Promotions for 2010-11

[sandik]

The company has just released information on promotions for next season -- I'll paste the release here, and comment separately.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES DANCER PROMOTIONS FOR 2010-2011 SEASON

SEATTLE, WA — As the company returned to the rehearsal studios today following their post-season break, Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal was very pleased to announce six dancer promotions for the 2010-2011 season. Seth Orza, who joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007, has been promoted to the rank of principal dancer. Corps de ballet member Laura Gilbreath, who joined PNB as an apprentice in 2003, was promoted to the rank of soloist as was Sarah Ricard Orza, a member of PNB’s corps de ballet since 2007. Mr. Boal was also happy to announce that Chelsea Adomaitis, Ryan Cardea, and Ezra Thomson, who joined PNB as apprentices in 2009, have all been promoted to the corps de ballet.

Seth Orza is from San Francisco, California. He trained at San Francisco Ballet School and on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet. In 1999, he joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice. He became a corps de ballet member in 2000, and in 2007 he was promoted to soloist. At New York City Ballet, Mr. Orza danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Agon, Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Nutcracker, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Symphony in C, and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2; Peter Martins' Reliquary and Romeo + Juliet; Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, Fanfare, In Memory Of…, Interplay, and Piano Pieces; and Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance), Evenfall, and Polyphonia. Mr. Orza joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007 and was promoted to soloist in 2008. He has originated leading roles in Benjamin Millepied's 3 Movements, Jonathan Porretta's Lacrymosa, and Susan Stroman's TAKE FIVE…More or Less and danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Agon, Coppélia, Diamonds, Emeralds, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, and Symphony in C; Val Caniparoli's The Seasons; William Forsythe's One Flat Thing, reproduced; Paul Gibson's Sense of Doubt; Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty; Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort; Jean-Christophe Maillot's Roméo et Juliette; Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering, Fancy Free, In the Night, and West Side Story Suite; Kent Stowell's Nutcracker and Swan Lake; Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs; and Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance) and Variations Sérieuses. In April 2009, Mr. Orza performed as a guest artist with San Francisco Ballet in Balanchine's Emeralds.

Laura Gilbreath is from Hammond, Louisiana. She trained with Phoebe Brantley in Baton Rouge, Joseph Giacobbe and Richard Rholdon in New Orleans, and on scholarship at the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2003 and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2004. She has danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Diamonds, Prodigal Son, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Serenade, Rubies, and Symphony in C; Ulysses Dove's Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven and Red Angels; William Forsythe's One Flat Thing, reproduced; Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty; Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort; Brian Reeder's Lost Language of the Flight Attendant; Jerome Robbins' In the Night and West Side Story Suite; Kent Stowell's Nutcracker and Silver Lining; and Susan Stroman's TAKE FIVE...More or Less. Ms. Gilbreath has performed as a guest artist with Lafayette Ballet Theatre.

Sarah Ricard Orza is from Amherst, Massachusetts. She trained at Amherst Ballet School and on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet. In 1999, she joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice. She became a member of the corps de ballet in 2000 and danced with the company until 2006. At New York City Ballet, Ms. Orza danced leading roles in Balanchine's Coppélia, Peter Martins' The Sleeping Beauty, and Jerome Robbins' Fanfare and Interplay. In 2007, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a corps de ballet dancer. She has danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Agon, Coppélia and Emeralds; Val Caniparoli's The Seasons; Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty, Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort; Jerome Robbins' Dances at a Gathering, In the Night, and West Side Story Suite; Kent Stowell's Nutcracker; Susan Stroman's TAKE FIVE…More or Less; and Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and Opus 111.

Chelsea Adomaitis is from Boston, Massachusetts. She studied with Wayne Stewarte in Massachusetts and at Harid Conservatory and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and she attended summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Harid Conservatory, the Royal Ballet School (London), and National Ballet School (Canada). While a student at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Ms. Adomaitis performed leading roles in George Balanchine’s Cortège Hongrois and La Source and originated roles in ballets by Sonia Dawkins, Kiyon Gaines, and Olivier Wevers. In 2009, Ms. Adomaitis won a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts youngARTS Level I award. She was also a Youth America Grand Prix finalist in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Ryan Cardea is from New York City. He studied on scholarship at the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and he attended summer courses at American Ballet Theatre, Chautauqua School of Dance, Miami City Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, where he was a 2009 recipient of the Flemming Halby Exchange with the Royal Danish Ballet School. While a student at Pacific Northwest School, Mr. Cardea performed leading roles in Bruce Wells' Pinocchio and originated roles in ballets by Barry Kerollis and Jonathan Porretta.

Ezra Thomson is from San Bernardino, California. He studied on scholarship at Riverside Ballet Arts, Orlando Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School and attended summer courses at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, National Ballet School (Canada), the Rock School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Burklyn Ballet Theatre. Mr. Thomson was a 2009 recipient of the Flemming Halby Exchange with the Royal Danish Ballet School. He danced with Orlando Ballet before joining Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 2009. While a student in Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Mr. Thomson performed the lead in George Balanchine’s La Source and also originated roles in ballets by Kiyon Gaines, Stanko Milov, and Olivier Wevers, as well as the role of Geppetto in Bruce Wells’ Pinocchio. In 2007, Mr. Thomson won the gold medal in the regional Youth America Grand Prix competition.

[SandyMcKean]

Congratulations to all 6 dancers at PNB.

I am in full agreement with the 3 major promotions. Laura and Sara are clearly soloist calibre, and I'm tickled pink that Seth Orza has been made principal. I sort of thought that Seth needed 1 more year to polish himself, but I have never doubted that he was principal material. My prediction is that Seth will not only be a powerful technical dancer but also, as could be seen this past season in particular, he is rapidly learning to have his own voice that is very expressive of character and drama. He's a classic body type (thank your genes for that one Seth) and he has the strength to partner anyone.

God, I love this company!

[Helene]

It's early for promotion announcements -- what a nice surprise!

Congratulations to Orza, Ricard Orza, Gilbreath, Adomaitis, Cardea, and Thomson

[sandik]

It's early for promotion announcements -- what a nice surprise!

Congratulations to Orza, Ricard Orza, Gilbreath, Adomaitis, Cardea, and Thomson

It does seem early for the announcement, but since they aren't doing their season opener gala they don't have an event to hang it on.

This is indeed a deserving batch of dancers, but I am the most pleased for Ricard Orza -- I didn't know anything about her when she got here, and it's been great fun to see her revealed. Her work in Coppelia was just charming.

[SandyMcKean]

I am the most pleased for Ricard Orza

Absolutely.

Her work in Coppelia was just charming.

And remember her in Emeralds....last year was it, or the year before? Such lyricism.

[Helene]

The website is updated will all of the promotions:

http://www.pnb.org/Artists/

The only people missing are the apprentices, Price Suddarth and Jenna Nelson, noted in the PNB graduation performance program.

[Helene]

Just got word from PNB that the website will be updated with the info for the new apprentices as soon as their contracts begin during September.

[SandyMcKean]

Helene, do you happen to know how many PNB apprentices there are in total at this time?

[Helene]

According to the year-end school performance program and which PNB verified, two: Price Suddarth and Jenna Nelson, who were the leads in "Chaconne" (which I missed because I was in San Francisco that weekend).

[sandik]

Although the official release was made this summer, Peter Boal did a very nice curtain announcement yesterday before the opening night show for the dancers promoted to principal or soloist. Sarah Ricard Orza and Laura Gilbreath got flowers, but Seth Orza did not, which hardly seems fair.

And Sarah RO was modeling a very sleek orthopedic boot on her right foot -- she's got a minor injury, but it's keeping her off the stage for now.

[Helene]

Sarah Ricard Orza and Laura Gilbreath got flowers, but Seth Orza did not, which hardly seems fair.

Agreed!

I thought it was funny when someone in the Q&A asked a question about how it affects relationships when one partner is promoted and the other isn't, and Boal replied that, so far, he's avoided the problem, since he's only promoted married couples together

He was is very funny form last night, including when he scooted out in a "Petite Mort"/"Sechs Tanze" dress around his black tie to announce that tickets were still available for the post-performance party.

[SandyMcKean]

Peter Boal strikes one as somewhat reserved, so I am often struck by what a truly great sense of humor he has, and how he has a real knack for comedic delivery and timing. When he's comfortable he invents some very funny lines on the spot.