Jessica McCann

Soloist

Social Media
Instagram: @flexiejaybird

Horoscope
Gemini

Hometown
Born in Los Angeles, CA
Grew up in Palmdale, CA

Training
Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet School
American Ballet Theatre
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Graduate Program

PBT
Joined PBT’s Corps de Ballet in 2015
Promoted to Soloist in 2020

  • Allegro Brillante (George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust)
  • Awáa (Aszure Barton)
  • Cinderella Act II Ballroom Pas de Deux (Christopher Wheeldon)
  • Diamonds (George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust)
  • Don Quixote Act III Grand Pas de Deux (Marius Petipa – “Kitri”)
  • Duende (Nacho Duato)
  • The Exiled (Helen Pickett)
  • Fancy Free (Jerome Robbins)
  • Giselle (Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot)
  • In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (William Forsythe)
  • La Pluie (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa)
  • The Nutcracker (Terrence S. Orr – “Sugar Plum Fairy”, “Snow Queen”, “Marie” and “Elegance”)
  • Petal (Helen Pickett)
  • Petite Mort (Jiří Kylián)
  • The Quiet Dance (Kyle Abraham)
  • Rubies (George Balanchine ©The George Balanchine Trust)
  • Sechs Tänze (Jiří Kylián)
  • Sinfonietta (Jiří Kylián)
  • The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa – “Princess Florine”)
  • Swan Lake (Susan Jaffe – “Odette/Odile”)
  • West Side Story Suite (Jerome Robbins – “Anita”)

Pointe Magazine’s “25 Stars of the Corps” in 2016

  • Choreographed several works for PBT
  • Judged the World Dream Ballet Competition in Osaka, Japan
  • Performed as a guest artist around the country, as well as at galas in Bermuda, Tokyo and Osaka

  • Married to PBT Principal Yoshiaki Nakano since 2019
  • Lives in Etna, PA with Yoshi and their two kittens
  • Underwent a total hip replacement surgery in spring 2023
  • Hosts a podcast

Q&A

What has your favorite role been? Why?
Performing in the principal role for Balanchine’s Rubies was a dream come true for me. It’s incredibly dynamic and so much fun to dance! It’s probably one of my favorite costumes, too. Also, performing “Odette/Odile” in Swan Lake has been a dream of mine since I was a child. It’s a performance that I will never forget, and that I treasure dearly.

Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
Flying to Japan to stay in an onsen in the natural springs from the mountains is true heaven. Second to that I would say the Maldives! We went there for our honeymoon and it was absolutely breathtaking.”

If you could meet anyone in the world, who would you meet?
I’ve never really had a strong desire to meet specific people. I like to focus on who I do meet in this life, who comes across my path and why. What I can learn from them. It all has a purpose.

Performance Gallery