Beside the Pointe: How PNB Navigates Parenthood and Ballet

Leah Merchant drew an uneven breath and felt it catch in her throat. The Pacific Northwest Ballet dancer was grateful for the dimness of the theater, which obscured evidence of the tears she’d failed to hold back all morning. She wondered if grief, throbbing from her temples to the soles of her feet, could swallow you whole.

Months later, in early June 2021, Merchant posted a still on Instagram from this performance of for you. Her final piece was filmed at Dash Point State Park and McCaw Hall. Artistic director Peter Boal had commissioned the solo for PNB’s Season Encore, an annual celebration that traditionally fetes the company’s departing

→ Continue reading at SeattleMet

Related articles

Comments

Share article

Latest articles