“You might not think of Oregon as a dance powerhouse, but a group of young ballet students recently took home a raft of top prizes in an international competition in China. No kidding!” (The Oregonian)
PORTLAND, OR (October 11, 2024 ): The Oregon International Ballet Academy’s highly-acclaimed rendition of The Nutcracker delivers pure seasonal joy, in two performances again this year at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. With OIBA celebrating its 10th Anniversary Season, in addition to its dancers having just garnered First Prize among 140 competitors in the international 5th Rising Stars Dance Competition in China this past summer, OIBA is poised to deliver its most exciting Nutcracker yet. A beloved holiday tradition, this production “melds the charm and childhood joy of student dancers with stunning appearances from the school’s top performers and from surprise guest artists, local celebrities of the ballet world… [for] a high-quality, cohesive and exhilarating experience.” (DanceWire Magazine) This is a beloved favorite with fresh surprises every year.
Oregon International Ballet Academy presents:
The Nutcracker
Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Xuan Cheng / Ye Li after Marius Petipa / Lev Ivanov
WHEN: Saturday, November 23, 7pm & Sunday, November 24, 2pm – (150 minutes inc. intermission)
WHERE: Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton
TICKETS: $33.50 before October 21st; $43.50 as of October 21st at https://thereser.org/event/the-nutcracker-3/
FREE OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY: Educational groups are invited to attend the dress rehearsal on Saturday, November 23rd, 2-5pm, free of charge by reservation! Contact: oiballet@hotmail.com
Highlight video from OIBA’s 2022 Nutcracker: youtube.com/@oregoninternationalballeta3198
This year’s Nutcracker production features guest artists from the celebrated dance and performance studio Casa de Arte (Kumamoto, Japan) dancing side-by-side with OIBA students as part of OIBA’s cultural exchange program. In turn, OIBA students recently returned from a tour to Japan and China this past summer, during which they performed in Casa de Arte’s 20th Anniversary performance, a deeply enriching and collaborative experience. Also as part of the tour, OIBA students competed in the Rising Star Dance Competition sweeping up an impressive number of awards, including three Rising Star awards, two group dance gold awards, two soloist silver awards, and best of all, won first place overall. OIBA dancers performed and studied in nine cities in Japan and China as part the monthlong exchange during which they learned many new styles and gained a more cosmopolitan understanding of the dance world. This experience serves to enrich their lives and the performances they bring back to Oregon audiences.
Through original choreography co-created specifically for OIBA students by award-winning Artistic and Executive Director husband and wife team, Xuan Cheng and Ye Li, these young dancers experience both the joy of professional performance and the personal growth associated with the creative process. Many students perform multiple roles in The Nutcracker with most dancing different roles in each show. A number of parents participate as party guests, forming cherished memories of dancing with their children onstage.
Oregon Ballet Theatre principal dancer Brian Simcoe returns this year in the roles of the Prince and Nutcracker. By dancing “spectacularly and effortlessly” (BachTrack), Simcoe always connects closely with his fellow dancers and audiences, drawing out the magic of this classic story.
Oregon International Ballet Academy
Through excellence in ballet instruction and uniquely nurturing mentorship, OIBA teachers instill beauty, confidence, health, love and responsibility, inspiring students to fulfill their dreams. At once a world-class institution and a warm international family, OIBA has produced original, professional performances with live music every year since its founding, including classical ballet and contemporary work. The experiences and connections of Directors Xuan Cheng and Ye Li provide students with a platform to perform on stages worldwide, allowing each dancer to explore a similar journey of their own happiness onstage. Since the school founded in 2015, OIBA-trained students have won positions in The School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West Academy, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and The School of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Learn more and read director biographies at oiballet.org.
Casa de Arte
Casa de Arte is a celebrated dance and performance studio in Kumamoto, Japan focused on both traditional ballet and Argentine tango, founded by Hernan Gomez and Maki Fujita (a former member of the Stuttgart Ballet). Considered “the ballet jewelry box for the children in Kumamoto,” Casa de Arte hosts frequent performances and is a central hub for ballet teachers in the region. Having directed studios in both New York City and Japan, Gomez and Fujita bring worldly knowledge to their performance and teaching.
