Maris Antolin
Blog by PNB dancer Cecilia Iliesiu.
I am thrilled to introduce myself as both a new PNB Company dancer and PNB blog writer. Our first journey together will be PNB’s upcoming tour to my hometown New York City next week!
To start, I’m Cecilia Iliesiu. A born-and-raised Manhattanite, I began dancing at the ripe age of three. At eight-years-old, I began my core training at the School of American Ballet (SAB) for the following decade. During Peter Boal’s New York City Ballet (NYCB) career, I was lucky to be in Girls V level when he taught that level.
My graduating year, I performed George Balanchine’s Serenade and Stars and Stripes, as the leader of Regiment II (aka. the Tall Girl Regiment), alongside PNB dancer Angelica Generosa as the Liberty Bell.
A few months later, I was fortunate to receive a contract with Carolina Ballet in Raleigh, NC under the director of Robert Weiss, former NYCB dancer. One year led to six years and a promotion to Soloist within the company. I gained incredible opportunities and memories in Raleigh. I was excited to use what I had learned and begin this next chapter of my life in Seattle at PNB.
And here I meet you, when PNB and Seattle have become my new family and home. Since joining the company in August, I have performed in three repertoire programs and the new production of George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM. Performing on the McCall Hall stage alongside my uber-talented peers and the remarkable PNB Orchestra still feels like a dream. And now going back home to perform in NYC, on the City Center stage, is the “cherry on top of the cake.”
Notes
- During next week’s tour, I will post a few entries on my day-to-day rehearsals and activities. I need to rush back to rehearsal now for Crystal Pite’s Emergence.
- City Center tickets are selling fast, so buy your tickets soon.
- PNB is broadcasting a new series of Live Streams at the Phelps Center rehearsal studios. Don’t miss on the opportunity to see me, along with the PNB dancers, prepare for our tour.
Featured photo: PNB Company dancers in Crystal Pite’s Emergence. Photo © Angela Sterling.