(energetic music) - Hello, I'm Stephen Hegg in the Crosscut KCTS 9 newsroom.

(gentle music) Pacific Northwest ballet dancers returned to live performance recently.

As Marcie Sillman writes, "After 18 months of pandemic closure, emotions ran from stage fright to relief to sheer joy."

For older dancers, the forced break was especially difficult.

Like pro athletes, they have a limited number of years before the rigors of their profession force them into retirement, usually at about age 40.

37-year-old principal Lucien Postlewaite said coming back to the studio was a shock to his system.

For Noelani Pantastico, 41, the emotional challenge after a year of depressing national news was as hard on the return as the physical demands of ballet.

But Pantastico says, quote, "I want to make the most of the time I have left."

PMB season continues with their well-known production of the Nutcracker.

I'm Stephen Hegg.

Find nonprofit Northwest news every day on Crosscut.com.

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