The West Coast Premiere of Matthew Neenan’s “At the border”

He was trying “to get to the tiger inside,” says Matthew Neenan of his ballet At the border.

Beginnings and Ends: A Philosophical Discussion with Pontus Lidberg

The first time I see New York-based choreographer Pontus Lidberg, he’s sitting cross-legged on a chair in Oregon Ballet Theater’s Studio 1, watching his dancers. He sits completely still, in perfect meditative posture, not speaking. The dancers are moving in fluid, twirling patterns across the expanse of floor, like ripples in a bubbling brook or leaves gently blown around by the wind.

A Functioning Cog: The Fleet Foxes Connection to a World Premiere Ballet

Trey McIntyre’s new work, Robust American Love, is choreographed to four songs by NW Indie Folk band, Fleet Foxes. The lyrics below are from the song Helplessness Blues off their most recent record:

Trey McIntyre’s “Robust American Love”

“When we’re in the presence of brilliance, we know it. Yo-Yo Ma with his cello, for example. Born for his art, devoting his life to perfecting it. Trey McIntyre is just such a luminary among makers of dance.” I wrote that in 1998 for one of my first assignments at OBT, when I interviewed Trey […]

The Stars of Tomorrow

Year after year, I come away from the School of OBT’s Annual Performance saying, “This is why I love dance.” Among the many programs I see each year, of multiple companies in several cities, why does SOBT’s showcase always feel so special?

Ready, Set, Go… The Race to Learn Three Ballets for the “American Music Festival” Program Begins Now!

The dancers are raring to go in Studio 1. Today they started work on OBT’s “American Music Festival,” a celebration of the wide range of music from our place and our time that can inspire dance.

The Balancing of Body and Soul: A Lesson In Inspiration

A typical afternoon at Oregon Ballet Theatre. Various staff, students and guests are passing through the lobby as they attempt to go about their business. All eyes are on Studio 1, where Yuka Iino and her partner are rehearsing a pas de deux from Swan Lake. Her refined elegance and generously emotive expressions have us under their spell, and we are all smiling.

Swan Lake’s flock has to fly in perfect unison. Who makes it happen?

Audiences and critics often praise OBT’s unison dancing in big ensemble moments. The high quality of OBT’s corps de ballet work is one of Lisa Kipp’s accomplishments as ballet master for the company since the 2004-05 season. Because so many of Swan Lake’s most beloved scenes depend upon a stellar group of swans, it’s a good time to learn more about Lisa and her work as a ballet master.

Odette or Odile: Which Swan Would You Be?

Dancing Odette/Odile in Swan Lake is a rite of passage for many ballerinas. If you could only dance one role… which swan would you be?

The Magic of Swan Lake

Are you new to ballet and eager to discover all you can about Swan Lake, or a die-hard ballet fan who wants fascinating details about the music, the story, and the choreography (not to mention the chance to see some dynamite dance excerpts)? Either way, we urge you to watch these!