Petrouchka from Portland to Perm, Russia

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Perm, Russia to help Nicolo Fonte stage the version of Petrouchka he choreographed on OBT this past fall.  I had an amazing time there exploring and experiencing a different culture, working with the dancers, and learning about the structure of a Russian ballet company and opera house.  There, […]

The “Petrouchka/Carmen” Photo Album

A boy trapped in a world of masks and mirrors . . . a man and a woman trapped in a dangerous passion . . . It’s all about risk and freedom at Oregon Ballet Theatre as Petrouchka/Carmen brings to life a host of colorful characters determined to shatter the boundaries of the worlds that […]

Petrouchka/Carmen Program Notes

Click here to buy tickets to the show, which runs October 8-15 at the Keller Auditorium! “In their original form, both these stories were firmly rooted in realism and a strong sense of place; the original Petrouchka was steeped in Russian folk tradition, with the original choreography and visual design literally re-creating a Russian village […]

Backstage Pass: “Petrouchka/Carmen”

Backstage Pass: Petrouchka/Carmen Set renderings, costume and set elements, dancer interviews, studio rehearsal photos, and a sneak peek into a company rehearsal in the warehouse . . . we’ve got a smorgasbord of behind-the-scenes goodies from the Petrouchka/Carmen build for you.  The show opens next weekend, so check out the scoop here before you come […]

Behind the Scenes With Brian, Lucas and Yuka

Behind the Scenes With Brian, Lucas and Yuka Newly-promoted Soloists Brian Simcoe and Lucas Threefoot (who came up together through the School of OBT) and Principal Dancer Yuka Iino are playing the triumvirate of friends who are the principal characters in Nicolo Fonte’s new Petrouchka.  OBT blogger Claire Willett sat down with them after rehearsal […]

The “Am I Real?” Variety Show: A Multimedia Study Guide for “Petrouchka”

To get your brain in the right frame of mind for our upcoming production of Petrouchka/Carmen, we wanted to give you a few different multimedia opportunities to explore the themes of both ballets.  Sure, you could watch a recording of a past production of Carmen the opera, or Fokine’s original choreography of Petrouchka, but these […]

A Puppet Show (But Not For Children)

A Puppet Show (But Not For Children) Long before Disney made Pinocchio a real boy, before Woody met Buzz Lightyear, before the Scarecrow and the Tin Man wanted a brain and a heart, before the Velveteen Rabbit learned to hop . . . there was Igor Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, a haunting ballet about a puppet who […]

Daily Dance Break: Celebrating America

In honor of the 4th of July on Monday we’re celebrating America all week. Our first offering is American Ballet Theatre performing Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo. Any guesses on what we have planned for the rest of the week? The person who guesses the most right will win a pair of tickets to Carmen/Petrouchka! Go!

Daily Dance Break: “I’m a Marionette”

Did you know that in 1984 there was a ballet produced to ABBA music? Logically, it was called ABBAllet. Let’s just take a moment to let that brilliance sink in… Lucky for us, one of the numbers is called “I’m a Marionette” so it fits right into this week’s Daily Dance Break theme. A perfect […]

Daily Dance Break: Puppets – Muppets!

You can’t talk puppets without muppets! Some of Jim Henson’s littlest characters show us that you don’t have to have a lot of limbs to dance!