The Oregon Ballet Theatre welcomes Amy Watson, a dancer from the Royal Danish Ballet, as a guest artist for its upcoming production of Amore Italiano, which includes the company premiere of Napoli, Act 3.
Frank Anderson, a former Royal Danish Ballet artistic director, has been retained to stage the work. Hes considered an expert in the work of Danish choreographer August Bournonville, who created Napoli in the mid-1800s. Anderson and the Scan Design Foundation sponsored six OBT dancers to attend the Bournonville Summer Academy in Copenhagen.
Watson will dance in Napoli as well as Sub Rosa, by visiting choreographer James Kudelka. An American, she joined the Royal Danish Ballet in 2000, worked up to principal dancer and, in 2011, she received the Order of the Dannebrog from Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Mercury Half-Life
Anne Mueller, former OBT principal dancer and interim artistic director, already has made an impact with The Portland Ballet. She has helped acquire the Portland rights to perform Trey McIntyres Mercury Half-Life, set to the music of Queen, scheduled for May 2016.
Mueller was a founding member of Trey McIntyre Project and a past managing director.
Record grants
The Oregon Cultural Trust has awarded a record $2.6 million in grants to partners, coalitions and organizations, up 30 percent from last year and topping $2 million for the first time. Large chunks went to the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Humanities, Oregon Historical Society, and State Historic Preservation Office. Of the dozens of organizations receiving grants, five received $35,000: All Classical Public Media, Inc.; Oregon Public Broadcasting; Oregon Symphony; Portland Center Stage; Portland Opera Association.
ZooZoo
Imago Theatre has postponed its plans to stage La Belle, Lost in the World of the Automaton, because of the complexity of the show, until December 2016.
But the theater company is bringing back ZooZoo, Dec. 11 through Jan. 3 (tickets available at www.ticketswest.com), before it heads off on its final national tour.
La Belle is chartering a new course for Imago and were leaving behind the special world of mask theater, which has been our forte for several decades. It will be a sad goodbye, says Jerry Mouawad, co-artistic director.