Pacific Northwest Ballet The Pacific Northwest Ballet is a ballet company and based in Seattle , Washington in the United States . Founded in 1972 as part of the Seattle Opera and named the Pacific Northwest Dance Association , it broke away from the Opera in 1977 and took its current name in 1978 . It is said to have the highest per capita attendance in the United States , with 11 , 000 subscribers . Its founding artistic directors are Kent Stowell and Francia Russell until the end of the 2004/2005 season . Peter Boal was named as Artistic Director following their retirement . The Company performs with 48 dancers . Fifteen of which are principals , with three soloists , twenty-four dancers in corps de ballet , and two apprentices . There are some 90 performances through-out the year . In 1974 , the Pacific Northwest Ballet School was founded . Directed by Francia Russell , it is considered one of the top three ballet schools in the country . The Ballet performs in McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center . It is especially known for its performance of the Stowell/ Maurice Sendak Nutcracker , which it has been presenting since 1983 . In 2006 , the company was chosen to perform in the Fall for Dance Festival at New York 's City Center Theatre . External link Official site  This United States -related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it .  This Pacific Northwest -related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : United States stubs | Pacific Northwest | Ballet companies | Seattle , Washington | Washington culture | Dance in the United States 