<\/span>Share<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/span>Tweet<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/span>Share<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/span>Share<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/span>Email<\/span><\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cIt gives me great pleasure to be able to promote three dancers in our company this evening.\u201d Following the curtain-raiser efficiency of George Balanchine\u2019s\u00a0Allegro Brillante<\/em>\u00a0on opening night time of Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB)\u2019s 50th<\/sup> Anniversary season, PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal introduced to the viewers that soloists\u00a0James Kirby Rogers, Jonathan Batista\u00a0and\u00a0Cecilia Iliesiu\u00a0have been promoted to Principal dancers.\u00a0Each promoted dancer is presently featured in\u00a0Carmina Burana<\/em>, working\u00a0via October 2 (streaming digitally\u00a0October 6-10).\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cJust one year ago, James Kirby Rogers performed with PNB for the very first time,\u201d stated Boal, after bringing him out in entrance of the curtain. \u201cAfter his memorable debut in Ulysses Dove\u2019s\u00a0Dancing on the<\/em>\u00a0Front Porch of Heaven<\/em>\u00a0opposite Christopher D\u2019Ariano, there was a significant buzz in the lobby as everyone wondered who the new hire was. Over the course of the past season, James has approached each role with remarkable curiosity and commitment. His Tybalt in Jean-Christophe Maillot\u2019s\u00a0Rom\u00e9o et Juliet<\/em>, bristling with emotion and physicality, offered a primer in acting, while his Siegfried in Kent Stowell\u2019s\u00a0Swan Lake<\/em>\u00a0cemented a tender partnership with Lesley Rausch as Odette\/Odile. His technique is fearless, his generosity to those around him runs deep, and his commitment to perfection has him in the studio long after the rehearsal day is done. Please join me in congratulating James on his promotion to Principal dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n Boal then introduced Jonathan Batista to the stage. \u201cJonathan Batista, originally\u00a0from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was informed of\u00a0the merits of Pacific Northwest Ballet by former Principal dancer Karel Cruz. Jonathan joined us as a soloist only one year ago. His exuberance for\u00a0contemporary and classical dance is evidenced every time he steps on stage. His joy of movement and commitment to character has audiences cheering and online fans fawning. At home in the works of Alejandro Cerrudo, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove\u00a0and George Balanchine, Jonathan holds a passion for the new, and a desire to explore the unknown. His wonderfully matched partnership with Angelica Generosa offers both bond and bravura. Beyond the stage, Jonathan is devoted to funding\u00a0and inspiring young dancers in his native Brazil and worldwide. Let us applaud Jonathan on his well-deserved promotion to Principal dancer.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, Boal spoke about Cecilia Iliesiu. \u201cI had the pleasure of teaching CC when she was just 11 years old at the School of American Ballet. She was an open-minded and eager student. Much to my surprise, she auditioned for PNB many years later when she was a soloist with Carolina Ballet. She has never lost her quest to learn and grow as a dancer,\u00a0performer and person, and\u00a0it is her unwavering work ethic and unquenchable curiosity that has allowed her to blossom as\u00a0an individual. CC\u00a0is capable of technical feats and athletic prowess, but it is the tenderness she brings\u00a0to works like\u00a0Donald Byrd\u2019s\u00a0Love and Loss<\/em>, opposite Dylan Wald, and the sweetness of her Sugar Plum Fairy opposite Cavalier, Dammiel Cruz-Garrido, that reveal a level of humanity\u00a0defining of this artist. Devoted to compassion and empowerment as\u00a0a mentor, advocate, coach, and teacher, CC is a role model to many and an inspiration to all. Join me in celebrating Cecilia Iliesiu\u2019s promotion to Principal.\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to opening night time, PNB has additionally employed\u00a0Audrey Malek\u00a0to affix the corps de ballet, and 5 apprentices from the ranks of the PNB School\u2019s Professional Division \u2013\u00a0Luca Anaya, Dylan Calahan, Rosalyn Hutsell, Larry Lancaster\u00a0and\u00a0Destiny Wimpye.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n PNB launches its 50th<\/sup> \u201cgolden\u201d anniversary season with the return of PNB Founding Artistic Director Kent Stowell\u2019s\u00a0Carmina Burana<\/em>. The vitality, spectacle, and enthusiasm of the PNB fan favourite is complemented on this triple-bill by Balanchine\u2019s thrilling\u00a0Allegro Brillante<\/em>; and\u00a0Wartime Elegy<\/em>, a world premiere by Alexei Ratmansky.\u00a0Carmina Burana<\/em>\u00a0runs\u00a0September 23 via October 2\u00a0at Seattle Center\u2019s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. The program may also stream digitally\u00a0from October 6\u00a0via 10. For tickets and extra info, go to\u00a0PNB.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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