Hello PNBS Duets families!
This is a reminder that PNB’s watch days will begin this week. Please refer to the link below with the information and schedule for your student’s class. As a reminder, Parent/Guardian Badge checks will be happening before the class begins. Please use the link below with the password to download the badge to show at the desk.
UPDATED: Duets Winter Observation Days! – PNB School Portal
Password: balletstudio2025
Thanks!
PNB School
Hello PNBS Creative Movement families!
This is a reminder that PNB’s watch days will begin this week. Please refer to the link below with the information and schedule for your student’s class. As a reminder, Parent/Guardian Badge checks will be happening before the class begins. Please use the link below with the password to download the badge to show at the desk.
UPDATED: Creative Movement Winter Observation Days! – PNB School Portal
2026 Parent/Guardian Badge Pass: balletstudio2025
Thanks!
PNB School
Hello PNBS Level VI families,
This is a reminder that both Seattle and Bellevue Level VI classes will be combined at the Phelps Center tomorrow Monday, February 23rd from 6:00-8:00 for a 2 hour technique masterclass with Christina Johnson!
Please make sure to allot time to travel to the Phelps Center, and be prepared to show your PNB identification (buttons for students, badges for parents/guardians) to the Phelps Center security guard.
Best,
PNB School Staff
Hello Level VIII families,
In order to accommodate Momotaro weekend rehearsals we are CANCELLING Level VIII technique and pas de deux classes on the Mondays listed below to give Level VIII dancers in the production a day off.
All Level VII and VIII students who are not in Momotaro are invited to take technique class with Level VI from 6:00-7:30*
Monday Class Cancellation Dates:
This Monday, Feb 23rd
Monday, March 2nd**
Monday, March 9th
Monday, March 16th
Monday, March 23rd
*This coming Monday, Feb 23rd, all of Level VI (Seattle and Bellevue) will have a masterclass with Christina Johnson 6:00-8:00 which non-Momotaro VII & VIII’s are invited to attend! This is an incredible opportunity for a 2 hour technique class with Christina (all on flat) in addition to Level VIII’s class with her on Tuesday!
**We are going to reschedule Mr. Boal teaching the VIII/Adv C class that was originally planned for March 2nd, stay tuned for the new date!
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
PNB School
Hello Level VII families,
In order to accommodate Momotaro weekend rehearsals we are CANCELLING the Level VII technique and pointe classes on the Mondays listed below to give Level VII dancers in the production a day off.
All Level VII and VIII students who are not in Momotaro are invited to take technique class with Level VI on Mondays from 6:00-7:30*
Monday Class Cancellation Dates:
This Monday, Feb 23rd
Monday, March 2nd
Monday, March 9th
Monday, March 16th
Monday, March 23rd
*This coming Monday, Feb 23rd, all of Level VI (Seattle and Bellevue) will have a masterclass with Christina Johnson 6:00-8:00 which non-Momotaro VIIs should attend! This is an incredible opportunity for a 2 hour technique class with Christina, in addition to Level VII’s class with her on Tuesday!
Please let us know if you have any questions!
Best,
PNB School
Dear PNB School Students and Families,
Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s 45th Annual School Performance at McCaw Hall is right around the corner. The event is a special one for students, family and friends. If your calendar isn’t already marked, circle June 13th. As we begin to prepare for these performances, there are a few things we would like to share with you.
The School Performance is divided into a matinee and evening show. This year’s matinee features students from the Phelps Center in Seattle, and the evening show features students from the Francia Russell Center in Bellevue. Both shows include performances by Level VII, VIII, and Professional Division students. See details below:
Performance agreements will be sent out in early March, stay tuned for more information.
PNB faculty member Eva Stone is creating a new work for our Professional Division that will be performed at both shows along with George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Vienna Waltzes, accompanied by the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Juan Felipe Molano.
All students in Levels I and up will begin rehearsals shortly. Each level will devote a portion of class time to preparation. For this reason, consistent attendance at all classes is essential. We want every student to feel well-prepared and confident as they take the stage at McCaw Hall for their class dance on June 13th. If you are already aware of schedule conflicts that will prevent your dancer from participating in the performance, please email the school immediately.
We sincerely appreciate your efforts to ensure students attend all classes and rehearsals during the coming months. If a student is unable to commit to their schedule, we may not be able to include them in this milestone performance.
Consider joining us for our annual Student Celebration Dinner at McCaw Hall after the matinee School Performance, where graduating students are honored in celebratory fashion; it is a fantastic way to commemorate the day. Tickets will go on sale in the spring, look for more details to come.
Please be sure to continue to check the Parent Portal regularly for updates regarding School Performance rehearsals, tickets, and the Celebration Dinner. Reach out to pnbschool@pnb.org with any questions.
We are looking forward to a great spring and a wonderful culmination of our school year.
Sincerely,
Peter Boal
Director
Lauri-Michelle Houk
Managing Director
Hello Level VII families,
We are so thrilled to announce that the incredible Christina Johnson will be returning to guest teach at PNB School! As a part of her visit she will be teaching Level VIII Technique on this Tuesday February the 24th!
We are adjusting the times of classes slightly to accommodate Christina’s teaching schedule
Tuesday, February 24th – Level VIII
Technique with Ms. Johnson: 4:30-6:00 (no change)
Pointe/Variations: 6:00-7:00 (no change)
Modern: 7:30-8:30 *15 min later start time
Check out Christina’s impressive biography below!
Christina Johnson trained at Boston School of Ballet, School of American Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She began her professional career at age seventeen with Boston Ballet, before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she became a principal dancer within four years. In her 13-year tenure with DTH, she worked with legends Frederic Franklin, Ulysses Dove, Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley and Suzanne Farrell to name a few. She danced leading roles in much of the company’s repertoire including Giselle, Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Firebird and Fancy Free. She was a member of the Swiss companies, Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Ballett Basel, where her repertoire expanded to include works by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp and Jean-Christophe Maillot among others. Christina is an original member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and has been a featured guest artist with various companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet of London where she and her dance partner, Ronald Perry, were the first African-American couple in its history to perform with the company.
After her performance career Christina held the position of Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Washington Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was on faculty at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, CA, and was Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University in the LINES/Dominican BFA in Dance Program. She is sought after as a teacher and coach and works with dance schools, universities and professional dance companies across the country. She is also a master teacher and judge for dance competitions, such as Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition/International Ballet Competition and Revel Dance Convention. She is featured in the recently released book by Misty Copeland, Black Ballerina and also in Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration.
Christina holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in collaboration with the American Dance Festival, The Forsythe Company and Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.
photo courtesy of Christina Johnson
Hello Advanced C families,
We are reaching out to let you know due to studio scheduling needs we need to slightly adjust the start time of next week’s Modern class.
Modern class will be 7:30-8:30 on Tuesday the 24th only, so Advanced C students will have a short break in between technique and modern!
Thank you!
Hello Level VII families,
We are so thrilled to announce that the incredible Christina Johnson will be returning to guest teach at PNB School! As a part of her visit she will be teaching Level VII Technique on this Tuesday February the 24th!
We are adjusting the times of classes slightly to accommodate Christina’s teaching schedule, please make sure to mark these changes in your calendars!
Tuesday, February 24th – Level VII
Technique with Ms. Johnson: 6:00-7:30
Pointe: 7:30-8:15
Check out Christina’s impressive biography below!
Christina Johnson trained at Boston School of Ballet, School of American Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. She began her professional career at age seventeen with Boston Ballet, before joining Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she became a principal dancer within four years. In her 13-year tenure with DTH, she worked with legends Frederic Franklin, Ulysses Dove, Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley and Suzanne Farrell to name a few. She danced leading roles in much of the company’s repertoire including Giselle, Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Firebird and Fancy Free. She was a member of the Swiss companies, Le Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Ballett Basel, where her repertoire expanded to include works by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Twyla Tharp and Jean-Christophe Maillot among others. Christina is an original member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and has been a featured guest artist with various companies worldwide, including the Royal Ballet of London where she and her dance partner, Ronald Perry, were the first African-American couple in its history to perform with the company.
After her performance career Christina held the position of Rehearsal Director for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Washington Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She was on faculty at Marin Ballet in San Rafael, CA, and was Adjunct Faculty at Dominican University in the LINES/Dominican BFA in Dance Program. She is sought after as a teacher and coach and works with dance schools, universities and professional dance companies across the country. She is also a master teacher and judge for dance competitions, such as Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition/International Ballet Competition and Revel Dance Convention. She is featured in the recently released book by Misty Copeland, Black Ballerina and also in Dance Theatre of Harlem: A History, A Movement, A Celebration.
Christina holds a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Hollins University in collaboration with the American Dance Festival, The Forsythe Company and Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Germany.
photo courtesy of Christina Johnson
Fisher Pavilion is planning to be open this week though Friday morning to provide warm shelter for people experiencing homelessness. Low temperatures are expected to be in the 30s or below, and this overnight shelter will ensure that people have some respite from the freezing temperatures.
Fisher Pavilion is towards the middle of the Seattle Center next to Climate Pledge Arena, and is not a direct neighbor of the Phelps Center. We still recommend practicing good situational awareness when on campus.
The Salvation Army will staff the building, which is being opened as an emergency severe weather shelter at the request of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) in partnership with the City of Seattle. As you may know, Exhibition Hall underneath the Phelps Center is also regularly used for this purpose during extreme cold.
We strongly recommend saving the Seattle Center Emergency Services Unit (ESU) phone number to call in case you run into any issues, if you see something suspicious while on the grounds or in Seattle Center facilities, please report it immediately to ESU at 206-684-7272 or Call 911.
Please also let PNBS staff know immediately if you see or experience something unsafe on the way in and out of the Phelps Center. Email documentation is also helpful in our communication with Seattle Center. PNB Front Desk: 206-441-9411; PNB School Office: 206-441-2435
Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Pacific Northwest Ballet School