Zoe Meadows-Sahr
Pacific Northwest Ballet will be saying farewell to principal dancer Cecilia Iliesiu, as well as soloists Miles Pertl and Price Suddarth at the end of PNB’s 2024-25 season. Iliesiu, who recently welcomed son Francis to her family, has been accepted to Duke University where she will begin MBA studies this fall at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Pertl intends to focus the next stage of his career on Damfino Arts, the cross-disciplinary non-profit arts organization he and his sister launched in 2019. Suddarth, whose newest work, Dawn Patrol, premiered during PNB’s most recent repertory program, will continue pursuing his choreographic career with work for both the stage and the digital arena.
Their careers will be celebrated at the Season Encore performance, Sunday, June 8 at McCaw Hall. Tickets to the Season Encore, as well as the remainder of PNB’s 2024-25 season, are available through the PNB Box Office, 206.441.2424, online at PNB.org, or in person at 301 Mercer Street.
Cecilia Iliesiu and Dylan Wald in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake, photo © Angela Sterling.
“PNB is truly grateful for the singular contributions of Cecilia Iliesiu, Miles Pertl, and Price Suddarth,” said Artistic Director Peter Boal. “I remember CC [as she is known familiarly] as the tallest eleven-year-old in the room when I taught Children’s Division Level IV in New York several decades ago. I still have her carefully-lettered thank-you note. It was a pleasant surprise to see her standing in PNB’s company class in 2010 auditioning for a place in our company. CC lives and breathes dance. She offers a synthesis of music and movement paired with steely technique and a warm presence. Her innate generosity defined performances in Donald Byrd’s Love and Loss, Jose Limon’s The Moor’s Pavane, and Dani Rowe’s The Window. Her complete investment and unguarded vulnerability in the role of Odette/Odile in Kent Stowell’s Swan Lake marks an artistic triumph I will not forget. CC has taken on so many other roles offstage mentoring PNB students, connecting with ballet teachers around the globe, and exploring her business acumen. I can’t wait to see what’s next for this extraordinary artist and individual.”
Denise Bolstad, PNB School Managing Director, added: “Through the mentorship program that she and Amanda Morgan stewarded, Cecilia helped PNB School immensely, to deepen our understanding of, and provide another layer of support to our students and their needs. She can be justly proud of her accomplishments, and I wish her the very best as she forges a new path.”
“I am deeply grateful for the privilege of dancing alongside extraordinary artists – dancers, costumers, stage technicians, artistic staff, choreographers, musicians – at Carolina Ballet and PNB,” said Ms. Iliesiu. “Being promoted to a principal dancer at PNB was beyond my wildest dreams as an 18-year-old graduate of the School of American Ballet. I am deeply grateful to Peter Boal for the incredible experiences I’ve had the privilege to share with this company, both as an artist and a leader. As I prepare to explore new industries and expand my horizons through my MBA studies, I hold onto the dream of returning to ballet in an influential role someday. To everyone in the PNB organization who believed in me and supported me: thank you from the bottom of my heart. Here’s to closing an extraordinary chapter and stepping boldly into the next.”
Cecilia Iliesiu in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust, photo © Angela Sterling.
Cecilia Iliesiu in Twyla Tharp’s Waiting At the Station, photo © Angela Sterling.
Cecilia Iliesiu in Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon, photo © Angela Sterling.
Cecilia Iliesiu in George Balanchine’s Diamonds, Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust, photo © Lindsay Thomas.
“Miles Pertl has commanded the stage with strength, speed, elevation, and investment in countless roles,” continued Mr. Boal. “Standout performances occurred in works by Crystal Pite and Jiří Kylián, as the winsome hoofer in George Balanchine’s Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, and as the tormented Friar in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette. Miles has been a treasured partner to many and an inspiration to countless choreographers. Even as a dancer he sees works through the lens of a choreographer and creative director. I know we will see more of Miles’ artistry as he pursues further contributions to the field.”
Miles Pertl in Alejandro Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces, photo © Angela Sterling.
“I have been so honored to get the opportunity to dance in front of arts-loving crowds in my hometown,” said Mr. Pertl. “It means the world to me to have been able to spend the last decade performing here, a place where I have spent so much time working towards being the best artist I could be. So many people have supported me through the years, and my life in dance has provided me with adventure, skill-sets, and a community beyond my wildest dreams.
I cannot express my level of gratitude towards everyone who has gifted me such an amazing career – the instructors who guided me since I was a child; the artistic directors and the institutions that took a chance on me; the creators, fabricators, and stage managers behind the scenes who work so tirelessly to make sure that all of us get the chance to shine; and the audiences and devoted arts lovers who have made my career possible. To my many friends, colleagues, and partners; I am forever grateful to have shared the stage with you. There are no words to describe the deep, unadulterated joy I get from watching you continue your own journeys. I will always be your cheerleader! Although my career with PNB is coming to a close, my path forward still lies in art and community. I’m excited to continue teaching, choreographing, creating, and providing framework to facilitate collaborative art projects in the Pacific Northwest with Damfino Arts. Thank you all, truly, and watch out for my encore in a different capacity here in Seattle. Onwards and upwards!”
Miles Pertl in Jessica Lang’s Let Me Mingle Tears With Thee, photo © Angela Sterling.
Miles Pertl and Elle Macy in Crystal Pite’s The Seasons’ Canon, photo © Angela Sterling.
Price Suddarth in George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust, photo © Angela Sterling.
Again from Mr. Boal: “Price Suddarth’s recent creation, Dawn Patrol, was stunning. His understanding of the strength and potential of his fellow dancers was clear. His choreographic response to movement and concept were mesmerizing. How exciting to contemplate the next steps for this accomplished dancemaker. As Price continues to explore choreography, he steps away from an incredible career as a dancer. We recall a multitude of roles over the past fifteen years, including Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Alejandro Cerrudo’s Little mortal jump, Bee Man in Crystal Pite’s Emergence, and his dynamic performances as the Son in Twyla Tharp’s Waiting at the Station. Price has always left it all on the stage. Now he’ll guide others to do the same.”
“I began this journey at the ripe young age of four when, watching my mother in a community theater production of Oliver, I was hooked,” said Mr. Suddarth. “As a young musical theater kid I had dreams of making it on Broadway and becoming my idol, Fred Astaire. I would strap on my tap shoes but made a deal…no ballet classes…which quickly became fine, ballet, but no tights…and here we are. Dancing has taken me around the world and given me the chance to work with the greatest artists on earth, performing some of the most exciting works anybody could dream of.
This year will mark 31 years of performing, yet it has flown by. I will never forget that specific feeling of warmth that you can only get from stage lights, or the rush of cold air that fills the stage as the curtain rises at the top of a show. More than anything, I will never forget the people: I have met some of the greatest folks onstage and off and have stories that could fill volumes. Familiar faces will be missed, but not forgotten, and always fill me with deep admiration and appreciation. However, there are faces that I will take with me: I came to PNB as a 19 year old kid, and 16 short years later, I am preparing to leave as a choreographer, director, producer, founder of two film festivals, a father to two amazing boys, and a husband to my partner in crime, Emma. I am so grateful for the path that has brought me to this point and immensely excited for what comes next.”
Price Suddarth in Crystal Pite’s Emergence, photo © Angela Sterling.
Price Suddarth and Emma Love Suddarth in Alejandro Cerrudo’s Little mortal jump, photo © Angela Sterling.
Iliesiu, Pertl, and Suddarth all used grant monies and/or tuition support from Second Stage, PNB’s career transition program for its company dancers. Conceived in 1999, Second Stage supports PNB dancers and PNB School Professional Division students in achieving their goals following a career in dance. Its resources allow dancers to take classes, get subsidized tuition at Seattle University, access mentors and vocation counseling, and receive grant monies. Since its inception, Second Stage has provided almost $1.6 million in grants to over 225 dancers.
Cecilia Iliesiu is from New York, New York. Cecilia joined Carolina Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2009 and was promoted to soloist in 2014. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2015, was promoted to soloist in 2020, and principal in 2022. In tandem with PNB soloist Amanda Morgan, she launched and managed the company’s Mentorship Program, supporting students in the PNB School. As the founder of Ballet Life Coach, she offers consultations and develops programs for leading ballet schools to support their pre-professional students through the audition season. As founder of Global Ballet Teachers, she built a network and educational platform for hundreds of educators across 50+ countries, focusing on emerging dance communities in West Africa and South America. Click here to learn more at Cecilia’s LinkedIn page.
Miles Pertl is a tried and true Seattleite. Miles won the Grand Prix at YAGP in 2007, joined Stuttgart Ballet as an apprentice in 2010, and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2011. He next joined Het Nationale Ballet as a member of the corps in 2012 before returning to Seattle to join Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2015. He was promoted to soloist in 2021. He has choreographed works for PNB’s NEXT STEP and PNB School’s Annual School Performance, and his work Wash of Gray premiered in 2019 as part of PNB’s mainstage season. He has created work for Seattle Dance Collective, and in 2020 he co-choreographed and co-directed Happening with fellow dancer Leah Terada for PNB’s digital season. In 2019, he and his sister, artist Sydney M. Pertl, launched Damfino Arts, focusing on connecting artists of all mediums and disciplines in the Pacific Northwest. Click here to learn more.
Price Suddarth is from Westfield, Indiana. Price joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2010, and was promoted to soloist in 2018. As an award-winning choreographer, Price’s choreographic career began at the School of American Ballet in 2007 and quickly spread to institutions across the nation. At PNB, Price has choreographed Signature (2015 – PNB mainstage), Shifted Figures (2017 – Sculptured Dance, a collaboration between PNB and Seattle Art Museum at the Olympic Sculpture Park), The Intermission Project (2021 – PNB digital season), Other World (2022), and Dawn Patrol, which PNB premiered on its mainstage this past March 2025. He has garnered national attention for his work as founder and director of the PNB Dance Film Festival, the Dance In Focus Film festival in collaboration with the Music Center of Los Angeles, and for forming Jumpkut, his own multimedia dance company. Click here to visit Price’s website.
