Carrie Imler

Last updated

Carrie Imler
Born1977/1978(age 43–44)
NationalityAmerican
EducationCentral Pennsylvania Youth Ballet
Pacific Northwest Ballet School
Seattle University
Occupationballet dancer
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.

Contents

Early life

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

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

Imler started studying at the Seattle University in 2007, while recovering from a hip injury. [4]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Sillman, Marcie (September 25, 2014). "Can we discuss those fouettes? Seattle's Carrie Imler is fierce". KUOW.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Macdonald, Moira (May 26, 2017). "Their last dance: Pacific Northwest Ballet stars will twirl one more time before retiring". The Seattle Times.
  3. 1 2 "Carrie Imler and Batkhurel Bold plan to retire". Dance Informa. December 13, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Davis, Darren (June 7, 2017). "After 22 Years, Carrie Imler Says Goodbye to Pacific Northwest Ballet". Seattle Met.
  5. 1 2 Burbank, Megan (June 7, 2017). "A Farewell to Seattle's Badass Ballerina". The Stranger.
  6. Macdonald, Moira (January 25, 2018). "Watch: Here's how PNB's 'Swan Lake' lead dancers tackle the notoriously difficult 32 fouetté turns". Seattle Times.