SPONSORED BY The Boeing Company
PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

The season opens with a program created in concert with the Portland Art Museum’s Fall 2012 The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece Exhibition, which explores the human form through exquisite objects from the British Museum’s famed Greek and Roman collection. Balanchine’s 1928 neoclassical ode to godlike forms, Apollo, begins the program, followed by Kent Stowell’s re-imagining of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth as an intimate pas de deux in Orpheus Portrait. The evening continues with a thrilling world premiere collaboration between Artistic Director Christopher Stowell and NW visual artist John Grade, selected with Portland Art Museum curator Bruce Guenther. We culminate with the second work of choreographic titan William Forsythe to enter OBT’s rep, The Second Detail, which explores the dancer as superhuman.

Don't forget your Body Beautiful ticket stub also saves you $5 OFF tickets to the Portland Art Museum Exhibit

Enjoy $5 discount on admission to the Portland Art Museum’s Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece exhibition. To redeem, present your OBT Body Beautiful ticket stub at the Portland Art Museum Box Office by December 16, 2012, and you will save $5 on the purchase of one special exhibition adult ticket. Not valid with other offers. No cash value.

About the Exhibit: Premiering at the London 2012 Olympic Games, the The Body Beautiful in Ancient Greece Exhibition makes its US Premiere in Portland, October through January at the Portland Art Museum.

Special Offer from our Body Beautiful Restaurant Partner, MARKET

Click to download this special coupon offer


PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

PHOTOS

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VIDEO

WATCH: Trailer for OBT's season opening Body Beautiful program!

WATCH: William Forsythe's second detail, one of four works on OBT's season opening Body Beautiful program!


PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

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10/09/12 A Dancer's Final Pre-Show Weekend

LUCAS THREEFOOT - Shows are coming up, and fast. It's hard for me to believe that we have been rehearsing for five weeks already, but considering how last week went, it is also very apparent. We are gearing up. This is the time when we do run-throughs and notes. Then more run-throughs and more notes. READ MORE

10/03/12 The Myths and Muses of Body Beautiful

A hero. A muse. A god. A nymph. A beautiful youth. A tragic bride. The ballets on the Body Beautifulprogram are peopled with some of the most enduring archetypes of the human imagination. Each choreographer has interpreted these ancient figures in different ways, to suit their own artistic purposes, of course, and none of the ballets are meant to be literal recreations of the mythic moments that inspired them. Still, a little insight into the deities and damsels behind the dances can be useful to provide some perspective on the performance. With that in mind, here's a handy reference guide to the muses and myths that have inspired our Body Beautiful ballets. READ MORE

9/20/12 Becoming a God: Balanchine's Advice to His Apollos

What does it take to don the mantle of a newborn god? The role of Apollo has been coveted by dancers, in part because it was a role that Balanchine liked to rehearse himself, customizing the interpretation to suit each Apollo he worked with, including some of the greatest dancers of the day. Lew Christensen, Jacques d'Amboise, Mikhail Baryshnikov… each dancer created a unique Apollonian legacy. So what advice did Balanchine give to his Apollos?READ MORE

9/19/12 Diving into the Details of Second Detail: A Dancer's Perspective

LUCAS THREEFOOT - The Second Detail is the kind of ballet that dancers love to dance. It's a challenging, body-twisting, mind-bending, powerful ballet that requires constant attention to what is going on around us; I can't think of a single moment where I am not alert, even when I'm simply sitting down on a chair. The movement is big and bold, the music punctuates the accents we make with our bodies (or is it vice-versa?), and we as dancers get to throw ourselves completely into the movement. READ MORE

9/19/12 Learning Apollo from the Master: A Conversation with Francia Russell

Some ballets take time to develop their full character and others change the face of the art form the minute they premiere. Balanchine's Apollo did both - evolving significantly over the first 20 years of its production history while consistently being hailed as the event that launched neoclassical ballet. It was the beginning of a deep lifelong creative partnership between Balanchine and Stravinsky, and it was one of the rare ballets that Balanchine always preferred to set on the dancers himself. One of the dancers who worked directly with Balanchine on Apollo was Christopher Stowell's mother, Francia Russell, the retired co-artistic director of Pacific Northwest Ballet and a former dancer under Balanchine at New York City Ballet. READ MORE

9/11/12 Building Ekho

Yesterday marked the first full day of construction on the John Grade designed “trees” that will become the forest for Christopher Stowell’s re-imagining of the Narcissus and Echo myth that will be the centerpiece of our season opening Body Beautiful program in October. SEE PHOTOS

8/17/12 Sneak Preview of The Second Detail

By farthe most unusual and contemporary work on our October Body Beautiful program is the contemporary ballet work by William Forsythe entitled The Second Detail. CHECK OUT A CLIP

8/8/12 Two More Fascinating NW John Grade Projects

We just got the word that John Grade, the installation artist who is creating the setting for Ekho, Christopher Stowell’s world premiere that is the centerpiece of our Body Beautiful program in October, will be working on another Portland-based installation project that sounds amazing!
READ MORE

6/14/12 Building Ekho

Seattle based sculptor and installation artist John Grade will be working with Artistic Director Christopher Stowell to create an environment for a world premiere work inspired by the Narcissus and Echo myth that will be part of our 2012/2013 season opening program, Body Beautiful. What kind of work does Grade create? READ MORE

SPONSORED BY The Boeing Company
PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

MAKE IT SPECIAL

Share the Wonder of a World Premiere Opening Night Is there anything more magical than the very first moment a world premiere ballet takes the stage? You are cordially invited to join us on Saturday, October 13th at 7:30 pm for the world premiere performance of Christopher Stowell’s Ekho, one of 4 works inspired by Greek ideals and Olympic aspirations on Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Body Beautiful program. The opening night of a world premiere ballet is an experience you’ll never forget. We look forward to sharing it with you. Saturday, October 13th at 7:30 pm

Enhance Your Ballet-Going Experience with aClassical Cocktail Conversation All Classical host Edmund Stone and OBT Historian Linda Besant lead a conversation about the music that inspires *Body Beautiful* at our pre-show Classical Cocktail Conversation on Friday, October 19th, starting at 6:30 pm in the theater. Join us as we explore Stravinsky’s unique collaboration with Balanchine on the creation of Apollo, Liszt’s inspiration for Orpheé (that in turn inspired choreographer Kent Stowell) and hear about the process of selecting music for the world premiere performance of Ekho. Friday, October 19th at 6:30 pm In the Keller Auditorium prior to the 7:30 pm performance	Edmund Stone

Peek Behind the Curtain at a Behind the Scenes Matinee Join OBT Historian Linda Besant on Sunday October 14th at 1:00 pm for a chance to watch OBT’s dancers take their daily ballet class before the 2:00 pm performance ofBody Beautiful. Learn more about the inspirations for the afternoon’s ballet, including the world premiere of Christopher Stowell’s Ekho, which features a unique scenic collaboration with installation artist John Grade. Then, during the 2nd intermission, we will raise the curtain so you can peek in on our capable scenic crew as they change over the scenery from Ekho to The Second Detail, accompanied by behind the scenes insight and explanation from OBT Historian Linda Besant. Sunday, October 14th at 1:00 pm in the Keller Auditorium prior to (and during) the 2:00 pm matinee performance	Set piece designed by NW Artist John Grade for the world premiere of Christopher Stowell's Ekho.

Help Oregon Ballet Theatre to Celebrate Kathi Martuza's Career Join us Saturday, October 20th for a pre-show celebration of Kathi Martuza, who retired this summer after a 15 year career. A memory book will be available in the lobby for patrons to share their memories and best wishes for Kathi as she transitions to a new path as a ballet instructor and health coach. Then join us for a video retrospective of her career and have a chance to chat with Kathi in person following the performance. October 20th at 7:30 pm During and following the performance in the Keller Auditorium Donations can be made in Kathi’s honor in support of a cause dear to her heart: Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Physical Therapy program. CLICK TO DONATE.	Kathi Martuza. Photo by Andy Batt.


PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

CASTING

Casting is subject to change and is posted the week before opening.

	OCT 13 at 7:30	OCT 14 at 2:00	OCT 19 at 7:30	OCT 20 at 7:30
*APOLLO*
Apollo	Chauncey Parsons	Chauncey Parsons	Lucas Threefoot	Chauncey Parsons
Terpischore	Alison Roper	Haiyan Wu	Grace Shibley	Alison Roper
Polyhmnia	Candace Bouchard	Julia Rowe	Julia Rowe	Candace Bouchard
Calliope	Yuka Iino	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng	Yuka Iino
	OCT 13 at 7:30	OCT 14 at 2:00	OCT 19 at 7:30	OCT 20 at 7:30
*ORPHEUS PORTRAIT*
	Haiyan Wu	Haiyan Wu	Haiyan Wu	Haiyan Wu
	Yang Zou	Yang Zou	Yang Zou	Yang Zou
	OCT 13 at 7:30	OCT 14 at 2:00	OCT 19 at 7:30	OCT 20 at 7:30
*EKHO*
	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng
	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe
	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot
	OCT 13 at 7:30	OCT 14 at 2:00	OCT 19 at 7:30	OCT 20 at 7:30
*THE SECOND DETAIL*
	Candace Bouchard	Candace Bouchard	Candace Bouchard	Candace Bouchard
	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng	Xuan Cheng
	Makino Hayashi	Makino Hayashi	Makino Hayashi	Makino Hayashi
	Yuka Iino	Yuka Iino	Yuka Iino	Yuka Iino
	Kate Oderkirk	Kate Oderkirk	Kate Oderkirk	Kate Oderkirk
	Alison Roper	Alison Roper	Alison Roper	Alison Roper
	Julia Rowe	Julia Rowe	Julia Rowe	Julia Rowe
	Adam Hartley	Adam Hartley	Adam Hartley	Adam Hartley
	Jordan Kindell	Jordan Kindell	Jordan Kindell	Jordan Kindell
	Ye Li	Ye Li	Ye Li	Ye Li
	Michael Linsmeier	Michael Linsmeier	Michael Linsmeier	Michael Linsmeier
	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe	Brian Simcoe
	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot	Lucas Threefoot
	Javier Ubell	Javier Ubell	Javier Ubell	Javier Ubell


PERFORMANCE DETAILS *Apollo* Igor Stravinsky / George Balanchine *Orpheus Portrait* Franz Liszt / Kent Stowell Ekho World Premiere CPE Bach& Christoph Willibald Gluck / Christopher Stowell *The Second Detail* Company Premiere Thom Willems / William Forsythe
RUNTIME	2 hrs 15 min

PREVIEWS & REVIEWS

“The 14-member cast was so good I frankly didn’t want it to end” - Martha Ullman West
READ the full Oregon Arts Watch Review

“[Haiyan Wu and Yang Zou’s] performance of “Orpheus Pas de Deux” was nothing short of stunning” - Martha Ullman West
READ the full Oregon Arts Watch Review

“The ensemble dances … .are nothing short of delicious” - Martha Ullman West
READ the full Oregon Arts Watch Review

“stunning… an inspired collaboration” - The Oregonian
READ the full Oregonian Review

The Second Detail: “Cheng, as a fevered, half-mad incarnation of chaos against all the formal logic, sank into her solo like a force of nature” - The Oregonian
READ the full Oregonian Review

The Body Beautiful: Portland celebrates the human form with art and dance
"Notions of human beauty are an age-old fascination, perhaps most thoroughly explored artistically in the realms of dance and visual art. This month in Portland, those two disciplines join forces to address their enduring shared interest in 'The Body Beautiful.'"- The Oregonian Preview, 10/05/12

Oregon Ballet Theatre principal dancers: On their toes and in our hearts
"Sitting in on a recent Oregon Ballet Theatre rehearsal, it's practically impossible to take your eyes off principal dancers Haiyan Wu and Yang Zou as they learn the steps to the'Orpheus Portrait.' 'You have to remember that this is about young lovers,' says choreographer Kent Stowell, 'so every time you touch each other it's like a caress.'" - The Oregonian Photo Essay, 10/06/12

OBT's the Body Beautiful Preview + Slide Show
"When Christopher Stowell, the director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, heard that Greek and Roman statues would fill the Portland Art Museum under the title The Body Beautiful, he instantly saw synergy". - Portland Monthly Preview & Slide Show, 10/10/12

"Christopher Stowell gained great exposure to the art of dance from an early age. His parents, Kent Stowell and Francia Russell are the founding artistic directors of Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. 'I was an only child for six and a half years,' Stowell says. 'We lived in New York and in Europe, and wherever they went they took me along. I was very engaged in their artistic life. When we moved back to the United States I was eleven years old, and the annual productions of the Nutcracker were new to me. It’s not an annual tradition in European ballet companies. There were children’s roles. I was completely enamored… It was clear if the director’s son gets to perform he should be a regular student in the school. It took three years [of training] before I was bitten by the art form.'" - Just Out, 7/22/12

A BEAUTIFUL BODY OF WORK: CHRIS STOWELL ON COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY, AND CHINA
"This October, the Oregon Ballet Theatre is opening their season with a first-time-ever collaboration with the Portland Art Museum. Artistic Director Chris Stowell has crafted a program inspired by the Greek aesthetic that arcs between the classical ballet of Balanchine, the contemporary deconstruction of Forsythe, and the vision of a new work he’s creating right now. We sat down and talked about the importance of collaboration amongst the arts, the process of creating a new ballet piece, and his recent trip to China". - About Face Magazine, 9/28/12

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PHOTOS

VIDEO

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

MAKE IT SPECIAL

CASTING

APOLLO

ORPHEUS PORTRAIT

EKHO

THE SECOND DETAIL

PREVIEWS & REVIEWS