Today on the PNB Blog, we are featuring James Yoichi Moore, who returns to PNB as a PNB School faculty member! A former PNB Principal dancer, Mr. Moore brings a wealth of expertise to our students. Keep reading to learn more about James Yoichi Moore’s career, his advice to students, and more!
James Yoichi Moore is from San Francisco, California. He trained at San Francisco Ballet School and the School of American Ballet and joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2001. James joined PNB as a member of the corps de ballet in 2004 and retired as a principal in 2024. In 2023, James and his wife, Kristen opened Tutu School Renton, and Tutu School Tacoma, where they enjoy introducing the magic of ballet to the next generation of children in the Puget Sound area. He joined PNB School as a faculty member in 2025.
James Yoichi Moore with PNB School student, photo © Angela Sterling.
Describe your role at PNB School. What classes/levels do you teach?
I’ll teach a wide range of levels this year – from DanceChance all the way up to the Professional Division. Up to this point, I’ve only taught as a guest, so I’m really looking forward to teaching groups of students for an entire school year!
Can you share some memorable or favorite memories from your time dancing professionally?
I have so many fond memories, but I’ll list a few that I think of first:
- Any moment on stage with Noelani Pantastico. She was always so present in every moment on stage. We danced Roméo et Juliette many times together, but each performance felt fresh. When I think back to some of our performances, I still have to pinch myself.
- Dancing in Fancy Free with some of my favorite people – Jonathan Porretta, Seth Orza, Lesley Rausch, Noelani Pantastico. When you’re on stage with a group like that, you have no choice but to bring your A-game!
- Working on Waiting at the Station was so fun. I never thought I’d spend eight weeks in a studio alone with Twyla Tharp. She had high expectations and demanded a lot, but was also so kind and encouraging.
James Yoichi Moore and Noelani Pantastico in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, photo © Angela Sterling.
If you could go back in time to see any ballet performance, what would you pick?
I never had a chance to see Baryshnikov or Nureyev dance. I’ve seen all of the videos, but I know it’s not the same. I would have loved to sit in the audience and feel what it was like to see them dance.
What’s your approach to teaching dance?
I think a lot about how I can help dancers feel confident, relaxed, and inspired, while setting a high standard and pushing them to achieve more than they might think is possible. It’s challenging because each dancer has different needs, so you can’t take a blanket approach. I just try to be myself and hope that my passion for dance ignites theirs and inspires them to work hard to achieve their goals.
What advice would you give to your 13-year-old self?
Enjoy the ride. You’re bound to get frustrated, or feel impatient when you can’t figure out a step, but just recognize that training to be a dancer is difficult! You may feel like your dancing has plateaued, but know that you don’t always steadily improve like an upward-sloping line on a graph. It’s more like a staircase, so keep at it, stay patient, and ride that wave up when it comes.
What are you reading/watching/listening to these days?
We’re introducing our kids to Star Wars! We started with A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Return of the Jedi is next, and then I’m not sure where we’ll head after that. One of the best things about being a parent is experiencing things all over again through our kids’ eyes.
James Yoichi Moore and PNB Company Dancers in Twyla Tharp’s Waiting at the Station, photo © Angela Sterling.
