OUR PRINCIPLES

Olympic Ballet Theatre is built on the principles of developing professional dancers and bringing quality performances to north Puget Sound; OBT hopes to bring cultural impact to Puget Sound through the achievement of these goals. Emphasis remains on classical ballet, but fresh new works are also brought to OBT.

Dancers in training work with seasoned professionals to create high-caliber classical and contemporary performances. With the support of local patrons and organizations, OBT brings a wide variety of quality, affordable productions to north Puget Sound that feature national and internationally recognized guest artists, and recognized professionals for lighting, sets, costumes, and frequent live orchestral accompaniment.

WHAT WE DO

Olympic Ballet Theatre is a non-profit performing company with estimated audiences of 15,000 annually Including 4,000 school children.

The goals of Olympic Ballet Theatre are to:

• develop new audiences for theatre dance through high quality original and classical ballet productions

• attract young audiences through special programming

• offer professional opportunities to dancers, choreographers and designers in the Puget Sound area

• provide performance opportunities for young dancers

• feature world-renown artists in local productions

• provide quality productions with reasonable ticket prices

• foster community collaboration, make an impact on the communities we serve

• maintain a secure funding base from which to operate

OUR MISSION

The mission of Olympic Ballet Theatre (OBT) is to develop and sustain professional dance, promote dance as a creative performing art, and engage the widest possible audience with a stimulating repertoire of classical, contemporary, and dramatic ballets.

GET TO KNOW US

Please contact us if you are interested in joining OBT’s Board of Trustees, dance@olympicballet.com

A SHORT HISTORY

Recently celebrating its 40th season, Olympic Ballet Theatre has been performing its traditional production of The Nutcracker in Edmonds since 1982. Since then OBT has expanded its production locations, typically performing in Edmonds and Everett, but also in Bellevue, Mountlake Terrace, Arlington, and Seattle.

OBT was originally conceptualized and run by John and Helen Wilkins until 2011, when the reins were passed to former PNB dancers and current OBT artistic directors, Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev.

The focus of OBT largely remains on classical ballet, though contemporary works are also of interest to OBT. Its recent full premiere of The Sleeping Beauty was met with great community support, receiving full houses, a warm audience reaction, and standing ovations. OBT’s production repertoire also includes Giselle, Coppelia, Nyman, and excerpts from Paquita and La Bayadere. OBT frequently performs with live musical accompaniment, such as The Nutcracker with the Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestras, and Petrushka with the Seattle Symphony.

In 2015 OBT set up its Trainee Program, a platform for pre-professional ballet school graduates to garner performing experience in OBT productions.