Departures

Commissioned by Oregon Ballet Theatre, Departures is inspired by the deep colors and lines of Kandinsky’s whimsical geometric work, titled “Soft Hard,” and responds intuitively to the vibrant and rhythmic music of David Schulman. It was performed both outdoor and indoor. 

“Hélène Simoneau’s Departures, which makes its welcome return here as the program opener. Seeing this deftly constructed work up close—a mosaic of inventive partnering—is a pleasure, revealing moments that I missed at last year’s debut in Washington Park.” - Heather Wisner, Oregon ArtsWatch

 

DETAILS

Commissioned by Oregon Ballet Theatre

Premiered June 2017 at the Rose Garden Amphitheater. Presented in June 2018 at Bodyvox Dance Center In Portland.

14 minutes - 10 dancers

To commission Hélène, please contact achersh@enpointemgmt.com

Collaborators

Music: David Schulman

Performance: Candace Bouchard, Xuan Cheng, Hannah Davis, Keenan English, Peter Franc, Adam Hartley, Michael Linsmeier, Katherine Monogue, Kimberly Nobriga, Brian Simcoe

Rehearsal Director: Jeff Stanton

 
 
 

THE MAKING OF

 
Departures_MO_01.jpg

“The dancers are such a big part of inspiring the piece. And so even though I knew what the root phrase would be, generally what the material would look like, had the music already, and a sense of the energetic flow of the piece, I really didn’t decide much more than that because I wanted to leave it open for them.”

– Hélène Simoneau, Choreographer

 
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PRESS

Featured
Oregon Ballet Theatre: Come Closer

“Hélène Simoneau’s Departures, which makes its welcome return here as the program opener. Seeing this deftly constructed work up close—a mosaic of inventive partnering—is a pleasure, revealing moments that I missed at last year’s debut in Washington Park.”

Source: Oregon ArtsWatch

Thrilling New Work for Oregon Ballet Theatre

“The movement was weighty yet light, skimming the ground, apart from sudden breathtaking moments of flight. Bodies stacked to make curves on curves; dancers pulled each other with great daring into sweeping arcs; trios revolved in tight intimacy. Notable in scarlet, Xuan Cheng and Brian Simcoe connected spectacularly and effortlessly, in an almost playful mood..”

Source: BackTrack

Oregon Ballet Tackles Ballet's Gender Problem

Oregon Ballet Theater set out last year to change this with a new competition called Choreography XX. Of nearly 100 applicants, they chose three women from around the continent — Gioconda Barbuto, Helen Simoneau, and Nicole Haskins — to create new works, set them on the company, and premiere them at free concerts at Washington Park's Rose Garden Amphitheater on June 29 and 30.

Source: OPB

DanceWatch Weekly: Helen Simoneau’s work in progress

I was able to sit down with choreographer Helen Simoneau to learn about her work and her process for her new ballet “Departures.”

Source: Oregon Arts Watch

CREDITS

Photos: Yi Yin

Videos courtesy of OBT

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