Where in the World are Our Dancers: A Summer of Artistic Adventures

As the curtains temporarily closed on the Ballet Fantastique stage this summer, our dancers got the chance to take a break from the intense season and embark on artistic adventures during the summer layoff.  From dancing out of town, to collaborating with local companies, to working as resident assistants at summer intensives, BFan dancers seized the time “off” to embrace new challenges. Here, several BFan dancers share how they spent their summer layoffs and the artistic growth they experienced.

Izzy bloodgood with adam bloodgood on the sand harbor stage in Lake tahoe, nv

Summer Guesting

When BFan season ended in May, Ballet Fantastique Principal Dancer Izzy Bloodgood headed down to Reno, NV to start rehearsals for Sierra Nevada Ballet’s The Last Unicorn.  SNB is a Reno-based company led by Artistic Director Rosine Bena performing across NE California and NW Nevada. While a full-time company, SNB generally brings in several guest dancers to perform in their annual summer performances. “This is my fourth season performing with SNB for their summer season, and every year it is a pleasure to return!” says Izzy.  Dancing with a different company can be a difficult endeavor—there might be another style of ballet asked of a dancer or new artistic expectations—but Izzy appreciates this challenge saying, “I think being taken out of my comfort zone gives me the opportunity to grow as a dancer and build new skills.”  Jumping right back into rehearsals can also be its own mental and physical challenge, one that Izzy acknowledges. “Although I am dancing most of the summer, I really try to find the time to rest, get massages, and cross-train, so I’m ready to begin the BFan season in shape and ready to go,” she says. 

Dancing on Home Turf

ana brooks in rehearsal with #instaballet

While some dancers travel out of town to dance, others choose to remain in Eugene and collaborate with local dance projects. Company Artist Ana Brooks remained in Eugene this summer, where she worked with #instaballet.  Formed by Eugene-based dancers Suzanne Haag and Antonio Anacan, #instaballet combines professional dancers and a community audience to create a unique way to experience ballet.  During the strenuous and busy season, dancers from different ballet companies don’t always get the opportunity to collaborate.  #instaballet offers dancers from different backgrounds an opportunity to work together. Of the opportunity, Ana says, “There is so much to learn from all types of dancers in our community. Eugene has such a rich arts scene. #instaballet also lets a non-dancer audience choreograph, which comes with its own unique set of joys and challenges.” During performances, the dancers include the audience in the creation of dance. “Our mediator, Antonio, helps audience members create the kind of art that they want to see, to get a hands-on approach to making ballet. It gives a rare inside look to the creative process. The most rewarding collaboration was for Circle of Friends, which serves children in our area with complex disabilities.” 

Guiding the Next Generation

BFan Company Soloist Nicole Brown donned a different hat this summer, serving as a resident counselor at Pacific Northwest Ballet’s (PNB) five-week summer intensive, where the prestigious PNB hosts serious pre-professional ballet students from across the globe. Most attending students room together at the dorm and spend their entire day training, dancing, and learning the skills it takes to become a professional. “Being a counselor for the PNB intensive was a wild and rewarding experience. While it was a lot of responsibility, it was also incredible to watch the future generation of dancers take their training to the next level. It made me nostalgic for my own intensive days!”

nicole brown in seattle, wa

When Nicole wasn’t busy nurturing the next generation, she took the time to explore Seattle. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with Seattle the way I did! I enjoy city life and it was reminiscent of my home in Minneapolis. I spent a lot of my free time thrifting and exploring fun cafes or going on walks along the canal.” Nicole also had the chance to take PNB’s daily morning open ballet classes. “Taking class from such renowned instructors was nourishing. As dancers, we never stop learning, and the Balanchine style was a great push to help my precision and attack on certain steps. It was also nice to be around taller dancers like myself!”

A new role in Eugene

Amidst these remarkable journeys, one of our dancers chose to stay in Eugene, contributing to Ballet Fantastique in a different capacity. Principal Dancer Ashley Bontrager began her new role as Director of Development at Ballet Fantastique this summer, working to secure corporate sponsorships and actively participating in production meetings for the upcoming 23/24 season. “I’m a creature of habit, so it’s very easy for me to settle into my usual routines and never seek out change. When I took on this new role I realized how refreshing it was to push myself outside of my comfort zone. It turns out shaking things up was exactly what I needed. I’m so excited to see where it takes me!” Ashley’s involvement in production meetings for the upcoming season has also brought a fresh perspective to the creative process.  Her multi-layered experience as a performer adds unique insights into what it’s like to be in the actual pieces you see on stage. In many cases, she was able to help smooth transitions and tighten up the overall production. “Edgar Allan Poe is a legend. He has so many incredible poems and stories that choosing just a few was practically impossible. When someone tells me to think of a couple of his most famous works so many come to mind. For that reason, we didn’t feel like we could leave out any of the 5 vignettes that we chose for Nevermore. There was simply no way; however, we were able to keep the show flowing and minimize a lot of the transitions and narrations so that what you’re left with is very bite-sized but still epically powerful Poe stories. They will leave you haunted, but never bored.” 

Ashley Bontrager & Gustavo Ramirez (bob williams)

As the summer sun sets, Ballet Fantastique dancers return to our studios with newfound experiences and a renewed passion for their craft, feeling fresh and energized for the start of our 23/24 season! We know you eagerly await their return to the Hult Center stage and we are so excited for all this season has in store. 
Tickets are now on sale for the 23/24 Season—Imagination Unleashed!