Q&A with Jonathan Porretta, a New PNB Rehearsal Director
Jonathan Porretta has excelled at many different roles at PNB. He was a beloved principal dancer and performer in the company and an equally popular faculty member at PNB School. This season, he tackles a new role as a rehearsal director. Read on to learn Jonathan’s favorite memories at PNB School, what he’s most looking forward to in his new role, and more!
You’re a former PNB dancer; what’s one of your favorite ballet roles?
It’s hard to pick one favorite role or a favorite performance. Narrowing it down is easier! The Prodigal Son was always one of my favorite roles. It’s the last ballet I ever performed. Another special moment was performing Prodigal Son when PNB was on tour at City Center. Being in New York performing that role was a dream come true.
I love David Dawson so much; it was life-changing dancing his A Million Kisses to my Skin. That ballet is one of my favorite things to stage on the students because it feels like coming home. Your whole body goes into it. Dawson never told me to tone anything down. He always let you be yourself, so dancing his work felt so good.
I also love Rubies; I love anything that was choreographed on Edward Villella. I love Square Dance. That flat-shoe solo is one of the most beautiful solos to perform. I love Kent Stowell’s Dual Lish, which was the last ballet he ever choreographed on PNB when he was still an artistic director. It was set on Noelani Pantastico and me. I love Puck, I love Oberon… I can just keep going on and on and on!
It sounds like next season will be fun for you!
I’m so excited that we have that All Balanchine rep. I just got to stage Square Dance on the Professional Division Students for their school show, and now it’s coming to the company, which is really exciting. I’m also working towards becoming a stager for the Balanchine Trust. So it’s special that in my first season as a rehearsal director, we’ll work on all these Balanchine ballets.
After dancing with PNB, you joined the PNB School faculty. What’s one of your favorite PNB school memories?
Staging Square Dance this year on the students was a dream come true. Also, this last year, I choreographed our end-of-the-year dance for the Level VIIs. The Level VIIs were such a special class and great dancers. In fact, many of them came to my open class just before this interview, and it was so sweet to see them all.
What’s an impactful piece of advice that you’ve received?
My mom taught me as a student, “Every correction is a compliment.” It’s important to not get discouraged by corrections. As an artist, you want a teacher’s or mentor’s attention. That correction is a compliment because it shows your teacher cares and sees your potential.
If you could go back in time to see any ballet performance, what would you pick?
Any performance by Mikhail Baryshnikov or any performance by Gelsey Kirkland. That generation of dancers is still my favorite. I love to watch videos of those performers to this day; that time was just so special.
As you start as a rehearsal director, what are you most excited for next season?
Getting to share a side of me that I’ve missed the past five years! I loved teaching, especially the Balanchine technique, but I miss working with choreographers and staging. I got to stage PNB repertoire and ballet variations on our PDs, and I loved those moments. I’m looking forward to getting into the studio and doing that more with the Company. It’s going to be very fulfilling. As a former PNB Company dancer, I danced so much of what the current Company performs. With that experience, I have so much to share with the next generation of PNB.
