History:-
NBT was formed in the spring of 2000 under the vision and direction of John Bishop and Maureen Skomerza. The hope was to build a high quality regional ballet company which would produce professional level classical and contemporary productions for audiences in the Puget Sound area. That vision soon became a reality when it produced its first spring production of Coppelia in 2001.
With an unwavering committment to excellence that was rooted in the history and traditions Mr. Bishop’s ballet training and his many years as a professional dancer and choreographer, Northwest Ballet Academy, the official school of NBT stands strong today. NBA students who are trained in the Academy, have an unprecedented opportunity to perform in the professional level productions that NBT offers.
In its relatively short existence, NBT has already produced a number of classical full-length ballets to date. Besides it’s annual Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, NBT has brought 19th and 20th century masterpieces such as Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardee, Cinderella, Paquita, Giselle, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Firebird, Petrushka and Daphnis and Chloe to name a few. These classics were all performed in this region for the first time.
In addition, Mr. Bishop has also created and choreographed over a dozen original ballets of his own including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and Emerald Bay and has received enormous acclaim with critics and audiences throughout Washington and abroad.
NBT recently started the NBT Scholarship Fund to financially assist talented and deserving young dancers in their pursuit of a career in dance.
