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The company has often used the live/canned music differential to balance their books in the past, but I can't remember an entire season without live music.

There will still be some live music, just not with a full orchestra. It's still a big disappointment, though.

I was interested to read the comments on the article -- several people assumed that the administration was making really significant money and was not taking their fair share of the hardship...does that sound like a true allegation?

I think several people there have been making significant money, to date; but I also read that the two highest paid are taking a 30% cut, getting them down to a reasonable point for such a small organization with no endowment, and I believe that others are taking smaller cuts (even those with much smaller salaries, unfortunately). There will be a lot of staff positions completely cut, as well.

So, there are still challenges, and I suspect better decisions might've been made, and sooner...but what do I know?

...Any others from Ballet Talk?

I always try to attend at least once, each summer. I really enjoyed taking class from Alison Roper, last summer, so I'll try to do that again, this year.

In another (now closed) thread, printscess asked whether Valerie and Suzanne Limbrunner are sisters.

They are.

I usually see several performances of any OBT program, and this was no exception. Each had its strong points, but overall I preferred the Sunday matinee. Gavin Larsen was simply ethereal in Adin, that afternoon, and Anne Mueller was perfect in The Concert.

I'd forgotten what a lovely ballet Adin is, yet I'm sure I enjoyed these performances even more than when I saw it a couple of years ago. In a Q&A session after the closing performance, audience members repeatedly called it the more moving of the two non-comedy works on the program. Kathy Martuza's and Paul DeStrooper's pas de deux was particularly beautiful on opening and closing nights.

I'd never seen either The Concert or The Four Temperaments before OBT's latest program. I thought all three were very well done, and I'll be happy to see them again.

I will say that, as OBT's repertoire grows, it'll be good to go a bit longer between reprises, though I completely understand the financial considerations at play.

Sorry I didn't notice your question earlier.

Because of the press of work, I made it only once, for just a few minutes, this year.

Two couples were rehearsing a pas de deux from the upcoming program, but I don't know anything more about it.

Edit: apparently I am wrong about the number of adult supers - I'll have to re-examine my cast list tonight and see what's what - so ignore that number.

I've written jayo a couple of times off-list to say how much I've enjoyed the review, and it was suggested that I post some information about the supernumeraries in this production of Swan Lake. (I make a distinction here between "supers," all of whom take adult classes at OBT, and the company members, apprentices, and "regular" students who made up the bulk of the cast.)

The ten supers included one of the ladies in waiting, the four men at arms (later courtiers), one more male courtier, three of the female courtiers, and the Master of Ceremonies.

I know that they all enjoyed the experience immensely, due in no small part to the gracious treatment they received from company members, staff, and crew.

I saw all four performances, and everyone did a wonderful job. I agree that the pas de quatre was very well done.

In addition to all the discussion of the dancing, I have to mention Alison Roper's acting--with her face and body, in every way, she truly was a fearful, then loving, and ultimately heartbroken Odette, and a teasing and manipulative Odile. Wow!

New York Times critic John Rockwell watched the Friday night and Saturday matinee performances so he could write about both casts (along with PNB's season closing production). You can read his review here.

I heard that OBT has already had a tremendous surge in '06-'07 subscription sales as a result of the weekend's shows. There's really a buzz about it in Portland.

Seven and a half hours? That's dedication!

Thank you for supporting OBT, and thanks especially for that excellent description of the Spring program.

I saw three of the four performances, and I agree with your assessment of the program, the company, and the direction in which Christopher Stowell is taking it.

I haven't been online in a while, so I apologize for answering only now; but I did see the school performance, and honestly, I had to remind myself that it was "just" a school performance!

It just keeps getting better every year, which makes it seriously big bang for your ballet buck.

Thanks to Damara Bennett and all the staff at School of OBT for developing such wonderful dancers!

I've never seen Swan Lake's Act III on its own, but it should work as a suite of divertissements. I just don't know how you would deal with the Rothbart factor, the apparition of Odette, or bringing it to a satisfying conclusion.

I don't remember what else was on the program in Fall of '04, but the audience seemed to think SL Act III stood on its own very well, including the cliffhanger ending.

I'm really looking forward to the full production.

The whole program is very good. Trey McIntyre's new piece is intense.

Bob Hicks put it much better than I could have. You can read his impressions here.

I saw it on opening night, and I'll be watching both shows, this weekend.

I just received a copy of the most recent press release from OBT

Yep, I just saw that, too, but you beat me to the forum. Thanks for posting this, Helene!

:excl: I was wrong about the time. They're starting barre at 11:00 each day this week. :excl:

I know of a few promotions, but nothing official that I've seen, no.

If there are any Portland-area readers here, don't forget that OBT will be rehearsing under the big tent in the South park blocks starting tomorrow (Monday), August 29.

I think company class starts at 11:00; the OBT web site may have more details.

Edited on 8/29 to correct the start time. Yes, I found out the hard way.

I hope no one ruins the surprise.

I agree that it's a lovely gift, but seeing as how it was posted on the web site more than a month in advance, how much of a surprise can it really be?

Maybe I'm missing something. Do they not know about the company web site?

Oh, it was very tastefully done!

Last week I received a lovely letter under Christopher Stowell's signature from OBT, honoring the three dancers who retired...

...and asking for donations to help other dancers thrive in similar manner.

OBT under Mr. Stowell seems much more comforatble with current trends in fundraising techniques, and more power to 'em!

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/11/arts/dan...krassovska.html?

This is TOO SAD. She was a real character. I remember her showing up with her Chihuahua, who sat in a wicker basket all through class or rehearsal. My sister reminds me she also had two poodles, one black and one white, named Odette and Odile.

I had the good fortune to take a few classes with her, many years ago. I also recall eating dinner at her house one evening with a few other dancers. She supported them as best she could by feeding them occasionally and giving them free classes.

She was one of the ex - Ballet Russe members who settled in Texas and Oklahoma in the Sixties, including Victor Moreno, Nikita Talin, Fernando Schaffenberg, and a couple more (in Houston and OKC, I believe) whose names elude me.

(The NYT article is available only for a fee, so maybe I'll look it up in the library.)

I think OBT lost a lot when Haydee left the school.

That may be so. I didn't pay much attention to the school before Damara took over.

But I've watched two years of incredible school performances since then, and I have to say she and her staff are working wonders with the older students.

Let's keep watching to see how the younger students fare.

...and that's Matthew Boyes giving a boost to Paul DeStrooper in the upper lobby of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

...is it just that Dallas/Ft. Worth are big enough for two ballet companies?

Back in the late Sixties there were three: Dallas Civic Ballet (can't remember who ran it), Dallas Metropolitan Ballet (Ann Etgin and Bill Atkinson), and Dallas Ballet Theater (Victor Moreno).

So there were lots of opportunities to dance, although none of them paid. I don't know how companies managed to hold on to dancers...combined love of the art and the city, I suppose.

I recall that OBT made a special appeal for donations to a "live music fund" a year or so ago.

I don't remember whether that was repeated, but they must be doing something right: Christopher Stowell announced at a recent performance that even more works would have a full orchestra in the 2005-2006 season.

I hope everyone who's interested in OBT has seen Martha Ullman West's article that appeared in Sunday's Oregonian in the "ArtsWeek" section.

It features Tracy Taylor, who has retired after a remarkable 16 years with OBT. Also mentioned favorably are Matthew Boyes, retiring after 10 years with the company and Karl Vakili, retiring after two 2-year runs with OBT.

The article is titled "Swan Song for Tracy Taylor" and can be read here.

Enjoy!

[it is to be hoped that], in a couple of years, this sort of thing won't be necessary.

...and, in fact, the 2004 run had only two performances done to recorded music.

I believe there were fewer performances overall, though--18 instead of 21, if I remember correctly...still, 2 out of 18 is better than 5 out of 21. Frankly, I think the performers minded the recordings at least as much as the audience.

By the way, I'm almost certain the tickets were cheaper for the recorded-music performances.

This sounds like a wonderful way to increase visibility for the company and de-mystify the backstage process.

Yes, it is.

I've always been impressed by the appreciative attention this gets from "regular folks." I have the feeling that many of those who arrive with little or no knowledge about ballet leave with a new (or at least heightened) interest and a sense that ballet is something real people do and real people can watch and enjoy. That's got to be good for the company and for dance in general.

(For related information, see the "Exposed series" thread, where Watermill describes a visit to last year's "OBT Exposed!" presentation.)