Performance Opportunities

Performance Opportunities

At OBT School, we believe that performance is a vital part of a dancer’s education. Stage experience not only builds confidence and presence but also deepens artistry and prepares students for the demands of professional work. And what could be more inspiring than dancing alongside the professional company artists of Oregon Ballet Theatre?

Performing with OBT is a rare and exciting opportunity that sets our school apart. Students who are selected to appear in company productions, such as George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, share the stage with some of the country’s most accomplished ballet dancers—an experience that leaves a lasting impression and motivates continued growth.

Whether you’re just beginning or advancing through our Professional Division, there are exciting performance opportunities for every level throughout the year.

Important Enrollment Note

To be eligible to participate in The Nutcracker, students must be enrolled by September 1. To be eligible to participate in The Annual School Performance, students must be enrolled by October 1.

Major Performance Opportunities

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®

• A treasured tradition and a rite of passage for many dancers.
• • Audition required; casting is based on technical skill, height, and costume constraints.
  • Available to students in Levels 1–6 of the Professional Program.
  • Selected students perform alongside OBT’s professional company dancers—a truly memorable experience.

Other OBT Company Productions

• Throughout the season, select students may be invited to join additional company performances.
• • 2025-2026 season opportunities include The Sleeping Beauty.
  • No audition required; participation is by invitation from the Artistic Staff.

Annual School Performance (ASP)

• Held every spring. Our 2026 performance will be in Portland’s Newmark Theatre.
• Open to students in Level 1 and higher in the Professional Program.
• Participation is strongly encouraged and mandatory for merit-based scholarship students.
• Rehearsals run January–April and may impact class schedules.
• This is a professional-level production showcasing the students’ technical and artistic development.
• Audition not required; casting is not guaranteed.

Annual Fall Showcase

• Open to the students in levels 5 and 6 that are not as actively involved in the company’s production of The Nutcracker.  They will be featured in variations and repertory to complement the petite dancer performance “Land of the Sweets”

Annual Spring Showcase (Levels 3–6)

• • Features student work from Contemporary, Nique, Modern, Improvisation, and Composition classes.
  • For Levels 3–6.
  • Includes peer choreography workshops, with rehearsals held on Saturdays after ASP rehearsals.

Annual School Performance

Each spring, OBT School students in Level 1 and higher have the opportunity to participate in the Annual School Performance, held in the Newmark Theatre. Participation is strongly encouraged for all students and is mandatory for scholarship students. During our Annual School Performance rehearsal period (January through April), classes may be combined or canceled to accommodate rehearsal. Technique class will never be canceled, although it may be combined with another level. Being cast in a performance is not guaranteed. The program will consist of works chosen to elevate students’ technical development and artistry. As a testament to the quality of their training, the students consistently deliver commanding performances of a professional caliber. An audition is not required.