Oregon Ballet Theatre lights up the stage next season with four incredible story ballets and eight premieres!

Oregon Ballet Theatre returns to the stage this fall with a season that celebrates both traditional storytelling and contemporary dance narrative: from the OBT premiere of August Bournonville’s timeless classic La Sylphide; to the return of fan favorites A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Firebird; to an immersive program of new works called Made in Portland that explores the character of our city through the expressive and physical power of dance.

Among these many highlights the company is also thrilled to add Christopher Bruce’s 2006 landmark work Hush – celebrating the whimsy and beauty of family dynamics – and Stanton Welch’s high-octane ballet Indigo to its repertory. Finally, what season would be complete without a trip to the land of sweets in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker.

“I am so excited to share this season with Portland,” says Interim Artistic Director Peter Franc. “Collectively, these amazing works represent the full spectrum of what this artform has to offer.”

Magic and merriment abound in OBT’s joyful fall program running October 8-16 at Keller Auditorium. As the curtain rises, we meet a family of circus performers in the OBT premiere of Christopher Bruce’s Hush. Intensely musical and athletic, Hush will lift spirits high. The excitement continues with George Balanchine’s sparkling Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, an eight-minute treat of pure bravura and ballet technique. The program culminates with the return of Christopher Stowell’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Based on Shakespeare’s famous comedy, this work has it all: star-crossed lovers, mischievous pranksters, and ethereal woodland fairies set to Mendelssohn’s beloved score performed live by the OBT Orchestra.

A treasured holiday tradition continues as Oregon Ballet Theatre returns George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® to the Keller Auditorium from December 10-24. Brave toy soldiers battle mischievous mice, snowflakes dance, and audiences are carried away to a magical Land of Sweets, all to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score!

August Bournonville’s La Sylphide is a beguiling blend of storytelling and dance, complete with vengeful witches and magical forest spirits that will win your heart. On the morning of his wedding to his sweet fiancée, Effie, James awakens from a dream to see a mysterious and tantalizing Sylph before him. Bewitched and mesmerized by her presence, his obsession with her sets off a fateful sequence of events where joy turns to sorrow, love to betrayal and infatuation to tragedy. OBT performs La Sylphide from February 18-25 at Keller Auditorium.

After 15 years, OBT is thrilled to return its highly acclaimed commission of Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird to the stage from April 7-15. Based on the treasured Russian folktale, Firebird is visually and musically arresting — a delight for audiences of all ages. This program also features the OBT premiere of Stanton Welch’s critically acclaimed Indigo, and a world premiere from former New York City Ballet star and Paul Taylor Company resident choreographer, Lauren Lovette. Hailed by The New York Times for her “desire to turn ballet inside out,” Lovette’s work has been presented by major national companies including American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet.

OBT School’s annual performance celebrates the technical and artistic achievement of its students and of the OBT2 preprofessional ensemble. Many of the advanced dancers are on the cusp of a professional career. This season OBT School is thrilled to feature Coppelia on April 15 & 16. The delightful comic ballet is based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman. Additional programming will be announced later this fall.

In a season of stories told through dance, OBT finishes by creating one of its own. Four renowned choreographers were asked to share their vision of Portland: Princess Grace Award winner Rena Butler, Guggenheim Fellow Helen Simoneau, push/FOLD Founder and Director Samuel Hobbs, and OBT’s own rising star, Makino Hayashi. This is only the tip of the iceberg as OBT invites artists — musicians, painters, writers—to explore what it means to live in this city through a fully immersive theater experience. Made in Portland will run June 8-11.

Oregon Ballet Theatre’s 2022/23 Season subscriptions include four flexible plans: Repertory Package, Family Package, Choose Your Own, and Pointe Pass. Learn more at obt.org