Oregon Ballet Theatre's 2008-09 season will open in October with the return of the company’s popular production of Swan Lake. Artistic Director Christopher Stowell’s retelling of the iconic classical story ballet premiered in 2006 to critical acclaim and a four-show run of completely sold out houses. In anticipation of an even higher demand for tickets this fall, a fifth performance of the work has been added to the 2008-09 schedule.

OBT’s season will again be comprised of five programs between October and June, four of which will be performed in Portland’s Keller Auditorium and the fifth in the intimate, 900-seat Newmark Theatre.

In addition to Swan Lake, season highlights include:

Season highlights include:
• A world-premiere by James Kudelka whose Almost Mozart has become of the signature works in OBT’s active repertoire.
• Christopher Stowell’s all-new The Rite of Spring set to a stunning, dual-piano arrangement of the powerful Stravinsky score.
• The company premiere of Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, famous for its ingenious fusion of Bach and ballet with traditional African music and dance.
• A tribute to Jerome Robbins, featuring the company premiere of The Cage.
• New additions to the repertoire by George Balanchine and Nicolo Fonte.
• The nation’s only West Coast performances of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, now in its sixth season at OBT.

“Our new season runs the gamut, from some of our most popular existing works to an important new addition from James Kudelka and a celebration of the American master, Jerry Robbins,” said Artistic Director Christopher Stowell. “It demonstrates that OBT is building on past success while pushing forward with new goals and also acknowledging our place in the wider world of ballet.”

Founded in 1989, OREGON BALLET THEATRE is a not-for-profit, professional ballet company, with a school, based in Portland, Oregon. On July 1, 2003, Christopher Stowell became OREGON BALLET THEATRE’s artistic director and Damara Bennett joined as school director. OREGON BALLET THEATRE offers the highest quality ballet, in a repertoire of classic and contemporary work, to the people of Oregon, the Pacific Northwest and the United States. The School’s mission is the pursuit of excellence in dance training to produce pre-professional dancers of the highest caliber and increase the community’s awareness of dance.-->

For more information, visit www.obt.org