Arts news: Dancers exit from PNB; Seattle leads nation in arts-related businesses

2 principal dancers to leave PNB

Noelani Pantastico, a principal dancer and graceful audience favorite at Pacific Northwest Ballet, will leave the company at the end of this season to take a position with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Pantastico, 27, has been with PNB since she was a teenager, joining as an apprentice in 1997. She recently earned much praise for dancing the role of Juliette in every performance of PNB's February production of "Roméo et Juliette" (choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, who is the director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo).

Also leaving PNB at the end of the current season is principal dancer Casey Herd, who has accepted a position with the Dutch National Ballet. Herd, the soaring Tybalt of "Roméo et Juliette," has been with PNB since 1999.

Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times movie critic

Seattle is tops in nation for arts-related businesses

You knew it in your hearts: Seattle's big on arts.

Proof has arrived in a new study showing Seattle ranks first in the nation in the number of arts-related businesses per capita. The city is home to 4,065 arts-related businesses that employ 21,025 people, according to "Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report," released Wednesday by the advocacy group Americans for the Arts.

Among the nation's 50 most-populated cities, Seattle is eighth in the total number of arts businesses; third in arts employees per capita (per 1,000 residents); and 10th for the total number of arts employees.

The full report with rankings for all 50 cities is available at: www.AmericansfortheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.

Melinda Bargreen, Seattle Times music critic