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Breaking barriers: Jonathan Batista is PNW Ballet's first Black principal dancer


Breaking barriers: Jonathan Batista is PNW Ballet's first Black principal dancer (KOMO News)
Breaking barriers: Jonathan Batista is PNW Ballet's first Black principal dancer (KOMO News)
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For the first time in its 50-year history, the Pacific Northwest Ballet has named a Black man as principal dancer.

Principal dancer is the highest rank one can have with a ballet company, and it belongs to Jonathan Batista.

At 30 years old, Batista is breaking barriers, but he told KOMO News his work isn’t done yet.

Batista said the journey that led him to the accomplishment came with challenges. Although passionate about the art of ballet, he said discipline keeps him going.

“It takes a lot of investment, for me at least, waking up really early at 4 a.m., and making sure that I have time to myself,” Batista said.

For him, that means dedicating time for self-care activities every day like journaling or working out — whatever he needs to do to take on the workload that’s necessary to put on a production.

“As a dancer and as an artist, you will have to navigate through many ups and downs, so it takes a lot of willingness and discipline for you to really maintain the integrity of who you are as a person first,” he said.

His beginnings trace back to what he calls a “humble” town in Brazil, the City of God in Rio De Janeiro. He said he credits his parents for putting him in every extra curricular activity to keep him busy. It was the art of ballet that stuck with him.

“I think I was really challenged at the time and I think the pivotal moment was when I saw myself with different people and I was learning about different cultures in ballet,” he said.

He said he was also inspired by the community that came with the art.

“I think the idea of community really clicked with me, and that's when I really became impassioned about ballet," he said. "Ballet is really about community."

While dancing as a teen at the English National Ballet School In London, one dancer in particular set the stage for him.

“That was the first time when I really saw myself on stage, when I saw Carlos Acosta dance with the Royal Ballet, and this Black man performing principal roles and performing prince roles is when I really realized it was possible,” Batista said.

Fifteen years later, it’s Batista’s turn to show young dancers it is still possible.

“It is so special to live in this time, where being celebrated for my talent and being celebrated for who I am in my culture, and our community because it really shows us the power of representation,” he said.

Batista said he is one of nine Black dancers at the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company. He said he’ll continue to make sure artists have accessibility for opportunities in the industry.

If you’d like to see him live and in action, productions of "The Season’s Canon" and "The Nutcracker" are both running this month at PNB.

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