Oakland Ballet

The Oakland Ballet Company is a non-profit ballet company based in Oakland, California. OBC was founded in 1965 by Ronn Guidi, an Oakland native, and gained international recognition through its historical reconstructions of ballets from the legendary Ballets Russes of Serge Diaghilev; the mounting of classic works of Americana; and the creation of innovative contemporary choreography.[1]

Guidi founded Oakland Ballet Company on the same the principles that inspired the legendary dance troupe of Ballets Russes. Formed in Paris in the early 20th century under impresario Sergei Diaghilev, the Ballets Russes went on to redefine the art of ballet. Guidi studied under Raoul Pausé for many years, himself a former student of Ballets Russes dancer and choreographer Adolf Bolm, and thus inherited the Ballet Russes tradition of fusing classical training with unrestrained choreographic possibilities.

Noted revivals by Oakland Ballet include works by renowned choreographers Kurt Jooss, Michel Fokine, Charles Weidman, and Antony Tudor and the first re-staging of works by Bronislava Nijinska in the United States. Championing American masterpieces as well, Oakland Ballet has presented Eugene Loring's "Billy the Kid", Ruthanna Boris's "Cakewalk", and Agnes de Mille's "Fall River Legend". Along with Guidi's own repertoire of choreography, Oakland Ballet has produced celebrated works by local choreographers such as Val Caniparoli, Carlos Carvajal, Margaret Jenkins, Alonzo King, Michael Lowe, Robert Moses, and Amy Seiwert, among others.

In 2000, Oakland Ballet ushered in a new era with a new Artist Director, celebrated Dance Theatre of Harlem dancer, Karen Brown. Brown brought a renewed focus to the production of ballets by local and contemporary choreographers while continuing the company’s commitment to performing great classical works. In 2007 OBC celebrated the return of founding Artistic Director, Ronn Guidi. Mr. Guidi retired for the final time in 2008 and Oakland Ballet continued to present productions under the direction of guest Artistic Directors through the spring of 2010.

In 2010, the company welcomed internationally acclaimed choreographer and director Graham Lustig as Artistic Director. Lustig’s career as a dancer, artistic director, and choreographer parallels OBC’s tradition of presenting historically vibrant work while championing new choreography.

Under Lustig’s leadership, the Oakland Ballet has rekindled its commitment to serving the local community by producing ballet that is vibrant in its artistic vision and draws on the Bay Area’s great talent. Oakland Ballet’s longtime collaboration with Michael Morgan, Music Director and Conductor of Oakland East Bay Symphony, continues to be a hallmark of the annual performance of Graham Lustig’s "The Nutcracker" at the Paramount Theatre.

Since his appointment as Artistic Director of Oakland Ballet Company in 2010, Lustig has presented five seasons of his Nutcracker and three spring repertory productions, Forwards! (2011), Diaghilev Imagery (2013), and Oakland-esque (2014), with a focus on commissioned works by esteemed Bay Area choreographers. Lustig’s ballet Infinitum was included in the West Wave Dance Festival (2011) and he initiated Oakland Ballet Company’s annual summer Ballet Boot Camp, a two-week dance and choreography workshop now in its fifth year, as well as ongoing ballet training opportunities at The Academy at Oakland Ballet Company. Lustig also been instrumental in reviving Oakland Ballet’s role in arts education in the East Bay, establishing OBC’s current “Discover Dance” community outreach program.

Repertoire[2]
Title Choreographer Oakland Ballet Premiere Staged By
Billy the Kid Eugene Loring 1976 Eugene Loring
Spectre de la Rose 1976 Antole Vilzak
Coppelia 1977 Ann Jenner of The Royal Ballet
The Sisters 1977 Eugene Loring
The Tender Land Eugene Loring 1978 (World Premiere)
La Boutique Fantasque Leonide Massine 1978 Leonide Massine
Le Soleil de Nuit (The Snow Maiden) Leonide Massine 1979 Leonide Massine
Scheherazade Fokine 1979 Nicolas Beriosoff
Time unto Time Eugene Loring 1980 (World Premiere)
Rooms Anna Sokolow 1980 Anna Sokolow
Les Noces Bronislava Nijinska 1981 Irina Nijinska (daughter)
Les Biches Bronislava Nijinska 1982 Irina Nijinska (daughter)
Polovestian Dances Fokine 1982 Freddie Franklin
Cakewalk Ruthanna Boris 1983 Ruthanna Boris
Inconsequentials Agnes DeMille 1983 Ilene Strickler
Crystal Slipper Carlos Carvajal 1983 Carlos Carvajal
The Green Table Kurt Joos 1984 Anna Markard (daughter)
Lynchtown Charles Weidman 1985 Sheila Xoregos
Fall River Legend Agnes DeMille 1986 Enrique Martinez
Brahms Waltzes Charles Weidman 1986 Sheila Xoregos
Giselle 1987 Freddie Franklin
Lilac Garden Antony Tudor 1988 Sallie Wilson
Petroushka 1990 Nicolais Beriosoff
Echoing of Trumpets Antony Tudor 1990 Viveka Ljung
Dark Elegies Antony Tudor 1991
Gavotte Pavlova Pavlova 1992 Frank Reis
Grand pas de deux Pavlova 1992 Frank Reis
The Fairy Doll Pavlova 1992 Frank Reis
Gaite Parisienne Massine 1994 Freddie Franklin
Romeo and Juliet Ronn Guidi 1994
Boléro Nijinska 1995 Nina Yousekevitch
Afternoon of a Faun Nijinsky 1995 Jill Beck, Ann Hutchinson and Claudia Jeschke
The Secret Garden Ronn Guidi 1996
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References
  1. "Oakland Ballet History". Oakland Ballet Company. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. Friedman, Jeff; Petncik, Basya; Goto, Carolyn, eds. (2014) [2013]. Ronn Guidi: Sergei Diaghilev and the Original Oakland Ballet, An Oral History (Oral History). San Francisco: Books & Lives. ISBN 978-0-578-13622-6.

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