Oregon Ballet Theatre

{{Short description|Ballet company in Portland, Oregon, United States}}

{{Coord|45.517051|-122.659619|type:landmark_region:US-OR|display=title}}

File:Oregon Ballet Theatre headquarters.jpg

Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) is a ballet company in Portland, Oregon, United States. The company performs an annual five-program season at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts and conducts regional and national tours. It was featured in the October/November 2007 issue of Pointe magazine, with principal dancer Kathi Martuza on the cover.

{{cite web

|title = October/November 2007

|work = Pointe

|url = http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/2009/november-12

|access-date = February 24, 2012

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110208083352/http://pointemagazine.com/issues/2009/november-12

|archive-date = February 8, 2011

}}

History

The company is the result of the 1989 merger of Ballet Oregon and Pacific Ballet Theater.

{{cite news

| title = Ballet Group Will Perform On Monday

| work = Kentucky New Era

| date = February 20, 1992

| url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ct0rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VGQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1738,4467511

| access-date = February 24, 2012

}}

James Canfield, a former dancer with Joffrey Ballet and principal dancer with Pacific Ballet Theater, served as Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theater from its inception until 2003.{{cite web

| title = About Us: History

| publisher = Oregon Ballet Theater

| url = http://www.obt.org/history.html

| access-date = February 24, 2012

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120229223432/http://www.obt.org/history.html

| archive-date = February 29, 2012

| url-status = dead

}} Under his leadership the company repertoire grew to comprise over 80 ballets, from evening-length works to contemporary pieces.

=Stowell=

Christopher Stowell was the artistic director from 2003 to the end of 2012. During Stowell's tenure, the company added the work of Sir Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Lar Lubovitch, and Christopher Wheeldon to its repertoire. New works have been created on the company by James Kudelka, Trey McIntyre, Yuri Possokhov, Julia Adam, and Nicolo Fonte. In addition, Christopher Stowell choreographed eight new ballets with the company's dancers.

Company

= Artistic Directors =

Danielle Rowe (2023-Present){{Cite web |title=Oregon Ballet Theatre Appoints Danielle Rowe as New Artistic Director |url=https://www.obt.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/OBT-Names-Danielle-Rowe-Its-New-Artistic-Director-FINAL1.pdf}}
Peter Franc (Interim 2021-2023){{Cite web |date=2021-06-25 |title=Peter Franc Named Interim Artistic Director, Kevin Irving Celebrated |url=https://www.obt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/OBT-News-Release-06.25.21-FINAL.pdf}}
Kevin Irving (2013–2021){{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/performance/2013/06/oregon_ballet_theatre_chooses.html|title=Oregon Ballet Theatre chooses Kevin Irving, former head of Goteborg Ballet, as new artistic director|last=Hughley|first=Marty|date=2013-06-08|website=oregonlive|language=en|access-date=2019-09-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://artslandia.com/obts-2019-20-season-announced-30th-anniversary-season/|title=OBT’S 2019/20 SEASON ANNOUNCED 30th Anniversary Season|date=2019-03-11|website=Artslandia|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.obt.org/company/artistic-staff/|title=Artistic Staff|website=Oregon Ballet Theatre|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-17}}
Anne Mueller (Interim 2012-2013)
Christopher Stowell (2003-2012){{Cite web|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/christopher-stowell-leaves-obt-2412799821.html|title=Christopher Stowell Leaves OBT|date=2001-11-30|website=Pointe|language=en|access-date=2019-09-17}}
James Canfield (1989-2003){{Cite web|url=http://nwdanceproject.org/people/james-canfield/|title=NW Dance Project {{!}} James Canfield|website=NW Dance Project|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-17}}