Carrie Imler
Carrie Imler | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977 or 1978 (age 45–46) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Pacific Northwest Ballet School Seattle University |
| Occupation | ballet dancer |
| Career | |
| Former groups | Pacific Northwest Ballet |
Carrie Imler (born 1977 or 1978)[1] is an American ballet dancer. She joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1995 and became a principal dancer in 2002. She retired in 2017, following a 22-year career, and started teaching at the company's school.
Early life[edit]
Imler was raised in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.[2] She received her ballet training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and summer intensives at the School of American Ballet.[3]
Career[edit]
In 1995, Imler joined the Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice, and joined the corps de ballet the following year.[4] She was promoted to soloist in 2000,[4] and principal dancer two years later following a performance of The Rite of Spring.[5]
Imler had danced lead roles in nearly 100 ballets,[5] such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Merry Widow and Giselle,[1][4] and works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp and Alexei Ratmansky.[3] According to colleague Jonathan Porretta, she could jump as high as the men in the company.[1] A video of Imler dancing the 32 fouetté turns from the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake went viral on YouTube.[2][6]
Imler retired from performing in 2017. In her last performance, she danced Balanchine's Theme and Variations, the Black Swan pas de deux, an excerpt from Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and a new ballet by Kiyon Gaines.[2] Having been in the company for twenty-two years, she and Batkhurel Bold, a frequent partner who retired the same year, are the company's longest-serving principal dancers.[4] Following her retirement, she joined the company school's faculty.[2]
Personal life[edit]
Imler started studying at the Seattle University in 2007, while recovering from a hip injury.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Sillman, Marcie (September 25, 2014). "Can we discuss those fouettes? Seattle's Carrie Imler is fierce". KUOW.
- ^ a b c d Macdonald, Moira (May 26, 2017). "Their last dance: Pacific Northwest Ballet stars will twirl one more time before retiring". The Seattle Times.
- ^ a b "Carrie Imler and Batkhurel Bold plan to retire". Dance Informa. December 13, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Davis, Darren (June 7, 2017). "After 22 Years, Carrie Imler Says Goodbye to Pacific Northwest Ballet". Seattle Met.
- ^ a b Burbank, Megan (June 7, 2017). "A Farewell to Seattle's Badass Ballerina". The Stranger.
- ^ Macdonald, Moira (January 25, 2018). "Watch: Here's how PNB's 'Swan Lake' lead dancers tackle the notoriously difficult 32 fouetté turns". Seattle Times.