Princess Grace Award winner Ashton Edwards was promoted to the corps at the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2022. Ashton is challenging traditional gender roles at the professional level and shifting industry standards, paving the way for a new generation of dancers. Ashton recalls the first time they performed in the Balanchine style, the importance of meeting Peter Boal and joining PNB, and why Covid was the most consequential time in their training. Ashton also describes putting on pointe shoes and finding the right fit, the responsibility they feel to carry on the legacy of excellence in the field, and their hopes for the future of the ballet world. Check out Ashton Edwards on Instagram. Learn more about Pacific Northwest Ballet on Instagram and the web. Follow Moving Moments on Instagram. Follow Alicia on Instagram. You can find out more about Artful Narratives Media on Instagram or the web. The Moving Moments theme song was composed by Saul Guanipa for Videohelper. Moving Moments was co-created by Alicia Graf Mack, Jessica Handelman, and David Krauss. This interview has been edited and condensed to fit the time format. Episode copyright © 2023 Artful Narratives Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.