OREGON S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
4
OCTOBER 7 . 2011
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should not expect Stowell’s version to have
the markers they might associate with the
tale of a fiery gypsy woman and her lover: no
bullfighter costumes or lace mantillas.
Stowell treats the characters as everymen
and everywomen, so to speak, as opposed to
more traditional story ballet characters,
who tend to be princes and princesses. He
describes his version of Carmen as “very
immediate and now ... so people relate
[with the characters] as if these situations
could happen to them.”
Both works will be performed with the full
OBT orchestra, in keeping with Stowell’s
commitment to continuing the time-tested
partnership between live music and ballet.
Whereas recorded music is predictable, live
musicians never perform a work exactly the
same way twice, which Stowell says “makes
for a more exciting and visceral response from
everyone,” including the dancers.
Creating two new narrative works from
scratch is no small feat, a fact that has be
come impossible to ignore as the premiere
draws near. “It’s a lot of work for everyone,
at full tilt at all times,” says Stowell.
As hectic as it may be inside OBT’s build
ing these days, the company is working to
ward exactly what Stowell wants for it, artis
tically: to be creating and performing dance
works that are outside the box while still
building on the long history of the art form.
With the Petrouchka/Carmen program,
Stowell says, “The music and narratives are
reimagined for the 21st century audience in
unexpected ways. ... That needs to be what
we’re about almost all the time.”
OBT’s Petrouchka/Carmen performances
join dozens of others on this month’s dance
calendar.
BodyVox has been performing its Hori
zontal Leanings program since September
29 and White Bird’s season launched in
early October with a performance by Pi-
lobolus, the 40-year-old American company
known for its whimsical, athletic style. Also
this month, White Bird presents the West
Coast debut of Israel’s Vertigo Dance Com
pany (October 13-15) and brings back Aus
tralia’s Chunky Move (October 20-22).
In fact, there is so much dance in Portland
this October that the enterprising dance
community has put together the equivalent
of a “frequent flyer” awards program for
dance-goers (details at pdxdancecard.org).
The program works like this: When at
tending any of the participating productions,
pick up a dance card and get it punched at
the PDX Dance Card table. Cardholders
with punches for two or more shows can
redeem the card for restaurant gift certifi
cates; those with four punches can enter a
grand prize drawing.
In addition to OBT’s Petrouchka/Carmen,
upcoming PDX Dance Card performances
include:
Polaris Dance Theatre: iCHANGE (closes
Oct. 7; polarisdance.org)
Bobbevy: Palace of Crystal (Oct. 7-9 and
14-16; bobbevy.com)
BodyVox: Horizontal Leanings (closes
Oct. 15; bodvvox.com)
Northwest Dance Project: New Now Wow!
(Oct. 14-15; nwdanceproject.org)
White Bird: Vertigo Dance Company
and Chunky Move (whitebird.org)
Tracy Broyles: Mirror (Oct. 21-23 and
28-29; tracyhroyles.com)
Portland Center Stage: Oklahoma! (closes
Oct. 30; pcs.org) JW
Oregon Ballet Theatres Petrouchka/Carmen
premieres at Keller Auditorium (222 SW Clay
St.) Sat., Oct. ft and runs forfive performances
through Oct. 15 (7:30 p.m. except for 2 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 9). Tickets start at $23; call 503-
222-5538 or visit obt.org.
29
JS
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