Principal dancers Kaori Nakamura and Lucien Postlewaite of Pacific Northwest Ballet say that the other one is the perfect partner. Nakamura, now turned 40, is still dancing at her peak after 15 years with the company and 14 as a principal, while Postlewaite, 26, rose to principal level in a very short time from his apprenticeship in 2003. For the past several years he has been one of the company’s most luminous dancers, always beautiful to watch.

“I’ve been fortunate to have her as a partner,” says Postlewaite. “I’ve learned so much from her.”

“He’s my favorite partner, and my best friend,” says Nakamura.

But all good things come to an end, and this summer, Postlewaite is moving on. He will join Les Ballets de Monte Carlo at the end of August. He was invited to join the company as was his husband, then-PNB principal Olivier Wevers, after the performances by PNB of Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo et Juliette in 2008.

Wevers was getting ready to launch his own choreographic career here with his own company Whim W’Him. Postlewaite was promoted to principal that year, and says there was still a lot that he wanted to accomplish here. “I wasn’t ready, he wasn’t ready. It’s not that I don’t want to dance here any more,” he continues,” but I see the move as a big growth opportunity I have to take.”

Continue reading “PNB Principal Dancers Face a Fork in The Road”