Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Jonathan Porretta to Retire

Pacific Northwest Ballet announced today the retirement of principal dancer Jonathan Porretta. A special tribute will be paid to one of Seattle’s most beloved ballet dancers on Sunday, June 9 at 6:30pm as part of the Season Encore Performance. Audiences can see Porretta on the stage as Carabosse in Ronald Hynd’s The Sleeping Beauty from February 1-10, 2019.

Porretta is known for his dynamic stage presence. His artistic range is broad, dancing lead roles in works by George Balanchine, David Dawson, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmasky, Jerome Robbins….the list goes on. As PNB’s Artistic Director Peter Boal expresses:

You can’t not notice Jonathan Porretta. Part powerhouse, part poet and pure thrill.” 

The mutual feeling of joy and admiration is evident – “When I think about my life with PNB all I can do is smile. I am genuinely so proud and fulfilled,” Porretta says. He is all around appreciative to everyone who has contributed to his long career with the company, paying gratitude in an earlier statement to the three directors he has danced for – Kent Stowell, Francia Russell, and Mr. Boal.

Due to constant pain as a result of a couple of surgeries, Porretta had originally planned for his retirement to be at the end of the 2019 season. But after rupturing his Achilles tendon in January of 2018, he says that “this decision is the right one for me at this time. I have no regrets and am so incredibly fulfilled by these amazing years. The stage will always be my most favorite place and my first true love.”