Ballet extraordinaire Jonathan Batista made history as he recently became the first-ever Black Principal Dancer in The Pacific Northwest Ballet (PNB).
According to KUOW, Batista’s historic promotion makes him the first Black artist named principal dancer in PNB’s 50-year history.
“Being the first Black dancer in 50 years of Pacific Northwest Ballet, this is a moment for young Black boys, young Black girls, that want to dance, that want to see themselves on that stage,” he told the news outlet. “It is such an honor to be in this position. It also is a moment where I think, ‘Wow, it took 50 years for a Black man, for a Black person, to become a principal dancer.'”
PNB, based in Seattle, Washington, reportedly has 46 dancers and only nine who identify as Black.
“This is a moment for us,” Batista said.
Originally from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the newly promoted dancer joined PNB as a soloist in 2021. At the time, he expressed that becoming the highest rank as a ballet dancer meant a lot to him and other Black dancers. He previously performed with companies in various countries, including the UK and Canada, where he was often the only Black member.
“I felt many times that I was quite the pioneer, especially being a dark, Black-skinned man,” Batista told the Seattle Medium. “[It] felt like [the concept] was quite new for some companies, and I was always in search of representation. I had to understand, become and commit to being that representation I wanted to see…From the moment I understood that I was able to achieve more in the dance world, in ballet–in terms of roles, in terms of being a prince or being a leading artist in a production.”
Despite his trailblazing achievement, he believes his work is far from done, as his mission is to “shine a light” on more “Black talent.”
“So, my mission right now is to really shine a light on Black talent and Black stories,” he said. “And I think the ballet world has its biggest opportunity to celebrate cultures and to really become inclusive.”
