Zsilas Michael Hughes

Zsilas Michael Hughes (born 2002 or 2003) is an American ballet dancer and choreographer. They are a member of the corps de ballet at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Career Hughes is African-American and from Little Rock, Arkansas. They danced at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Hughes joined PNB as an apprentice in 2021, and was promoted to corps de ballet in 2022.

Hughes has also performed with Ballet22, a company based in Oakland, California which "presents straight and queer male, trans, and nonbinary dancers on pointe, in their true gender identities".

In 2023, Hughes choreographed the new piece Piano Concerto Appasionata in B Minor for 13 dancers. NW Theatre said of the work, "Hughes’ work is complex but not confusing, intricate but not busy". Hughes has also choreographed work that has combined more classical ballet technique with ballroom and voguing.

Hughes has been noted for their stage presence

In addition to ballet, Hughes is active in the region's ballroom scene. Quick Pleasures (Kiyon Ross) throes of increasing wonder (Kiyon Ross) The Seasons’ Canon (Crystal Pite) The Times Are Racing (Justin Peck)

Awards and recognition

2017 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP); First Place in Classical/Contemporary division