Paul Kolnik; choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust.

A few months later, I was fortunate to receive a contract with Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, NC under the director of Robert Weiss, former NYCB dancer. One year led to six years and a promotion to Soloist within the company. I gained incredible opportunities and memories in Raleigh. I was excited to use what I had learned and begin this next chapter of my life in Seattle at PNB.

And here I meet you, when PNB and Seattle have become my new family and home. Since joining the company in August, I have performed in three repertoire programs and the new production of George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM. Performing on the McCall Hall stage alongside my uber-talented peers and the remarkable PNB Orchestra still feels like a dream. And now going back home to perform in NYC, on the City Center stage, is the “cherry on top of the cake.”

Notes

  • During next week’s tour, I will post a few entries on my day-to-day rehearsals and activities. I need to rush back to rehearsal now for Crystal Pite’s Emergence.
  • City Center tickets are selling fast, so buy your tickets soon.
  • PNB is broadcasting a new series of Live Streams at the Phelps Center rehearsal studios. Don’t miss on the opportunity to see me, along with the PNB dancers, prepare for our tour.

Featured photo: PNB Company dancers in Crystal Pite’s Emergence. Photo © Angela Sterling.