Dammiel Cruz is from New York, New York. He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2016 and was promoted to corps de ballet later that year.
Dammiel is also a teaching artist for REACH Student Dance Group. REACH dancers premiered his work Innocent Unity at McCaw Hall on March 23rd, and will perform it outside at NEXT STEP: OUTSIDE/IN on June 14; tickets are on sale now.
Dammiel studied on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and attended summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Boston Ballet. He was the recipient of the Mae. L. Wien Award and Danish American Nationals Cultural Exchange (DANCE) scholarship. Since joining PNB, Dammiel has been featured in a number of works, including Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.
What is your biggest fear ?
Tarantulas.
What is your favorite occupation?
Exploring the city of Seattle on the weekends with my beautiful girlfriend Angeli who is also a dancer in the company.
PNB School students in El baile final, choreographed by Angeli Mamon and Dammiel Cruz for NEXT STEP in 2017. Photo © Lindsay Thomas.
What is your favorite color ?
Purple.
What do you most value in your friends ?
Their loyalty.
Which words or phrases do you overuse the most ?
I say the words “yea ok” about a million times a day.
Dammiel Cruz in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Photo © Lindsay Thomas. Dammiel Cruz in Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels. Photo © Lindsay Thomas.
Get your tickets to NEXT STEP: OUTSIDE/IN today!
Follow Dammiel on Instagram.
Questions excerpted from The Proust Questionnaire.
Featured photo: Dammiel Cruz and Cecilia Iliesiu in Justin Peck’s In The Countenance of Kings.
Photo © Angela Sterling.
