CHRISTOPHER STOWELL / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Christopher Stowell was born in New York City and received his training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. In 1985 he joined San Francisco Ballet where he danced for sixteen years, appearing in theaters throughout the world including the Paris Opera, New York’s Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. As a principal dancer, Stowell performed leading roles in the full-length classics Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Othello, and had roles created for him by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson and by contemporary choreographers including Mark Morris, William Forsythe and James Kudelka. An established interpreter of the George Balanchine repertoire, Stowell appeared in almost every Balanchine ballet performed by SFB. Upon his retirement in 2001, he was accorded a gala farewell in the War Memorial Opera House. Stowell has taught and coached in San Francisco, New York, Japan and Europe. He has created new works for San Francisco Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Diablo Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, as well as the New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute. He has also staged the works of George Balanchine and Mark Morris. In 2003, Christopher Stowell became Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second artistic director. Since his debut season, he has made significant additions to the OBT repertoire, bringing to Portland works from some of the world’s most celebrated choreographers, including Ashton, Balanchine, Robbins, Taylor, Tomasson, Wheeldon and Lubovitch. In addition to creating eight world premieres for OBT, including the company’s first full-length Swan Lake in 2006 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2007, Stowell has also commissioned works by internationally prominent artists James Kudelka, Kent Stowell, Trey McIntyre, Yuri Possokhov, Julia Adam and Nicolo Fonte.	Photo by Joni Kabana
NIEL DEPONTE / MUSIC DIRECTOR AND CONDUCTOR Niel DePonte has been the Music Director for Oregon Ballet Theatre and its predecessor, Pacific Ballet Theatre, since 1985. He has appeared as a guest conductor for Boston Ballet, the Ballet of the Mussorgsky (Maly) Theatre in St. Petersberg, Russia, and at the Nureyev Ballet Festival. He has also conducted symphonic, pops and youth concerts with the symphonies of Oregon, Syracuse and Charlotte, among others. Mr. DePonte appears frequently before audiences across America pursuing his many musical interests. He is artistic director and conductor of the Young Artists Debut! concerto concert and served as Bel Canto Northwest's opera conductor for three seasons. He was a 2003 Grammy Award nominee for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra for his performance of Tomas Svoboda's Concerto for Marimba with the Oregon Symphony, and frequently appears with Chamber Music Northwest. As founder of MetroArts, Inc., he has done considerable research on the use of the arts for teaching cognitive strategies in the classroom, and in 2006 was named a Local Hero by Bank of America for his work with the MetroArts Kids Camp summer arts program. Mr. DePonte's arrangement of A Midsummer Night's Dream is his latest in a series of compositions and arrangements written for the ballet stage. These include Christopher Stowell's Adin in 2004, Houston Ballet's 2002 production of Peter Pan and OBT's 1993 version of The Nutcracker. He holds a Master's degree and the Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, and a degree in Education from the State University of New York.	Photo by Joni Kabana
MICHAEL MAZZOLA / LIGHTING DIRECTOR Michael Mazzola's critically acclaimed lighting has been seen in venues all over the U.S. and Europe, ranging from opera houses to circus tents to outdoor amphitheaters. The three-time New York Dance and Performance Award-winner has designed lighting most recently for he Bebe Miller Company, Stuttgart Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the Royal Ballet of Flanders, San Francisco Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.
LISA KIPP / BALLET MASTER Lisa Kipp began studying ballet in Olympia, Washington, and finished her training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pacific Ballet Theatre, Ballet Oregon, Ballet of Los Angeles, Ballet Chicago and James Sewell Dance, and also performed in the touring company of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. Ms. Kipp danced principal roles in George Balanchine's Rubies, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Square Dance, Concerto Barocco and Apollo, and appeared as the Cowgirl in Agnes De Mille's Rodeo. Prior to joining OBT, she was the Ballet Department Head for the school of Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle, as well as the company’s Rehearsal Director.

COMPANY DANCERS Photos by Rick Rayner

PRINCIPAL DANCERS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YUKA IINO Joined OBT in 2003 Principal Dancer since 2007 A native of Japan, Yuka joined OBT from Reiko Yamamoto Ballet Company where she became a principal dancer in 1996. She is a graduate of the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School and a recipient of both the 1998 Varna International Ballet Competition Gold Medal (Junior Division) and the 1995 Asian Pacific Ballet Competition Bronze Medal. Yuka has had ballets created on her at OBT by Christopher Stowell and Yuri Possokhov. Her major roles include: Odette/Odile in Christopher Stowell’s Swan Lake, the title role in Possokhov’s Firebird and Raymonda, principal parts in Balanchine’s Divertimento No. 15, Who Cares? and Rubies, as well as Jerome Robbins’ In The Night, Julia Adam’s Angelo and Christopher Stowell’s Eyes On You and Pas De Deux Parisien. In August 2008, Yuka and Ronnie Underwood performed the pas de deux from Goerge Balanchine's Rubies at the Chicago Dancing Festival.
GAVIN LARSEN Joined OBT in 2003 Principal Dancer since 2007 Gavin was born and raised in New York City and received her training from Dick Andros, Francis Patrelle, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. Prior to joining OBT, she danced as a member of Pacific Northwest Ballet and Alberta Ballet and performed as a soloist with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Gavin has danced leading roles at OBT in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Kent Stowell, Christopher Stowell and Christopher Wheeldon, among others. In addition to performing, Gavin teaches for the School of OBT.
KATHI MARTUZA Joined OBT in 2003 Principal Dancer since 2007 Born in Boston, Kathi began her serious ballet training at Maryland Youth Ballet when she was 12 and spent summers training at American Ballet Theatre and Houston Ballet Academy. Prior to joining OBT, she danced with San Francisco Ballet for six years. Roles have been created for her by Christopher Stowell, Julia Adam, Mark Morris, Yuri Possokhov and James Kudelka. Kathi has also danced principal roles in George Balanchine's Duo Concertant, Divertimento No. 15 and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue; Christopher Stowell's Eyes On You; Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun and In the Night, Lar Lubovitch's Concerto Six Twenty Two and William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude. In 2005, Dance Magazine named her to its annual list of "25 to Watch" and in 2007, Kathi was featured on the cover of Pointe Magazine's October/November issue.
ANNE MUELLER Joined OBT in 1996 Principal Dancer since 2007 Anne received her training from the Washington School of Ballet and from Dame Sonia Arova at the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She received additional training with Houston Ballet Academy, the Joffrey Workshop and at the School of American Ballet. Anne joined OBT in 1996 after three seasons with the Alabama Ballet. During her time with the company, she has danced featured roles in works by Julia Adam, George Balanchine, Peter Martins, Trey McIntyre, Bebe Miller, Lar Lubovitch and Christopher Stowell, among others. Since 2005, Anne has spent summers performing with the Trey McIntyre Project, serving as the ensemble’s Managing Director from 2004 - 2006.
ALISON ROPER Joined OBT in 1996 Principal Dancer since 2007 Alison Roper received her formal dance training from Boston Ballet School and the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. She joined OBT in 1996 and was honored by Dance Magazine in 2002 as one of “25 to Watch.” In 2006, she added the Swan Lake dual-role of Odette/Odile to her extensive repertoire and had ballets created on her by Christopher Stowell, Trey McIntyre and James Kudelka. She has spent her summers performing with the Trey McIntyre Project since 2005.
ARTUR SULTANOV Joined OBT in 2003 Principal Dancer since 2007 Artur was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia. He trained at Vaganova Academy, and at age 17, joined the Kirov Ballet, where he danced a classical repertoire. Artur has performed with Eifman Ballet as a Soloist and in 2000, moved to San Francisco to join Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet. There, he worked closely with Mr. King on creating original contemporary ballets. In 2003, Artur joined OBT, and has performed works by a wide range of choreographers including Trey McIntyre, Lar Lubovitch, Christopher Wheeldon and William Forsythe. Artur has also appeared as a guest artist with California Ballet, Trey McIntyre Project and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In addition to dancing, Artur teaches ballet workshops in the Portland Metro Area.
RONNIE UNDERWOOD Joined OBT in 2005 Principal Dancer since 2007 Originally from California, Ronnie received his training from Tulsa School of Ballet, Ballet Hispanico in New York City, and American Ballet Theatre. He performed as an apprentice with Tulsa Ballet Theatre and, at 19, joined Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet (now Texas Ballet Theater). Ronnie has performed principal roles in Giselle and Coppelia, and created a principal role in Christopher Stowell’s Eyes On You. He also performed as a guest artist with the critically acclaimed South African Ballet Theatre, dancing the role of Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty. During the 2006-2007 season, Ronnie added the coveted male role of Apollo to his repertoire.
SOLOISTS -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CANDACE BOUCHARD Joined OBT in 2003 Soloist since 2008 Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Candace received her early training with St. Louis Ballet and continued her training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Ballet Academy East in New York City. She danced with OBT as an apprentice in 2003 and joined the company in 2004. Candace has been featured in ballets such as Company B, La Valse, and Angelo, William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.
BRENNAN BOYER Joined OBT in 2005 Soloist since 2007 Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Brennan trained with San Francisco Ballet School and Pacific Northwest Ballet School, where he was invited to apprentice under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell. He has performed leading roles in Julia Adam’s Angelo and Christopher Stowell’s Quick Time and danced the pas de trios in James Kudelka’s Almost Mozart.
ANSA DEGUCHI Joined OBT in 2003 Soloist since 2007 A native of Japan, Ansa studied at Chika Goto Step Works Ballet from 1989 to 2002 and also trained with Damara Bennett at City Ballet School in San Francisco. She joined OBT in 2003 as an apprentice and was promoted into the company the following season. Ansa has danced in Rubies, Serenade, il nodo, Façade, Opus 50, and Swan Lake, among other works.
DANIELA DELOE Joined OBT in 2002 Soloist since 2007 Daniela joined OBT in 2002 after dancing with Nevada Ballet Theatre, where she rose in the ranks from apprentice to soloist. A Las Vegas native, she received her training at the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre and participated in summer programs at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the School of American Ballet and the National Ballet School of Canada. Daniela created a principal role in Christopher Stowell’s Eyes On You.
ADRIAN FRY Joined OBT in 2006 Soloist since 2008 Adrian Fry is from Omaha, Nebraska. He trained at the Omaha Theater Ballet School, School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School on full scholarships. Since joining Oregon Ballet Theatre, he has performed leading roles in George Balanchine's Apollo, Nicolo Fonte's Bolero and William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude.
STEVEN HOUSER Joined OBT in 2004 Soloist since 2007 A Portland native, Steven began his ballet training at the age of 6. He studied at Metro Dancers, Portland Community Ballet, Arts and Communication Magnet Academy, and the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre. He also spent summers at San Francisco Ballet School and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Steven joined Oregon Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in 2004, was made a company member in 2005, and was promoted to soloist in 2007. He has danced leading roles in works by George Balanchine, Christopher Stowell, Paul Taylor, Helgi Tomasson, Yuri Possokhov, Peter Martins, Julia Adam, Nicolo Fonte, and William Forsythe.
CHAUNCEY PARSONS Joined OBT in 2008 Soloist since 2008 Originally from Santa Barbara, California, Chauncey joins OBT after dancing with The Washington Ballet during their 2007-2008 season. Prior to joining The Washington Ballet, he spent five years with Colorado Ballet where he was a principal dancer. He has performed principal roles in Paul Taylor's Company B, Trey McIntyre's A Day in the Life and Balanchine's Rubies, among others. He has been featured in works by Twyla Tharp and Christopher Wheeldon, and has danced the role of Bluebird in Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet. Chauncey began dancing at age 12 at the Santa Barbara Ballet Center and in 1997 was accepted into The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C, where he trained until 2000.
COMPANY ARTISTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LETA BIASUCCI Joined OBT in 2008 Company Artist since 2008 Leta received her training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School, joining OBT from SFB's Trainee Program. She has been featured in works by Christopher Rudd, George Balanchine, and Helgi Tomasson, among others.
MARTINA CHAVEZ Joined OBT in 2006 Company Artist since 2007 Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Martina trained with Buddy and Susan Trevino and Maryland Youth Ballet. Martina joined OBT as an apprentice in 2006 and was promoted into the company in 2007. She has been featured as the White Cat in Christopher Stowell's The Sleeping Beauty, Act III.
ANDREA COOPER Joined OBT in 2006 Company Artist since 2006 Born in Texas, Andrea received her early training from Neil and Camille Hess, continuing under the direction of Ceci Klein at Ballet School of Coeur d’Alene. She completed her training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School, where she performed roles in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Four Temperaments and The Sleeping Beauty.
DAMIAN DRAKE Joined OBT in 2004 Company Artist since 2004 Damian joined OBT in 2004 after performing two years with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. He has danced featured roles in Christopher Stowell’s Swan Lake, James Kudelka’s Almost Mozart, and Jerome Robbins’s In the Night, in addition to dancing in works by Dwight Rhoden and George Balanchine. Damian grew up performing with Omaha Theater Ballet and has danced at the Shizuoka Ballet Festival in Japan. He attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, and participated in the Alvin Ailey BFA program in New York City, completing his training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School.
OLGA KROCHIK Joined OBT in 2005 Company Artist since 2006 Born in Kishinev, Moldova, Olga moved to the U.S. when she was six years old. At age eleven she began studying at the School of American Ballet, spending her summers training at New York State Summer School of the Arts and Miami City Ballet. She joined OBT after spending the 2004-05 season as an apprentice.
MIA LEIMKUHLER Joined OBT in 2003 Company Artist since 2003 Mia is from Santa Monica, California. She studied at Marin Dance Theatre and Marin Ballet, from which she was accepted into summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet. A 2003 NFAA-ARTS winner, Mia worked with many prestigious choreographers while at MDT, including Christopher Stowell, Julia Adam and Yuri Possokhov. Since joining OBT, Mia has been featured in several ballets, including her favorite to date, William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude.
MATTHEW PIPPIN Joined OBT in 2007 Company Artist since 2007 Matthew Pippin is from Zebulon, North Carolina. He received his training at North Carolina School of the Arts. Matthew joins OBT this season, after dancing with Nevada Ballet Theatre.
JULIA ROWE Joined OBT in 2008 Company Artist since 2008 Julia joins OBT after spending the last year at San Francisco Ballet School. She spent ten years traning with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, where she performed featured roles in works by Balanchine and Petipa, including The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Serenade and Who Cares?.
GRACE SHIBLEY Joined OBT in 2006 Company Artist since 2007 A native Oregonian, Grace Shibley received her training at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre and Portland Metro Performing Arts. She joined OBT in 2006 as an apprentice and was promoted to the company in 2007. Grace has performed lead roles in George Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue and Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun.
BRIAN SIMCOE Joined OBT in 2005 Company Artist since 2005 Brian began his training in Southern Oregon under the direction of Sylvia Bolton, and also studied with the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet School and Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. At OBT, he has appeared in Christopher Stowell's Swan Lake, Lar Lubovitch's Concerto Six Twenty Two, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and Who Cares?, and Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun.
CHRISTIAN SQUIRES Joined OBT in 2008 Company Artist since 2008 Christian Squires joins OBT from Boston Ballet. Originally from South Carolina, he received his early traning from Robert Ivey Ballet and SC Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, as well as through summer programs at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Christian joined Boston Ballet II in 2005 and was promoted into the company in 2006. He has danced featured roles in Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and has perfomed works by James Kudelka, Sir Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine, among others.
LUCAS THREEFOOT Joined OBT in 2006 Company Artist since 2007 Lucas Threefoot is from Portland, Oregon. he studied at the School of OBT, the School of American Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School. Lucas joins the company after dancing with OBT as an apprentice during the 2006-2007 season.
JAVIER UBELL Joined OBT in 2007 Company Artist since 2007 New York native Javier Ubell joins OBT this season after nine years with the School of American Ballet. His favorite roles include the lead male in Peter Martins’ Les Gentilhommes, Chinese in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and the male variation in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes.
RAYCHEL WEINER Joined OBT in 2008 Company Artist since 2008 Raychel Weiner is from Huntington Beach, California where she studied with Ethan Stiefel, John Gardner, Amanda McKerrow, Diane Lauridsen and Charles Maple. She recieved additional training with Houston Ballet and Kansas City Ballet and attended summer programs at San Francisco Ballet, ABT, Stiefel and Stars and Alonzo King Lines Ballet. Raychel has performed with ABT Studio Company and San Francisco Ballet, and joins OBT from St. Louis Ballet, where she was featured in The Nutcracker, Giselle, Balanchine's Serenade and The Sleeping Beauty. Raychel has had the honor of working one-on-one with choreographers such as Alonzo King, Christopher D'Amboise, Brian Reeder and Yuri Fateev. In addition to performing, Raychel has appeared in television, film, music videos and print.