Meet the NEXT STEP Artist: Noah Martzall

Noah Martzall is from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He studied at Walnut School of the Arts and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses at the Chautauqua Institution, Nutmeg Conservatory, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Mr. Martzall joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2020 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2021.

While a student at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Mr. Martzall performed in Company productions of George Balanchine’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker^® and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty, Miles Pertl’s Wash of Gray, and Kent Stowell’s Carmina Burana and Cinderella. He performed leading roles in PNB School performances of Peter Boal’s If I Should Fall, Kiyon Ross’s [NO HOLDS]^barre’d, and Bruce Wells’s Pinocchio, and he originated leading roles in Nancy Casciano’s Circles & Triangles, Amanda Morgan’s The Argument, Margaret Mullin’s Saccade, and Calista Ruat’s A Tribe Called Michio. Noah has also performed with Amanda Morgan’s Seattle Project.

Read on to learn a little more about Noah and his new work, and see his new choreographic work for NEXT STEP 2023 on Friday, June 16 at 7:30PM at McCaw Hall. Click here for more information and to buy your tickets.

NEXT STEP is PNB’s annual choreographic workshop where Company dancers have the opportunity to create original works for PNB School Professional Division students. NEXT STEP provides opportunity, infrastructure, and support to grow tomorrow’s choreographic talent while providing a performance opportunity to our most advanced students.

Interviewed by Eric Hipolito

What is your piece about? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
My piece is about the relationship between mothers and their daughters. I drew inspiration from thinking about the children I might have someday. I am a gay man and my children won’t have a mother in the traditional sense.  I got to thinking about how this might be for my children and wanted to explore making a piece about these relationships.

You choreographed a piece for NEXT STEP last year. What is it like returning to NEXT STEP this year?
This is my second year choreographing for NEXT STEP. I had the opportunity to choreograph last year and am lucky to have some of the same students in my piece this year. It’s so amazing to see how they have grown over their two years. I feel very lucky to get to work with a talented groups of students who trust my vision.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
Something most people don’t know about me is that I grew up as a competitive gymnast and only danced on the side once a week. I didn’t start dancing more frequently until 9th grade.