The Long Road Back to the Stage

Martina Chavez Rehabilitates from Injury Interview and photos by Brook Manning Ballet dancers are not only artists, but also athletes whose agility, stamina and strength are tested on a daily basis. For OBT soloist Martina Chavez the risk of injury became a reality last fall. Two days before opening night, while in the middle of… Read More

OBT’s Next 25 Years

OBT’s Next 25 Years: Bold Steps toward an Exciting Future With two new buildings opening in January to house the company and expanding ballet school, two major grants from local foundations to invest in bold new programming, and a renewed focus on sustainability, OBT’s future has never looked brighter. It wasn’t long ago that the… Read More

Choreographer’s Corner: August Bournonville, pt. 1

Choreographer’s Corner: August Bournonville By Claire Willett August Bournonville – the Royal Danish Ballet’s most famous son and national legend – was virtually unknown in the United States until after World War II. But his joyful choreography, precise technique and exuberant artistry have made his works works beloved in the ballet canon for a century… Read More

OBT Behind the Music: Carlo Gesualdo, pt. 2

“I die, alas, in my suffering And she who could give me life, Alas, kills me and will not help me! O sorrowful fate, She who could give me life, Alas, gives me death!” —Moro, Lasso by Carlo Gesualdo (1610) It’s probably not true that his family’s ancestral home is haunted by the vengeful ghosts… Read More

Postcards from Copenhagen #4: Home Again

OBT soloist Candace Bouchard returns home and shares a few final thoughts on the dancers’ whirlwind tour of Denmark! Now that I’m back in Portland and have (mostly) recovered from the jet lag, I can reflect a little on what our time in Copenhagen meant to me. Most of what I’m thinking of is how… Read More