The Swigert Warren Foundation and ESCO Foundation present

Man/Woman

April 12 – 21, 2018 | Newmark Theatre

1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

In this five-part program, we juxtapose all-female and all-male ballets to explore gender stereotypes, and add in one of Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte’s most successful works to bring the two sexes together. We open with one of the most iconic female roles in all of ballet, that of The Dying Swan. Created by Michel Fokine for the legendary Anna Pavlova, this masterpiece epitomizes the ethereal beauty and fragility of a romantic-era ballerina.

 

Performance Schedule

Thursday, April 12 – 7:30 PM
Friday, April 13 – 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 14 – 2:00 PM
Saturday, April 14 – 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 15 – 2:00 PM
Thursday, April 19 – 7:30 PM
Friday, April 20 – 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 21 – 7:30 PM

The Dying Swan

OBT Premiere
Michel Fokine | Camille Saint-Saëns

Fluidity of Steel

World Premiere
Darrell Grand Moultrie | TBD

Left Unsaid

Nicolo Fonte | Johann Sebastian Bach

Drifted in a Deeper Land

First major revival in 19 years
James Canfield

Falling Angels

OBT Premiere
Jiří Kylián | Steve Reich

Videos


Photos

Summary

Darrell Grand Moultrie returns to Oregon Ballet Theatre this season with a premiere that takes off from 2015’s Instinctual Confidence. A startlingly beautiful men’s trio performed in blue tutus leads us to an exploration of masculinity without conformity. Staying in the realm of masculinity, we include James Canfield’s Drifted in a Deeper Land, an all-male work created during the height of the AIDS epidemic; this powerful ballet returns to the OBT repertoire after almost two decades.

Dance Europe called Nicolo Fonte’s Left Unsaid “Fonte at his best … built on an undercurrent of implicit human relationships”, and the New York Times called it “rich in implications” – we call it a stunning work of movement poetry and a welcome addition to this Man/Woman program.

The evening closes with Falling Angels, OBT’s first work from renowned choreographer Jiří Kylián. Kylián has said the piece is “about our profession,” showing the female dancers’ unrelenting and single-minded drive for perfection. The angels’ inevitable descent, both mesmerizing and humorous, is punctuated by the percussive rhythm of Steve Reich’s score. A performance of depth and delight!

Casting Week 2 (April 19-21)

Casting Week 1 (April 12-15)

Previews & Reviews

Make Sure to See Oregon Ballet’s Latest Production
PQ Monthly | April 18, 2018

Dance review: The gender dynamics in OBT’s Man/Woman
Oregon Artswatch | April 17, 2018

Seven Minutes of Silence – OBT: Man/Woman
Artslandia | April 13, 2018

DanceWatch Weekly: Kevin Irving on Man/Woman
Oregon Artswatch | April 12, 2018

Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Man/Woman Brings Classics to Portland + a World Premiere
Portland Monthly | April 4, 2018

Run Time

Approximately 2 hours with two, 15-minute intermissions.


Dancers: Emily Parker and Avery Reiners | Photos by Christopher Peddecord