The title role in Giselle is regarded as the one of the most difficult in ballet, requiring impeccable technique and supreme acting from the leading ballerina. The same is true for Albrecht, the male lead in Giselle. He must convincingly express joy, sorrow, fear and true love all in the span of a 3 hour… Read More
“Ballet in Bifocals” reading at Powell’s Books
In 2004, after taking adult absolute beginner and beginning ballet class at OBT for four years, OBT’s Dance Historian & Lecturer Linda Besant wrote an essay called “Ballet in Bifocals” that was published in “Open Spaces,” a regional quarterly magazine. It’s both a humorous and thoughtful look at the rewards and perils of attempting ballet… Read More
Daily Dance Break: Four Elements Week – Fire
An amazing fire dance as the finale of Four Elements Week
Anne says “farewell pointe shoes, hello desk!”
Hi OBT Friends! You haven’t previously heard much from me via the blog, but now that I’m spending less time in pointe shoes I’m looking forward to sharing a bit of my “behind the scenes” perspective. As you may know, I recently retired from my performing career during our recent “Song and Dance” program. My… Read More
Daily Dance Break: Four Elements Week – Earth
Pina Bausch’s “Rite of Spring” **WARNING: This video gets NSFW (Not Safe For Work) at about the 4:30 mark***
