Press
Press Room
Press Releases | Reviews | Photos
Welcome to the OBC Press Room, the online resource that offers easy access to the latest information about Oakland Ballet Company. Here, members of the press can find the latest press releases, reviews and downloadable high-resolution photos.
Media contact:
info@oaklandballet.org
PRESS RELEASES
Click on the boxes below to read each press release.
Fall Performance Season 2023 Press Release
Flower
Luna Mexicana
Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker
Dancing Moons Festival 2022 Press Release
Jangala 2019 Press Release
REVIEWS
Click on each title below to read the review.
The Daily Californian - Dancing Moons Festival - Edith Matthias | April 2023
On March 16, the Oakland Ballet Company showcased its captivating performance of the “Dancing Moons Festival” at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. This proclaimed “celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander choreographers” was refreshingly contemporary, moving away from the traditional Eurocentric mode of ballet.
Click here to read the full review.
Click here to go to the Dancing Moons Festival Press and Reviews page.
Dance Commentary - Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker - Heather Desaulnier | December 2018
Live orchestral accompaniment makes such a difference when it comes to dance performance! The last time I was at the Paramount Theatre for an Oakland Ballet Company program, I commented that at times, the recorded mix was so clippy and loud that it distracted from what was happening on stage. Not so yesterday for the opening of Graham Lustig’s The Nutcracker. As has been the tradition in past years, the Oakland Symphony, under the direction of Michael Morgan, and the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir joined the troupe for their annual pre-Christmas run of the story ballet. Live music combined with a festive narrative and splendid dancing made for a simply magical afternoon at the theater.
Dance Commentary - Luna Mexicana - Dia De Los Muertos - Heather Desaulnier | November 2018
Downtown Oakland was abuzz Saturday afternoon as patrons flocked to the Paramount Theatre for Oakland Ballet’s program honoring the Day of the Dead. Entire families, including the youngest members, filled the aisles; the crowd was peppered with stunning Calaveras faces. Excitement and anticipation for the third year of OBC’s Luna Mexicana – Día De Los Muertos was palpable. What transpired over the next two hours certainly met those expectations – the dance and movement were truly delightful.
Dance Commentary - Scene and Heard - Heather Desaulnier | June 2018
Oakland Ballet Company marked the transition from May to June with Scene & Heard, a selection of work dedicated to the breadth and range of story in ballet. For this program, Artistic Director Graham Lustig charged six choreographers with the task of creating short narrative ballets. The resulting commissions (three from within the OBC family and three from local choreographers) made for a terrific afternoon of choreography, danced by a company that is looking impressively strong.
The San Francisco Chronicle - Scene and Heard - Allen Ulrich | June 2018
Most ballet audiences love a good story graphically told, but not all choreographers can spin a yarn successfully. That gift requires both instinct and training. So, bravo to Oakland Ballet Artistic Director Graham Lustig, who planned his company’s spring season around the art of the narrative. No fewer than six premieres by local dance makers filled the schedule.
Oakland Ballet's Jangala - Joanna Harris | March 2018
All the staff, cast and dancers and especially Graham Lustig are to congratulated for this extraordinary production. It is wonderful to know that Lustig, is including the Oakland community in his outreach and reaching that community where they live, in the various neighborhood high schools.
Oakland Ballet's Jangala - Anoushka Agrawal | March 2018
There is something remarkably charming about the blend of the traditional with the contemporary — as if two completely different cultures and eras are merged into one. Oakland Ballet Company’s Jangala exemplifies this.
PHOTOS
Click on the photos below and use the arrows to navigate through the photos. Contact info@oaklandballet.org for specific photos.