Oregon Ballet Theatre

Oregon Ballet Theatre OBT is the largest professional ballet company in Oregon.
2026/27 🩰 World Class Art, Locally Made. We serve over 500 students a year.
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Five incredible programs including Portland holiday favorite, George Balanchine's THE NUTCRACKER! ❄️ ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS
Oregon Ballet Theatre's many programs reached over 145,000 members of the community last year. PERFORMANCES
We produce a four-program season at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts, with three productions in the Keller Auditorium and one in the Newmark Theatre of the PCPA.

Last year OBT reached nearly 70,000 audience members from all walks of life - from low-income school students attending at $2 a ticket, to a loyal base of returning subscribers. Our primary base is the tri-county metro area (Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington) but our audiences and donors span many states and regions. Tickets prices start as low as $17, in an effort to keep productions affordable for our community. EDUCATION & OUTREACH
OBT's Education and Outreach (EdOut) programming focuses on student learning through experience: observation, participation, and reflection. We offer 11 programs that aim to illuminate dance and its relation to other arts and academic subjects. Last season we impacted over 27,000 people, including nearly 10,000 schoolchildren, in the Portland Metro area and beyond, in communities such as Bend, Eugene, Hood River, Camas, and Washougal. While we do not track specific demographics, the majority of our programs serve schools with over 50% participation in the free or reduced-rate lunch program, a common barometer of the socio-economic status of schools and districts. THE SCHOOL OF OBT
OBT’s award-winning ballet school is recognized as one of the best in the country, providing high-quality ballet education for students from age 4 to high school. Many OBT company members began their careers at the School of OBT. 23 SOBT students currently attend on need-based scholarships, at nearly every level of the school. Alumni of SOBT currently dance at OBT, American Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Arizona Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Nevada Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and Israeli Ballet. COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING
OBT is committed to attracting new audiences through innovative off-campus programming; last year such efforts reached an estimated 15,000 Oregonians of all ages.

PORTRAIT | Choreography by Lauren FlowerShifting between intimacy and distance, stillness and motion, Lauren Flower’s PO...
06/24/2026

PORTRAIT | Choreography by Lauren Flower

Shifting between intimacy and distance, stillness and motion, Lauren Flower’s PORTRAIT offers a poignant reflection on identity and belonging. Inspired by the emotional arc of Symphony for Strings, Lauren’s thoughtful choreography creates a world that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Bravo to the artists who brought this beautifully layered world premiere to the stage in THE OBT COLLECTION. 👏

PORTRAIT ARTISTIC TEAM:

CHOREOGRAPHY
Lauren Flower

MUSIC
Polina Nazaykinskaya, Recording by Open Sound Orchestra

COSTUME DESIGN
Lauren Flower in collaboration with the OBT Costume Shop

LIGHTING DESIGN
Jim French

REHEARSAL ASSISTANT
Lisa Kipp

STAGE MANAGER
Jamie Lynne Simons

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Beatrice Antonie Martino

📸: Photography by . 1. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco 2. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco 3. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco 4. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco 5. OBT Dancers 6. Hannah Davis and Nicholas Sakai 7. Hannah Davis and Nicholas Sakai 8. Hannah Davis and Nicholas Sakai 9. Hart Isaacoff 10. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco 11. Sophia Guasco 12. Hannah Davis and Sophia Guasco

NOSTALGIA | Choreography by Davide OcchipintiThis powerful world premiere by San Francisco Ballet’s Davide Occhipinti is...
06/23/2026

NOSTALGIA | Choreography by Davide Occhipinti

This powerful world premiere by San Francisco Ballet’s Davide Occhipinti is still haunting us. Congratulations to all of the artists who came together to create this spectacularly human piece for THE OBT COLLECTION. 👏

NOSTALGIA ARTISTIC TEAM:

CHOREOGRAPHY
Davide Occhipinti

MUSIC
Franz Schubert, performed by Thomas Demenga, Hansheinz Schneeberger and Jorg Ewald Dahler and by Mischa Maisky and Daria Hovora. Additional music by Davide Occhipinti

COSTUME DESIGN
Davide Occhipinti in collaboration with the OBT Costume Shop

LIGHTING DESIGN
Jim French

CHOREOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT
MJ Edwards

REHEARSAL ASSISTANT
Lisa Kipp

STAGE MANAGER
Jamie Lynne Simons

ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Beatrice Antonie Martino

📸: Photography by Jingzi Zhao 1. OBT Dancers 2. Hart Isaacoff 3. Benjamin Simoens and Kangmi Kim 4. Hart Isaacoff 5. Cyrus Shaskan and Hart Isaacoff 6. Cyrus Shaskan and Hart Isaacoff 7. Hart Isaacoff 8. OBT Dancers

06/19/2026

Celebrating Carly Wheaton ❤️

Principal Dancer Carly Wheaton took her final bow this past weekend after four spectacular years with Oregon Ballet Theatre. We’ll miss her radiant joy, breathtaking artistry, thoughtful dedication, and incredible kindness.

Congratulations Carly! Here’s to your next chapter! 🩺👏

Video Credits:
Carly Wheaton, Christopher Kaiser, Charlotte Nash, Benjamin Simoens, Brian Simcoe, Eva Burton, Bailey Shaw, and OBT Dancers

Videography by Matthew Tomac, by Sumi Wu, and from the OBT archive
Editing by Matthew Tomac/Run This Block
Cover photo of Carly Wheaton by Christopher Peddecord

06/18/2026

Celebrating Brian Simcoe 👏

Beloved Principal Dancer Brian Simcoe took his final bow this past weekend after a truly incredible 22-year career with Oregon Ballet Theatre. We will be forever grateful for his steadfast leadership, breathtaking artistry, kindness, and dedication in the studios.

Congratulations on a lasting legacy and an unforgettable career, Brian! ❤️

Video Credits:
Dancers: Brian Simcoe, Jessica Lind, Carly Wheaton, Charlotte Nash, Xuan Cheng, Swane Messaoudi, Grace Shibley, Haiyan Wu, Eva Burton, Ansa Deguchi, and OBT Dancers.
Videography by Matthew Tomac, by Sumi Wu, and from the OBT archive
Editing by Matthew Tomac/ RUN this BLOCK
Cover photo of Brian Simcoe by Christopher Peddecord

06/14/2026

Elevate your ballet training with Oregon Ballet Theatre School! 🩰

Oregon Ballet Theatre School’s first-of-its-kind curriculum combines uniquely successful ballet training techniques from American and European disciplines with scientifically supported strength and flexibility training and contemporary dance coaching.⁠ Learn from world-class faculty, share the stage with OBT Company Dancers, and be a part of something bigger than yourself.

OBT School graduates leave well-prepared to pursue a professional dance career, a college degree program, or whichever path they choose! 👏

Registration for Annual Session is open now. Learn more at the link in bio or contact the school team at [email protected] to schedule a placement class.⁠*

📸: Video by Matthew Tomac, RUN this BLOCK. Cover photo of OBT School students by Jingzi Zhao

*Dancers aged 8 - 22 require a placement class to determine level for Annual Session enrollment.

06/14/2026

One more chance to play pretend! 🎭

We’ll see you tonight at The Reser for the closing performance of THE OBT COLLECTION. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this spectacular celebration of innovation, artistry, and dance!

We can’t wait to close out this incredible season tomorrow with OBT ENCORE, a festive fundraiser to help support more thrilling programming like this. 👏

Tickets at obt.org.

📸: OBT Dancers in Dani Rowe’s A PLAY PRETEND by Matthew Tomac RUN this BLOCK, Cover photo by Jingzi Zhao

A PLAY PRETEND ARTISTIC TEAM:
CHOREOGRAPHY
Dani Rowe in collaboration with Eva Burton, Zuzu Metzler, Cyrus Shaskan, Brian Simcoe, John-Paul Simoens, and Carly Wheaton
MUSIC
Frédéric Chopin, Performed by Emmanuel Despax, Chineke Chamber Ensemble
COSTUME DESIGN
Eva Burton, Zuzu Metzler, Cyrus Shaskan, Brian Simcoe, John-Paul Simoens, and Carly Wheaton in collaboration with the OBT Costume Shop
LIGHTING DESIGN
Jim French
MAKEUP DESIGN
Sara Beukers
STAGE MANAGER
Jamie Lynne Simons
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER
Beatrice Antonie Martino

First look at THE OBT COLLECTION! 🤩A celebration of innovation, artistry, and the power of dance, this dynamic mixed-rep...
06/13/2026

First look at THE OBT COLLECTION! 🤩

A celebration of innovation, artistry, and the power of dance, this dynamic mixed-rep program pushes ballet into uncharted territory.

Only 2 performances left! Don’t miss your chance to experience this season’s exhilarating collection:

🌟 TODAY, 6/13 at 2:00 PM
🌟 TODAY, 6/13 at 7:30 PM — Best seating availability

Tickets are almost gone! Secure your seats now at obt.org.

THE OBT COLLECTION
June 11 - 13 | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

📸: 1. Hart Isaacoff in Davide Occhipinti’s NOSTALGIA by Blaine Truitt Covert 2. OBT Dancers in Lauren Flower’s PORTRAIT by Jingzi Zhao 3. OBT Dancers in Dani Rowe’s A PLAY PRETEND by Jingzi Zhao 4. OBT Dancers in Ben Youngstone’s UNCERTAIN GROWTH by Blaine Truitt Covert

pdxevents

Did you hear the news?! 👀Tonight’s performance of THE OBT COLLECTION is SOLD OUT! That means you only have two chances l...
06/12/2026

Did you hear the news?! 👀

Tonight’s performance of THE OBT COLLECTION is SOLD OUT! That means you only have two chances left to experience this capsule collection of bold ballets:

🌟 Saturday, June 13 at 2:00 PM — 9 TICKETS LEFT!
🌟 Saturday, June 13 at 7:30 PM — 23 TICKETS LEFT!

Get tickets while you can at obt.org.

📸: OBT Dancers in Dani Rowe’s A PLAY PRETEND by Jingzi Zhao

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720 S Bancroft Street
Portland, OR
97239

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