PNBSchool

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

Hello PNB Families,

PNB management has made the decision to close the buildings and cancel all classes, tomorrow February 13th 2021, due to inclement weather.

Stay warm, safe, and enjoy your long weekend!


PNB School

Hello PNB Families,

In honor of President’s Day both PNB School locations will be closed and classes will be cancelled on Monday, February 15th.

We hope you have a happy and safe holiday!

PNB School

Hello Leel VI, VII, VIII, Men’s Division, and Professional Division Families,

Below please find the dates and times of your level’s mentorship meetings via zoom for February and March with Cecelia Iliesiu and Amanda Morgan. If you are missing the zoom links please email us at pnbschool@pnb.org.

FEBRUARY
Level 6 & Level 7: Fri 2/12 @ 8 – 9p
Level 8 & Int/Adv Men: Fri 2/19 @ 8 – 9p
PDs: Tues 2/9 & Tues 2/23 @ 6:30 – 7:30p

MARCH
Level 6 & Level 7: Fri 3/12 @ 8 – 9p
Level 8 & Int/Adv Men: Fri 3/19 @ 8 – 9p
PDs: Fri 3/19 & Tues 3/23 @ 6:30 – 7:30p

Josh Spell, PNBS Consulting Therapist

Seminar Schedule 

February-May, 2021

Please note: Zoom links will be emailed one week prior to scheduled seminars.

Level VI

Saturday, February 27            1:45-2:45pm

Saturday, March 27                1:45-2:45pm

Saturday, April 24                   1:45-2:45pm

Saturday, May 29                    1:45-2:45pm

Intermediate Boys/Men’s Division

Saturday, February 13            10:15-11:15am

Saturday, March 13                10:15-11:15am

Saturday, April 10                   10:15-11:15am

Saturday, May 15                    10:15-11:15am

Level VII

Saturday, February 20            9:00-10:00am

Saturday, March 20                9:00-10:00am

Saturday, April 24                   9:00-10:00am

Saturday, May 22                    9:00-10:00am

Level VIII

Saturday, February 6              9:00-10:00am

Saturday, March 6                  9:00-10:00am

Saturday, April 3                     9:00-10:00am

Saturday, May 8                      9:00-10:00am

Men’s Division/Int. Boys

Saturday, February 13            10:15-11:15am

Saturday, March 13                10:15-11:15am

Saturday, April 10                   10:15-11:15am

Saturday, May 15                    10:15-11:15am

Professional Division

Friday, February 5                   4:00-5:00pm

Friday, March 5                      4:00-5:00pm

Friday, April 2                         4:00-5:00pm

Friday, May 7                          4:00-5:00pm

Dear PNB School Level VII, VIII, and Men’s Division families,

Thank you to our PNB School families for your flexibility and support while we continue to navigate the pandemic and serve PNB School students and families. It’s been wonderful having student back in the studios again! We wanted to write today to talk about safety in and around Seattle Center.

As our families know, the Seattle Center campus is very different now with most of the resident organizations and activities closed, on hold, or working remotely during the pandemic. The City of Seattle has made Seattle Center available to host shelters for people experiencing homelessness, one of which is directly below PNB in the Exhibition Hall. With the lack of activity on campus and the nature of being an open urban center serving many individuals, Seattle Center has increased security and security rounds on campus. PNB also has a guard on duty during all School hours. Students driving to PNB should always exercise caution, whether parking in the Mercer Street garage or on the side streets. We encourage (masked) carpooling for students in the same pods, but recognize that carpools are not always possible. Families dropping off are encouraged to use the drop-off parking in front of the Phelps Center (after your student enters the building, please park elsewhere to leave room for the next drop-off) and students should always use the buddy system when walking across campus.

“See Something, Say Something”: Always let our staff know if you see or experience something unsafe on the way in and out of the Phelps Center. And if you see something suspicious while on the Seattle Center grounds, please report it immediately to the Seattle Center Emergency Services Unit at 206.684.7272 (or call 9-1-1.) We are in frequent conversation with our Seattle Center partners and that information helps all of us. (For more information, visit Seattle Center’s Public Safety page: www.seattlecenter.com/visitor-info/safety)

Seattle Center is PNB’s partner in campus safety and has been very responsive to concerns. Campus has been quiet and the shelters operational for many months without significant problems, but please do err on the side of caution when arriving at or departing from the Phelps Center. We are asking students and families to always be aware of your surroundings. Seattle Center shares our high priority in keeping our students and families safe while working with City of Seattle to make shelter and services available to our most vulnerable community members.

Sincerely,

Pacific Northwest Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet School

Hello PNB Families,

There will be no classes on Monday, January 18th in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

We hope you have a happy and safe holiday!

The School and PNB offices are closed from December 24-January 3. Zoom classes will resume on January 4^th; and we will be reviewing the possibility of returning to in-person classes as soon as we can. As we receive a high volume of questions this time of year, we kindly ask that you reach out to us with your questions after we reopen. We will return email and voice mail messages as soon as we can after January 4^th.

Happy holidays!

Dear PNB Students & Families,

As we look ahead to the Winter Break and beyond, many of our students have summer dance programs on their minds. PNB School’s Summer Course structure will look a little different than in previous years, so we wanted to share this information with you:

The ongoing challenges of the current situation continue to affect how we plan and implement our programs. With that in mind, we are rethinking our 2021 Summer Courses with two goals: to accommodate our own students who do not want to travel, and to allow students from around the country to attend PNB. We also are expecting continued restrictions on class sizes; and while we don’t know at this time exactly how restrictive this could be, we are weighing that factor into our Summer Course enrollment planning. Ultimately, we hope to offer the opportunity to study with us this summer to as many qualified students as possible; and we want our own students to have a safe option that doesn’t require traveling out of state.

All currently enrolled PNB School students in Levels I-VI are invited and encouraged to attend Summer Course classes at the Francia Russell Center (no audition required).

The Summer Course at the Phelps Center in Seattle will be open on a case-by-case basis only to students in Level VII, VIII, Intermediate Boys and Men’s Division students. We are committed to working with our upper level students to determine the summer experience that will best suit their needs at this time. Students in these levels who are interested in attending the Phelps Center Summer Course must notify the School office by February 8th, so we can plan class sizes accordingly.

Both the Phelps Center Summer Course and Francia Russell Center Summer Course are 5-week programs (July 12-August 13, 2021). Registration and program information will be available to families in late January/early February.

Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you in January.

Warm regards,

Denise Bolstad
Managing Director