Seattle, WA – Before the curtain rose on Pacific Northwest Ballet’s season-opening performance of George Balanchine’s Jewels, PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal made a special announcement to the audience. “It gives me great pleasure to announce two well-deserved promotions.” To hearty rounds of applause, Mr. Boal informed the audience that soloist Jerome Tisserand has been promoted to principal dancer, and Leta Biasucci has moved from the corps de ballet to the rank of soloist.

“Jerome Tisserand has performed almost every male principal role in our vast repertoire, from Franz to Romeo to Siegfried and tomorrow he adds a Diamond to his impressive collection,” said Mr. Boal. “He is every bit the Prince with an equal command of the contemporary. Last spring, dancing opposite Kaori Nakamura on opening night of Giselle, he gave us a portrayal of Albrecht that was not only technically thrilling but also dramatically nuanced and on that night, he became an unofficial principal dancer. Tonight let’s make it official. Please join me in congratulating PNB’s newest principal, Jerome Tisserand.”   Mr. Tisserandis from Lyon, France. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, with Pascale Courdioux in Lyon, and at the School of American Ballet. He joined Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 2006. Mr. Tisserand joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2007 and was promoted to soloist in 2012. Mr. Tisserand won second prize at the 2003 Dance Festival of Artists in Nyon, Switzerland, and first prize in the 2004 Prix Carpeaux in Valenciennes, France.

Stated Mr. Boal in his announcement: “Leta Biasucci has been turning heads since her arrival in our Company three years ago. In her first year with the Company, she stepped easily into the role of the up-and-comer in Christopher Wheeldon’s Variations Sèrieuses, and knocked our socks off in her debut as the insouciant Swanilda in Coppélia. She offers a potent combination of technique, musicality, and presence that seems to defy her pint-sized proportions. With a stunning debut as Aurora last February, I knew we had a ballerina in the making or perhaps just a ballerina in need of a promotion. Seen tonight as the lead in Rubies, please join me in congratulating Leta Biasucci on her well-deserved promotion to soloist.”

Ms. Biasucci is from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She studied under Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and became a trainee at San Francisco Ballet School in 2006. She joined Oregon Ballet Theatre in 2008. Ms. Biasucci joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2011.

Prior to the opening night announcements, Mr. Boal also hired Dylan Wald to join the Company as an apprentice.

Mr. Wald is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He studied at Minnesota Dance Theatre & the Dance Institute, where he became an apprentice in 2012, and at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He attended summer courses at PNB School, the School of American Ballet, The Juilliard School, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. While a student at PNB School, Mr. Wald performed corps de ballet roles in Company performances of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Peter Boal’s Giselle, Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty, Crystal Pite’s Emergence, and Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker. He performed a leading role in Kyle Davis’ Sylvia for PNB School’s Annual School Performance, and a leading role in Bruce Wells’ Pinocchio. He also originated roles in ballets by Angelica Generosa and Jahna Frantziskonis, Price Suddarth, and Ezra Thomson for PNB’s annual NEXT STEP choreographers’ showcase.

PNB congratulates our newly promoted and hired dancers!

Pacific Northwest Ballet, one of the largest and most highly regarded ballet companies in the United States, was founded in 1972. In July 2005, Peter Boal became artistic director, succeeding Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, artistic directors since 1977. The Company of nearly fifty dancers presents more than 100 performances each year of full-length and mixed repertory ballets at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall in Seattle and on tour. The Company has toured to Europe, Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Canada, and throughout the United States, with celebrated appearances at Jacob’s Pillow and in New York City and Washington DC.   George Balanchine’s Jewels™ was made possible by Bob & Cynthia Benson and Peter & Peggy Horvitz, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, Neiman Marcus, and HSBC. Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2014-2015 Season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft Corporation.

Featured photo: Jerome Tisserand in Swan Lake. Photo ©Angela Sterling.