KEPW goes behind the scenes at Eugene Ballet world premiere

Echo (Underground Echo, Wednesdays, 6 p.m.): Eugene, if you will: Close your eyes for a moment. Imagine a theater dimmed to shadow, the hush of expectation stretching through the air, like a living thing. The scent of polished wood mingles with faint floral notes from bouquets waiting in the wings, and somewhere the subtle rustle of silk whispers across the stage.

[00:00:29] Here in the quiet heartbeat before the curtain rises, you feel it: the magic of ballet. This is not merely movement. It is story. It is memory made visible. It is human emotion stretched, lifted, and spun into something ineffable.

[00:00:49] And this Halloween weekend, Eugene Ballet will open their space for you in a new and thrilling way with a world premiere of Dracula at the Hult Center under the masterful choreography of Suzanne Haag, associate artistic director and resident choreographer. 

[00:01:08] Dracula is a full length ballet that fuses Victorian elegance with a shadowed lure of film noir. Each gesture, every lift, every fall is designed to speak in a language beyond words. As the dancers glide and soar across the stage, you are drawn in the world at once terrifying and beautiful, intimate yet expansive, a world where every heartbeat seems amplified and every glance carries the weight of centuries.

[00:01:40] Ballet is uniquely capable of this. It is a form that requires devotion, not only from the dancers whose bodies are temples of discipline and artistry, but from the audience as well who enter into a sacred contract of witnessing, of feeling and of participating.

[00:01:59] Here in Eugene, ballet is more than an art form. It is the cornerstone of our cultural life, a living bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation, individual expression and shared experience. In a city like ours, where creativity pulses through the streets and forests alike, ballet is a reminder of our human side of things: fragile, resilient, expressive, and endlessly capable of transformation.

[00:02:31] Dracula is the first new ballet presented under the artistic leadership of Jennifer Martin and Suzanne Haag, following a celebrated tenure of founding artistic director Toni Pimble. But this production is more than a premier. It is a statement.

[00:02:48] It is a declaration that the Eugene Ballet continues to evolve. To challenge and to inspire in Suzanne Hague’s choreographer you’ll find not only technical mastery, but an embracive narrative tension and poetic nuance of light and shadow of moments that feel lifted from the dream scape of memory itself.

[00:03:13] Imagine for a moment the scene a grand Victorian parlor, shadows pooling in corners, moonlight catching the edges of crystal chandeliers. The dancers appear silent and deliberate, their movements echoing with the weight of centuries. A gasp of emotion passes through the audience without a single word.

[00:03:34] You feel the thrill of danger, the ache of desire, the vertigo of love and fear intertwined. Ballet makes visible what often lies beyond language. And in that visibility we find connection to the performers, to the story, and to one another. Eugene Ballet’s Dracula invites you to witness that connection in its most electric intimate form.

[00:03:59] Showtimes are this Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Hult Center. Whether you are a lifelong ballet aficionado or stepping into the theater for the very first time, this premiere promises to capture your imagination, to make your heart lift and sing, and to remind you of the extraordinary possibilities of the human body and spirit.

[00:04:28] But ballet’s importance in our community extends far beyond the stage. It shapes the way we see and feel. It nurtures empathy. As we learn to perceive subtle gestures and nuanced expressions, it builds resilience, discipline, and creativity. Inspiring the young and old alike through ballet, Eugene cultivates a space where imagination is respected, where stories of love, fear, and courage and transformation are enacted with breathtaking precision and tenderness. 

[00:05:03] The dancers are our neighbors, our friends, our mentors, whose years of dedication remind us that beauty is both earned and shared. And in turn, the audience participates in the communal act of witnessing a reminder that art is alive and alive because of all of us who gather to experience it.

[00:05:19] The world premiere also offers a rare opportunity to witness the alchemy behind the curtains. Eugene Ballet has opened doors for behind-the- scenes glimpses, rehearsal moments, and exclusive access for those who wish to see the creation of something entirely new.

[00:05:37] In this way, the media is covering ballet in a way that is not distant or untouchable. It’s collaborative, immersive, and profoundly human. We’ll be covering it on Underground Echo and on Transcendence coming up, that’s Sundays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. for Transcendence and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. for Underground Echo.

[00:06:01] So as you consider your plans this weekend, imagine walking into that dimly lit theater: Hear the hush settle around you. Feel the anticipation humming through your chest. Watch as each dancer steps into the story, each gesture painting in motion across space. Let yourself be lifted, drawn into a narrative both chilling and beautiful, both intimate and grand.

[00:06:26] Let yourself be reminded of the power of movement, of art, of community. Eugene Ballet’s Dracula is not just a performance. It’s an experience, a journey into shadow and light, into fear and desire, into the boundless potential of human expression.

[00:06:44] Join us at the Hult Center this Halloween weekend. Come for the spectacle, stay for the intimacy. Leave with a memory that will linger long after the final bow.

[00:06:55] Ballet is a gift to our city, a gift that reminds us of our shared humanity. And this premiere is one we can all treasure together because when the lights dim, and the first note of music swells, we are reminded that we are alive, we are connected, and we are capable of wonder.

[00:07:13] Dracula awaits. Step into the story, step into the beauty, step into the magic. Showtimes are this Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Hult Center.