ForImmediateRelease:Feb.

1,2015
Contact Information:
HannahBontrager,BalletFantastiqueExecutiveDirector
Mobilephone/directemail(notforpublication):5412068977balletfantastique@gmail.com
QUICK FACTS:
WHAT
:BalletFantastiquescontemporaryballetpremiereof
TheOdyssey:TheBallet,
withLIVEloopingmusician,
CullenVance
CONCEPT + CHOREOGRAPHY
:AlloriginalinterpretationofHomers
TheOdyssey
,bychoreographerproducers
DonnaMarisaandHannahBontrager
EUGENE PERFORMANCES
:Fri.Feb.27,7:30pmSat.Feb.28,7:30pmSun.Mar.1,2:30pm,SorengTheater,
HultCenter
TICKETS
:$2949(students/youth$1723),with$5offregularlypricedticketsforgroupsofsizormore.Onsale
nowthroughtheHultCenterBoxOffice:5416825000or

www.hultcenter.org
BoxOfficehoursTF,125pmSat.
11am3pm

TheOdyssey:TheBallet,
Feb. 27 Mar. 1 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts
BalletFantastiquepremieresitsfirstcontemporaryballetof2015withaboldnewwork:
TheOdyssey:TheBallet,
Fri.Feb.
27Sun.Mar.1attheHultCenterindowntownEugene.BalletFantastiqueChoreographerProducersand
motherdaughterteamDonnaMarisaandHannahBontragerareteamingupwithlocalliveloopingelectricviolinistand
composerCullenVancetocreateanewdancetheatertellingofHomersancientpoem,thoughttobeoneoftheoldest
extantworksofWesternliterature(8thcenturyBC).
Thisisthehomewardvoyageofagreatwarriorhero,saysDonnaMarisaBontrager,ArtisticDirectorofBalletFantastique.
Ourchoreographyexploresthesegreatthemesattheheartofthestorythetriumphofthehumanspiritagainstincredible
danger,theenduringpoweroflove.
VancewillperformlivewithBalletFantastiquesdancersinthisuniqueprojectonstageattheSorengTheater.Inadditionto
Vancesoriginalliveloopingcompositions,theBontragershavechosenascorethatalsoincludesrecordingsof
Audiomachine,MaxRichter,andLyrenRhapsody,anallfemaleacousticensemblefromAthensthatreworksfragments
ofmusicandlyricalpoetryfromfromancientGreekcomposersandpoets.
WearesohonorednotonlytobeworkingwithCullen,butalsotohavereceivedpermissiontousethemusicofthese
internationallyrecognizedmusicalgroupsforourproject,saysHannahBontrager,ExecutiveDirectorofBalletFantastique
andcoChoreographerProducerforBalletFantastique.Itfeelslikethemusicalmostfoundusittrulyexploresand

evokestherangeofOdysseussencountersandthecharactersinthisgreatstory.Someofitissobigitswallowsyou,some
ofitsosubtleitjustmelts.Themusicisinformingeverystepofnewchoreography.Wereinlovewithour
Odyssey
and
knowouraudiencewillloveit,too.Itsunlikeanythingweveeverdonebefore.
BalletFantastiques
TheOdyssey:TheBallet
openswithVancesoriginalInvocationoftheMuse(dancerAshley
Bontrager),thensetsthestoryscontextOdysseus,KingofIthaca(dancerFabioSimoes),imprisonedontheislandofthe
nymphgoddessKalypso(dancerHannahBontrager)followingthevictoryatTroy,hisfaithfulandcleverQueenPenelope
(dancerKrislynWilles)athome,waitingsevenyearsforhisreturn.BalletFantastiques
Odyssey:TheBallet
thenwinds
throughthewarriorherosencounterswithforcesbothnaturalanddivine,includingprotectressAthena(dancerJocelyn
Wright),thebeautiful,dangerousSiren(dancerLydiaRakov),andthefearsomeCyclops(dancersJustinFeimsterand
LydiaRakovinacustommaskcreatedbyAdamGoldthwaite).WhileBalletFantastiquesproductionteamhasembarkedon
extensivehistoricalandliteraryresearch,andhaschosentocloselymirrorHomersoriginaltextintheiroriginalproduction,
theydidwanttomakeonesignificantchange:theywantedtoplaywiththecharacterofHermes,themessengergodsentto
releaseOdysseusfromKalypsosisland.
WewantedtorewritethecharacterofHermesasfemale,saysDonna.Hermesistheactorwhohelpstoreshapethe
storysactiontimeandagain,whomakesAthenaswillreality.ManyofHomersfemalecharactersareeitherdangerous
seductressormustwaitandpine.WelovetheideathatourHermes[nowMercury,dancedbyprincipaldancerLeanne
Mizzoni]isafemaleforcein
TheOdyssey
tobereckonedwith.
BalletFantastiques
TheOdyssey
isalsoacollaborationfeaturingcelebratedlocalcostumedesigners,lightingdesigners
andsetartists.

SaysmusicianVanceofthegroup,BalletFantastiqueisaremarkableorganizationfullofopenandwonderfullycreative
people.Ithasbeenanabsolutepleasuretoworkon
The

Odyssey,
andIcannotwaittoseewhatliesaheadforthisrobust
groupofartists.

Ticketsto
TheOdyssey:TheBallet
areavailableinpersonorbyphonethroughtheHultCenterBoxOfficeoronlineat
balletfantastique.org.

###
Forhighresolutiondigitalimagesofthisproduction,pleaseemail
info@balletfantastique.org
.