Ballard ballerina joins new dance troupe

Last week Ballardite Kaori Nakamura was starring as Juliet in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s rendition of Roméo et Juliette. This week she’s lacing up her point shoes for a new non-profit dance troupe called Whim W’him, which is the brainchild of another PNB principal dancer. Nakamura isn’t leaving PNB, she’s just adding this new group to her award-winning resume. PNB dancers are resting in January, so Nakamura and eight other dancers from Seattle’s best known ballet company are busy practicing for Whim W’him. This weekend Nakamura can be found raising money for the new non-profit performing group. Friday night is a Dance Party at the Sole Repair Shop on Capitol Hill ($25, 8 pm) and a Dinner/Silent Auction on Saturday at Steve Jensen Studios ($125, 6 pm). The group’s first performance will be in January at On the Boards in lower Queen Anne. (Photo courtesy Marc von Borstel.)