Oregon Ballet Theatre Celebrates US Choreographers with THE AMERICANS

The Oregon Ballet Theatre is excited to celebrate the rich history of American choreographers in its exhilarating week-long repertory program The Americans running June 7-15, 2019. Join in experiencing the power and poignancy of American-made ballet with three dynamic performances, Night Creature, Robust American Love and the world premiere of Big Shoes. With The Americans series, OBT launches a new annual repertory program highlighting the unique voices and rich history of American choreography.

For the very first time, OBT adds Night Creature, a work by contemporary dance pioneer and African-American icon, Alvin Ailey. Night Creature is a bubbly fusion of Ailey's sultry and sassy choreography and Duke Ellington's sparkling sophisticated music. This production beckons attendees into a nocturnal world populated by jazz babies and night owls. The dancers are "creatures," resembling animal movement and communicating moods or ideas rather than telling a specific human story.

According to The Kennedy Center ARTSEDGE, Ailey explores the rituals of nightlife in this dance, using a combination of modern dance, classical ballet, and jazz movements. Ellington said that "night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night - they come ON, each thinking that, before the night is out, he or she will be the star."

The program also includes the return of Trey McIntyre's Robust American Love, which the The Oregonian called "a sly take on the frontier America pre-Civil War" with "teasing footwork" and "jaw-dropping caught leaps." This work creates a dance-scape evoking the spirit of exploration and freedom of the Wild West with music by Seattle famed indie folk band, Fleet Foxes. Describing McIntyre's work, The Washington Post wrote, "He knows how to hit all our pleasure buttons..."

The Americans closes with the world premiere of Big Shoes by local legends Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland, co-founders of BodyVox. Artistic Director Kevin Irving adds, "There is so much depth and range in American choreography that it requires a sustained look, and a varied palette, to begin to take stock of what might define the "American approach to ballet and dance." Big Shoes music by Brian Eno, Alphonse Mouzon, Moisés Simons, DJ Spooky, and Philip Glass.

The Americans promises to be a celebration of America's finest choreographers, this season. All three performances of The Americans will take place at Newmark Theatre located at 1111 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205. See and feel for yourself the power and poignancy of American-made ballet, this season and for years to come!

Purchase tickets online here, call us at 503.222.5538; or visit us at 0720 SW Bancroft Street, Portland, OR 97239.

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