Sondra Forsyth is a member of the Dance Critics Association and the American Society of Journalists and Authors. A former ballerina who danced principal roles with New York Dance Theatre and Huntington Ballet Theatre, she is a faculty member at Centralia Ballet Academy/Ballet Theatre of Washington in Centralia, Washington. Sondra founded Ballet Ambassadors in New York City and was the Artistic Director for 17 years with support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. She has served as a guest teacher for the American Ballet Theatre open classes and on the faculty of The School at Steps on Broadway, the Harkness Dance Center of the 92nd Street Y, the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and Studio de Ballet Opera in Beirut, Lebanon. She was Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director with Jan Hanniford Goetz of Huntington School of Ballet and Huntington Ballet Theatre (now called Long Island Ballet Theatre) on Long Island. Her most notable teachers for dance were David Howard, Frank Ohman, Ana Roje, Mme. Gabriela Darvash, Thalia Mara, and Yurek Lazowski. Sondra is also Co-Editor-in-Chief of thirdAGE.com and formerly held the posts of Executive Editor at Ladies’ Home Journal, Features Editor at Cosmopolitan, and Articles Editor at Bride’s. Her byline has appeared in Dance Magazine and Dance Teacher as well as many major publications. She is the author, co-author, or ghostwriter of twelve books and holds an M.A. from Harvard. Sondra has a grown son and daughter, a son-in-law, and two grandsons.
BWW Review: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S ROMEO ET JULIETTE Filmed at McCaw Hall
February 12, 2021
February 12, 2021
Balletomanes, I sincerely hope you read this in time to get digital tickets for PNB’s Roméo et Juliette that is slated for February 11th to 15th 2021.
BWW Feature: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER® Filmed at McCaw Hall
December 7, 2020
December 7, 2020
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2020-2021 Dance Happens Everywhere digital season brings the Northwest’s favorite holiday tradition to the comfort of home with its sparkling production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®.
BWW Feature: PNB ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PETER BOAL ANNOUNCES THREE PROMOTIONS DURING FIRST LOOK TO THE FUTURE GALA. at McCaw Hall
November 20, 2020
November 20, 2020
“It gives me tremendous pleasure to be able to promote three dancers in our company this evening.”
BWW Review: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S ALL-DIGITAL SEASON, REP 2 Filmed at McCaw Hall
November 13, 2020
November 13, 2020
From November 12th to November 16th 2020, Pacific Northwest Ballet offers Rep 2
PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES MILLION-DOLLAR GIFT FROM FRIDAY FOUNDATION, TO ENDOWMENT McCaw Hall
October 20, 2020
October 20, 2020
Pacific Northwest Ballet is honored to announce the receipt of a million-dollar gift from the Friday Foundation. With this gift – designated to the Pacific Northwest Ballet Foundation – PNB has created a new endowment, the Jane Lang Davis New Works Fund. Annual income from the invested fund will be used in perpetuity to provide support for one new ballet each season, and/or support the full breadth of PNB’s New Works initiative, including workshops for emerging artists.
BWW Feature: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRINCIPAL DANCER SARAH RICARD ORZA ANNOUNCES HER RETIREMENT at McCaw Hall
June 15, 2020
June 15, 2020
News from Pacific Northwest Ballet
BWW Perspective: Video of PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S Dress Rehearsal of Kent Stowell's SWAN LAKE Recorded at McCaw Hall
May 23, 2020
May 23, 2020
During the 2020 global pandemic, PNB is offering audiences the opportunity to enjoy at no cost a series of limited-time-only videos in lieu of this season's cancelled live season.
BWW Update: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES VIDEO RELEASES OF BALLETS DURING SHELTER-AT-HOME
May 1, 2020
May 1, 2020
While Pacific Northwest Ballet waits for the green light to get back to doing what we do best – live performances for live audiences – Artistic Director Peter Boal and Executive Director Ellen Walker are pleased to announce a bit of good news during these trying times
BWW Update: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF PITE-THARP-LIANG PERFORMANCES. at McCaw Hall
April 13, 2020
April 13, 2020
SEATTLE, WA, 4/13/20 – In light of the state of Washington's ongoing health and safety efforts around the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacific Northwest Ballet's Executive Director Ellen Walker and Artistic Director Peter Boal have announced that the organization has made the difficult decision to cancel its upcoming production of PITE-THARP-LIANG. Featuring works by Crystal Pite, Twyla Tharp, and a world premiere by Edwaard Liang, performances had been scheduled to take place May 29 – June 7. Ticket holders and subscribers will receive direct communication about their cancelled performances in the coming days. Due to high demands on our staff who are all working remotely, we are hoping that ticket holders will be patient when reaching out to the box office. Additionally, PNB will be cancelling its Season Encore Performance (originally scheduled for June 7), the Next Step choreographers' showcase (June 12) and 39th Annual PNB School Performances (June 13). No announcement has been made, at this time, regarding the status of the company's summer tours to New York City (June 23 – 28) and Sun Valley, ID (July 13 – 14).
BWW Update: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET RELIEF FUND at McCaw Hall
March 23, 2020
March 23, 2020
There is no road map for how to proceed in this unprecedented situation. Our dancers and staff have been hunkering down at home, hoping for a positive turn of events that will allow us to welcome you back to McCaw Hall.
BWW Review: CANCELLED! LYON OPERA BALLET USA TOUR and YAGP NEW YORK FINALS at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, And Others
March 12, 2020
March 12, 2020
As the pandemic continues to impact the ballet world, I'm keeping BWW Dance updated on cancellations and postponements. This report is about the Lyon Opera Ballet, which is cancelling the USA tour and returning to France, as well as about the cancellation of YAGP New York Finals slated for April 2020. I don't yet have the official release from the Lyon Opera Ballet, but I do have this message from Leoannis Pupo-Guillen. He was a member of my Ballet Ambassadors before joining Lyon. Somehow, the personal message is even more heartrending than an official release.
CANCELLED! SAN FRANCISCO BALLET AND CAROLINA BALLET at War Memorial Performing Arts Center and Fletcher Opera Theater
March 12, 2020
March 12, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause ballet companies to cancel or postpone performances. Here are notices from San Francisco Ballet and Carolina Ballet:
BWW Update: DUE TO CONCERNS ABOUT COVID-19, PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET CANCELS ONE THOUSAND PIECES AND BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at McCaw Hall
March 11, 2020
March 11, 2020
Washington State is the epicenter of the 2019 COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak in the United States. King County, where PNB is located in Seattle, has been the hardest hit. Here is the press release from PNB regarding performance cancellations and options for ticket holders. You can also read a Health Update on the PNB site.
BWW Review: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S CINDERELLA at McCaw Hall
February 3, 2020
February 3, 2020
On the afternoon of February 2nd, 2020, a nearly sold-out audience for a performance of Pacific Northwest Ballet's “Cinderella” proved that diehard dancegoers and eager young ballet students will show up in full force even though plenty of other people decide to opt for watching Superbowl Sunday's football game.
BWW Review: PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET'S GEORGE BALANCHINE'S THE NUTCRACKER at McCaw Hall
December 10, 2019
December 10, 2019
Fast forward to the afternoon of December 8th, 2019 in Seattle when I was utterly charmed by Pacific Northwest Ballet's faithful yet fresh production of Mr. B's venerable holiday staple, staged by Judith Fugate with PNB Artistic Director Peter Boal and Garielle Whittle.
BWW Review: NYCB's Fall Fashion Gala 2018 with a Moving Speech and 3 World Premieres
September 28, 2018
September 28, 2018
On the evening of September 27th at the Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, the annual New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala offered the customary Red Carpet moments as well as a performance that promised three world premieres.
BWW Review: Don't Bother, Me, I Can't Cope, a NEW YORK CITY CENTER ENCORES! OFF CENTER Production with Direction and Choreography by Savion Glover
July 28, 2018
July 28, 2018
New York City Center Encores! is celebrating its 25th season in 2018. Part of roster of concert productions of American musicals is Encores! Off-Center, founded in 2013 to present productions during the summer. On the evening of July 27th, a sassy and spirited rendering of “Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope” delighted a sold-out house of theater and dance lovers.
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