PNB Dancers Lose a Bet, Absolutely Win at Life

February 10, 2015

We don’t generally think of ballet directors as “fun.” But Peter Boal, artistic director of Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet, has broken the mold. In fact, a recent YouTube video proves that he is possibly the most fun, most good-spirited, most trash-talkiest AD out there. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

And the award for Best Stank Face goes to…

Before this year’s Super Bowl (no, this is not another Left Shark love letter) between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, the dancers of PNB and Boston Ballet made a little wager: The ballet company of the losing team’s city would have to film a manège, set to a song of the other company’s choosing. Long story short, the Pats won, and totally unsurprisingly, the dancers of Boston selected the most Bostonian anthem out there: The Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.”

What came next is the Best. Thing. Ever. Instead of filming a sad, woe-is-me manège, the dancers of PNB turned up (and out) hard. At the helm of it all? QB AD Boal, who not only zinged Bostonians several times in just over a minute, but also proved why his company reigns supreme—even if his sports team doesn’t.

Check it out!