09-13-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre presents Face to Face – Three powerful works to celebrate human connection and the return to live performance – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, September 13, 2021) – This fall Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) returns to the Keller Auditorium with Face to Face, a program of three powerful works: George Balanchine’s iconic The Four Temperaments, Ben Stevenson’s passionate Three Preludes, and a world premiere from Jennifer Archibald that aspires to sculpt the clouds.

08-16-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre reboots its 2021/22 Season with more ballets, more dancers, and more live music! – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, August 16, 2021) – Following recent changes in artistic leadership, Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is thrilled to announce enhancements to its originally planned 2021/22 Season programming that will bring more premieres to Portland, more dancers, and more performances with the OBT Orchestra. “With these changes I’m excited to begin building on the decades of successful leadership at OBT toward an exciting future,” says Interim Artistic Director Peter Franc.

07-01-21 | OBT welcomes exciting new talent for the 2021/22 Season; Company bids farewell to three beloved dancers – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, July 1) – Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) today announced the addition of eight company members and apprentices to its ranks for the 2021/22 season. Together these talented new dancers represent a broad range of backgrounds enhancing the diversity of the organization, and three of them have been promoted through the OBT2 program, highlighting its reputation as an elite ballet training ground. “I’m excited to welcome these gifted dancers to the studio,” stated Interim Artistic Director Peter Franc. “I know their energy will reinvigorate the company following an extremely challenging year. We are all looking forward to the return of a full blooded OBT season!”

06-25-21 | Peter Franc Named Interim Artistic Director, Kevin Irving Celebrated – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, June 25) – The Board of Trustees of Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) today announced the resignation of Artistic Director Kevin Irving, bringing a successful eight-year tenure to a close. Irving joined OBT in 2013, and led the organization through significant artistic growth, maturation and sophistication.
“We are grateful for Kevin’s vision and leadership,” stated Allison Lyneham, board chair. “His contributions to, and imprint on, OBT will be felt and appreciated for years to come.” Irving will remain artistic advisor to OBT through July.

“OBT and the OBT School are both in a better place financially and artistically than when I arrived eight years ago,” stated Irving. “I leave with many fond memories of my years here and of the talented professionals with whom I worked.”

06-10-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre returns home to the stage, to live happily ever after! – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, June 12) – Oregon Ballet Theatre is thrilled to announce its return to the stage this fall with a season certain to warm hearts and lift spirits through the longed for return of live performance. Among the highlights, OBT celebrates Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte’ s fifth anniversary with three pivotal works from the repertory: Rhapsody in Blue, Bolero, and Beautiful Decay. In perhaps the surest sign that life is indeed returning to normal, OBT, its dancers and students alike, are delighted to share that Portland’s holiday tradition of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker^® will return to the Keller stage for a full run, including performances with the OBT Orchestra. In February the company will premiere Ever After, a romantic and irresistible ballet mashup created by OBT Artistic Director Kevin Irving and dedicated to those whose wedding plans were postponed due to the pandemic. Other season stand outs include George Balanchine’s thrilling The Four Temperments and the long awaited second installment of OBT’s series The Americans, featuring a first time commission from rising star Michelle Manzanales.

05-11-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre, Portland Opera, and OMSI Bring Live Performances Back to Portland with Jordan Schnitzer CARE Summerstage Series – PRESS RELEASE (PORTLAND, OR, May 11) – Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) and Portland Opera (Opera) enthusiastically announce today their return to live performance this June on the Jordan Schnitzer CARE Summerstage generously hosted by OMSI on its museum campus.
As caution turned to optimism this spring, Opera General Director Sue Dixon, and OBT Artistic Director, Kevin Irving, started brainstorming ways to share resources and their commitment to bringing live art performances back to Portland. For more than a year, Opera and OBT artists have been diligently training under the most challenging circumstances and entertaining their patrons virtually; the time had finally come to explore ways to balance the safety of artists and audience with the irreplaceable joy of performing live.

02-02-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre Launches (R)Evolve: Frank Discussions About Ballet in Our Time – PRESS RELEASE Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2020/2 l season OBT MOVES continues this March with the launch of (R)Evolve, a series of live talks exploring a range of issues impacting ballet in our time. The one hour discussions will both challenge and inspire with a mix of commentary by distinguished panelists from the field and live performance by OBT dancers to highlight their points. The first two talks – “The Alchemy of Audience” on March 16 and “Can Ballet Survive Its Traditions?” on March 30 – will be moderated by OBT Artistic Director Kevin Irving and by former OBT Community Engagement Director Kasandra Gruener.

01-11-21 | Oregon Ballet Theatre Appoints Thomas Bruner as Executive Director through December 2021 – PRESS RELEASE Faced with the unprecedented and ongoing challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Board of Trustees has made the strategic decision to appoint nationally-recognized business leader Thomas Bruner as executive director through December 2021.

Bruner has been serving as OBT’s interim executive director since June 2020. He has been instrumental in sustaining the organization following the cancellation of the remainder of its 35th anniversary season, and supporting OBT Artistic Director Kevin Irving in rethinking programming for 2021. The result was last September’s launch of the ambitious OBT MOVES season – an innovative combination of site-based, digital, and live-streamed performances by the company’s accomplished dancers.

2020 Press Releases

10-20-20 | Oregon Ballet Theatre Company Dancers on the Move – Promotions, New Hires, and Retirement – PRESS RELEASE With the onset of COVID-19, Oregon Ballet Theatre faced a completely changed landscape. There was considerable uncertainty regarding when and how its 2020/21 Season would begin, and what it would look like. In September OBT took its first steps forward with its Exposed series when wild fires followed by cold and rain nearly derailed the bold outdoor initiative. Despite all this, one constant remained in place: OBT continued to show up and dance! Now with its reimagined 2020/21 Season OBT MOVES in full swing, the company is thrilled to announce the promotion of OBT fan favorite Eva Burton to principal dancer and to welcome Company Artist Mathilde Lambert. OBT is also pleased to announce that apprentices Zuzu Metzler and Bailey Shaw have been promoted to company artists.

09-10-20 | Oregon Ballet Theatre Presents OBT MOVES – a Reimagined 2020/21 Season – PRESS RELEASE With the onset of Covid- 19 Oregon Ballet Theatre announced the cancellation of the remainder of its 30 th anniversary season. As restrictions on public gatherings continue to be in effect, and out of concern for the safety and health of its patrons, dancers, and staff, OBT has made the difficult decision to cancel four of its planned 2020/21 season productions.

09-03-20 | Oregon Ballet Theatre brings dance to all of Portland with newly launched OBT MOVES. PRESS RELEASE OBT is thrilled to announcea reimagined 2020/21 Season titled OBT MOVES reflecting the company’s literal movement out of traditional theaters and mode of performance, to locations throughout Portland, offering rare behind-the-scenes access revealing what ballet is, and what it can be.

06-22-20 | In the midst of unprecedented challenges, Oregon Ballet Theatre reorganizes and sets a course for the future. PRESS RELEASE
OBT’s 30th anniversary season was abruptly interrupted last February with the onset of Covid-19. The restrictions imposed on public gatherings resulted in the cancellation of the company’s Newmark performances, Beautiful Decay and The Americans 2.0, retiring company dancers including veteran principal ballerina Ansa Capizzi were left to celebrate their careers in silence, OBT School faculty scrambled almost overnight to launch a spring term via Google classroom, and the marketing team worked to maintain audience engagement virtually through the launch of “OBT@Home”. Against this backdrop Executive Director Michael Greer made the decision to leave the organization for an opportunity to take over the Artsfund in Seattle. Artistic Director Kevin Irving will now be joined by interim ED Thomas Bruner as well as new Board leadership to set a course for the future, even while much of the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 remains unresolved.

06-18-20 | OBT’s Principal Dancer Ansa Capizzi and Company Artist Adam Hartley retire without a final curtain. PRESS RELEASEOregon Ballet Theatre’s 30th anniversary season was abruptly interrupted last February with the onset of Covid-19. The company had just completed its run of Sleeping Beauty which included the unexpected final performance of one of the company’s finest dancers, Ansa Capizzi, in the starring role of Aurora. At the end of this year OBT was to also bid farewell to veteran company artist, Adam Hartley, and soloist Matthew Pawlicki-Sinclair, as well as company artists Alexa Domenden, Marc LaPierre, and Theodore Watler. Each season typically brings retirement, promotions, and much celebration within the OBT family and among its fans. Unfortunately for these artists there was no festive send off. Instead there was a silent ending to perhaps the strangest season the company will ever experience.

04-15-20 | OBT Announces the Departure of Michael Greer PORTLAND, OR—Oregon Ballet Theatre Executive Director Michael Greer will leave the organization on May 29, 2020 to become the president and chief executive officer of ArtsFund, a grant making and advocacy organization serving all of King County in Washington State and based in Seattle.

02-12-20 | Beautiful Decay Press Release Oregon Ballet Theatre is delighted to announce the return of OBT Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte’s ground breaking work, Beautiful Decay. A riveting, full length ballet exploring the passage of time and its impact on individual identity. Since OBT performed the work in 2016, Beautiful Decay has been staged by dance companies across the country to critical and popular acclaim. With Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as a backdrop, set design by Tony Award winner Mimi Lien, and a multi-generational cast featuring Portland dance icons Kasandra Gruener and Gregg Bielemeier, Beautiful Decay is a creative thunderbolt.

01-14-20 | The Sleeping Beauty Press Release Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 30th Anniversary Season continues this February with the exciting return of one of ballet’s most beloved and demanding works, The Sleeping Beauty. Based on the original Marius Petipa choreography, this production was created for the company by former Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and premiered in 2010. Now a new generation of OBT stars invigorate the work with the OBT Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s glorious score.

2019 Press Releases

01-16-19 | Cinderella Press Release It’s back! This February, Oregon Ballet Theatre brings everyone’s favorite fairy tale to life — Cinderella – for the second time. In its premiere run in 2015, new high-water marks were set both artistically and financially for OBT. Its lingering magic left memories too special not to revisit. Plus, someone has to keep an eye on those pesky Stepsisters… [ Press Kit ]

2018 Press Releases

11-08-18 | George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® Press Release  This winter, Oregon Ballet Theatre proudly returns George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® to the Keller Auditorium. The company welcomes over 45,000 people to experience Portland’s Favorite Holiday Tradition, now in its 15th year… [ Press Kit ]

07-13-18 |  Napoli Press Release Oregon Ballet Theatre opens its season as the first U.S.
company to build a production of – and stage – this fiery full-length work, originally created in 1842 for Denmark’s Royal Ballet, popular for over 175 years of August Bournonville’s Napoli…. [ Press Kit ]

06-20-18 | Nutcracker Annual Summer SaleOregon Ballet Theatre is offering its annual July Summer Sale for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®. Patrons of all ages can save up to 30% on single tickets purchased during the sale between July 1-31. This special event is a tradition that OBT is pleased to continue for the coming holiday season. This season marks the 15th annual performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic and familiar score. Among 19 performances, 12 will feature live orchestra… [ Press Kit ]

05-31-18 | OBT Dancer Promotions Announced Press Release | “These changes reflect the growing strength of the OBT roster and will help us reach even higher levels of artistry. We also thank departing dancers for their contributions to this Company and wish them great success in their future endeavors.”  – Kevin Irving, Artistic Director

05-04-18 | Closer Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre continues a 2017-18 season that is shattering recent records for both ticket sales and ticket revenue, with a production designed to surprise its audience in many new ways. In the first-ever collaboration with Grammy-award winner André Allen Anjos (RAC), the performance includes three new works created by Company dancers Katherine Monogue, Makino Hayashi, and Peter Franc. These new works, along with Helen Simoneau’s Departures will be performed in the intimate BodyVox Dance Center where the seats are even closer to the action than in any other OBT performance venue… [ Press Kit ]

04-19-18 | OBT School Announces New School Director | After a rigorous search that drew a large number of applicants from around the country and from as far away as the United Kingdom, Australia and Portugal and a process that included the OBT board and staff, current and past OBT School students, as well as members of the community, Oregon Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Kevin Irving today announced the selection of Marion Tonner as the new Director of the Oregon Ballet School…

04-12-18 | OBT Names Two New Directors | Oregon Ballet Theatre Executive Director Michael Greer today announced that Camille Spaccavento has been named OBT’s Director of Marketing and Communications and Gregory Smith its Director of Development…

03-22-18 | MAN/WOMAN Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre continues its record-shattering 2017-18 season with a thrilling dance performance that is also an intriguing journey into the unique experiences of men and women, and the societal expectations placed upon both. This evening of all-female and all-male works invites audiences to explore gender stereotypes in dance and life, and then brings both genders together with one of Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte’s most successful works…

03-13-18 | OBT’s 2018-2019 Season Announcement Press Release | In the midst of a 2017/18 season that is proving to be one of the most successful ever, Artistic Director Kevin Irving today announced an extraordinary 2018/19 Season that promises ballet lovers more full-length productions, increased orchestral accompaniment, a brand-new production, a world premiere, a new multi-year initiative, and a four-production subscription package…

01-16-18 | ALICE (in wonderland) Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre has been drawing record-breaking crowds this season, with its fall show, Rhapsody in Blue, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® this past December. Now the company prepares for its most
ambitious project yet, the West Coast premiere of Septime Webre’ s ALICE (in wonderland) – a highly athletic and vibrant production that brings the Lewis Carroll classic to exuberant life through dance…

2017 Press Releases

11-16-17 | Nutcracker / Candace Bouchard Retirement Press Release | This winter, Oregon Ballet Theatre proudly returns George Balanchine’s immensely popular version of The Nutcracker to the Keller Auditorium . Now in its 14th consecutive year, the company welcomes over 45,000 people to experience this festive holiday tradition including 2,000 individuals in need through its Share the Wonder program…

Each season there are wonderful new memories waiting to be made – excited young dancers stand in the wings, ready to step on stage into challenging new roles and, this year, one longtime favorite will take her final bow. Audiences will not want to miss the chance to see Soloist Candace Bouchard as the Sugar Plum Fairy or Dew Drop one last time, before she retires from the stage following this production…

9-5-17 | Rhapsody in Blue Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte and Pink Martini founder Thomas Lauderdale. The evening pairs a world premiere set to Lauderdale’s masterful take on George Gershwin’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue” with the return of Fonte’s Never Stop Falling (in Love), an audience favorite. One of the most anticipated events of the fall, OBT’s season opener showcases the company’s commitment to broadening the appeal of classical ballet and features not only Lauderdale, but also China Forbes and Pink Martini at every performance.

3-22-17 | Terra Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s thrilling “season of giants” continues with TERRA, a program that takes inspiration from the earth and welcomes the spring back into our lives. This powerful mixed repertory bill features company and world premieres by renowned contemporary choreographers Nacho Duato and Helen Pickett. Taken together these four ballets make for an incredible evening of dance. They also speak to the way humans connect with and are a part of nature. From the joy of an intimate caress made sweeter by the color and scents of spring, to the endurance of a culture dependent on the bounty of their land, these dances will inspire dialogue regarding our deep connection to the earth.

2016 Press Releases

12-21-16 | Swan Lake Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2016-2017 “season of giants” continues this February with Artistic Director Kevin Irving’s bold adaptation of perhaps the most legendary ballet of all time, Swan Lake. While maintaining much of the original Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa choreography which is the foundation of this unforgettable work, Irving enhances the story by weaving in a more complex drama surrounding Prince Siegfried. The new focus brings an exciting opportunity for a tour-de-force performance for the male lead in a ballet that has traditionally been considered a hallmark only for the prima ballerina.

7-18-16 | Giants Press Release |Oregon Ballet Theater opens its 2016-2017 “season of giants” with a bill that invites audiences to delight in the evolving vitality of the art form, featuring breakout works by George Balanchine and William Forsythe, and a world premiere by newly named Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte. The program by turns romantic, brazen, and riveting is inextricably entwined with incredibly evocative music.

6-8-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s (OBT) Artistic Director Kevin Irving has announced additional changes to the company’s 2016/2017 dancer roster: following a stand out inaugural season, Soloist Peter Franc has been named Principal Dancer, newcomer Keenan English, a trainee with the Cincinnati Ballet, will be joining the company as an Apprentice, and Company Artist Jordan Kindell has accepted a contract with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

6-2-16 | Read Press Release | From a deep field of gifted candidates emerge three winners in Oregon Ballet Theatre’s ChoreographyXX competition celebrating dance created by women.

4-20-16 | Read Press Release | Effective with its 2016/2017 Season Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Kevin Irving welcomes Jacqueline Straughan as Principal Dancer and announces several other new hires and key promotions expanding the size of the company to 27 members.

3-8-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre is thrilled to present Beautiful Decay, a company premiere from newly-named resident choreographer Nicolo Fonte featuring guest artists Gregg Bielemeier and Susan Banyas in a full evening work that explores the onslaught of time and the changes that come with it.

3-4-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theater’s 2016-2017 season is audacious in scope as it traces the evolution of ballet through iconic works from the giants of the field including Petipa, Balanchine, Forsythe, and Duato, and includes world premieres by two of the most innovative creators working in the art today, Helen Pickett and Nicolo Fonte.

2-1-16 | Read Press Release | Following an absence of over 15 years, Oregon Ballet Theatre is thrilled to present the return of James Canfield’s beloved production of Romeo & Juliet to Portland’s Keller Auditorium February 27th through March 5th.

1-15-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is thrilled to announce the launch of ChoreographyXX an innovative competition and performance project dedicated to nurturing the talents of North American female choreographers.

1-6-16 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre opens its exciting 2016 winter season with Capulet’s Ball 2.0, a gala event to be held on February 6th at the Leftbank Annex in Portland, Oregon.

2015 Press Releases

11-25-15 | Read Press Release | Holiday favorite, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, returns for 17 shows with 8 performances featuring the OBT Orchestra.

10-22-15 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre is soaring to new heights and emerging healthier than ever with a stronger financial hold, key program investments, a new home on the horizon, and a growing school.

09-15-15 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Launches its 26th Season with an exciting double bill celebrating the passion and exuberance of Italy

08-12-15 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Kevin Irving Welcomes Royal Danish Ballet’s Principal Ballerina Amy Watson as a Guest Artist in its 2015/2016 Season and Announces New Company Hires

07-14-15 | Read Press Release | With the Generous Support of the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Oregon Ballet Theatre to Launch Junior Company OBT2 and Names Former American Ballet Theatre and Pennsylvania Ballet Principal Lisa Sundstrom as Program Director

05-26-15 | Read Press Release | OBT Will Make the Dynamic and Growing South Waterfront District its Next Home

03-06-15 | Read Press Release | Announcing OBT’s 2015|16 Season: Oregon Ballet Theatre Moves into the Future by Embracing the Past

03-04-15 | Read Press Release | OBT’s 25th Anniversary Season Ends on a Dramatic Note with IMPACT: Four Powerful Works, Including a World Premiere from Darrell Grand Moultrie, set to music by Portland’s Kenji Bunch of fEARnoMUSIC

03-02-15 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2015|16 Season Unveiling Event

02-05-15 | Read Press Release | Cinderella Comes to Oregon Ballet Theatre for the First Time: The Classic Story In Three Colorful Acts • Features the OBT Orchestra For Every Performance

2014 Press Releases

11-03-14 | Read Press Release | Holiday Favorite, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Returns for 17 Shows: Includes Three Performances After Christmas • Bouchard and Chavez to Debut as Sugarplum Fairy

08-23-14 | Read Press Release | Pink Martini to Collaborate with Nicolo Fonte in OBT 25 Season Opening Performances: Beloved International Ensemble To Appear Live On Stage In World Premiere; Agon and Excerpts by Leading Oregon Ballet Theatre Choreographers Celebrate 25 Years of Ballet in Portland

07-31-14 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre to Perform at the Oregon Symphony’s Waterfront Concert

07-28-14 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Names Executive Director and Signs Irving for Three-Year Term After Leaping Over the FY14 Finish Line: Dennis Buehler to Lead Ballet Alongside Artistic Director Kevin Irving

02-22-14 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Celebrates 25 Years of Thrilling Dance: World Premieres by Nicolo Fonte and Darrell Grand Moultrie, A Trilogy of Duets by Influential OBT Choreographers, The Debut of OBT II, and Our First Full-Length Cinderella Anchor This Landmark Season

01-15-14 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Showcases all its best with “REVEAL”

2013 Press Releases

12-19-13 | Read Press Release | Promotion of Michael Linsmeier at Oregon Ballet Theatre: Raised to soloist after stellar debut in Nutcracker principal role

10-14-13 | Read Press Release | The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre Announces New Director: Anthony Jones, Seasoned Dancer and Ballet Director, Brings Wealth of Professional Experience

09-23-13 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Opens it’s First Season Under the Artistic Direction of Kevin Irving with “DREAM” at the Keller Auditorium

08-14-13 | Read Press Release | Oregon Ballet Theatre Opens an Exciting New Chapter with Artistic Director Kevin Irving

07-15-13 | Read Press Release | OBT to Round Out its Artistic Team with a Second Ballet Master, Jeffrey Stanton

06-06-13 | Read Press Release | Artistic Director Announcement