By Randi Bjornstad
They call it a “bold new era for Eugene Ballet,” and the initial proof of that assertion is the world premiere of a full-length new ballet — Dracula — choreographed by Suzanne Haag, resident choreographer and associate artistic director of the company.
This production, which will be onstage at Eugene’s Hult Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 1 and 2, 2025, is Haag’s first full-length ballet creation. It’s also the company’s first new production since the retirement of Eugene Ballet founder and artistic director Toni Pimble. Jennifer Martin has become Eugene Ballet’s artistic director, and Haag also has taken on a greater role in the leadership of the company.
Eugene Ballet’s Dracula is inspired, of course, by Bram Stoker’s classic horror masterpiece novel of the same name. The vibe begins with the sets and costumes, created in shades of gray that evoke early black-and-white movies, then accented in critical moments with splashes of bright color to distinguish the lead characters. This being a vampire story, of course, red is also an important element, symbolizing the necessity of a vampire’s being.
The production relies on videography by Katherine Frizzell, which creates a changing backdrop that allows the scenes to move geographically between Transylvania and Victorian England.
Sound design chosen by Haag also is a critical element, incorporating music by both Romanian and British composers as well as Max Richter (who has collaborated with the likes of Tilda Swinton, Robert Wyatt, Future Sound of London, and Roni Size), and the late Russian composer and “polystylist” Alfred Schnittke, whose works featured sudden and unexpected juxtapositions of varying musical styles.
Also notable is the contribution of Brian McWhorter, music director of both Eugene Ballet and Orchestra Next, who has created a series of percussive patterns that represent Dracula’s heartbeat during various scenes as he interacts with his victims, who themselves move in an “undead fashion” thanks to a system of aerial rigging that Haag created in collaboration with Bounce Gymnastics, an illusion of defying gravity that challenged the costume design created by Axel Dāzee and Toni Pimble.
Altogether, in announcing the complicated production of Eugene Ballet’s Dracula, Haag said that “creating a full-length ballet has been a dream of mine for years,” one that “takes an extraordinary amount of collaboration — dancers, designers, musicians — and
incredible organizational and community support.”
As artistic director Martin puts it, Haag’s Dracula “perfectly embodies Eugene Ballet’s next chapter: bold storytelling, technical brilliance, and deep collaboration. It’s the kind of work that defines who we are and where we’re going.”
Eugene Ballet’s World Premiere of Dracula
When: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2
Where: Silva Concert Hall, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, One Eugene Center (Sixth and Willamette streets), downtown Eugene
Tickets: $20 to $98, available online at eugeneballet.org, through the Hult Center box office in person, by telephone at 541-682-5000, or hultcenter.org
(Above: A scene from a recent rehearsal of Eugene Ballet’s Dracula, which will be performed Nov. 1 and 2, 2025 at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene; photos by Bob Williams)
