“In a seemingly short span of time, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell went from being the international ballet circuit’s ambitious and talented new kids on the block to its distinguished statesmen.” Stowell and Russell have jointly run the Seattle-based Pacific Northwest Ballet for more than a quarter-century, and they are among the longest-tenured arts leaders in the world. Such longevity is unusual in the arts world, and even rarer among dance companies, where frequent financial woes often lead to burnout among managers.