This article is part of a collaboration project that I am working on with Henrik from Tights And Tiaras and Catherine from 4dancers. We are working together on “Pas de Trois” at dancing3.com. Each week we will present a question or issue pertaining to the dance world. We’ll foster a discussion on the topic and invite other people to join in with their ideas as well. We hope this will be a fun and engaging project that will help to create a stronger online dance community. You will be able to find the weekly question, along with links to the discussions at dancing3.com.
In some ways I feel like we are starting with one of the hardest questions. It is great because it is engaging and everyone has excellent input, but it is so hard to pick a single dancer as your favorite.
Something else that has come up in the discussion, is how we give dancers that we see more often a higher rating. There are some dancers that I see quite often that I definitely enjoy and admire. Ironically, I think I’m going to choose someone I’ve never seen perform in person. I think I’m going to say that Peter Boal is one of my favorite dancers.
Photo by Paul Kolnik with NYCB
I was pretty sure I would choose a male dancer. No offense to the ladies, but that is what I relate to, and that is what I’m drawn to when I watch a performance. I also knew that they would not only have to be a great dancer, but also a great role model. I also wanted to choose a dancer who continued to be a dancer even after they stop performing. This way I would know they really loved to dance, and it was not just a career decision they made and were stuck with.
Peter Boal is the artistic director for Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle (so I see their performances a lot), but he got his start in New York City. He has danced with a lot of great choreographers, dancers, and visionaries. Peter Boal started dancing at 9 years old at the School of American Ballet, after watching NYCB perform Balanchine’s Coppélia. Even from the beginning he showed great promise. Although he wanted to quit ballet after his first year, he was encouraged to continue. It is a good thing he stuck with it. Boal worked his way up to New York City Ballet as a corps member. Four years later he was a soloist, and in two more years he was a principal. He spent a total of 22 years dancing for New York City Ballet.
In 2005, Mr. Boal retired from NYCB and took up the position as artistic director of PNB. At PNB, Boal has brought the style of Balanchine, but has also pushed ballet-goers to think beyond what they typically think of as dance. PNB’s seasons contain a wide range of performance styles, making it exciting to attend all of their performances.
Peter Boal is one of my favorite dancers, not just for what he has done on stage, but for what he does behind the scenes, and for the type of person he is off-stage. Along with being the artistic director for PNB, he is also the director of the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Several weeks ago I was lucky enough to take a master class instructed by Peter Boal. He was a great instructor, and it was also obvious that he believed everyone should participate in the enjoyment of dance.
I think it is important for dancers, no matter who they work with, or what they have done, to continue to welcome new interest into dance. It is obvious that Mr. Boal enjoyed his dance career, and he wants other dancers to find that same enjoyment.
Who is your favorite dancer and why? Join the discussion at Pas de Trois at dancing3.com.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I love how, in the video, there’s hordes of girls looking in through the glass in the doors & you get the feeling they’re wishing they could join in