Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Gabrielle Thurlow and Joseph Parr to Retire
Thurlow has been a company member for 17 years, while Parr has danced with PBT for 16 years.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Dec. 15, 2023
Two long-time artists from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will retire at the end of 2023 - soloist Gabrielle Thurlow and corps de ballet artist Joseph Parr. Thurlow has been a company member for 17 years, while Parr has danced with PBT for 16 years. Thurlow, who has been on maternity leave for the past several months, will perform for the final time in the Party Scene of The Nutcracker as one of the “Aunties” on Saturday, December 23 at 2:00 p.m. Parr’s last performance with PBT will be as the “Nephew/Nutcracker” in the 2:00 p.m. performance of The Nutcracker on December 28, 2023.
“Gabby and Joe are both incredibly talented artists. PBT has been so fortunate to have them in our company for so many years,” said PBT artistic director Adam W. McKinney. “They are both humble individuals, whose work ethics have been apparent since my arrival. We will miss them and their humor, compassion and friendship greatly, and we are excited to see what the future holds for them. The entire company joins me in wishing them all the best!”
About Gabrielle Thurlow
Gabrielle Thurlow has been a member of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for 17 years. Growing up in Buffalo, NY, she studied ballet at Neglia Conservatory before joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School Graduate Program in 2005. In 2007, she joined PBT in the corps de ballet. She was promoted to soloist in 2014.
“While I have enjoyed the rush of performing, I think what I'll miss most is daily studio life at PBT,” said Gabrielle Thurlow. “It's such a unique experience that fosters dedication, a roller coaster of emotions, and some truly beautiful relationships.”
Some of the many ballets Thurlow has performed in her 17-year career with PBT include performing as “Aurora” in The Sleeping Beauty, “Marie” and the “Sugar Plum Fairy” in The Nutcracker and “Kitri” in Don Quixote. She also performed in The Concert by Jerome Robbins; In the Middle, Somewhat Elevatedby William Forsythe; In the Upper Room by Twyla Tharp; Marius Petipa’s La Bayadère and Le Corsaire; Peter Pan by Jordan Morris; Petite Mort and Sinfonietta by Jiří Kylián and George Balanchine’s Serenade and Western Symphony.
While she was dancing at PBT, Thurlow also received her business degree in 2019. She hopes to use her degree after she retires. She will also be spending more time with her husband, PBT Soloist William Moore and their two children.
About Joseph Parr
Joseph Parr joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2008 in the corps de ballet. He was a football player growing up in Wooster, Ohio - playing from fifth grade through high school with the Wooster High School Generals. When he was 15, a friend convinced him to attend her ballet class. He enjoyed the challenge, and knew that ballet would also help him improve as a football player. When he attended PBT School the next summer, he fell in love with ballet and knew that was the career that he wanted.
Parr studied ballet at Wayne Center for the Arts and the University of Akron Dance Program
Before joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. He was hired into the corps de ballet at PBT in 2008.
“I’m so honored and privileged to have spent all of my nearly 16-year career as a ballet dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre,” said Joseph Parr. “I’ve been blessed with numerous opportunities to perform a wide array of classical, neoclassical and contemporary works by world-renowned choreographers of both past and present. A huge thank you to God, my parents, family, friends, directors, teachers, co-workers, donors, patrons and my wife Diana for their support, trust and love.”
Parr’s favorite roles include the role of Toulouse-Latrec in Moulin Rouge: The Ballet, Dr. Coppelius in Coppelia, Renfield in Dracula, Riff in West Side Story Suite, Jester in Swan Lake, Stepsister in Cinderella, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet and Nephew/Nutcracker in The Nutcracker. He has also performed in Dwight Rhoden’s Step Touch; Jerome Robbins’ In the Night; Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room; Mark Morris’s Maelstrom and Drink to Me With Thine Eyes; James Kudelka’s The Man in Black; John Neumeier’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Stepehn Mills’ Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project.
After retiring, Parr will continue his education at Allegheny County Community College where he is studying to become a physical therapy assistant. He will continue to attend PBT performances and events to support his former colleague and his wife, PBT soloist Diana Yohe.
“Pittsburgh has been my home for nearly two decades,” said Parr. “I look forward to what the future holds and to continue to cheer my PBT family on from a seat in the audience!”
Gabrielle Thurlow and Joseph Parr Blogs
Learn more about Gabrielle Thurlow and some of her thoughts on her favorite roles on PBT’s blog, located here. Joseph Parr’s recollections about his most memorable roles can be found here.
Ticket Information
Tickets to see Gabrielle Thurlow and Joseph Parr’s final performances are available at pbt.org or 412-456-6666. Single tickets start at just $29
Groups purchasing eight or more tickets save up to 50%. More information is available at pbt.org/groups.
About Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been Pittsburgh’s premier professional ballet company since 1969. Today, PBT is a nationally recognized ballet company of 38 professional dancers, a training institution for over 1,200 students of all ages, and an incubator for education and accessibility programs in classrooms, libraries and community centers throughout the region. The company, under the leadership of artistic director Adam W. McKinney and executive director Nicholas Dragga, performs a wide-ranging repertoire of classical ballets, contemporary masterworks and new commissions in nearly 50 performances annually.
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