Seattle's Premiere Danseur
Dancer. Community Builder. Speaker.
Jonathan Batista
Jonathan Batista is a world-renowned Principal Dancer, entrepreneur, and speaker who has defined what it means to achieve the American dream through faith, hard work, discipline, a healthy lifestyle, and a rigorous routine.
Born and raised in the City of God Slums in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Batista began his training at the UNICOM social project.
He was soon discovered by Edward Villella, the Founder & former Artistic Director of Miami City Ballet, and later by Jane Hackett, the former School Director at English National Ballet School, who offered him a full scholarship to attend the prestigious school in London, UK. Batista also attended The Royal Ballet School.
Upon graduating in 2011, Batista went on to perform with major ballet companies such as English National Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Oklahoma City Ballet.
He has worked and performed soloist and principal roles in works by renowned choreographers such as Helen Pickett, Val Caniparoli, Septime Webre, Jiri Kylian, Ma Cong, Jennifer Archibald, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Marcelo Gomez, John Neumeier, Christopher Wheeldon, Liam Scarlett, Jorma Ello, William Forsythe, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, August Bournonville, Marius Petipa, Rudolph Nureyev, Maurice Bejart, Harald Lander, Robert Joffrey, and many more.
Batista's talent has taken him to galas and events around the world, including Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, England, Switzerland, and the United States.
In 2021, he won the Art Culture & Music Award by The TAF AWARD FOUNDATION for his contributions to representation, activism, work, and the dance community in Oklahoma.
In 2021, Batista was invited to join Pacific Northwest Ballet by its Artistic Director Peter Boal. Throughout the season, he excelled in principal and featured roles from the classical through contemporary repertoire, captivating the Seattle audience with his powerful and yet newborn partnership with principal dancer Angelica Generosa.
In September 2022, Jonathan made history as the First Black Principal Dancer in the 50-Year History of Pacific Northwest Ballet when he was promoted to Principal Dancer.