Nutcracker

Oregon International Ballet Academy kicks off the holiday season with their highly acclaimed rendition of The Nutcracker in two performances at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts. A beloved seasonal tradition, OIBA’s Nutcracker seamlessly integrates charming and joyful performances by student dancers with breathtaking appearances from the school’s top performers and professional guest artists. The result is a high-quality, cohesive, and exhilarating experience that delivers non-stop holiday magic.

Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreography by Xuan Cheng  / Ye Li
after Marius Petipa / Lev Ivanov

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 will go on tour to Japan and China this summer, during which they will participate in Casa de Arte’s 20th Anniversary performance, providing OIBA students with an enriching and in-depth collaborative experience in both countries.

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 and Oregon Ballet Theatre rising star Isichel Perez Rivero also feature as guest artists.

“What a beautiful production! The dancing, choreography, costumes, backdrops, and lighting were spectacular! Wonderful job, Ye & Xuan!  Thanks for bringing a high-quality performing arts school to Beaverton.” – Jill, OIBA parent

“Our roster of world-class teachers, the majority of whom have held principal roles with major dance companies, guide students in a holistic and nurturing process that draws out excellence in artistry and life skills. Our young dancers absolutely shine in these beloved holiday roles, and the beautiful new Reser Center provides just the right venue. Audiences can’t help but feel the magic!” – OIBA Artistic Director Xuan Cheng

Many of OIBA’s top dancers who have been with the company since its founding in 2015, dancing each and every Nutcracker character through the years, are now advancing into starring roles! For example, Emily Song and Sophia Alicata (see photos in pdf press release attached) will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

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.