Get to know the PNB dancers through the Q&A posts.
Kent Stowell on the PNB Orchestra, Carmina Burana, and more
Pacific Northwest Ballet's Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell was instrumental in creating the PNB Orchestra; he recently sat down to share memories of the PNB Orchestra and his Carmina Burana.
Q&A: Concertmaster Michael Jinsoo Lim
Violinist Michael Jinsoo Lim has served as Concertmaster of the PNB Orchestra since 2009; he is also co-founder of the award-winning Corigliano Quartet, performing at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and the Kennedy Center. The ensemble’s CD, featuring works by John Corigliano was honored as one of The New Yorker’s Top […]
Q&A: Principal Conductor Emil de Cou
How did you get your start in music and conducting?
EdC: I’m the only person I know of all my colleagues who went into music because of loving ballet music. Growing up in Orange County where there was no orchestra, the only orchestra nearby was LA, which I couldn’t get […]
Q&A: Giselle Designer Jérôme Kaplan
Peter Boal’s radiant staging of Giselle returns with all-new scenery and costumes by award-winning designer Jérôme Kaplan (above) who is best known to PNB audiences for his designs for Don Quixote, Roméo et Juliette.
Q: What steps were critical to your process in creating designs for sets and costumes for PNB’s Giselle?
Stage Mom: PNB Soloist Sarah Ricard Orza on Parenting & Performing
It is uncommon for performing ballerinas to be moms–let alone at the peak of their career. Many ballerinas retire from dancing to start a family, or choose not to have children. But PNB soloist Sarah Ricard Orza is one of today’s current ballerinas changing the status quo. Last May, Sarah and her husband, […]
First Time in Role: Rachel Foster & Leta Biasucci Debut as Princess Aurora
Over the next two weeks, principal dancer Rachel Foster and corps de ballet dancer Leta Biasucci will share a professional milestone—both women will debut as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Performing the role well requires exceptional artistry and mastery of classical ballet technique. I caught up with Rachel and Leta between rehearsals this week […]
Q&A: Eric Hipolito Jr., From Party Boy to Prince
Corps de ballet dancer Eric Hipolito Jr. recently fulfilled a lifelong dream when he made his debut as the Nutcracker Prince in PNB’s Stowell & Sendak Nutcracker. A graduate of PNB’s DanceChance program, Eric has been performing in Nutcracker since he was small enough to play a Party Boy in Act 1. Given Eric’s unique […]
Ballerina Book Club: Carrie Imler’s Favorite Reads
Ballerina Book Club: Carrie Imler’s Favorite Reads
Principal dancer Carrie Imler’s fouettes in Act 3 of Swan Lake are legendary. But what does she do to unwind? She reads. We recently asked Carrie to share a list of some of her favorite books with us and this is […]
Dancer Profile: Ezra Thomson on Cooking Fish, Playing Music, and Making the Northwest Home
After five years, corps de ballet dancer Ezra Thomson says he feels right at home here in the Pacific Northwest. And, apparently, so does the rest of the Thomson family. Originally from San Bernadino, California, Ezra moved to Seattle as a Professional Division student in Pacific Northwest Ballet School in 2009 and joined […]