Giants - Oregon Ballet Theatre by Artslandia

PRESENTS

Oct. 8 – Oct. 15, 2016 Keller Auditorium

Eva Burton | Photo by James McGrew

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LETTER FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

WELCOME TO THE OPENING PRODUCTION OF OREGON BALLET THEATRE’S 27TH SEASON: GIANTS. BEYOND A THRILLING EVENING OF MOVING ART, THINK OF THIS PROGRAM AS A MANIFESTO OF DANCE MANIFESTOS. Two actual giants from the world of ballet, George Balanchine and William Forsythe, are represented here with iconic works that characterize each master choreographer’s unique approach to the art form: Balanchine’s Serenade and Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. These ballets have been danced by the most prestigious ballet companies the world over. The program closes with an exciting world premiere from Nicolo Fonte, an internationally renowned dance maker and now OBT’s resident choreographer. Back in the 90’s, OBT often referred to itself as “Your Local World-Class Dance Company”— that moniker has never been more true than now! Serenade has come to define American ballet in the 20 th Century, its lyrical romanticism and its evocation of the Balanchinian ‘ballet is woman’ ethos is perfectly in sync with the lush emotions of the score by Tchaikovsky. The opening tableau is guaranteed to make your heart skip a beat—and the entire work is a time capsule of a breakthrough moment in art, when a Georgian/Russian émigré came to the new world and forged an approach to ballet that, while rooted in the traditions of Imperial Russia, capitalized on the bold and expansive style of American dancers. The reverberations of William Forsythe’s 1987 work In The Middle, Somewhat

Elevated—created on the Paris Opera Ballet—are still being felt today. Whereas Balanchine stripped away the elaborate sets and costumes that had come to dominate ballet, Mr. Forsythe went even further and stripped away the artifice that dancers were embodying anything other than themselves—individuals with amazing physiques, technique, and panache. The exhibition and even celebration of the power of the dancer (until then the antithesis of the classical ballet esthetic) has never been more thrilling to behold. From the shock of the very first moment to the closing crash of Thom Willems’ driving electronic score—this work pushes dancers and public alike to reconsider the boundaries of ballet. What a tremendous honor for OBT to present this work for the first time ever in Portland! OBT Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte is well-known to Portland audiences through works like Bolero, Never Stop Falling (in Love), and last season’s Beautiful Decay. His work consistently aims to bridge the gap between an aesthetic that emphasizes the poetry of ballet and one that emphasizes the physical prowess of the dancer. His creation for this program, Giants Before Us, takes this to a new level, as he draws on the technically virtuosic music of Franz Liszt to compose a theatrical work that is equal parts brains and brawn. A counterpart (and counterpoint) to both the feminine grace of Balanchine’s Serenade and the id-driven athleticism of Forsythe’s Middle, Fonte’s work brings us into a world of men, perhaps reminiscent of Walt Whitman, where camaraderie and curiosity drive a physical expression in the language of ballet. Celebrated Pacific Northwest pianist Hunter Noack, hovering above the stage, injects just the right note of reality into this touching closing ballet, made right here in Portland, Oregon.

fun, dance is awesome, dance facilitates both linear and non-linear thinking, and that dance is an important ingredient in a well-lived life. We hope you enjoy this program and we look forward to sharing more of Portland’s own world-class ballet with you over the coming season!

Enjoy!

KEVIN IRVING Artistic Director Oregon Ballet Theatre

DEDICATED TO A GIANT IN OUR OWN ORGANIZATION… • 25 YEARS AT OBT • 40+ YEARS AS A TEACHING ARTIST • THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN REACHED

THANK YOU TO KASANDRA GRUENER, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION OUTREACH

This program you are experiencing is dedicated to a giant in our organization, OBT’s Director of Education Outreach, Kasandra Gruener, who is celebrating her 25th anniversary with the company this season. We are so grateful to have an artist and individual of Kasandra’s talents helping us to share the art form that we so love in our community—it’s estimated that over the past 25 years Kasandra has danced with over 25,000 school-age children! Her dedication to ballet and to education is exemplary and we celebrate her milestone with OBT at the same time we push her to keep spreading the word that dance is

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

THE

SCHOOL

OREGON BALLET THEATRE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR MOST SINCERE THANKS TO OUR MOST GENEROUS SPONSORS.

THANK YOU!

CLASSES FOR STUDENTS OF ALL AGES

PRESENTING SPONSORS Serenade underwritten by Sue Horn-Caskey and Rick Caskey Giants Before Us underwritten by The Boeing Company

Inspire, Enrich, Explore

The School of Oregon Ballet Theatre is the official training ground of OBT. Learn more at school.obt.org Registration is ongoing going throughout the school year

SEASON SPONSORS The Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts Education & Access Fund.

OBT is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Work for Art, including contributions from more than 75 companies and 2,000 employees.

OBT is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust

CLASSES NOW AT TWO LOCATIONS! PORTLAND STUDIO 0720 SW Bancroft St., Portland OR, 97239 503.227.6890 | schoolofobt@obt.org

WEST LINN STUDIO 19066 Willamette Dr., West Linn, OR, 97068 503.210.2365 | sobtwestlinn@obt.org

ADULT CLASSES When was the last time you danced?

Join us for a week of FREE morning drop-in ballet classes at our Portland studio from Oct. 17-21. Classes meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:30-11:00 AM. Additional adult class offerings available at both our Portland and West Linn locations.

school.obt.org

THOMPCORP

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TODAY’S PROGRAM

PRESENTS

SERENADE George Balanchine’s first work for American dancers was Serenade set to Tchaikovsky’s luscious Serenade for Strings. Danced by the School of American Ballet (SAB) students, it premiered at the estate of Felix M. Warburg in White Plains, New York, on June 9, 1934; it made its professional premiere the following year, danced by the American Ballet (a predecessor to New York City Ballet). Since then it has become one of the most beloved and frequently performed of Balanchine’s works. Serenade’s ethereal quality with roots in the romantic era of Giselle and Sylphide provides as close to a spiritual experience as can be found among this master’s ballets. From the moment the curtain rises on the iconic image of 17 women standing still and serene with feet together in parallel (sixth position) to the last glimpse of their pointe shoes as the curtain falls, Serenade takes a firm yet gentle hold of our emotions. The ballet evolved over a period of weeks in a classroom at SAB. Incorporated into the choreography are those accidents, incidents, and possibilities which are familiar aspects of the class experience: the number of dancers varied from day to day;

someone was absent; someone arrived late; someone fell. There is no story; rather there is a serene mood created by the emotional relationships between the dancers.

CHOREOGRAPHY

From the non-hierarchical classroom setting emerged another significant aspect of the work. Abandoning the rigid and traditional role assignments with corps de ballet creating a tableau for principal dancers, Balanchine presents an ensemble of equals. The group before us, uniformly costumed, is uniformly capable. The soloists emerge, evolve, appear, then are reabsorbed in the whole; according to their talents they are shown to advantage. The rush of movement highlights another aspect of Balanchine’s choreographic genius. The ability to elevate to an art the simple act of creating patterns. The movement is like the ebb and flow of the tides—there’s confusion and then instantly there’s order.

Judith Fugate

After its initial presentation, Serenade was reworked several times. In its present form there are four movements: “Sonatina,” “Waltz,” “Russian Dance,” and “Elegy.” The last two movements reverse the order of Tchaikovsky’s score, ending the ballet on a note of sadness.

George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust

STAGED BY MUSIC

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48

COSTUME DESIGNER Karinska

LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael Mazzola

BALLET MASTER Lisa Kipp

WORLD PREMIERE

March 1, 1935; American Ballet; Adelphi Theatre; New York

OBT PREMIERE

October 15, 1999; Civic Auditorium; Portland, Oregon The performance of Serenade, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with The George Balanchine Trust® and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® service standards established and provided by the Trust. Underwritten by Sue Horn-Caskey & Rick Caskey

INTERMISSION GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

SAVE THE DATE FEB 4

An imperial ball for the 21st Century and fundraising gala celebrating Oregon Ballet Theatre and its highly anticipated new take on Tchaikovsky’s beloved SWAN LAKE Black tie optional. For more information or to reserve your place at the party, email odette@obt.org

SWAN LAKE Feb 18 – Feb 25, 2017 | Keller Auditorium 8

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

TODAY’S PROGRAM

IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED (COMPANY PREMIERE)

Classical ballet is both the foundation of and a point of departure for In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, which is considered a landmark in the evolution of the art form.

affected enchaînements (linked sequence of steps) receive an unexpected force and drive that makes them appear foreign to their own origins.”

Commissioned by Rudolf Nureyev in 1987 for the Paris Opera Ballet, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated was instantly recognized as a contemporary masterpiece. Since then it has entered the repertories of major companies around the world. The cool, catlike disdain of the dancers contrasts with the strict and severe technical demands of the choreography, while the crashing electronic score by Dutchman Thom Willems cuts the air like thunder.

Middle, as it is referred to in the dance community, was initially conceived as the second movement of a full-length ballet titled Impressing the Czar. But it premiered as a stand-alone work first, and continues to be performed both independently and as a part of the full-length ballet. The unusual title comes from a meeting Forsythe had with the technical crew as they prepared to stage the first performance. The original idea for the set design was to create a “wall” of golden objects suspended from above— a nod to the elaborate stucco work of the interior of Paris’ Palais Garnier. When he saw the plan, Forsythe worried that installing the décor would take so long that he would have precious little time for a stage rehearsal. Instead, he requested that just two of the objects— golden cherries—be hung “in the middle, somewhat elevated.”

Forsythe has commented: “Originally created for the Paris Opera Ballet, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is a theme and variations in the strictest sense. Exploiting the vestiges of academic virtuosity that still signify ‘the Classical,’ it extends and accelerates these traditional figures of ballet. By shifting the alignment and emphasis of essentially vertical transitions, the

CHOREOGRAPHY, STAGING, LIGHTING, & COSTUME DESIGN William Forsythe

STAGED BY Agnès Noltenius MUSIC Thom Willems

in collaboration with Lesley Stuck

LIGHTING & TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR John Hoey

SOUND SUPERVISOR Benjamin Young BALLET MASTER Jeffrey Stanton WORLD PREMIERE

May 30, 1987; Paris Opera Ballet; Palais Garnier; Paris, France

OBT PREMIERE

October 8, 2016; Keller Auditorium; Portland, Oregon The performances of the musical composition In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated are given by permission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited. Costumes & Scenery Courtesy of Pacific Northwest Ballet Peter Boal, Artistic Director

INTERMISSION

GIANTS BEFORE US (WORLD PREMIERE)

Pianist Hunter Noack asked me to consider the music of Franz Liszt when I approached him about this project, explaining that the composer/performer was himself a “giant” of 19th Century piano music. I found the juxtaposition of virtuoso technique with a muscular tenderness to be a perfect match for the world I began to envision: a world of unexpected journeys full of fun and camaraderie. Into this world a new element is introduced—a giant, mysterious and fantastical, altering the perceived order of things. Ultimately, we are guided by the subtlety and imagination of Liszt and his music—just as Hunter predicted.

CHOREOGRAPHY & STAGE DESIGN Nicolo Fonte

PIANIST

Hunter Noack

COSTUME DESIGN

Christine Darch

LIGHTING DESIGN

Michael Mazzola

BALLET MASTERS

Lisa Kipp & Jeffrey Stanton

WORLD PREMIERE

October 8, 2016; Oregon Ballet Theatre; Keller Auditorium; Portland, Oregon

MUSIC

Franz Liszt, Liebestraum No. 3 in A-Flat Major, O lieb so lang du lieben kannst, S. 541/3 Franz Liszt, Étude No. 3 in G-Sharp Minor (Allegretto) (La campanella), S. 141/3 Franz Liszt, En Rêve, Nocturne, S. 207 Franz Schubert, arr. by Franz Liszt, Ständchen from Schwanengesang, D. 957/4 Franz Liszt, Étude de concert No. 3 in D-Flat Major, Un sospiro S. 144/3 Franz Liszt, Consolation No. 1, Andante con moto in E Major, S. 172/1 Hunter Noack plays an American Steinway nine-foot concert grand piano donated to OBT by Mr. Noam Ben-Hamou. Underwritten by The Boeing Company.

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

FEATURE

THE EVOLVING VITALITY OF BALLET EDITED BY NATASHA KAUTSKY & BROOK MANNING

“BALLET IS WOMAN,” Balanchine famously

proclaimed and Serenade—the work that launched his career in America— is the quintessential expression of that statement. Balanchine began creating the ballet as a lesson in stage technique, incorporating rehearsal events (such as a student’s late arrival, or a fall) organically into the ballet. While there are echoes of the past in the overall look of the ballet—patterns of women dancing in long skirts reminiscent of Giselle or La Sylphide—and music by Tchaikovsky, this work clearly points to the future. There are no sets, no plot, and the corps de ballet does not merely serve as an ornamental backdrop for the principal dancers. These decidedly 20 th Century dancers are constantly in motion, participating instead of posing. There is a new and exciting fluidity. The movement features Balanchine’s streamlined technique, showing his masterful distillation of the art form. With Serenade, Balanchine changed the course of ballet, simultaneously celebrating its past traditions while designing movement that was expansive, swift, and essential in order to make a truly American art form. Serenade is a romantic rush of dance propelled by Tchaikovsky’s irresistible Serenade for Strings. So closely married are the music and the movement that the score’s performance by the OBT Orchestra offers audiences the chance to practice another of Balanchine’s favorite maxims: “See the music. Hear the dance.”

Just four years after Balanchine’s death, William Forsythe established himself as a trailblazing choreographer with his revolutionary work, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. An instant classic, In the Middle electrified the dance world with its premiere at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1987. The work—all sharp, quick flashes of hyperextended lines— pushes Balanchine’s neoclassical style to the limits. Since its premiere it has become the cornerstone of post neo-classical dance, performed by companies around the globe. Dancer Sylvie Guillem became a star over-

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

Foreground: Kimberly Nobriga, Candace Bouchard, Colby Parsons, and Jaqueline Straughan rehearsing Balanchine’s Serenade. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert.

night following the premiere of the work and commented, “I think of nothing while I’m doing In the Middle except the steps. They take a real physical power and violence to perform and that is all that is in my mind at the moment: line and power.” The contrast to the romantic, sylph-like women in Balanchine’s Serenade couldn’t be more extreme. Six women and three men prowl the stage exploring space, at times sizing each other up, challenging one another to test the limits of their bodies. The audience is not performed to but drawn in with the choreography facing all directions. In the Middle altered the trajectory of ballet by injecting it with a new, unexpected force, born of Forsythe’s extension, acceleration, and shifting of ballet’s traditional structures. This work is not music made visual; instead it goes in a different direction, creating counterpointed dynamics between the music and the movement. Thom Willems’ crashing electronic score completes the mesmerizing experience of ballet progressing from the 20th to the 21st Century. The innovation continues with the world premiere of Giants Before Us by OBT Resi-

Jacqueline Straughan and Adam Hartley rehearsing Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated. Photo by Blaine Truitt.

dent Choreographer Nicolo Fonte. Recognized throughout the world for his daring and original approach to dance, Fonte is equally comfortable with classical and contemporary dance forms. This new work is powered by the poetic athleticism of the male dancers of OBT and the virtuoso compositions of Franz Liszt performed by Portland’s own piano sensation and winner of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Hunter Noack. This collaboration between the dance and the music proves that ballet has never been more alive and that Fonte is a resounding voice of the future. OBT is delighted to have a talent of this caliber as its resident choreographer!

Build a 2, 3, or 4 show subscription with your GIANTS tickets!

2016-2017 Season

UP NEXT ®

George Balanchine / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky /

SWAN LAKE

Dec. 10 – Dec. 26, 2016 Keller Auditorium

8 performances with OBT Orchestra!

Feb. 18 – Feb. 25, 2017 Keller Auditorium

Eva Burton. Photo by James McGrew.

Kevin Irving (after Petipa/Ivanov) / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, World Premiere /

TERRA

Apr. 13 – Apr. 22, 2017 Newmark Theatre

PETAL Helen Pickett / Philip Glass & Thomas Montgomery Newman EL NARANJO Nacho Duato / Juan Alberto Arteche & Javier Paxariño, Company Premiere JARDÍ TANCAT Nacho Duato / Maria del Mar Bonet, Company Premiere TERRA Helen Pickett / Jeff Beal, World Premiere SEASON SUPPORTED IN PART BY

OBT Orchestra!

IN THE LOBBY TODAY! Pay no handling fee, receive a free OBT gift, and look forward to a season of stunning shows!

FEATURE

GIANTS BEFORE US BY MARTY HUGHLEY

OREGON BALLET THEATRE opens its 2016–2017 season with a program aptly called GIANTS, featuring trailblazing works by master choreographers George Balanchine and William Forsythe along with a world premiere by Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte that boldly connects and extends those lofty legacies. Balanchine’s plotless 1930s Serenade, set to Tchaikovsky’s Serenade in C for String Orchestra, helped set standards for neo-classicism. The company premiere of Forsythe’s 1987 In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated highlights a contrasting style that Fonte describes as cool, physically thrilling, and street-savvy. “In terms of the evolution of this program, we go from real classical romanticism to hardedged contemporary, and then my piece is a bridge between those two worlds,” says Fonte. “My work has the extreme physicality of Forsythe, but there also is a romanticism in the work, a yearning, a reaching for a higher plane.” Though Fonte has long been a favorite with OBT audiences for such dances as Left Unsaid, the Pink Martini collaboration Never Stop Falling (in Love), and last spring’s Beautiful Decay, this is his first creation in his new role as the company’s resident choreographer. The title, Giants Before Us, is a playful nod to the order of the program, but also a subtle reference to images of the aspirational, elevated, and larger-than-life in the work. That sense of grandeur also is evoked by the music of Franz Liszt, performed here by the dazzling young pianist Hunter Noack. An Oregon native who grew up idolizing the visiting Van Cliburn competition winners who played the Sunriver Music Festival (run by his mother), Noack studied at Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of Southern California, and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London. Along the way, he picked up a dis-

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

Nicolo Fonte in rehearsal for Fonte’s Giants Before Us. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert.

satisfaction with standard classical-music presentation and a keen interest in crossdisciplinary collaboration. He began writing music for “scrappy and fun” budding theatre artists, and incorporating poetry recitation into his piano recitals.

that he wanted to work with Noack, whom he’d met through the Portland arts switchboard, a.k.a. Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale. Fonte had Chopin in mind, but when he described his ideas of a mostlymale cast, clad in red, moving with bravura energy, and a pianist “FAR FROM LEADING suspended above the stage, Noack told him, “Chopin’s too AN AVANT-GARDE light,” and instead led him ASSAULT ON CONto the unabashedly virtuosic VENTION, FONTE IS Liszt.

In 2014 at London’s Barbican Centre, he presented a dramatic adaptation of Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht with actors and a string sextet in an indoor, simulated forest; WORKING ALONG THE this summer, he performed “Before Liszt, a pianist was CUTTING EDGE OF classical music outdoors in never really a virtuoso solo BEAUTY.” several parks and old Works instrumentalist,” Noack says. Project Administration sites in “The player’s back was to and around Portland. He’s worked with the the audience and the piano was more of London contemporary-dance troupe New a chamber instrument. Liszt turned the Movement Collective, but this is his first piano so that his profile was to the audiinvolvement with ballet. ence. He wrote very flashy and compelling, beautiful music...and people went wild for Fonte knew from his first inklings of what it. He really revolutionized the way pianists would become Giants Before Us that he performed.” wanted to use Romantic piano music and

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By Tatiana Willis

DENNIS BUEHLER

Chauncey Parsons being supported by OBT dancers in rehearsal for Fonte’s Giants Before Us. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert.

Both Noack and Fonte were particularly attracted to Liszt’s études, designed as devilish practice exercises, yet imbued with a deceptive beauty. In Noack’s words, “It’s as if he’s asking you to make this very technically challenging piece sound like a sigh, like something so delicate that the audience has no idea how difficult it is.” Nineteenth-Century Romanticism may not sound like an evolutionary step forward from Forsythe’s hard-edged style, but Fonte sees it as part of another bridge—this one between accessibility and artistic depth. “I don’t think that because I’m using classical music that means in any way that the piece is a throwback,” he says. “I think it’s very contemporary, and what I mean by that is, it has a relevance to today.”

theater was half-empty and I couldn’t wait to get out. The music was so irritating I wanted to bolt and that obviously was not a good experience. I don’t believe that if art is obtuse and alienating, that makes it good. Choosing piano music that is very beautiful and elegant might strike some people as being conservative, but to me it can be very inviting.” Far from leading an avant-garde assault on convention, Fonte is working along the cutting edge of beauty. As Noack puts it, “He’s creating something new that’s inspired by something old, informed by this great history and tradition, but breathing new life into it.”

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dennis Buehler was named Executive Director for Oregon Ballet Theatre in August 2014 and could not be more excited to be a part of the dynamic Portland community. Buehler joins OBT after leading Milwaukee Ballet in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as its Executive Director for seven seasons. During that time, Milwaukee Ballet not only significantly improved its organizational and financial health, but grew to be recognized as a national leader in the development of new work and for their strong commitment to training and community outreach. Buehler previously led the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, also in Wisconsin, for six years, where he was credited with successfully guiding one of the region’s fastest growing arts organizations through its initial strategic, artistic, and organizational development phases. He has served on the board for The United Performing Arts Fund in Milwaukee, been an active leader within the Creative Alliance of Greater Milwaukee, the Creative Coalition for Greater Milwaukee, served as a local advocacy captain for Arts Wisconsin, and a planning committee member for the Milwaukee 7 Project, a regional collaboration initiative. Early in his career, Buehler held various producing roles with a number of theatre groups in both Florida and Wisconsin, including the Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee from 1998 to 2002. He graduated from the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1992. Buehler currently lives in West Linn with his wife Treena, an independent artist, and their two daughters.

“I could have gone with electronic music and made essentially the same dance,” Fonte continues. “I’m on a little bit of a crusade these days with music choices. It’s an important bridge, and you either bring people into the dance or you don’t. I saw a company in New York not long ago and the dancing was fabulous, but the

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

ARTISTIC STAFF KEVIN IRVING

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Kevin Irving began dancing with jazz classes in his hometown dance school (Long Island, New York), and later joined the school and training ensemble of Alvin Ailey. From 1982 to 1985, he danced with The Elisa Monte Dance Company of New York, but, at 24, he took a sharp turn toward classical dance and joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, in Montréal. Promoted first to soloist and then to principal dancer, Irving became a well-known figure wherever LGBC performed. In 1993, Irving joined Twyla Tharp Dance for a project that included performances at L’Opera de Paris and the PBS television film of In the Upper Room. From 1994 to 2002, Irving was ballet master and associate director with Nacho Duato’s Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid, Spain. From 2002 to 2007, he was Artistic Director of The Göteborg Ballet in Sweden. The company, under Irving’s tenure as director, was named the most important dance company in Sweden in Ballet International’s critics’ poll. From 2007 to 2013, he was a frequent guest ballet master with The Royal Danish Ballet and has been a guest teacher with numerous other companies and schools. He has staged ballets by Nacho Duato and Nicolo Fonte on companies such as The Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and The Australian Ballet, among many others. Irving was also Associate Director at dance company Morphoses (2011–2012), coordinating special initiatives aimed at defining the company’s unique brand and profile in the dance world. In 2010, Irving founded I-DANCE (Inspiring Dance: American Nation Choreographic Exchange), a non-profit organization that has sent teachers and choreographers to dance communities in Central and South America. He was named Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre in July 2013.

LISA KIPP

REHEARSAL DIRECTOR Lisa Kipp began studying ballet in Olympia, Washington and finished her training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She danced with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pacific Ballet Theatre, Ballet Oregon, Ballet of Los Angeles, Ballet Chicago, and James Sewell Dance, and also performed in the touring company of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. Kipp

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

danced principal roles in George Balanchine’s Rubies, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Square Dance, Concerto Barocco, and Apollo, and appeared as the Cowgirl in Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo. Prior to joining OBT in 2004, she was the Ballet Department Head for the school of Spectrum Dance Theater in Seattle, as well as the company’s Rehearsal Director. Kipp has been the ballet master for OBT for 9 years, and the company’s rehearsal director for 2 years. As a ballet master she has assisted James Kudelka, Lar Lubovitch, Lola de Ávila, Nicolo Fonte, Francia Russell, Bart Cook, Christine Redpath, Christopher Stowell, Yuri Possokhov, and Helgi Tomasson. She has staged George Balanchine’s Rubies, Square Dance, and Who Cares? for OBT and is responsible for the corps de ballet in OBT’s classical repertoire.

JEFFREY STANTON

BALLET MASTER Jeffrey Stanton trained at San Francisco Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. In addition to classical ballet, he also studied ballroom, jazz, and tap dancing. He joined San Francisco Ballet in 1989 and left to join Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1994. He was promoted to soloist in 1995, made a principal in 1996, and retired from PNB in 2011. He originated leading roles in Susan Stroman’s TAKE FIVE…More or Less; Stephen Baynes’ El Tango; Donald Byrd’s Seven Deadly Sins; Val Caniparoli’s The Bridge; Nicolo Fonte’s Almost Tango and Within Without; Kevin O’Day’s Aract and [soundaroun(d)ance]; Kent Stowell’s Carmen, Palacios Dances, and Silver Lining; and Christopher Stowell’s Zaïs. Stanton has performed as a guest artist for Le Gala des Étoiles in Montréal, Prague Gala of Stars, and the TITAS Command Performance of International Ballet in Dallas, Texas. In 2000, he participated in the George Balanchine Foundation’s Interpreters Archive series, dancing excerpts from Balanchine’s Episodes, coached by Melissa Hayden.

NICOLO FONTE RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER Choreographer Nicolo Fonte is known for his daring and original approach to dance. His work has been noted by critics for a unique movement language as well as a highly developed fusion of ideas, dance and design. Born in Brooklyn New York, Fonte started dancing at the age of 14. He studied at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York as well as at the San Francisco

Ballet and New York City Ballet Schools while completing a Bachelor Degree of Fine Arts at SUNY Purchase. Upon graduation he danced with Peridance in NYC and later joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in Montreal, dancing in the works of Balanchine, Tudor, Kudelka and Spaniard Nacho Duato. Fonte subsequently joined Duato’s Compañia Nacional de Danza in Madrid and forged a strong identity in the Spanish company for seven years —for both his dancing and his choreography. En los Segundos Ocultos, (In Hidden Seconds), one of three ballets Fonte made for the Spanish company, was hailed as a breakthrough work of great impact with the poetic vision of a mature artist and indeed this ballet established his presence on the European dance scene. In 2000 Fonte retired from performing to devote himself full-time to his choreographic career. Since that time he has created or staged his ballets for companies large and small all over the world, such as The Dutch National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West, and Royal Ballet of Flanders, among many others. Fonte received a Choo San Goh award for his 2002 collaboration with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Almost Tango, of which R.M. Campbell of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote, “Fonte is a thinker, an architect who creates the new rather than reinvent the old. He is a master of manipulating space and creating relationships.” Almost Tango was also voted as one of Dance Europe’s “Best Premiere’s when it was re-staged for The Australian Ballet in 2004. From 2002 to 2006 Nicolo enjoyed an ongoing creative partnership with The Göteborg Ballet in Sweden, creating and staging numerous works that helped establish the company’s distinct profile. Fonte has also played an important role in the ongoing development of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet as one of that company’s most popular guest choreographers. In addition to Oregon Ballet Theatre, Nicolo Fonte is currently the Resident Choreographer for Ballet West, in Salt Lake City, which began with the 20122013 season.

NIEL DEPONTE

MUSIC DIRECTOR & CONDUCTOR Niel DePonte has been the Music Director for OBT and its predecessor, Pacific Ballet Theatre, since 1985. He has guest conducted for Boston Ballet, the Ballet of the Mussorgsky (Maly) Theatre in Russia, and at the Nureyev Ballet Festival.

OBT ORCHESTRA He has also conducted symphonic, pops, and youth concerts with the symphonies of Oregon, Syracuse, and Charlotte, among others. He is Artistic Director and conductor of the Young Artists Debut! concerto concert. He was a 2003 Grammy Award nominee for “Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra” for his performance of Tomáš Svoboda’s Concerto for Marimba with the Oregon Symphony. His compositions and arrangements written for the ballet stage include: Christopher Stowell’s Adin, Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ekho; Houston Ballet’s 2002 production of Peter Pan; and OBT’s 1993 version of The Nutcracker. DePonte holds a Master’s degree and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music and a degree in Education from the State University of New York.

MICHAEL MAZZOLA

RESIDENT LIGHTING DESIGNER Michael Mazzola’s critically acclaimed lighting and scenery has been seen in venues all over the U.S., Europe, and Asia, ranging from opera houses to amphitheaters to circus tents to hay barns. The

three-time New York Dance and Performance Award winner has designed lighting and scenery for Oregon Ballet Theatre; Pacific Northwest Ballet; San Francisco Ballet, Whim W’Him of Seattle; Queensland Ballet; National Ballet of Finland; Stuttgart Ballet; Grand Rapids Ballet; Ballet West; Ballet Nacional de Cuba; Trey McIntyre Project; The Washington Ballet; Houston Ballet; Rachel Tess Dance at the Wanås Foundation in Sweden; Baryshnikov Arts Center; NYC and LMCC’s River to River Festival; Third Rail Repertory Theatre; Bebe Miller Company—with whom he has worked since the mid-eighties; and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Mazzola has designed scenery and lighting for the National YoungArts Foundation’s 2015 and 2016 Miami Galas and he designed lighting and video at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for the 2015 and 2016 Presidential Scholars | YoungArts Awards. Mazzola has been senior scenic designer on Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts and the 2015 Lincoln Awards at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall for Uplight, Inc. based in NYC.

VIOLIN I

Nelly Kovalev, Concertmaster Paloma Griffin Hébert, Assistant Concertmaster * Andrea Oh Della Davies Robin Baldino Casey Bozell Elizabeth Peyton Jenny Estrin Sarah Roth Irene Gadeholt

VIOLIN II

Janet Dubay, Principal Janet George, Assistant Principal Ann Medellin Camilla Scott Linda Vasey Luise Grube Heather Mastel-Lipson Hae-Jin Kim

VIOLA

Angelika Furtwangler, Principal Shauna Keyes, Assistant Principal * Brenda Liu Kim Burton Adam Hoornstra Marissa Winship

CELLO

Hamilton Cheifetz, Principal Katherine Schultz, Assistant Principal Corey Averill Jane Day Justin Kagan Heather Blackburn

BASS

David Parmeter, Principal Dave Anderson, Assistant Principal Milo Fultz Tyler Abbott

Stories Start Here

ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER

Janet George

MUSIC LIBRARIANS

Kirsten Norvell Rachel Rencher Eva Richey

*denotes acting title italics denotes substitute

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GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

GUEST ARTISTS GEORGE BALANCHINE CHOREOGRAPHER, SERENADE George Balanchine transformed the world of ballet. He is widely regarded as the most influential choreographer of the 20th Century, and he co-founded two of ballet’s most important institutions: New York City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. Balanchine was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1904, studied at the Imperial Ballet School in St. Petersburg, and danced with the Maryinsky Theatre Ballet Company, where he began choreographing short works. In the summer of 1924, Balanchine left the newly formed Soviet Union for Europe, where he was invited by impressario Serge Diaghilev to join the Ballets Russes. For that company, Balanchine choreographed his first important ballets: Apollo (1928) and Prodigal Son (1933). After Ballets Russes was dissolved following Diaghilev’s death in 1929, Balanchine spent his next few years on a variety of projects in Europe and then formed is own company, Les Ballets 1933, in Paris. There, he met American arts connoisseur Lincoln Kirstein, who persuaded him to come to the United States. In 1934, the pair founded the School of American Ballet, which remains in operation to this day, training students for companies around the world. Balanchine’s first ballet in the U.S., Serenade, set to music by Tchaikovsky, was created for SAB students and premiered on June 9, 1934, on the grounds of an estate in White Plains. Balanchine and Kirstein founded several shortlived ballet companies before forming Ballet Society in 1946, which was renamed New York City Ballet in 1948. Balanchine served as the Company’s ballet master from that year until his death in 1983, building it into one of the most important performing arts institutions in the world, and a cornerstone of the cultural life of New York City. (Bio courtesy of New York City Ballet.)

CHRISTINE DARCH COSTUME DESIGN, GIANTS BEFORE US Christine Darch designs and builds costumes and sets for choreographers Julia Adam, Marc Brew, Val Caniparoli, Robert Dekkers, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Jodie Gates, Adam Hougland, Jae Man Joo, James Kudelka, Gabrielle Lamb, Edwaard Liang, Stephen McMahon, Matthew Neenan, David Palmer, Gina Patterson, Brian Reeder, Dwight Rhoden, Amy Seiwert, and Merián Soto. She has been commissioned by Alvin Ailey, Ballet

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

Arizona, Ballet Memphis, Atlanta Ballet, AXIS, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Complexions, Diablo Ballet, Houston Ballet, Imagery, Israel Ballet, MADCO, Milwaukee Ballet, Le Ballet Nice Méditerranée, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Post:Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, The Washington Ballet, and BalletX. She lives in New York with acclaimed ballet composer Matthew Pierce. Upcoming projects include Septime Webre’s new Nutcracker for Ballet Hawaii. This is her third collaboration with Mr. Fonte. By Ian Whalen

WILLIAM FORSYTHE CHOREOGRAPHER, IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED William Forsythe has been active in the field of choreography for over 45 years. His work is acknowledged for reorienting the practice of ballet from its identification with classical repertoire to a dynamic 21st Century art form. Forsythe’s deep interest in the fundamental principles of organization has led him to produce a wide range of projects including installations, films, and web based knowledge creation. Raised in New York and initially trained in Florida with Nolan Dingman and Christa Long, Forsythe danced with the Joffrey Ballet and later the Stuttgart Ballet, where he was appointed Resident Choreographer in 1976. In 1984, he began a 20-year tenure as director of the Ballet Frankfurt. After its closure, Forsythe established a new ensemble, The Forsythe Company, which he directed from 2005 to 2015. Forsythe’s most recent works were developed and performed exclusively by The Forsythe Company, while his earlier pieces are prominently featured in the repertoire of virtually every major ballet company in the world, including The Mariinsky Ballet, New York City Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet. Further to his work as a choreographer, William Forsythe is a current Professor of Dance and Artistic Advisor for the Choreographic Institute at the University of Southern California, Glorya Kaufman School of Dance.

JUDITH FUGATE STAGER, SERENADE Miss Fugate is a former Principal Ballerina with the New York City Ballet and danced roles in virtually every ballet in the NYCB repertoire, counting among her partners Peter Martins, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Helgi Tomasson. During her career she toured

extensively with groups led by renowned artists such as Mr. Baryshnikov, Cynthia Gregory, and Mr. Martins. She currently works as repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust and the Jerome Robbins Rights Trust, staging these renowned choreographers’ works worldwide. In addition, along with her husband, Medhi Bahiri, she directs Ballet NY, a small contemporary ballet company based in NYC. It is a company of accomplished dancers that has performed not only in NYC, but also toured the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Visit balletny.org

HUNTER NOACK

PIANIST, GIANTS BEFORE US Native Oregonian Hunter Noack is a classical pianist who works with literature, visual art, dance, drama, and design to create a more dynamic classical music experience. Winner of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, the coLABorate Award in London, Moritzburg Audience Prize in Germany, and director of numerous cross-arts collaborations in the U.S. and Europe, NY’s Rising Stars Piano Series calls Hunter “a true artist in a renaissance sense of the word.” Hunter attended Interlochen Arts Academy, San Francisco Conservatory, received a Bachelor’s degree from University of Southern California, and Master’s degree from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. www.HunterNoack.com

AGNÈS NOLTENIUS

STAGER, IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED Agnès Noltenius was born in Germany and has dual citizenship in France and Germany. After eight years studying in the Paris Opera school, she started her career at the Ballet du Rhin in Strasbourg in 1979. There she danced classical repertory—Giselle, Swanlake, Coppélia—as well as ballet from other choregraphers like Serge Lifar, George Balanchine, Roland Petit, and Maurice Béjart. She partnered Rudolf Noureev in Flemming Flindt’s The Lesson and Maya Plisetskaya in Serge Lifar’s Phèdre. In 1989, she met William Forsythe and joined his company Ballett Frankfurt. She worked with him for 12 years. In 1998, while still dancing in the company, she started to photograph rehearsals and performances. She exhibited her photos in

GUEST ARTISTS theaters in Paris, Brussels, Frankfurt, and Berlin. She also released posters and press photos for the company. In 2002, she decided to leave the company to dedicate herself to teaching ballet and William Forsythe‘s repertory and improvisation techniques. She is a guest teacher who sets ballets from William Forsythe (Steptext, Artifact, Herman Schmerman, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Approximate Sonata) in different ballet companies: between others, the Forsythe Company, Hong Kong Ballet, Staatsballet Munich, Scala in Milano, North Carolina Dance Theater, Universal ballet in Seoul, São Paulo Companhia de Dança, The Washinghton Ballet, Compañia de Danza in Madrid, Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm, and the English National Ballet where she coaches Alina Cojocaru.

In 1987, Willems achieved international success with In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, commissioned by Rudolf Nureyev for Paris Opera Ballet with dancers including the rising star Sylvie Guillem. This classic ballet has travelled the world and is in repertoire of virtually every major ballet company. 66 companies in 25 countries have performed Forsythe/Willems ballets including The Mariinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet

of Canada, Paris Opera Ballet, Teatro alla Scala Milano, Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Wiener Staatsoper, Semperoper Dresden, and Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, among many others. He has composed ballet scores for other choreographers including Daniel Ezralow, Daniel Larrieu and Krisztina de Châtel, as well as music for TV, film, and art installations.

She gives improvisation workshops using William Forsythe’s Improvisation Technologies in France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Japan. She authored the photography book: DETAIL- FORSYTHE published in 2003 by Complexe Editions and Arte Editions. She choregraphed for the first time in 2006 when she created Contours for the Conservatory in Lyon. In October 2008 she choregraphed and danced a solo Senso Solo, performed during the festival DANCE in Munich at the theater at Gärtner Platz. In November 2008, she premiered in Paris with a new piece at the CNSMD, Passages. She received a grant from the city (Kulturreferat München) and choregraphed Pas Un, Pas de Deux which was performed in Munich in December 2009. In 2012, she became a certified Pilates instructor. Agnès Noltenius lives with her family in Munich in Germany. By Jodokus Driessen

THOM WILLEMS

COMPOSER, IN THE MIDDLE, SOMEWHAT ELEVATED Dutch composer Thom Willems has collaborated with choreographer William Forsythe on over 60 ballet scores. He studied at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague: composition with Louis Andriessen and electronic music with Jan Boerman and Dick Raaijmakers. Willems started working with Forsythe when he became director of the ballet of the Frankfurt Opera in 1984. His scores are characterised by subtle soundscapes, insistent rhythms, and urban sonorities, forming an intrinsic part of the architecture of the ballets.

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

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COMPANY

PRINCIPAL DANCERS

XUAN CHENG

CHAUNCEY PARSONS

PETER FRANC

Sponsored by Sandy & Stephen Holmes

SHEA MCADOO*

ANDREW WINGERT

COMPANY PRINCIPAL DANCERS

Xuan Cheng was born in Chen Zhou, Hu Nan Province of China. After studying at the School of Guang Zhou Ballet, she joined as a company member and rose to become a principal dancer. In 2006, she was invited by acclaimed Canadian choreographer Lock to join his Montréal-based company La La La Human Steps. She then joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. While there, her roles included Juliet in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Romeo & Juliet, Princess Lena in Christian Spuck’s Leonce and Lena and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Fernand Nault’s The Nutcracker. She joined OBT as a principal dancer in 2011. Her major principal roles include Giselle, Cinderella, Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, as well as roles in works by Nacho Duato, Nicolo Fonte, James Kudelka, and Trey McIntyre.

graduating, he performed for State Street Ballet under Rodney Gustafson for two years. In 2002, he joined Colorado Ballet as a soloist under Martin Fredmann, and in 2004 was promoted to the rank of principal dancer. In 2008, he joined OBT as a soloist under Christopher Stowell, and was promoted to principal in 2009. Over the course of his career he has danced a wide variety of roles, including Basil in Don Quixote, Count Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet. Further, he has danced leading roles in Balanchine’s Rubies, Emeralds, Tarantella, The Nutcracker, and Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Michael Pink’s Dracula and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero and Never Stop Falling (in Love), Paul Taylor’s Company B, and others.

PETER FRANC

BRIAN SIMCOE

XUAN CHENG

Peter Franc received his early ballet training with Atlanta’s Metropolitan Ballet Theatre, the Louisville Ballet School, and graduated from the Houston Ballet Academy. He then joined Houston Ballet, rising to the rank of demi-soloist. Notable performances include works by Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Jirˇ í Kylián, Hans Van Manen, and Stanton Welch. He continued dancing 3 seasons with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, featuring in a variety of contemporary work by choreographers Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Cayetano Soto and Alejandro Cerrudo. He joined OBT as a soloist in 2015 and was promoted to principal in 2016.

CHAUNCEY PARSONS

Born in Santa Barbara, California, Chauncey Parsons began dancing at age 12, at the Santa Barbara Ballet Center, under Michelle Pearson and Denise Rinaldi. At 15, he was accepted into the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. where he trained for three years under Vladimir Djouloukhadze. After

Brian Simcoe was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He received his training from the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. He joined OBT as an apprentice in 2004, was promoted to soloist in 2011, and promoted to principal in 2013. At OBT, he has appeared in Christopher Stowell’s Swan Lake, Nicolo Fonte’s Petrouchka, James Canfield’s Romeo & Juliet, and Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun.

JACQUELINE STRAUGHAN

OBT’s newest Principal Dancer Jacqueline Straughan is a native of Carson City, Nevada. She studied at the National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada where she was also the recipient of the Peter Dwyer Scholarship and Christopher Ondaatje Award for dance excellence. She began her professional career in 2000 with the National Ballet of Canada under the directorship of James Kudelka. While with the company she performed his works and others by John

Cranko, Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Glen Tetley and Matjash Mrozewski. In 2006, she joined Ballet West where she quickly moved up the ranks to first soloist, appearing in featured roles in ballets by Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Ben Stevenson, Willam Christensen, Val Caniparoli, Matthew Neenan, Helen Pickett, and James Canfield. Her notable principal roles include the title role of Giselle, as well as principal roles in Ulysses Dove’s Red Angels, Jirˇí Kylián’s Forgotten Land & Overgrown Path, William Forsythe’s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, and George Balanchine’s Rubies. OBT Resident Choreographer Nicolo Fonte created Presto and several other ballets on her during their respective time with Ballet West. While at Ballet West, she simultaneously pursued her higher education goals, graduating in 2016 with a BS in Green & Sustainable Management. SOLOISTS

CANDACE BOUCHARD

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Candace Bouchard began dancing at the age of 5. She joined OBT as an apprentice in 2003, became a full company artist in 2004, and was promoted to soloist in 2008. Some of her favorite roles include William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and The Second Detail, Helen Pickett’s Petal, and August Bournonville’s Napoli.

MARTINA CHAVEZ

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Martina Chavez began her training at age 9 under the direction of Buddy and Susan Trevino then continued her education at Maryland Youth Ballet. She joined OBT in 2006 as an apprentice, was promoted into the company in 2007, and to soloist in 2014. Her favorite roles have been in works created by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, and Nicolo Fonte.

ANSA DEGUCHI

Ansa Deguchi is from Nagoya, Japan where she began studying dance at the age of 5. She later trained with Chika Goto Step Works Ballet and City Ballet School in San Francisco. She joined OBT as an apprentice in 2003 and was promoted to soloist in 2007. Some of her favorite roles with OBT include: William Forsythe’s The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, George Balanchine’s Tarantella, James Canfield’s Romeo & Juliet, and Nacho Duato’s Por Vos Muero.

MICHAEL LINSMEIER

Michael grew up on a family dairy farm near Manitowoc, Wisconsin where he began training at the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance. During high school he attended the Virginia School of the Arts. He spent seven years dancing with the Milwaukee Ballet before joining OBT in 2011. Since joining, Michael has enjoyed dancing roles created by Nicolo Fonte, William Forsythe, Helen Pickett, Nacho Duato, George Balanchine, James Canfield, Ben Stevenson, and James Kudelka to name a few. COMPANY ARTISTS

THOMAS BAKER

Thomas Baker began dancing at the age of 15 in St. George, Utah. Prior to joining OBT in 2010, he studied with San Francisco Ballet School on full scholarship. He then danced with Ballet San Jose from 2012 to 2014, rejoining OBT for the 2014/15 season. He has performed featured roles in works by Balanchine, Ashton, Rhoden, Naharin, and Cunningham.

EVA BURTON

Eva Burton was born in Los Angeles, California. She received her training in Los Angeles from Patrick Frantz and at San Francisco Ballet School before joining OBT for the 2009/10 season. She has been featured in works by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Nicolo Fonte, and Ben Steven-

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

COMPANY son. In the 2014/15 season she debuted as the Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, as Cinderella in Ben Stevenson’s production, and in Nicolo Fonte’s Presto.

ADAM HARTLEY

Adam Hartley is from Orange, California and began dancing at age 5. He joined OBT as an apprentice in 2009 and was promoted to company artist in 2011. Some of his favorite ballets to dance at OBT were William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, Nacho Duato’s Por Vos Muero, and Nicolo Fonte’s Bolero.

MAKINO HILDESTAD

Makino Hildestad was born in Kumamoto, Japan. She started ballet at The Kumamoto Ballet School when she was 9 years old. She joined Colorado Ballet in 2002 as an apprentice, was promoted to corps de ballet in 2004, and joined OBT in 2010. Her favorite roles at OBT are Rassemblement by Nacho Duato, The Lost Dance by Matjash Mrozewski, Sub Rosa by James Kudeluka, Nurse in Romeo & Juliet by James Canfield, and Beautiful Decay by Nicolo Fonte. She has been featured in the role of Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Second Detail by William Forsythe, Instinctual Confidence by Darrell Grand Moutrie, Napoli by August Bournonville and Petal by Helen Pickett.

CHRISTOPHER KAISER

A native to Los Angeles, Christopher began training at Los Angeles High School for the Arts. During his summers, he trained at The Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet. From there, he was accepted to The Juilliard School in New York where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, where he had the privilege to dance in the International Festival in Edinburgh. He danced with Alberta Ballet for three seasons before joining OBT. This is his first season with OBT. Some of his favorite perfor-

mances include Nacho Duato’s Gnawa, William Forsythe’s Herman Shmerman, and Jirˇí Kylián’s Forgotten Land.

JESSICA LIND

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Jessica Lind began her ballet training at age 4 at Dance Theatre International. She trained for a year with San Francisco Ballet School before joining the Professional Division at OBT and then became an apprentice two years later. Her favorite roles she has performed with OBT include the Summer Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and the Tarantella in Napoli.

KATHERINE MONOGUE

Katherine Monogue was born in Tacoma, Washington. She trained at the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, D.C. under Key Juan Han. She joined OBT as a Professional Division student in 2012, was promoted to apprentice in 2013, and joined the company as a company artist in 2014. She has performed numerous roles, including Peasblossom in Christopher Stowell’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Helen Pickett’s Petal, and Nacho Duato’s Rassemblement.

KELSIE NOBRIGA

Kelsie Nobriga is from Orange County, California and began dancing at the age of 5. She trained with Melissa Allen Bowman and Charles Maple and was a Professional Division student with Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2011, she joined OBT as an apprentice, and returned as a company artist in 2014. Previously, she danced with Colorado Ballet. Some of her favorite roles with OBT are Marzipan from George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and the Autumn Fairy from Cinderella.

KIMBERLY NOBRIGA

Kimberly Nobriga grew up in Orange County, California. Starting in 2010, she trained and performed with the Pacific

OREGON BALLE T THE ATRE • GIANTS

Northwest Ballet School and their Professional Division before joining OBT as an apprentice in 2013. As an apprentice, she danced memorable roles such as the lead in the school’s performances of Valse Fantaisie and Paquita. She was also featured in company performances as the Spanish Lead in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and the Winter Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella. She joined OBT’s corps de ballet in 2015.

EMILY PARKER

Emily Parker was born in Boston, Massachusetts where she began dancing at age 4. After graduating from Indiana University, she joined OBT as an apprentice in 2014. Her favorite roles thus far with OBT include the Spring Fairy in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and the Harlequin Doll in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She was promoted to company artist in 2016.

COLBY PARSONS

A native of Santa Barbara, California, Colby Parsons began dancing at the age of 13, studying ballet with Denise Rinaldi at the Santa Barbara Ballet Center. He continued his training on full scholarship at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City. He danced with American Ballet Theatre II for three seasons, followed by dancing soloist and principal roles for Alberta Ballet in Calgary for another three seasons. For the 2014/15, season he joined OBT under Kevin Irving. For OBT he has danced the Lover in James Kudelka’s Sub Rosa, a lead in Bournonville’s Napoli, the Prince in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella, a lead couple in Nicolo Fonte’s Presto, the Berceuse pas de deux in Nicolo Fonte’s Never Stop Falling (in Love), and the Cavalier in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, among other roles. Colby is also a principal dancer with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles during the summer seasons. He has performed as a guest artist in

Japan, Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Canada as well as in several states in the U.S.

AVERY REINERS

Avery Reiners is from New Jersey. He started dance at the School of American Ballet and received further training at San Francisco Ballet School and Boston Ballet School before joining OBT as a company artist in 2013. Some of his favorite roles with OBT include: Matjash Mrozewski’s The Lost Dance, Gennaro in Bournonville’s Napoli, and Nicolo Fonte’s Presto.

PAIGE WILKEY

Paige Wilkey was born in Los Angeles, California where she began dancing at age 3. She moved to Boston at the age of 16 to train in the Pre-Professional Program at Boston Ballet School. She came to OBT as a Professional Division student in 2013 and became an apprentice in 2014. After two apprentice years, she is thrilled to join as a company artist for the 2016/17 season. Her favorite roles with OBT are Odette from OBT’s Annual School Performance of Swan Lake, and the Yellow Girl in Crayola. APPRENTICES

HANNAH DAVIS

Hannah Davis was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she began dancing at age 3. She continued her classical and contemporary studies at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under Brenda Daniels and Susan Jaffe. Hannah joined OBT2 in 2015 where she enjoyed performing Teresina in August Bournonville’s Napoli, the pas de deux from Alison Roper’s Crush, and Swanilda in OBT’s Annual School Performance of Coppélia. She was promoted to OBT apprentice in 2016.

ABIGAIL DIEDRICH

Abigail Diedrich is from Pasadena, Maryland. She began dancing at the age of 8 under

COMPANY the direction of Diana Cuatto at Ballet Theatre of Maryland before continuing her training with Norma Pera at Baltimore School for the Arts from 2011-2013. In 2013, she joined the Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet for two years before moving to Portland to dance with OBT2. She enjoyed performing in both OBT2’s outreach programs and company productions. Her favorite roles at OBT include Dawn in OBT’s Annual School Performance of Coppélia, Teresina in August Bournonville’s Napoli, and Harlequin Doll in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She was promoted to OBT apprentice in 2016.

KEENAN ENGLISH

Keenan English trained with the Baltimore County Youth Ballet and then the Baltimore School for the Arts before joining the trainee program at Boston Ballet

School on the Pao Scholarship, where he performed with Boston Ballet. In 2012, he attended the summer course at The School of American Ballet, and later enrolled as a full time student on the Carolyn Wright-Lewis Scholarship. While at SAB he performed in Balanchine’s Serenade, Coppélia, and Western Symphony, which was a Live at Lincoln Center PBS Broadcast. He joined the company at Dance Theatre of Harlem for the 2014/15 season, before joining Cincinnati Ballet for the 2015/16 season. He joined OBT as an apprentice in 2016.

SHEA MCADOO

Shea McAdoo was born in Scottsdale, Arizona where she began dancing at the age of 3. Her ballet training began at Master Ballet Academy under the direction of Slawomir and Irena Wozniak. She also attended summer

O R E G O N

courses at the School of American Ballet, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell and Boston Ballet. Shea joined OBT in 2014 as a student in the Professional Division before being promoted to apprentice for the 2015/16 season. Her favorite roles with OBT include variations from Paquita and the Orange Girl in Dennis Spaight’s Crayola.

15, and Septime Webre’s Juanita y Alicia. Some of his other favorite performances include Septime Webre’s Alice (in wonderland), and Michael Pink’s Giselle. Andrew is thrilled for his first season with OBT.

ANDREW WINGERT

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Andrew Wingert joined OBT in 2016 as an apprentice after spending a year as a freelance dancer, where he appeared in the corps de ballet with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet and as a guest artist with the Sacramento Ballet, Ballet Chicago and several other regional companies and schools. He has enjoyed performing in a variety of featured principal roles including: George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Divertimento No.

B A L L E T

T H E AT R E

P R E S E N T S ®

December 12-26, 2016 - Keller Auditorium Including 8 performances with the OBT Orchestra

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Peter Franc as Drosselmeier | Photos by Jame McGrew

Xuan Cheng | Photo by James McGrew

www.obt.org | 503-222-5538 PRODUCTION SPONSOR:

SEASON SPONSOR:

GIANTS • OREGON BALLET THEATRE

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

OBT STAFF ARTISTIC Kevin Irving, Artistic Director Lisa Kipp, Rehearsal Director Jeffrey Stanton, Ballet Master Nicolo Fonte, Resident Choreographer Niel DePonte, Music Director & Conductor Tracey Sartorio, Executive Assistant to the Artistic Director & Artistic Coordinator Irina Golberg, Principal Accompanist

PRODUCTION Bill Anderson, Director of Production Shannon Goffe, Production Administrator Victoria A. Epstein, Stage Manager Hayley Glickfeld Bielman, Assistant Stage Manager Michael Mazzola, Resident Lighting Designer Ian Anderson-Priddy, Production Electrician & A/V Coordinator Tim Boot, Sound Designer Matt Wilcox, Sound Engineer Pam Jett-Goodrich, First Hand Eileen Ehlert, Wardrobe & Shoe Administrator Christine Meyers, Costume Build Manager Fuchsia Lin, Draper Kelly Keiler, Virginia Killy, Stitchers Kerris Cockrell, Jeff Dines, Brian Keith, Brad Saby, Production Support Staff Janet George, Orchestra Personnel Manager Kristen Norvell, Head Music Librarian Rachel Rencher, Assistant Music Librarian Eva Richey, Assistant Music Librarian

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE Dennis Buehler, Executive Director Neville Wellman, Director of Finance & Operations Donna Jackson-Siekmann, Accounting Manager Linda Brown, Office Assistant

DEVELOPMENT Alison Roper, Major Gifts Officer Justin N. Smith, Donor Relations & Events Manager Keely McIntyre, Grants Manager Emily Tucker, Development Associate

MARKETING Natasha Kautsky, Director of Marketing & Communications James Bartlett, Audience Services Manager Jim Thompson, Graphic Designer Kate Kerns, Marketing Associate Chloe Hellberg, Patron Services Lead Richie Green, Customer Service Representative

COMPANY ROSTER | OBT THE SCHOOL OF OREGON BALLET THEATRE

KEVIN IRVING

Anthony Jones, School Director Lisa Sundstrom, OBT2 Program Director OBT2 is underwritten by M.J. Charitable Trust and John Van Buren James Holstad, School Administrator Rachel Närhi, West Linn Studio Manager Colleen Hanton, School Registrar & Children’s Coordinator Natasha Bar, Haley Blaise, Hannah Downs, Emma Johnson, Elise Legere, Chauncey Parsons, Jessica Post, Olivia Pyne, Dena Rasmussen, Alison Roper, Kembe Staley, Katarina Svetlova, Robyn Ullbarri, School Faculty Olga Alehina, Ayal Alves, Tiffany Barclay, Charlie Copeland, Irina Golberg, Garnet Hayes, Ray McKean, Ayako Matsuo, Alec Pemberton, Katie Pyne, Jon Roberts, Accompanists

DENNIS BUEHLER

EDUCATION OUTREACH Kasandra Gruener, Director of Education Outreach Brook Manning, Dance Historian & Teaching Artist Linda Besant, Archivist/Historian Sarah Ward Brown, Hannah Downs, Robyn Ulibarri, Allison Wales; Teaching Artists Amy Stahl, Office Assistant Sorrel Uchida, Research Assistant

SPECIAL THANKS IATSE Local #28, Oregon Children’s Theatre, ShowDrape Inc., White Bird Dance, Jeff Forbes, Portland Opera, Portland State University, Kayla Scrivner, Chris Balo, A to Z Moving, Noam BenHamou, George Rellers Sound Reinforcement, Inc.

DANCER WELLNESS COMMITTEE Dennis Buehler, OBT Executive Director Peter Franc, OBT Principal Dancer Richard Gellman, MD, Summit Orthopedics Kevin Irving, OBT Artistic Director Katherine B. McCoy, PT, MTC, West Portland Physical Therapy Clinic Sharon Mirarchi, Committee Chair & OBT Board of Trustees Peter Northrup, Northrup Corporation President Alex Occhipinti, Northrup Corporation Assistant Vice President Neville Wellman, OBT Director of Finance & Operations Amy Werner, PT, DPT, West Portland Physical Therapy Clinic Katharine Zeller, MD, Legacy Health

Artistic Director Executive Director

PRINCIPAL DANCERS Xuan Cheng, Peter Franc, Chauncey Parsons, Brian Simcoe, Jacqueline Straughan

SOLOISTS Candace Bouchard, Martina Chavez, Ansa Deguchi, Michael Linsmeier

COMPANY ARTISTS Thomas Baker, Eva Burton, Adam Hartley, Makino Hildestad, Christopher Kaiser, Jessica Lind, Katherine Monogue, Kelsie Nobriga, Kimberly Nobriga, Emily Parker, Colby Parsons, Avery Reiners, Paige Wilkey

APPRENTICES Hannah Davis, Abigail Diedrich, Keenan English, Shea McAdoo, Andrew Wingert

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Cary Jackson, Board Chair Nancy Locke, Vice Chair Cate Millar, Secretary Jimmy Crumpacker, Treasurer Ken Carraro Rita Duyn Nancy W. Frisch William Gaar Alan Garcia Gary Hanifan Brianne Hyder Ken Ivey John Lenyo Keith Martin Bradley Miller Nancy J. Miller Sharon Mirarchi

Reegan Rae Dean M. Richardson Mike Weddle Kevin Irving, ex officio Dennis Buehler, ex officio Candace Bouchard, ex officio

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

INDIVIDUAL DONORS Oregon Ballet Theatre would like to express its sincere gratitude to those listed below for gifts received through August 31, 2016. Donations received after this period will appear in the next playbill in December.

TOUR DE FORCE ($25,000 & UP)

Howard Hedinger Sue Horn-Caskey & Rick Caskey Cary Jackson Nancy Locke & Don Harris Jean Pierce Arlene Schnitzer/ Jordan Schnitzer Bob Sweeney & Cate Millar John Van Buren David Wardell, In Memoriam Nani Warren Wendy Warren & Thomas Brown David Wedge, In Memoriam Barbara Yeager

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE ($10,000–$24,999) Thomas Anderson & Jack Blumberg Jimmy Crumpacker Rita Duyn Karen & Bill Early Thomas & Elizabeth Gewecke Melissa & Gary Hanifan Jeanette Heinz Kiki Hillman Charles L. Jones John & Linda Lenyo Kenneth Lewis Devin & Natalia Megy Brad & Nancy Miller Sharon & Adam Mirarchi Paul O’Brien Loren Parks Mike & Karen Weddle

ÉTOILE POINTE SOCIETY ($5,000-$9,999)

Linda & Scott Andrews Robert Aughenbaugh

Noam Ben-Hamou Linda Besant & Martha Goetsch Anne & James Crumpacker Evelyn Curioso & Prashanth Vallabhanath Bill Dickey Rick & Carolyn Fromm William Gilliland Gregory K. & Mary Chomenko Hinckley Kathleen Kelly Diane Knudsen Dr. Dolores Leon & Dr. Fernando Leon Laura S. Meier Dean M. Richardson Luwayne Sammons Dr. Kathy Zeller & Dr. David Hill

VIRTUOSO POINTE SOCIETY ($2,500-$4,999)

Anonymous Ajitahrydaya Brent Barton & Liz Fuller Dan Bergsvik & Don Hastler Richard Louis Brown & Thomas Mark Ken Carraro Guillermina & Arthur Chavez Jeanie McGuire Coleman Daniel Deutsch Chuck & Barbara Edgerton Nancy & Paul Frisch William E. Gaar & Lauren E. Barnes Lyn Reynolds Garcia & Alan Garcia Marilyn & Hans Grunbaum Jamey Hampton & Ashley Roland Juliet Hillman Ronna & Eric Hoffman Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Sandra & Stephen Holmes Brianne & Zachary Hyder Kevin Irving & Nicolo Fonte Jan Jacobsen & Paul Hart Jan Johnson & Susan Olsen Elise Legere & James Mitchell

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

Bill & Kate Lockwood Keith Martin Marilyn J. McIver Ellen & Carl Nielsen John & Ginger Niemeyer Peter & Cassie Northrup Suzann & Dennis Ott Kelly & David Park Jane S. Partridge Melanie & Darren Pennington, In Honor of Lainie Pennington Steven & Allison Pike Yale Popowich, M.D. & Tina Skouras Reegan & David Rae Marilyn L. Rudin, MD & Richard S. Testut, Jr. Leslie Ann Sammons-Roth Jone Sampson & Sam Weirich Carol & Tom Shults Daniel & Dawn Simcoe Albert & Victoria Starr Joan W. Sterrett Robert Trotman & Bill Hetzelson The Peter & Ann van Bever Charitable Fund Toby & Linda Warson Dr. Charles W. Webb, D.O. Manami Yamaguchi & Jason Moore

PRINCIPAL DANCER’S CIRCLE ($1,000-$2,499)

Anonymous Susan T. Armentrout Patti & Lloyd Babler Barbara & Sidney Bass Adriane & Sam Blackman Suzanne Bromschwig & William Dolan Nancy & Andy Bryant Treena & Dennis Buehler Alex Carlson Jeff Chase & Patti Warner Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Bill Clodfelter & James Canfield Debi Coleman Robert & Patricia Dant Cameron & Dick Davis Marisol Delaney Elizabeth Dye

Larry & Deborah Friedman Ted & Cynthia Gaty Christine Diana Gay Valarie Grudier & Richard Langdon Penny Guest Kim & Chris Hasle Maryanne & David Holman Ken Ivey Stephen Karakashian Amy & Kevin Kohnstamm Carol Schnitzer Lewis Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Kathleen Lewis Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Ross M. Lienhart Molly Lytle Jerome Magill M. and L. Marks Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Melinda Marshall Judy & Louis McCraw Laurie & Gilbert Meigs Kirsten & Richard Meneghello Jeffrey Morgan Ken & Hana Moyle Gordon & Margaret Noel Jay & McKay Nutt Lesley Otto & Alexander Nicoloff J.P. Palanuk & Vinh Wong Denise & James Parker Carol Peterkort & Richard Gibson Angela Roach Carolyn & Hank Robb Alison Roper Mary Rose & Maxwell Whipps William & Nancy Rosenfeld Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Michele Rossolo & Matt Johnson Lori & Mike Russell Hazel & Barry Schlesinger Jacqueline M. Schumacher Virginia Sewell Jean K. Stoll Stephen Sweeney & Jordyn Jones Jet Taylor & Jonathan Griffith

Jim Thompson & Meredith English John Thoren David & Eileen Threefoot K. Vorderstrasse Matt Weaver Walter E. & Nancy P. Weyler Zela & Elsa John & Nancy Zernel SOLOIST DANCER’S CIRCLE ($500-$999)

Anonymous Tom Bard Mary R. Bennett Gerard Berardi Melanie Bjorge Linda & Ron Borkan Matthew Boyes & Frederic Koeleman Charles Brasher & Betty Lavis Kay Bristow David & Elaine Brown Annie & Brad Carnese Kristy & Bill Cory Dr. Dennis & Jennifer Crawford Sue Darrow Diedrich Family Leigh & Leslie Dolin Anton, Raylene & Taylor Eilers Emily & Evan Ellis Kristina & Paul Elseth Ed & Marilyn Epstein Mary & John Evans Joshua Ferrer Alexandra & Zan Galton James R. Golden Peter Gronquist Marjorie & Hendrik Grootendorst Ronald & Jennifer Hapke Daniel Harmon & Jennifer Rabiah Beth Harper Linda Rae Hickey Robert & Pamela Howard John & Tanya Hug Pamela K. Johnston Mary Klein & Francis T. Schneider Barbara Lamack & James Kalvelage Gary S. Leavitt Derek & Lydia Lipman Fund of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation Vida & Jonathan Lohnes Diane & Tom Macdonald Marisa Mack John F. Mathews Josie Mendoza & Hugh Mackworth Dan & Jackie Moore Martha Moyer Milo & Beverly Ormseth Melissa & Steven Peterman Stacy & Patrick Pritchard Carol & Walter Ratzlaf George & Mildred Robles Davia & Ted Rubenstein Miriam Ruth Sue & Brian Schebler John & June Schumann Bob Speltz & Dwight Adkins

INDIVIDUAL DONORS Corinne & Lindsay Stewart Graham & Kristi Taylor Evans Van Buren & Marsha Warner Peter Vennewitz Richard Wasserman & Ann Coskey-Wasserman Weiss Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Susan & Jim Winkler George Wittemyer Cynthia A. Yee Inna Zagariya

COMPANY ARTIST DANCER’S CIRCLE ($250-$499)

Anonymous Jim Anderson & Anne Lynch Susan Bailey & Mike Warwick Donald & Betty Balmer Natalia Bar Charles Barany Euclid O. Bautista Nola & Paul Becket Pat Behm & Gary Jacobsen John Bosshardt & Diana Petty Holly Brooks Irene & Patrick Burk Cat & Jacob Burns Connie Butler Kristin & Geoff Campbell Susan Carey Carolyn & Walter Carr Drs. Timothy & Theresa Chen Stan Cocke & Heather A. Kmetz Margery Cohn Diane Collier Nathan Conn Kristen Cornuelle & Ian Lombard Jody DeChaine Nancy Delbrueck Tina Domanskiy Sarah & Alex Ellis Conrad Eustis & Roberta Kanter Philip Fidler & Jane Cummins Rebecca Fleischman Kelly Freuler Andrew Fromm Melissa & Robert Good Helen A. Goodwin Barbara & Marvin Gordon-Lickey Rebecca Granquist Andrew & Ilene Harris Beatrice Hedlund Thomas & Verna Hendrickson Celeste HenningerLindaman Susan E. Herron, In Honor of Carol C. Herron Dr. & Mrs. David I. Hill, In Honor of Drs. David W. Hill & Katharine Zeller Beverly Hoeffer Tatsuo Ito

Joanne Jene David C. Jensen Brian C. Johnson Becky & Jarrett Jones Marcia Kahn Dr. & Mrs. Thorn Kinersly Patricia, Rick & Violet Kozak Steve & Nancy Kraushaar Laura M. Kretschmar, In Memory of Margaret Kretschmar Mary & Joseph Labadie Mary N. Laughlin Joan Levers & David Manhart Barton T. Lewis Ann Lininger & David White Joyce Loeb Martha J. Logan Deborah & Larry Lopardo James Lowry Linda J. Magness Linda L. Mann Earlean Marsh Pamela Matheson Justin Matthews Lori McAdoo Bob & Margaret McMillan Jack & Carolyn McMurchie Barry & Susan Menashe Susan Sammons Meyer & Dennis Meyer Monica & Dale Monroe Robert E. Monson Doug & Malinda Moore Carol N. Morgan Taylor & Jordan Morrell Robert & Dona Morris Todd & Crystal Neal Steven C. Neighorn Rob Nelson Susan Olson & Bill Nelson Ashley Orbock Rev. Dr. Rodney & Sandi Page Amy Paul, In Honor of Peter Paul Dennis Petrequin Judith E. Posey & Edward J. Doyle, MD William Ramirez & Roberta Staff Dan Ryan Sam Sadler Daniel & Kathleen Saucy Scott Showalter Gary & Lydia Slangan John D. & Pamela Smith Drs. Justin Smith & Christine Liu Sue Stegmiller Drs. R. Bastian & Barbara Wagner Family Charitable Fund Scott, Colette & Zoe Wiest Erin Wilkey-Cordray & Randy Cordray Bruce & Susan Winthrop Linda M. Wood Barb Audiss Young Tamara & Chris Yunker Kurt R. & Heather Zimmer

APPRENTICE DANCER’S CIRCLE ($100-$249)

Anonymous Kathy & Guy Allee Bill & Ginny Allen Sandra Armstrong Adam Arnold Paula M. Arsenault April Avery Gennaro & Marilyn Manser Avolio Diane Babcock Ruth Beiser Bach April & Brian Baker Julia & Robert Ball Rick Barron Howard Beckerman Barry & Jacqueline Bennett Paul & Pat Benninghoff Hisiya Beppu & Matthew LaRocco Patsy C. Berner Phil & Naomi Beymer Beth Blenz-Clucas & Richard Clucas Richard Botney Candace Bouchard & Adam Lounsbury Joyce Brehm Alan Brickley Karin P. Brocksbank Gerald J. & Fern Broock Maurine & Paul Canarsky Carlisle Mothers Group, In Memory of Margaret Kretschmar David G. Cassard Alisa Castellano Jean Cauthorn Sandy Chamness Miguel Cobian Deniz & Austin Conger, In Honor of Ayse & Ayla Conger Harriet Cormack Thomas & Marilyn Councell Lin Crimshaw Terri Cross Stuart Daily Arthur & Winnifred Danner Judy Dauble Wendy & Howard David Brian & Nancy Davies William DeBolt & Martha Graner, In Honor of Pat Walker Chuck & Patt DeRousie Dagmar Dettinger Adam & Emily Dew Laura & Dave Edelen Ruth Edsall Andrew Edwards Cydney Edwards Doris Ennis Martin & Anette Erickson Douglas Ertner Blair Exall & Misty Dawn Schlegel, In Honor of Mrs. Schumacher Abraham & Pamela Farkas Rochelle Farkas Dr. Scott & Vicki Fields

Katherine A. Finstuen, In Honor of John N. Finstuen George Fleerlage Cindy Fletcher Doreen Flores Theresa Fritchle Jennifer Froistad Jim & Mary Ann Gabriel Chris Garrett Ray & Joyce Gee Martine Geeraert & Kevin Clarke Arthur & Judith Ginsburg Gary & Susan Goncher Thomas Gredvig & April Freund-Gredvig Brenda Grootendorst Anna & Jeff Haagenson Candace Haines Barb Hall Kirk & Lisa Hall Carl Halvorson Gail & Irvin Handelman Antoinette Hatfield Julie & William Headley, In Honor of Nancy Locke Robert Heald Karen Henell & Gregg McCarty Shirley Hess Sean Higgins & Barrett Bewkes-Higgins Christian Hill & Laura Korman Gretchen Holce Jennifer Hudson Margaret Hug Carol & Tom Hull Jonah P. Hymes Linda Illig Elizabeth A. Javens David & Margaret Jeans Linda & Richard Jenkins Jonathan & Suzanne Jensen Dennis C. Johnson Shirley K. Johnson Kathy Jorda Allan Karsk Marla Kazell Arthur & Kristine Keil Keller Family Jean Kimsey Mary King Kristan Knapp & Janna Auslam Sophia Kremidas Vic & Tammie Krisciunas Leonard Kuhl Carol La Brie Sloane Lamb Connie Larkin Abigail & Don Lawton Elizabeth Le & Sean O’Neill Patricia Lee Patricia Liddell Kimberly & Gregory Lind Michelle Liu, In Honor of Sophia Pi Alice Lloyd Marcy Lowy Barbara Lusch & David Klein

Judy Lyons Kate Machell Christine Mackert, MD Jean & Jerry Marchildon, In Honor of Carol & Tom Shults Eileen Markson Kari Martinez MaryAnn, Mark & Gracie Theresa Mason Oscar & Mary Mayer Mason C. Mazzola Melody McBee Margaret McConnell & Robert Griner Paulette & Richard Meyer Elise Meyers Una Miniter & Omar Nazir Tony Mix & David Stauffer Sean & Corinne Monogue Patricia G. Moss Maria Nelson Rose Neyman David Nijhawan Keith & Cindi Nobriga Harriet Norman Robert Olds Kris Oliveira Barry Olson & Barbara Telfold Madeline Olson Lisa O’Rourke Paula Ousley Joan Paglin Veronica Paracchini Gary T. & Catherine A. Pederson Thomas & Jane Pence Jack & Chris Pendleton Anne Frances Penfound Karen Perzanowski Marilyn & Gaynor Petrequin Lisa Pfost Sara Pickett J. Scott Pritchard Karen Prohaska Kathy Pruitt Suzanne Rague Ramya Ramraj Betty & Jacob Reiss, In Honor of Julia Jones/OBT2 Martha Richards David Ritchie & LaJean Humphries Mike & Nancy Robinson, In Honor of Kathryn Robinson Brian Rogers & Cassandra Scholte Rosemarie Rosenfeld Mark Rossolo Cathy Rote Michael S. Parker Sagun Katharine Sammons, In Honor of Luwayne Sammons Carol & Steven Sandor Rick & Sharon Schaefer Anne Schagen & Michael Allen Daniel Schmidt Robert E. Schneider, PhD Clifford Schrock

Aaron Scott Mary Shibley & Dale Voeller Barbara Smith Charlie Smith Margaret Smith Marcus & April Song Patricia A. Southard Rosemary Southwood Joan Stevens-Schwenger Leslie & Elizabeth Stoessl Tomohito Takeuchi Gary Taliaferro Wendy Tanada Bahram Tavakolian Paul & Sabrina Teays Fred & Jean Thompson Robert & Rebecca Todd Dr. Donald & Jane Trunkey, In Honor of Dr. Karen Deveney Teresa Tse Lyle M. Tucker William & Nancy Ullrich John & Cindy Ulrich Mimi Underwood Jon Vorderstrasse Les Vuylsteke Darby J. Walker Patricia & James Walker Cynthia K. Wallace Douglas Watson Dr. Frederick & Maureen G. Wearn Mr. & Mrs. Duane C. Weaver Patrick Weishampel Judy & Benjamin Werner Sonya White Anthony & Marianne Wilcox Wilkey Family Lauretta Williams Miriam Willis Julie Wilson Mary-Ann & Jim Wilson Mary Ann Wish Gail Woolf Jack Wussow & Kyle Adams Christopher & Angela Zahas Janet & Alan Zell Ernie ZumBrunnen & Grace Hawes

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

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OREGON BALLET THEATRE

ALLEGRO SOCIETY

COMMUNITY CORPS DE BALLET Recognizing gifts received through August 31, 2016

$100,000 & UP

Fred W. Fields Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust The Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County and the Arts Education and Access Fund

$50,000–$99,999

Clark Foundation The Collins Foundation ESCO Foundation The Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation The Hearst Foundations Meyer Memorial Trust The Shubert Foundation West Portland Physical Therapy Clinic*

$25,000–$49,999

Cascadia Foundation Coit Family Foundation Hedinger Family Foundation Leftbank Annex* Oregon Arts Commission, this activity is supported in part by a grant from the Oregon Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts Oregon Cultural Trust PCC Structurals, Inc. Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust Russell Development/200 Market Street* The Swigert Warren Foundation

$10,000-$24,999

The Boeing Company Hotel Modera* Ivey Jacobson & Co. LLC* Jerome Robbins Foundation Mentor Graphics Foundation Opsis Architecture LLP* PGE Foundation Portland Development Commission Scan Design Foundation by Inger & Jens Bruun The Standard Starseed Foundation Twelve Wine* U.S. Bank Foundation Work for Art, including contributions from more than 75 companies and 2,000 employees

$5,000–$9,999

Accenture AT&T Cushman & Wakefield First Republic Bank Freed of London Goldman Sachs & Co. Jackson Foundation Jim McBroom and John H. Weston Fine Arts Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Juan Young Trust Melvin Mark Companies* Morel Ink Nel Centro* Northwest Natural Gas Old Town Florist* William H. & Mary L. Bauman Foundation

$2,000–$4,999

Alaska Airlines* Anne A. Berni Foundation Barran Liebman LLP* The Benson Hotel* Buckley Law P.C. The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation Abby Drinkard, LAc* Elemental Technologies* Elephants Delicatessen* Grand Avenue Floral* Catherine M. Gurski, ND, MSOM, LAc* Leupold & Stevens Foundation Jonathan Lohnes, LMT* Mark Spencer Hotel* Pabst Brewing Company Portland Art Museum* PosterGarden* Robert F. Ratzow, DC* Residence Inn Portland Downtown/Riverplace* Roy & Diane Marvin Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation Scandinavian Heritage Foundation Thomcorp Town Car* Wells Fargo Foundation Wintz Family Foundation

$1,000–$1,999:

Agger Chiropractic & Nutrition Clinic* Dr. Seth Alley* Arnerich Massena Bridgetown Chiropractic & Wellness Portland Clinic* Charles Fine Art Portraits* Connect the Dots, LLC* China Forbes, Singer* Michael Allen Harrison, Musician* Longbottom Coffee & Tea* Aaron Meyer, Concert Rock Violinist* New Heights Physical Therapy Plus* Studio Blue* Yvonne Vleer, Kinesiologist, LMT*

UNDER $1,000

Albert & Esther Cory Foundation Apolloni Vineyards* Emily Bartha, LAc* Cappella Romana* Nadia Chopra, Physical Therapist* Classic Chauffeur Co., Inc.* Carissa Conner, LMT* Crowell Law Cupcake Jones* Domaine Serene* Driftwood Restaurant* Elk Cove Vineyards* Elmer’s Restaurants Meredith English, Physical Therapist* Feast Portland* Friends of Chamber Music* Tony Fuemmeler, Artist* Geiser Grand Hotel* Geranium Lake* Paloma Griffin Hebert, Musician* Intel Charitable Match Trust Jefferson Neurology LLC Kevin Kiggins Massage* King Charitable Foundation Kristen Livingston, DC, ART* Maitri Therapeutic Massage* Mercedes-Benz of Portland* Monique’s Boutique Gretchen Rose Newmark, MA, RD* The Nielson Group, LLC The Ocean Lodge*

OnPoint Community Credit Union Oregon Convention Center* Oregon Shakespeare Festival* Oregon Symphony* PICA* Portland Baroque Orchestra* Portland Center Stage* Portland Playhouse* Resident Association of Mirabella Portland River’s Edge Hotel & Spa* Rogue* Rolf PDX* David Saffert, Musician* Skamania Lodge* Smith Teamaker* Solaris Bodyworks, Inc.* Speed’s Towing* Sundial Baking & Events* Umpqua Bank Yamhill Valley Vineyards*

Clinics & healthcare professionals who preserve the health & well-being of Oregon Ballet Theatre’s dancers.

MATCHING GIFT CORPORATIONS:

NADIA CHOPRA, PT, DPT, OCS, COMT

Accenture Chevron Matching Employee Funds Give With Liberty Google, Inc. Northwest Natural Gas Pacific Power Foundation PGE Company The Standard Tektronix Foundation Matching Gifts Program UBS Financial Services U.S. Bank Foundation

*Donation in-kind

WEST PORTLAND PHYSICAL THERAPY Katherine B. McCoy, PT, MTC Amy Werner, PT, DPT Patti Koehler, PT, WCS Christine Krueger, PT Eryn Kirschbaum, PT, DPT Amanda Land, PT, DPT Jennifer Parker, PT, DPT, MOTR, CLT Sarah Terpin, PT, DPT Emily Bottjen, PTA Ann Marie Cordova, PTA Trish Jilot, PTA Sandie Lamb-Moudy, PTA Shalynn Robinette, PTA AGGER CHIROPRACTIC & NUTRITION CLINIC Simon J. Agger, DC BRIDGETOWN CHIROPRACTIC & WELLNESS Jacob May, DC Melody Johnson, LMT CARISSA CONNER, LMT MEREDITH ENGLISH, MS PT CATHERINE M. GURSKI, ND, MSOM, LAC KEVIN KIGGINS, LMT LEGACY HEALTH Katharine Zeller, MD JONATHAN LOHNES, LMT MAITRI THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE Bob Bush, LMT, ACE(PT), MT(ASCP) MARCH WELLNESS & FITNESS CENTER OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY NEW HEIGHTS PHYSICAL THERAPY PLUS Liz Ruegg, PT, DPT GRETCHEN ROSE NEWMARK, MA, RDN

RÉVÉRENCE CIRCLE In recognition of those who have included OBT in their estate plan. Robert Aughenbaugh Dan Bergsvik & Don Hastler Linda Besant & Martha Goetsch Suzanne Bromschwig & William Dolan Holly Brooks David & Elaine Brown Debi Coleman Nathan Conn Karen & Bill Early Peter W. Edgerton Marilyn & Hans Grunbaum Charles L. Jones Belinda & Frederick Kinyon Perry Lee Dr. Dolores Leon & Dr. Fernando Leon

Derek & Lydia Lipman Martha J. Logan Marna McComb Kirsten & Richard Meneghello Brad & Nancy Miller Sharon & Adam Mirarchi Carol N. Morgan Virginia Nelson Suzann & Dennis Ott Rev. Dr. Rodney & Sandi Page Jane S. Partridge Marilyn L. Rudin, MD & Richard S. Testut, Jr. Anne Stevenson Carol Streeter & Harold Goldstein John & Ann Symons David Wardell, In Memoriam David Wedge, In Memoriam

PACIFIC NORTHWEST ACUPUNCTURE & HERBAL CLINIC, LLC Abby Drinkard, MAcOM, LAc POHALA CLINIC Julie E. Foster, FNP ROBERT F. RATZOW, DC ROLF PDX Olaf Wilberg SOLARIS BODYWORKS, INC. Neissan Saber, LMT STUDIO BLUE PILATES Dan Walton, Owner, Senior Pilates Instructor Emma Johnson, Yoga Instructor SUMMIT ORTHOPEDICS Richard E. Gellman, MD SYLVAN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC & WELLNESS CENTER, LLC Seth Alley, DC, CCSP, CKTP TURNING POINTE ACUPUNCTURE, LLC Emily Bartha, LAc YVONNE VLEER, KINESIOLOGIST, LMT

OREGON BALLET THEATRE

NOV. 30 – DEC. 30

TWO HOLIDAY CLASSICS! Portland Center Stage at

Tickets at pcs.org, by phone at 503.445.3700 or drop by at 128 NW Eleventh Avenue. Above: Hershey Felder in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Photo by Eighty Eight Entertainment; Below: Darius Pierce in The Santaland Diaries. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv.

NOV. 26 – DEC. 24

The Legendary XC70

VOLVO IS CELEBRATING THE FINAL YEAR OF THE LEGENDARY XC70 WITH A SPECIAL EDITION LIMITED PRODUCTION 2016 XC70 CLASSIC.

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Andy Warhol (American, 1928–1987). Space Fruit: Still Lifes, Cantaloupes II (II.198), 1979. Screenprint. 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. © 2016 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE What I like best about Shakespeare is the way his plays, even the minor ones, can suddenly reﬂect a shard of my own experience, my own feeling, my own attempts to understand my world. In this bitter election year, I found “Timon of Athens” just about perfect when I spent a few days at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. Who is more bitter than Anthony Heald’s Timon, so gentle and generous at the beginning of the play and so savage toward humankind by the end? Here is the crucial moment, Timon at full rant, sputtering and spitting against the Athenians who had accepted his gifts and wallowed in the luxury of his table: Most smiling, smooth, detested parasites, Courteous destroyers, affable wolves, meek bears, You fools of fortune, trencher-friends, time’s ﬂies, Cap-and-knee slaves, vapours, and minute-jacks!

I had to fetch my glossary, “Shakespeare’s Words,” to discover that a “minute-jack” was a “mind-changing villain, fickle lout,” though I got the idea without a precise definition. Oh, and a “cap-and-knee slave” is a sycophant (who removes his cap, descends to one knee and flatters a great man or lady). But that was just the beginning for Timon. Sure, he abandons the precincts of Athens for the wild countryside. (And maybe you’ve threatened to the do the same if one particular candidate emerges triumphant in November.) But he goes beyond that. The general Alcibiades, who hates Athens, too, asks the hermit his name. “I am Misanthropos and hate mankind,” Timon answers. And nothing in the rest of the play proves any different. Timon is done with us. Strangely, presented with this picture of Timon, I found my own bitterness about the state of things abate a little. Shakespeare does that. He does it in the festival’s production of “Richard II” as well, another play for our times. Richard is surrounded by flatterers and bad advisers, and England is suffering for it: “A thousand flatterers sit within thy crown,” the dying John of Gaunt tells Richard. And

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

before long Richard has created the enemy, Henry Bolingbroke, who will depose him and then assume the crown himself as Henry IV. Shakespeare doesn’t abandon Richard II, though, even if history destroys him. Instead, he gives Richard the beginning of wisdom, too late for his crown, but the peace of understanding is its own reward. On this trip, the plays were constantly speaking directly to this time and our politics, which have managed to corrupt our democracy. Qui Nguyen’s Vietgone spoke directly, sympathetically and surprisingly to the immigrant experience in America just as the very word “immigrant” has become ensnared in the worst kind of politics. And by the time “Hamlet” rolled around, the words of Marcellus to Horatio—“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”—made heads nod in affirmation all over the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre in the festival’s Doom Metal version of Shakespeare’s play. So, I really needed Twelfth Night and Viola’s optimism, though she’s caught in a tangle of love and duty: “O Time, thou must untangle this not I;/It is too hard a knot for me t’ untie.” Her prayer is even answered! For the next couple of months, we’ll conclude a hundred times that something is rotten in our body politic. We’ll watch a hundred ads attempt to ignite our most reﬂexive, least human responses. We’ll be tempted, like Timon, to turn our backs on all of it, because none of it makes sense. In “The Long Revolution”, British culture critic Raymond Williams writes, “Democracy and community have again and again been made over into the old kind of restriction and direction. Individualism has passed into selfishness and indifference by the facts of its own incompleteness.” The complexity of things in the modern era, he suggests, have led to a general sense of insecurity. But despite the failures of democracy, his thinking leads back to it: “If man is essentially a learning, creating and communicating being, the only social organization adequate to his nature is a participatory democracy, in which all of us, as unique individuals, learn, communicate and control.” In his argument Williams quotes The Brothers Karamazov. Dostoyevsky says that when a man seeks the greatest possible “fulness of life” for himself, “all his efforts result...in arriving at complete solitude.” At Timon, in short. We ﬁgure out a way to work together or we die alone. The arts lead us to a vast amount of human wisdom, but maybe this is the most important. At least for the here and now. .

“SOME OF THE BEST DANCERS YOU WILL EVER SEE” – CALGARY HERALD

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

AT TH E P E R FO R M A N C E

PUBLISHER & FOUNDER Misty Tompoles EDITOR-AT-LARGE Barry Johnson COPY EDITOR Kristen Seidman DESIGNERS Megan C. Cutler Lisa Johnston-Smith MEDIA DIRECTOR Chris Porras PUBLISHERS REPRESENTATIVE Lindsey Ferguson PUBLISHING COORDINATOR Bella Showerman SPECIAL PROJECTS Ahnyah Krummenacker CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A.L. Adams Barry Johnson PHOTOGRAPHERS Will Nielsen EDITORIAL INTERNS Lauren Abbott Anyi Wong-Lifton Carleigh Oeth DESIGN INTERN Anna Payne

OREGON BALLET THEATRE Kate Kerns, Marketing Associate

Artslandia at the Performance is published by Rampant Creative, Inc. ©2016 Rampant Creative, Inc. All rights reserved. This magazine or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Rampant Creative, Inc. /Artslandia Magazine 6637 SE Milwaukie Ave. #207 | Portland, OR 97202

ARTSLANDIA.COM

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

THROUGH RHODA’S RHODA S EYES

THE NETHER by Jennifer Haley

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

OUT & ABOUT MUSIC

DANCE

THEATER

ONE NIGHT ONLY!

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

NORTHWEST DANCE PROJECT

What would go on to inspire the Roger Corman film of the same name, this offBroadway musical follows florist’s assistant Seymour as he cares for a strange little plant with a lot of secrets. The mysterious plant brings about fame, fortune, and much more for our hapless but lovable protagonist, set to a score of Motown and rock n’ roll.

Opening with a bang, the season starts out with three promising choreographers who are carving their own paths in the future of contemporary dance. Ihsan Rustem, Lucas Crandall, and Felix Landerer will present three original pieces that pulse with passion and inspiration.

AUGUST WILSON’S HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED

PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE

Follow the life August Wilson and take a journey through the triumphs and tribulations of African-America history. This one-man autobiographical performance is both humorous and poignant, and uncovers the extraordinary mind of one of America’s most prolific playwrights. SEPTEMBER 21–OCTOBER 23 PORTLAND PLAYHOUSE

HOLD THESE TRUTHS

PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

Inspired by true events, Hold These Truths chronicles Gordan Hirabayashi’s struggle to fight the government program of mass incarceration of Japanese people during the second World War. With a passionate and unwavering belief in the constitution, Hirabayashi begins a journey towards understanding America’s triumphs— and failures. OCTOBER 1–NOVEMBER 13; ELLYN BYE STUDIO, THE ARMORY

AMERICAN HERO

ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE

hours MON–FRI 11:30am–Midnight SAT & SUN 5:00pm–Midnight reservation 503.688.5952 littlebirdbistro.com 215 SW 6TH AVE. PORTLAND, OR 97204

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE

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PORTLAND CENTER STAGE

SEPTEMBER 10–OCTOBER 16; U.S. BANK MAIN STAGE, THE ARMORY

SW 6th between Oak & Pine

FAMILY SHOW

A trio of “sandwich artists” (a teenager, a single mom and a refugee) must figure out how to make ends “meat and cheese” in this hilarious but convincing satirical comedy. The unique and spirited group’s story is a post-recession commentary presenting the humor in despair and the creativity that arises from desperate times. This comedy sheds light on the lives of those most affected by the post-recession economy and reimagines the meaning of the American Dream. OCTOBER 4–30; ALDER STAGE AT ARTISTS REPERTORY THEATRE

OCTOBER 13–15; LINCOLN PERFORMANCE HALL, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS WHITE BIRD

Award-winning choreographer Camille A. Brown’s newest work Black Girl: Linguistic Play explores African American women’s complex challenge of creating a self-identity in a politically and racially charged world. Brown is known for invigorating dance performances from the contemporary black female perspective. OCTOBER 13–15; NEWMARK THEATRE

THE DROWNING GIRLS

BAG&BAGGAGE

Rising from the watery graves of the bathtubs in which they drowned, three breathless brides convene to gather evidence against their conniving and murderous husband, George Joseph Smith. This astounding fantasia is an adaptation of the transcripts a 20th century murder trial in England, “Brides in a Bath.” OCTOBER 13–31; THE VENETIAN THEATRE

INBAL PINTO & AVSHALOM POLLAK

WHITE BIRD UNCAGED SERIES

Colorfully costumed dancers create inventive shapes against a gleaming white backdrop and poignant Japanese score in Wallflower. Inbal Pinto and Avshalon Pollak are worldrenowned choreographers and directors bringing their unique, award-winning work to White Bird for the first time in ten years. OCTOBER 20–22; LINCOLN HALL, PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY

GOOSEBUMPS: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM

OREGON CHILDREN’S THEATRE

Prepare to get “Goosebumps!” After landing the lead roles in their school’s hit musical, The Phantom, Brooke and Zeke hear a rumor that the show is cursed. When unexplainable events befall the theater, Zeke and Brooke take it upon themselves to solve the mystery. OCTOBER 22–NOVEMBER 20; NEWMARK THEATRE

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

the

of art

FUNDING I truly donʼt think of donations as a chief motivator when Iʼm at the point of decision-making about the kind of work we do. Itʼs rather the opposite direction: I work with artists and audience to identify our artistic aesthetic, then we seek funders who support the idea of the work we want to do. The other way around would feel backwards.

GROWTH Weʼre tr ying to reach the same group of people that all other art organizations are tr ying to reach: young adults, 35 and younger! Bringing in younger audiences creates a promising future.

PAT Z A G E L O W FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC

DAMASO RODRIGEZ

ARTIS TS REPERTORY THEATRE

DIVERSITY MORE PLAYS ARE MAKING IT TO THE STAGE THAT HAVE PEOPLE OF COLOR TELLING THEIR STORIES. MORE PLAYS ARE INTEGRATING PEOPLE OF COLOR INTO ROLES TYPICALLY PLAYED BY WHITE ACTORS. THE DOORS ARE OPENING, AND ARTISTS ARE WALKING THROUGH THEM.

WORLD PERSPECTIVE

K A R O L C O L LY M O R E

ARTS & EDUC ATION LEADER

In Hamburg, where I first conducted, the arts were government subsidized, whereas in the U.S., government contribution to the arts is negligible. In Europe, the best gigs went to conductors and musicians with the most experience. In the U.S., everybody wants to discover the new, the unknown talent. C A R L O S K A L M A R OREGON SYMPHONY

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

DIVERSITY

THE ECONOMY

We took a long, hard look at ourselves. We committed to evolving in this arena holistically and authentically—which meant self-reﬂ ection within individuals and organizationally; it meant transparent and humble examination of our presuppositions, internalized biases, relationship to privilege, and assessment of how those things play a part in the culture we create.

UPS AND DOWNS IN THE ECONOMY AFFECT THE ARTS. WHEN PEOPLE ARE FEELING FINANCIALLY SECURE AND PROSPEROUS, THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS— AND THOSE ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE IMPACTED BY POLITICS.

MAUREEN PORTER

T H I R D R A I L R E P E R T O R Y T H E AT R E

ANNE MUELLER THE PORTLAND BALLET AN ARTS-FRIENDLY TOWN STARTS WITH AN ARTS-FRIENDLY MAYOR. OUR LAST MAYOR TO BE AN ALLY OF THE ARTS WAS SAM ADAMS; I’M HEARTENED TO THINK THAT OUR NEXT MAYOR WILL REASSERT THE ARTS AS A PRIORITY.

NICK FISH PORTLAND CIT Y COMMISSIONER

DIVERSITY Weʼre not a “Latinos only” club; we welcome others of different races and ethnicities to participate, enjoy, and actively collaborate. Our deepseated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion motivates and guides us.

FUNDING In my opinion, those corporations with names on the sides of high-rises should be loosening their purse strings. Come on! They have money! They have no problem funding every sports team from little league to professional. They obviously don’t see the importance of the arts.

RONNI LACROUTE

MAJOR THEATER DON OR

MELISSA SCHMITZ MIL AGRO THEATRE AR T W ORK BY M IC HA E L B U C HIN O E D I TE D F O R B R E V IT Y

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

128 NW Eleventh Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97209

Chris Coleman, Artistic Director

503.445.3700

pcs.org

Portland Center Stage at

SEASON TICKETS START AT JUST $70.50! Visit www.pcs.org for more info.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS By Alan Menken and Howard Ashman On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Sept. 10 – Oct. 16, 2016

HOLD THESE TRUTHS By Jeanne Sakata | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Oct. 1 – Nov. 13, 2016

ASTORIA: Part One By Chris Coleman; based on the book ASTORIA: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire, A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark | On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Jan. 14 – Feb. 12, 2017

HIS EYE IS ON THE SPARROW

A musical biography of Ethel Waters

THE OREGON TRAIL By Bekah Brunstetter On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Oct. 29 – Nov. 20, 2016

By Larry Parr | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Feb. 4 – Mar. 19, 2017

WILD AND RECKLESS A new musical event from Blitzen Trapper

THE SANTALAND DIARIES

On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Mar. 16 – Apr. 30, 2017

By David Sedaris; adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello | In the Ellyn Bye Studio Nov. 26 – Dec. 24, 2016

HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN By Hershey Felder On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Nov. 30 – Dec. 30, 2016

Visit www.pcs.org for tickets! Katie deBuys in Stupid F***ing Bird. Photo by Patrick Weishampel/blankeye.tv.

LAUREN WEEDMAN DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE By Lauren Weedman On the U.S. Bank Main Stage Mar. 17 – Apr. 30, 2017

MARY’S WEDDING By Stephen Massicotte In the Ellyn Bye Studio Apr. 15 – May 28, 2017

CONSTELLATIONS By Nick Payne On the U.S. Bank Main Stage May 13 – June 11, 2017

WHAT’S YOUR

WE INTERVIEWED 50 OF OUR FAVORITE ARTISTS ABOUT THEIR FAVORITE PORTLAND PLACES.

FAVORITE

PLACE

Photo by David Rollins.

Vin Shambry ACTOR & AUTHOR

FAVORITE PLACE Colonel Summers Park

HOMETOWN Portland, Oregon

WHY IS THIS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE? “Colonel Summers Park was a place where I started going four years ago to learn lines, do yoga and light workouts early in the morning. There is a stillness and calmness to the parks vibe. The trees that surround the park are stunning.”

PORTLAND HAS CHANGED... “its identity quite a bit. It is my duty as a performing artist to elaborate and tell the stories of the people who have been displaced and how that pain feels.”

Vin is currently starring in The Gun Show at CoHo Productions. Go to artslandia.com and listen to Vin and The Gun Show playwright, E.M. Lewis, discuss the production with Susannah Mars, host of the podcast Adventures in Artslandia.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

Photo by Will Nielsen.

One-of-a-kind actor Lauren Modica steels her nerve for a solo show.

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE â&#x20AC;¢ SEPT | OCT 2016

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

It’s

an understatement to say that Lauren Modica's in a unique position. Quick to claim that she's the “most inspirational half-Black dwarf actor in town,” she's equally quick to laugh that accolade o�f, admitting she craves a bigger challenge than winning in a category where there's technically no contest.

Oh—and she’s fully aware that that level of laboration with Chicago’s legendary Second Murray, and she’s mustering her courage for frankness can shock people...but no more City comedy troupe. That show continued one of acting’s greatest feats: the one-perthan others’ remarks have sometimes over three holiday seasons and was by all son show. The ultimate assertion of self-reshocked her. From friends who’ve insensi- accounts a physical and comedic “workout,” flection and the pure, unadorned ability to tively blurted that they “couldn’t imagine” finally gave Modica the visibility and further entertain, the solo show is also the mode of raising a dwarf child; to a homeless inebriate on-the-job training her talents deserved. expression Modica’s biggest heroes Patton yelling “midget” at her in a parking lot; to Oswalt and Jeanine Garofalo have chosen. “I’ve been so, so lucky to work with the comBut she says the idea of the “one woman family members who initially discouraged panies I have, as often as I have,” she gushes. her from following her dream of acting, Modshow” comes with unique baggage. As she ica’s lived through a rare spectrum and prospective director Pat Moran of tragicomedy. Some stories, she’ll undertake preliminary planning, I think if I weren’t a dwarf, I wouldn’t volunteer in conversation. Others, they’ve already joked about one even be a performer. I’d have just stuck woman show clichés. she’s saving for the stage.

“

Since coming of age in Portland, with journalism or public relations. Modica’s paid her dues on the theater scene, starting with community productions, then attending “the gen- “I hope that continues! But I don’t want to feel erals” and bigger companies’ open auditions bitter or helpless if it ever changes.” to snag an ever-steadier stream of ensemble Well, there’s only one surefire way to ward roles. Having earned an extraordinary repoff The Casting Blues—star in your own utation for hard work, humor and intensity, play—so that’s the actor’s next plan. Modica’s in 2013 she got her first big break: a role (or currently workshopping an original two-peractually several) in Portland Center Stage’s son show with fellow local luminary Chris sketch comedy Twist Your Dickens, a col-

”

“I feel like people will expect me to wear a black turtleneck, and at some point I’m just gonna drop to my knees and let out a primal scream!” she laughs. “But who wants to listen to that?” She’d prefer, she says, to give her material a wry twist, and to balance any dwarf-specific stories with plenty of universal themes.

“Don’t get me wrong; I have deep grief sometimes for what I rolled in, basically, genetic CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

The Role of a Lifetime

by A.L. Adams

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45 roulette, but I also have a fierce self-protectiveness that doesn’t let me go there. For some reason, this has been the year when people keep coming up to me and saying, ‘I know a dwarf who committed suicide.’ I realize they’re unburdening themselves by sharing...but I’m like, ‘Where does that leave me?’ Dwelling on unfairness onstage would be irresponsible. We’d all end up feeling worse. At the same time, I’m aware that many people see me as an inspiration...but I don’t want to frame myself that way, either, like:”

PRESENTS

Oct. 8 – Oct. 15, 2016 | Keller Auditorium

Eva Burton | Photos by James McGrew

I feel like people “ will expect me

TICKETS START AT $29 | www.obt.org | 503-222-5538 Featuring the OBT Orchestra and Portland Pianist Hunter Noack

SUPPORTED IN PART BY:

Giants Before Us underwritten by The Boeing Company

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

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to wear a black turtleneck, and at some point I’m just gonna drop to my knees and let out a primal scream! But who wants to listen to that?

”

Here, Modica perks up into her best suburban housewife impression. “Look at her! She’s doing it! Shopping at New Seasons! Living her best life!” Her switch into the funny voice evokes another Lauren—Lauren Weedman, who previewed her own solo show in progress, the PCS-commissioned Lauren Weedman Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, at this summer’s JAW Festival. Modica pulled some strings at PCS to workshop with Weedman, and came away energized. “She has such a great way of combining physicality, musicality, tragedy—and this ability to drop these profound revelations on you out of nowhere...and she doesn’t mind leaving space for you to really feel whatever she’s said.” Weedman encouraged Modica explore possibilities for props and sets, but Modica’s not sure she’s ready. “I don’t think I can wheel out some box of scarves on my first attempt,” she

September/October LAUREN MODICA laughs. “I’m more picturing just one stool in the middle of the stage. But we’ll see.” Her plans are proceeding at an interesting political moment. As Black Lives Matter haunts the national conscience, local diversity discussions are popping up with increased frequency among arts groups like Portland Emerging Arts Leaders and dedicated issue forums like The Color of Now (led by Modica’s friend and former Dickens castmate Chantal DeGroat). When it comes to “intersectionality”—the study of so-called minorities within minorities—Modica alone can address her three particular forms of “otherness.” “Dwarfism is always what people see first.” she declares, but she also admits that she’s pondered a list of “what ifs”: “I think if I weren’t a dwarf, I wouldn’t even be a performer. I’d have just stuck with journalism or public relations.” “If I were a different race—well, I am half white, and people always misidentify my race anyway. Hawaiian, Pacific Islander...most people guess wrong. Whenever they get it without guessing and just go, ‘Yeah, you’re Black,’ I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ So I guess if I were a different race, maybe not much would change?” And as a male dwarf? “I’d probably be a really loud, obnoxious, joker-partier-skater type of bro. I can totally see myself in a backwards baseball cap, taking dares, calling out strangers, with absolutely nothing to lose. Sometimes I play a character like that to tease my sisters, and they’re like, ‘Knock it off ! We don’t like that guy.’” As much as a solo show will enable Modica to explore her existing facets (bro voice optional), she also hopes it will help clear her passage into a next phase. “I’m starting to want things. Like a house. A dog. A fig tree. Maybe children? A solo show is something I’ve wanted but resisted for a long time, and this is the point when I have the fewest reasons I’ll ever have to say no. I want this show to be like building a tiny house: a secure structure that I can inhabit for a while and take it places. I intend to live without regret.” Modica pauses. And we feel it. .

JASON ALEXANDER

SINGS BROADWAY

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 3 PM Jeff Tyzik, conductor Jason Alexander, vocals Long before becoming world-renowned as the iconic George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” Jason Alexander was a Tony Award-winning Broadway song and dance man. His appearance features hilarious retellings of his journey to and on the Broadway stage, with great music from the theater, along with comedy and audience interaction. It’s a much-heralded performance of music, laughter, and fun. Tickets start at $23 – while they last!

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S C H N I T Z E R

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AUGU ST WILS ON’S

HOW I LEARNED WHAT I CO-CONCEIVED BY TODD KREIDLER

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IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER THAN NOTHING .”

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

EXPERIENCE CREATIVITY

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE â&#x20AC;¢ SEPT | OCT 2016

PDXOS-PortlandOpenStudios_Artslandia_2.23x9.6875_F.indd 8/21/16 1 2:59 PM

AN ARTSLANDIA FEATURE

THE SOUND OF TWENTY FINGERS DANCING

An afternoon practice with XX Digitus Duo YOU KNOW WHAT’S HARD TO SHARE? A PAIR OF ROLLER

by A.L. Adams

SKATES. A SINGLE TIRE SWING. OR ONE PIANO. WATCHING XX DIGITUS DUO RUN THROUGH THEIR PRACTICE, I’M GETTING FLASHBACKS OF TRYING TO SHARE WITH MY SISTER.

n Maria Garcia’s spacious Eliot living room, she and Momoko Muramatsu deftly and emotively co-pilot a Fazioli grand piano (“the Ferrari of pianos,” as Momoko calls it), pausing occasionally to discuss dynamics and scribble notes on their sheet music. As one piece percolates and rises to a rumble, the pencil flies off the piano and skitters across the hardwoods, startling Maria’s dog Cosmo from a rapturous nap. It’s easy to see why the Duo describes their coordinated playing as “choreography.” Their four hands often crisscross over each other; three of their four feet evade the piano’s three pedals while one foot plays designated driver; and whenever one player begins a run up or down the keyboard, the other fluidly completes it. As with roller skates or a tire swing, it takes a lot of synchronized swaying to move forward and stay out of each other’s way. And that’s only the half of it. “In practice, we’re more subdued. We’re giving this about fifty percent,” Momoko explains. “When we’re performing, we’re giving a hundred percent, so we’re twice as animated!” What’s more, Maria is near-sighted while Momoko is far-sighted, tempting them to lean

respectively forward and backward. They’ve long since set some ground rules: never share a bench, keep your elbows in. It’s a wonder this system works at all, and a marvel how beautifully. Each accomplished concert pianists in their own right, Maria and Momoko formed XX Digitus Duo in 2014—more recently than their rapport might suggest. That’s because the pair have been crossing paths since college. They first met while training at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, then reconnected when they both lived in New York years later. “Life brought us back together in different places,” says Maria, and each time, they discussed putting together a project; it just never happened til they were both in Portland. Embracing Portland’s reputation for flouting convention, the friends forewent an obvious name choice like “Muramatsu/Garcia” in favor of more alternative branding: XX “isn’t ex-ex,” Maria clarifies, “it’s the Roman numeral for twenty”—and “Digitus” is Latin for fingers. “We did wonder, ‘Does it sound risqué?’” she notes, “but ultimately, we like that it’s unique and sets us apart.” Their expanded tagline, “Twenty Finger Symphonic Sounds of Eclectic Repertoire,” sums up their mission as well as their name’s meaning. The novelty of four-hand piano is far from the Duo’s only hook. They’re equally if not more invested in that part about “Eclectic Repertoire,” CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

XX DIGITUS DUO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

to which they could add, “rare.” Nerds for the four-hand form, they’ve collected hardto-find pieces from artists all over the world who’ve experimented with it. Today, they play from a book of Renaissance works that Hungarian composer György Kurtág reset in four-hand to pla y alongside his wife Márta well into their old age. They also bust out some four-hand arrangements of Juan Morel Compos that Maria retrieved from the closet of a former teacher in Puerto Rico who had a four-hand act with her sister. Between the pieces Maria has inherited and those Momoko’s gotten from her mother Tamiko Muramatsu, a career concert pianist in Japan, Digitus’ catalog contains some deep cuts. Some of the hardest works to adapt, oddly enough, are pieces conceived for two full pianos. They tend to be written to exuberantly engulf the whole length of both keyboards, and hence are tricky or even impossible to shrink. Surprisingly, Digitus often finds it easier to convert whole orchestra scores to piano duos, or to divvy a solo piano piece into two parts. Some works, like Morel Campos’ Tambien Lo Dudo, come notated in two distinct sets of different sheet music, while other pieces present two parts in a doubledecker stack, with two treble and two bass clefs stacked into every bar. Reading such scores is certainly not as easy as Maria and Momoko make it sound, but it’s becoming second nature.

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XX Digitus Duo debuted in the summer of 2014 at Director Park, purportedly the firstever four-hand group to grace All Classical Radio’s Thursdays @ Three. After putting in a few more appearances at the Old Church and the Community Music Center, they realized their next step should be recording, for which they sought and got a 2016 project grant from Regional Arts and Culture Council. Grant money bankrolled their debut e.p., 4 + 1, including a new commission by composer Ken Selden and an upcoming November album release at Alberta Rose Theatre. Conceived as more “event” than mere “concert”—the show will feature Agnieszka Laska Dancers and perhaps more special guests. After that, they’d like to settle into a threeshow-a-season schedule and potentially some travel, and continue to establish themselves as a fixture in Portland’s thriving chamber-tainment scene. And maybe do some gigs on two pianos? “We can dream.” . Visit www.xxdigitusduo.com for more information about XX Digitus Duo’s upcoming performances.

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ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

WHAT’S YOUR

DAY JOB

MANY OF PORTLAND’S MOST TALENTED PERFORMERS HAVE SIDE JOBS—OR EVEN COMPLETE CAREERS—BEYOND THE PERFORMING ARTS. HERE’S ONE!

Margo Yohner AERIAL DANCER & PRINT COMPANY PRESIDENT

BY DAY President of Bridgetown Printing Company

BY NIGHT

“In both roles, I aim to please! Whether I’m onstage or off, I’m most satisfied when customers, audience members, employees, fellow dancers, and my employer and artistic directors are elated with my performance. The biggest difference? Financial responsibility. At AWOL, I don’t have oversight of the Profit & Loss.” –Margo

ARTSL ANDIA AT THE PERFORMANCE • SEPT | OCT 2016

PHOTO BY JASON QUIGLEY.

Margo is a performer with A-WOL Dance Collective, a company who defies gravity by using various types of apparatus—think hoops and silks—to dance aloft. She’s appeared recently in A-WOL’s Art in the Dark, a fantastical production among the trees that must be seen to be believed.

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