Peter Boal may have George Balanchine to thank for his new job as artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet. While Boal has never led a company before, he is known for his devotion to the choreographer, which meshes well with PNB’s tradition. “One of the things that attracted Boal to PNB was its strong commitment to Balanchine. His ballets constitute about a third of its repertory, the largest commitment of a major company outside New York City Ballet.”