Step into the world of ballet beyond the spotlight with our exclusive feature! Each edition offers a glimpse into the off-stage lives of your favorite dancers, showcasing their unique hobbies and passions. Discover the surprising and delightful activities that make these artists’ lives as captivating as their performances.
ELIZABETH MURPHY
Pacific Northwest Ballet
Principal Dancer
@lizgmurphy
Hometown Glory
Which local café or restaurant fuels you before rehearsal or after a performance?
Metropolitan Market and Zoka Coffee.
Where’s your favorite spot in your city to unwind outside of ballet?
Family time is essential. We frequent many parks and playgrounds. I love going to the farmers market and enjoying the food trucks. Whenever it’s nice, I like to be outside. Woodland Park Zoo is another favorite.
Hidden gem or hangout in your ballet company’s home city?
Seward or Carkeek Park and Fresh Flours Bakery.
If you were playing tour guide, what’s the most iconic place in your city?
I’d have to say Pike Place Market and the waterfront. Bonus points if you get on a ferry and look back at the city from the water. Just breathtaking!
Inspirations & Setbacks
What’s your favorite dance movie of all time—and why does it inspire you?
I love so many but I have to go with Top Hat with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. They are fantastic performers and I’m drawn to the old Hollywood glamour. In my eyes, there has never been a more iconic pair. They both have an ease to their movement and their dancing appears so effortless.
Who is your biggest dance inspiration (past or present)?
Julie Diana, Sarah Lamb, and Carla Körbes. They all have a deep sincerity and it feels like you are watching “them.”
Can you share the moment you realized you wanted to be a dancer?
When I was two, I insisted on joining my older sister’s ballet class. As the story goes, I put up enough of a fuss that they let me in. It’s been ballet ever since. The truth is I can’t remember a time before dance. As a young teen, I realized there were professional companies and I could make a living doing what I loved. I never looked back.
What’s your personal practice philosophy—how do you approach growth in the studio?
This is something that has changed for me over the years. As a student and young professional I would have said, “Be the hardest worker. Do it until you can’t do it wrong.” I was really hard on myself and no matter how well the show went I’d feel disappointed. As I’ve gotten older, I embrace mistakes more and the journey of discovery. My best work happens in a space that feels safe and joyful. Letting go of perfection while choosing to focus on the present moment has helped me become a stronger performer and enjoy my dancing more.
Biggest struggle you’ve faced in your dance journey, and how you overcame it?
It takes a lot of courage to show up for yourself when you don’t look or feel the way you want to. I’m fortunate enough to be the mom of two girls and the journey back to the stage both times tested me in ways I never dreamed of. My second pregnancy and postpartum was harder for me physically and mentally. Returning to the stage began to feel impossible. I wanted to quit so many times because it was too hard. I’m proud of myself for not giving up. With the help of PNB, I was able to find creative solutions that allowed me to train and care for my family. I’m so grateful for the support and willingness to accommodate my unique needs as a mom of two.
What’s one thing you wish you had known as a young dancer?
Not everyone is going to like you and that’s ok. It’s not a testament to your worth or what you have to offer.
If you had to describe what dance means to you in just one word, what would it be?
Harmony or breath.
Rapid-fire Round:
Go-to coffee order—and from where?
Vanilla oat milk latte from Zoka or Fresh Flours.
Essential post-show ritual?
A beer and a really good cleansing balm.
ABOUT ELIZABETH
Elizabeth Murphy (she/her) is from Chelmsford, Massachusetts. She studied at Academy of Ballet Arts and the Rock School for Dance Education, and she attended summer courses on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Chautauqua Summer Program, where she was an apprentice with North Carolina Dance Theater. She also performed with Pennsylvania Ballet before joining Ballet West II in 2006 and Ballet West in 2007. Elizabeth joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2011 and was promoted to soloist in 2013 and principal in 2015.
At Ballet West, Elizabeth danced leading and featured roles in Balanchine’s Agon, The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and Stars and Stripes; Willam Christensen’s Nutcracker; Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero; Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta; Helen Pickett’s But Never Doubt I Love; and Adam Sklute’s Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.
Elizabeth designed costumes for Ezra Thomson’s Measure Twice, Cut Once (2016) and Kyle Davis’ Make It So (2016), both for PNB’s NEXT STEP. In 2018, she designed costumes for Kyle Davis’ A Dark and Lonely Space, her first designs for PNB’s mainstage. She designed costumes for PNB’s digital releases of Davis’ Las Estrellas (2021) and Price Suddarth’s The Intermission Project (2021). She is the owner and founder of Label Dancewear.
Featured Image: Elizabeth Murphy in Cerrudo’s One Thousand Pieces. Photo © Angela Sterling.
Image 1: Photo © Angela Sterling.
Image 2: Elizabeth Murphy in George Balanchine’s Emeralds, choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust. Photo © Angela Sterling.
Image 3: Elizabeth Murphy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Photo © Angela Sterling.
Image 4: Elizabeth Murphy backstage at Swan Lake. Photo © Lindsay Thomas.
