- #Pacific northwest ballet ashton edwards full#
- #Pacific northwest ballet ashton edwards professional#
Apprentice-in-training Wimpye is excited to be part of the changing face of ballet. Three of the five PNB School students joining the company this season are black dancers. In 2018, Ashton represented the Flint in the NACCP National Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition in San Antonio, Texas.
#Pacific northwest ballet ashton edwards full#
“Hopefully more dancers of color will be encouraged to try our art form because they’ll see themselves up front and dancing lead roles.” In addition, Ashton has also attended summer ballet intensives on full scholarships at The Joffrey Academy of Dance in Chicago, Houston Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Pacific Northwest Ballet was founded in 1972, after the two-month residency of First Chamber Dance Company, as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association. “I’m encouraged by how other people see what our stage looks like,” says Ross. Come for the conversation and stay for the dress rehearsal. in conversation with Kiyon Ross, PNB's Associate Artistic Director (and former dancer). Former Company dancers Deborah Hadely, Angela Sterling, and Eric Hipolito, Jr.
#Pacific northwest ballet ashton edwards professional#
Ross believes opening ballet to a wider cast of performers is a healthy move for both PNB and ballet in general. Ashton Edwards, an apprentice at Pacific Northwest Ballet, is part of a rising generation of gender nonconforming dancers questioning ballets rigid gender. A Midsummer Night's Dream Conversation & Dress Rehearsal. Ashton Edwards is an 18-year-old ballet student with the Pacific Northwest Ballets elite Professional Division in Seattle.
Edwards has played roles in Swan Lake and Nutcracker previously reserved for cis women. Last season, PNB quietly welcomed corps de ballet members Ashton Edwards and Zsilas Michael Hughes, both of whom identify as non-binary.
PNB is “de-gendering” active: It now classifies roles as either “pointee” or “flat shoe” rather than male or female, and the company’s school has opened up pointe and partner training to dedicated students of all genders. “I would say the movement has been slower when it comes to body type and much slower when it comes to gender identity.” However, she warns that ballet companies still have work to do in other areas of accessing the art form at the highest level. Ashton Edwards, Melisa Guilliams, Zsilas Michael Hughes, and Joh Morrill At Pacific Northwest Ballet, Apprentices are the first professional position with. “Under Peter Boal, PNB was several steps ahead of most major US companies on these issues,” Brandt said in an email.
Amy Brandt, Editor-in-Chief of Topa national ballet journal, says PNB’s work is consistent with what is happening in most American ballet companies, which are working to diversify their rosters and increase educational opportunities for people of color.
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