Hello Seattle and Bellevue families,
All classes at the Phelps Center and Francia Russell Center are cancelled today, Wednesday February 5th due to inclement weather in both Seattle and Bellevue.
Please reach out to the school office if you have any questions! (pnbschool@pnb.org)
Please stay safe!
Best,
Mandy Dray
School Supervisor
*If you have not yet completed the participation agreement, the deadline is Friday, February 7th.*
*Please note: we still need a completed participation agreement even if your student is choosing to not participate.*
ORTANT: Please click on the participation agreement link at the bottom of this letter. Completion of the form is required for all Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet students in order to confirm if your student is OR is not performing in the Petite Finale.
Dear Creative Movement, CD Boys, and Pre-Ballet Families:
You are cordially invited to Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s Petite Finale, a very special performance of our Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet students. This studio performance offers our youngest students the opportunity to show you the progress they have made this year. Following your student’s performance, Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s upper level students will perform selections from Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertoire. A reception with refreshments will complete the afternoon.
2025 Petite Finale Performance Dates
(See the schedule links above for your specific rehearsal and performance dates and times.) Please note: if your student’s regular class falls on the same day as their Dress Rehearsal and Performance, their regular class is cancelled that day. All classes will continue after Petite Finale performances through the end of the school year (June 14th).
*This Dress Rehearsal is mandatory for all students planning to dance in Petite Finale, and it is part of the Participation Agreement. It is a critical part of the preparation process to ensure our students are ready and confident to perform. It is the only time your student will practice with the other classes in their performance group and get a chance to try out their entrances and exits in the actual performance space.
Attendance in regular classes is critical for performance participation (Creative Movement students must be enrolled for 3rd and 4th Quarter classes in order to participate in a Petite Finale performance). While preparing for the performance, students will continue to learn and grow in their understanding and appreciation of dance as well as begin a more in-depth look into musicality and choreography. Please note: classes will resume the week following Petite Finale and will continue through June 14th.
Please review the attached rehearsal and performance schedule carefully, then CLICK HERE to complete and submit the attached participation agreement as soon as possible (no later than February 7th at 12:00pm, 2025). We require a completed form for students who are participating or not participating in the Petite Finale. I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to see your children perform. I know they are excited to prepare for it.
Petite Finale is a ticketed event. Tickets will be available for purchase later this spring; more details to come.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the School Office at 206.441.2435.
Sincerely,
Denise Bolstad
Managing Director
Parents come join us in person at the Phelps Center Tuesday, February 11th at 6:30pm for a special event co-led by Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and author, Monika Saigal, MS, RD, CEDS-C, CDN, and PNB’s consulting mental health therapist, Josh Spell, MSW, LICSW.
If you plan on attending this event, please reach out to pnbschool@pnb.org and let us know!
This workshop will address some of the unique needs and challenges faced by elite dancers and provide parents and caregivers with knowledge and tools to better support the health and well-being of their dancers. Presenters will cover a selection of topics from Monika’s book, Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders with a focus on how to help your dancer fuel optimally, nurture a healthy relationship with food, and build more positive and resilient body image. The educational portion of this event will be followed by a Q+A session and book signing.
Get a personalized, signed copy of Nourishing Dance!
Order from your favorite bookseller and bring to the event for Monika to sign. Links to order and more info available at: https://nourishingdance.com/ (TIP: the publisher Routledge is offering 25% off with code Nourishingdance24. Allow at least 2 weeks for shipping).
Pre-purchase from Monika for pick-up and signing at the event: https://square.link/u/Mm3WUWVf (If you are unable to attend, these books will be left at PNB for pick-up).
PRESENTER BIOS
Monika Saigal, MS, RD, CEDS-C, CDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and former professional dancer. She is the founder and owner of MS nutrition, PC, a New York City based nutrition counseling and consulting practice specializing in eating disorders, disordered eating, and dancer wellness. In her 17 years in the field, Monika has helped thousands of clients develop more peaceful and nourishing eating habits, improve athletic and artistic performance, and heal their relationship with food and their body.
Monika is passionate about building a dance world that better supports and nurtures dancers’ health and well-being. She has extensive experience providing nutrition counseling to dancers and performing artists in her private practice and working with dance organizations—from small studios to world-renowned schools, conservatories, and companies. Monika currently works with the San Francisco Ballet School and Company and was the dietitian for the American Ballet Theatre JKO School and Studio Company for the past four years. Prior to this, she spent eight years as a member of the Performance Nutrition team at The Juilliard School.
To better address the health needs of dancers, Monika created and regularly delivers the Head to Pointe® Workshop series, which includes workshops for dancers as well as specialized trainings for dance educators, staff, parents, and health professionals. Monika has been featured as a nutrition expert in various dance publications including Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit. She has presented on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders in dancers at multiple academic conferences including the International Conference on Eating Disorders, the Performing Arts Medicine Association International Symposium, and the past five Annual Conferences of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. Monika is the author of the book Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders, which was released in June 2024.
Josh Spell, MSW, LICSW is a licensed social worker and therapist in the state of Washington and currently works in private practice in Seattle. Before beginning his practice, Josh worked in the field of eating disorders and generalized behavioral health settings. He earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of Washington and received his undergraduate degree from Seattle University.
Josh was a dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet from 2001 to 2011 and danced with Kansas City Ballet for two seasons. He trained at the School of American Ballet and attended Summer Courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet. Josh danced a range of repertoire from George Balanchine to Twyla Tharp. Among his favorite roles were the second sailor in Jerome Robbin’s Fancy Free, Puck in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Benvolio and acolytes in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette and featured roles in Jiri Kylián’s Sechs Tänze and Petite Mort.
Josh has returned to the dance world in a new role as consulting therapist for the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Josh works with professional dancers and students all over the country centering dance from a holistic perspective and offering a wide variety of mental health tools. He has given various seminars on performance anxiety, perfectionism, body wisdom, self-care, finding motivation and identity. Josh has been featured in dance publications including Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine and Dance Spirit and has been a guest on several podcasts including Dance; Better and The Appetite. Josh’s former career as a professional ballet dancer informs his current approach, and he is passionate about working with dancers.
We look forward to seeing you next week!
Hello Eastside families,
All classes at the Francia Russell Center are cancelled today, Monday February 3rd due to incoming inclement weather on the Eastside.
All classes at the Seattle Phelps Center are NOT cancelled and will be held as normal.
Please stay safe!
Best,
Mandy Dray
School Supervisor
Hello PNB School Families,
Back by popular demand, we have scheduled a photographer to come to the Phelps Center and Francia Russell Center to take class and individual photos of our students!
Below are the scheduled days for each level’s class photo. These photos will happen during your student’s scheduled class time. Students must be in the correct PNB dress code in order to participate. Please note that students who are late to class will be unable to participate in the class photo and that class photos are not able to be rescheduled due to absences.
Families will receive details about purchasing after all class photos have been taken. Families will be able to order through the photographer’s online platform.
We look forward to seeing all of our dancers’ smiling faces!
Hello PNB School Families,
Back by popular demand, we have scheduled a photographer to come to the Phelps Center and Francia Russell Center to take class and individual photos of our students!
Below are the scheduled days for each level’s class photo. These photos will happen during your student’s scheduled class time. Students must be in the correct PNB dress code in order to participate. Please note that students who are late to class will be unable to participate in the class photo and that class photos are not able to be rescheduled due to absences.
Families will receive details about purchasing after all class photos have been taken. Families will be able to order through the photographer’s online platform.
We look forward to seeing all of our dancers’ smiling faces!
Hello Bellevue Lv V students and Families,
Here is a schedule update for Friday Jan 31st:
If you have any questions please reach out to the school! (pnbschool@pnb.org)
Thank you so much!
PNB School Staff
Hello Lv VI Seattle & VII families and students,
Due to Sleeping Beauty rehearsal, we will be holding a combined Lv VI & VII technique class for those that can come from 11:30-1:00pm.
Lv VII A & B technique classes 1:00-2:30 will be canceled tomorrow Saturday Jan 25th.
Lv VII’s in Garland in Sleeping Beauty have Technique class earlier in the morning from 9:45-11:15 (this was included in the schedule change notice sent earlier in the week).
We will be holding Lv VII conditioning 2:45-4:00. If you are in Beauty and the Beast rehearsal you will be excused.
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Thank you!
PNB School Staff
IMPORTANT: Please click on the participation agreement link at the bottom of this letter. Completion of the form is required for all Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet students in order to confirm if your student is OR is not performing in the Petite Finale.
Dear Creative Movement, CD Boys, and Pre-Ballet Families:
You are cordially invited to Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s Petite Finale, a very special performance of our Creative Movement and Pre-Ballet students. This studio performance offers our youngest students the opportunity to show you the progress they have made this year. Following your student’s performance, Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s upper level students will perform selections from Pacific Northwest Ballet’s repertoire. A reception with refreshments will complete the afternoon.
2025 Petite Finale Performance Dates
(See the schedule links above for your specific rehearsal and performance dates and times.) Please note: if your student’s regular class falls on the same day as their Dress Rehearsal and Performance, their regular class is cancelled that day. All classes will continue after Petite Finale performances through the end of the school year (June 14th).
*This Dress Rehearsal is mandatory for all students planning to dance in Petite Finale, and it is part of the Participation Agreement. It is a critical part of the preparation process to ensure our students are ready and confident to perform. It is the only time your student will practice with the other classes in their performance group and get a chance to try out their entrances and exits in the actual performance space.
Attendance in regular classes is critical for performance participation (Creative Movement students must be enrolled for 3rd and 4th Quarter classes in order to participate in a Petite Finale performance). While preparing for the performance, students will continue to learn and grow in their understanding and appreciation of dance as well as begin a more in-depth look into musicality and choreography. Please note: classes will resume the week following Petite Finale and will continue through June 14th.
Please review the attached rehearsal and performance schedule carefully, then CLICK HERE to complete and submit the attached participation agreement as soon as possible (no later than February 7th at 12:00pm, 2025). We require a completed form for students who are participating or not participating in the Petite Finale. I hope you will enjoy this opportunity to see your children perform. I know they are excited to prepare for it.
Petite Finale is a ticketed event. Tickets will be available for purchase later this spring; more details to come.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact the School Office at 206.441.2435.
Sincerely,
Denise Bolstad
Managing Director
Hello Seattle Lv VI families and students,
Tonight Friday Jan 24th, Lv VI technique is cancelled due to Sleeping Beauty rehearsal. You are invited to take technique with the Lv V’s tonight from 6:00-7:30pm.
Please reach out to the school if you have any questions.
Thank you so much!
PNB School Staff