FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2016
MEDIA CONTACT:
Gary Tucker
206.441.2426
[email protected]
Pacific Northwest Ballet Principal Dancers Carrie Imler
and Batkhurel Bold Announce Retirements
Their two decades of dance will be honored at Season Encore Performance, June 11, 2017.
SEATTLE, WA — Pacific Northwest Ballet Artistic Director Peter Boal, with principal dancers Carrie Imler
and Batkhurel Bold, has announced that Ms. Imler and Mr. Bold will retire at the end of the 2016/2017
season. Their acclaimed careers will be celebrated at PNB’s Season Encore Performance on Sunday,
June 11, 2017. (Tickets go on sale to the public in March 2017.)
“Both Carrie and Bold have been such central parts of PNB, it’s hard to imagine the Company after their
retirements,” said Mr. Boal in his announcement. “Tens of thousands of us have applauded their work and
a smaller number has treasured every moment working alongside these two over the past two decades.
Their contributions to the Company are beyond measure and they will be missed.”
Carrie Imler is from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She trained on scholarship at Central Pennsylvania Youth
Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School and attended summer courses at the School of American
Ballet. She joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in 1995 and was promoted to corps de ballet
in 1996, soloist in 2000, and principal in 2002.
In announcing her retirement, Ms. Imler said, “As a little girl I remember turning to my mother, after
watching PNB at the Kennedy Center, and telling her that I was going to dance in Seattle when I grew up.
For the past 22 years, I have had the distinct pleasure and honor of dancing for Seattle audiences. From
Balanchine to Forsythe and Quijada to Gaines, I have had a career beyond anything that little girl could
have ever imagined. [PNB Founding Artistic Directors] Kent Stowell and Francia Russell hired an eager
ballerina, nurturing and refining me. Peter has opened my eyes to several new choreographers and
ballets. Without each of them, I would not have had such an incredible and unbelievably satisfying
career.”
“To describe Carrie Imler’s dancing requires a long list of superlatives,” said Mr. Boal. “Carrie is an
absolute master of technique and musicality. She is a dancer’s dancer, understanding choreography and
musicality innately. Add to this an impeccable work ethic and you have a remarkable ballerina. There is
no challenge Carrie can’t meet and for this reason, she has fascinated choreographers like William
Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky, and Twyla Tharp. Equally at home in the contemporary and classical, Carrie
has danced in over 100 leading roles with PNB over the past 22 years. That’s a lot of fouettes! As Carrie
steps gracefully from the stage at the conclusion of this season, we thank her for leaving us with so many
treasured memories and a profound legacy.”
Batkhurel Bold is from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. He trained at the Perm Choreographic Academy in Russia.
He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 1996 and was promoted to
soloist in 1999 and principal in 2004.
“Early on, Bold earned the nickname ‘Air Bold’ because of his gravity defying leaps, and the name still
fits,” said Mr. Boal. “A technical powerhouse, a consummate partner, a dramatic stage presence, Bold
has been a true mainstay of this Company. Though he’s played every leading male role in the book and
excelled in each, I won’t forget his dramatic performances in Nacho Duato’s Rassemblement. Here we
saw the tenderness that is such an integral part of this man. Offstage and on, Bold cares deeply for those
around him; from his current partner to the newest member of the Company, he’s a prince to all.”
In a statement, Mr. Bold added, “Dreams do come true. Thanks to the amazing generosity of Kent
Stowell, Francia Russell, Peter Boal and every single person both past and present at Pacific Northwest
Ballet. I am truly blessed, humbled and forever grateful.”
TICKET INFORMATION
Ms. Imler and Mr. Bold are scheduled to dance in several more performances, including George
Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, before the end of PNB’s 2016/2017 season. Ms. Imler is currently cast as
Sugar Plum Fairy on December 11 (5:30) and 20 (7:30), and Dewdrop on December 21 (7:30), and Mr.
Bold is scheduled to dance as Cavalier on December 22 (7:30). The Nutcracker runs now through
December 28. For up-to-date casting information, check performance details on PNB.org/Nutcracker.
PNB’s Season Encore Performance will be presented one night only, Sunday, June 11 at 6:30 pm. The
performance will include a special tribute to Carrie Imler and Batkhurel Bold. Tickets to the Season
Encore Performance will go on sale to subscribers in early 2017, and the general public in March 2017.
Tickets may be purchased by calling the PNB Box Office at 206.441.2424, in person at 301 Mercer
Street, or online at PNB.org. Programming and casting are subject to change. For further information,
please visit PNB.org.
ADDITIONAL ARTIST BIO INFORMATION
Carrie Imler has danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s Apollo, Ballet Imperial, BrahmsSchoenberg Quartet, Chaconne, Concerto Barocco,Coppélia, Diamonds, Divertimento No. 15, The Four
Temperaments, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania, Hippolyta), The Nutcracker®,
Rubies, Serenade, Square Dance, Stars and Stripes, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three
Movements, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, La Valse,
Western Symphony, and Who Cares?; Peter Boal’s Giselle (Myrtha); Val Caniparoli’s The Bridge,
Lambarena, The Seasons, and Torque; Alejandro Cerrudo’s Memory Glow; David Dawson’s A Million
Kisses to My Skin; Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels and Vespers; Nacho Duato’s Jardí
Tancat and Rassemblement; William Forsythe’s In the middle, somewhat elevated, New Suite, One Flat
Thing, reproduced and The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude; Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow (Hanna)
and The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Lilac Fairy, Gold and Silver pas de trois); Jiri Kylian’s Forgotten
Land, Petite Mort, and Sechs Tänze (Six Dances); Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Lady
Capulet, Nurse); Peter Martins’ Fearful Symmetries; Mark Morris’ A Garden and Pacific; Kevin
O’Day’s Aract; Kirk Peterson’s Amazed in Burning Dreams; Marius Petipa’s Le Corsaire Pas de
Trois, Don Quixote (Kitri), and Paquita; Crystal Pite’s Emergence; Victor Quijada’s Suspension of
Disbelief; Alexei Ratmanksy’s Concerto DSCH and Don Quixote (Kitri, Mercedes); Jerome Robbins’ The
Concert, Dances at a Gathering, and In the Night; Kent Stowell’s Carmen, Carmina
Burana, Cinderella (Cinderella, Fairy Godmother), Coppélia (Dance of the Hours, Dawn, Discord and
War), Delicate Balance, Dumbarton Oaks, Firebird, Hail to the Conquering Hero, Kammergarten
Tänze, Nutcracker (Clara, Flora), Poème St. Saëns, Quaternary, Silver Lining, Swan Lake(Odette/Odile,
Queen Mother), and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (Juliet, Lady Capulet); Richard Tanner’s Ancient
Airs and Dances; Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Mercury; Paul Taylor’s Roses; Glen Tetley’s Voluntaries; Twyla
Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs, and Waterbaby Bagatelles; Rudi van
Dantzig’s Ginastera; and Christopher Wheeldon’s Variations Sérieuses (Ballerina). Ms. Imler has
originated leading roles in Andrew Bartee’s arms that work, Kiyon Gaines’ M-Pulse and Sum Stravinsky,
Nicolo Fonte’s Almost Tango, Morris’ Kammermusik No. 3, Quijada’s Mating Theory, Christopher
Stowell’s Zaïs, Susan Stroman’s TAKE FIVE…More or Less, Tharp’s Opus 111 and Waiting at the
Station, and Olivier Wevers’ Shindig.
Ms. Imler danced in the BBC’s 1999 film version of PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, filmed at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London. She was also featured in Children
with a Dream, a PBS documentary about Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Batkhurel Bold has danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s Agon, Apollo, Ballet Imperial, BrahmsSchoenberg Quartet, Concerto Barocco, Coppélia (Discord and War), Diamonds, The Four
Temperaments, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Titania’s Cavalier, Theseus, Divertissement pas de
deux), The Nutcracker®, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three
Movements, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations, and La Valse; Peter
Boal’s Giselle (Albrecht, Hilarion); Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena and The Seasons; Donald Byrd’s Subtext
Rage; Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven, Red Angels, and Serious Pleasures; David
Dawson’s A Million Kisses to my Skin; Nacho Duato’s Jardí Tancat and Rassemblement; Nicolo
Fonte’s Almost Tango; William Forsythe’s Artifact II, In the middle, somewhat elevated, and One Flat
Thing, reproduced; Ronald Hynd’s The Merry Widow and The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Florimund); Jiri
Kylian’s Forgotten Land and Petite Mort; Edwaard Liang’s Für Alina; José Limón’s The Moor’s Pavane;
Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette (Tybalt); Peter Martins’ Fearful Symmetries; Mark
Morris’ Pacific; David Parsons’ Caught; Toni Pimble’s Two’s Company; Marius Petipa’s Don
Quixote and Paquita; Crystal Pite’s Emergence; Alexei Ratmansky’s Concerto DSCH and Don
Quixote(Basilio, Espada); Jerome Robbins’ Dances at a Gathering, Glass Pieces, In the Night, and West
Side Story Suite (Bernardo); Kent Stowell’s Carmen, Carmina Burana, Cinderella (Prince), Dumbarton
Oaks, Duo Fantasy, Firebird, Kammergarten Tänze, Nutcracker (Prince), Orpheus
Portrait, Quaternary, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (Tybalt), Silver Lining, Swan Lake (Prince
Siegfried), and Zirkus Weill; Price Suddarth’s Signature; Glen Tetley’s The Rite of Spring and Voluntaries;
Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs, and Waterbaby Bagatelles; and Christopher
Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux and Polyphonia.
Mr. Bold has originated leading roles in Kiyon Gaines’ Interrupted Pri’si’zhen and Sum Stravinsky;
Benjamin Millepied’s 3 Movements; Twyla Tharp’s Opus 111; Olivier Wevers’ Shindig; Christopher
Wheeldon’s Tide Harmonic. Mr. Bold performed the role of Theseus in the BBC’s 1999 film version of
PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, filmed at Sadler’s Wells Theatre,
London. In 2007, Mr. Bold performed in the worldwide company debut performance of Morphoses/The
Wheeldon Company. He also has performed as a guest artist on the Vail International Dance Festival’s
“International Evenings of Dance” galas.
# # #
Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2016-2017 season is proudly sponsored by ArtsFund and Microsoft. Season
support also provided by 4Culture and Seattle Office of Arts & Culture.
Publicity Contact
Gary Tucker, Media Relations Manager
Tel: 206-441-2426 / E-mail: [email protected]
Programming subject to change. For further information, please visit: PNB.org.
P ACIFIC N ORTHWEST B ALLET
301 Mercer Street Seattle, WA 98109 206.441.2424 PNB.org