Sisters to host performance by Oregon Ballet Theatre

They've performed "The Nutcracker" in Alaska at Thanksgiving for four years running, have performed at the Kennedy Center, and are on their way to Seoul, Korea. But before they hit those shores, Oregon Ballet Theatre (OBT) will present ensemble performances at Caldera, June 19-20, one performance, with open rehearsal on June 18.

After the dancers' long rehearsal hours, we, the audience, get to view the nuances of movement that make up the dance. Four different works. Music by Russian artists. Locally choreographed.

Caldera has had dance companies do residencies since 2001, but not on this scale, according to Katie Weinstein, artist residence coordinator.

It's no accident OBT was selected to perform at Caldera. Like Caldera, OBT has an outreach program.

"We have a whole department and outreach director and bring professional ballet performances to at-risk kids, and we have an adult outreach," said Erik Jones, OBT's director of marketing and communication.

"We were both serving kids with this kind of exposure," Weinstein said. "One of our missions is to experience artists from all over the world."

OBT begins their stay at Caldera on Monday, June 14, as part of a curated residency, a program Caldera offers primarily to dance companies. Caldera provides a place for them to create and rehearse.

All three of the weekend's presentations on Saturday and Sunday include what artistic director Anne Mueller creates that week at Caldera.

Performances will be held in the Hearth Performance Space, whose name itself provides a clue to Caldera's warm ambiance: dance floor next to a hearth framed by giant picture windows displaying nature's wonders.

These performances of four different works prove to be not your typical ballet, and all the pieces are choreographed by local choreographers.

Ballet has a reputation for being untouchable or hard to understand, Jones acknowledged. Once people are exposed and realize its just bodies trying to evoke an emotion or beautiful movement, it's more real.

"A lot of people think ballet is all 'Swan Lake' and hair up in a bun and tutus, and it's not," Jones said. "We're performing all contemporary pieces, and one piece contains samba moves."

The public will get to see the first steps of creating a new performance, said artistic director Christopher Stowell.

OBT will be balancing out their performance with Stravinsky Project, music by Igor Stravinsky, and Bolero, a highly charged dance inspired by Ravel's music.

OBT will do a question-and-answer session with the audience after each performance.

If watching ballet makes you want to get up and dance, Friday afternoon at Caldera from 2 to 3 p.m., OBT is offering a movement class for professional dancers. To see the work in progress, there is an open rehearsal from 3 to 5:30 p.m. the same day. Call 503-937-7594 to register.

Saturday performances are at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday is at 1 p.m. Tickets are $22 each and may be purchased online at http://www.hulahub.com, by phone at 503-205-0715 or at the door.