Dear Pacific Northwest Ballet School Families,

We hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and well. It’s hard to believe nearly a year has passed since the start of the pandemic. We have been impressed every step of the way at the resilience of our students and parents, and grateful for the overwhelming support we’ve received from PNB School families as we work to navigate this crisis. It has been very hard on everyone, and we are grateful for your help as we continue to navigate PNB’s response. As always, safety continues to be our primary goal.

While we have been thrilled to welcome students in Level VI and above back to the studios in limited capacities, we do not see a pathway to welcoming students in Level V and below back to the studios this academic year. We know this news is disappointing to many of you, and we too are very sad to be planning a full year of academic instruction away from the studios. This decision was made in accordance with our local health authorities who have been guiding our Covid-19 response based on best practices. We simply do not have enough studio space to allow adequate time between classes for the air to clear and the space to be cleaned to bring additional students back into the studios at this time. We invite you to click on this link for more information and answers to frequently asked questions regarding PNB’s Covid-19 policies: COVID-19 FAQ’s | PNB School

Pacific Northwest Ballet Looking forward, we are planning for small, in-person Summer Course classes (with contingency plans, of course) at the Francia Russell Center from July 12-August 13. At this time, our schedule will allow in-person classes only for students in Levels IV, V, and VI; but due to continued COVID restrictions, space will be extremely limited and enrollment will be accepted on a first come first served basis. We are continuing to explore scheduling options for classes for Levels I-III, including in-person, hybrid, or all-Zoom classes. Registration and more information on FRC Summer Course classes will be available later next month.

Thank you again for all of your support and for supporting your student’s ballet training. We are grateful for you.

Sincerely,

Denise Bolstad
Managing Director