"Eyes on You," the spring program offered by Oregon ballet Theatre is truly a sampler platter of dance and a must see for ANY fan of the theatre.

The show opens with Apollo, one of Balanchine's works from the first half of the twentieth-century (Erik Jones with OBT tells me this was the catalyst for neo-classicism . . . a return to the classical form of dance). Stunningly beautiful from start to finish, this piece focuses on the abilities to the male dancer while also incorporating some truly mind-boggling pas de deux (I had no idea you could DO PDD with one guy and three women but they pull it off).

After a brief intermission, the audience settles in for Il Nodo, an original piece by Julia Adam. I'm not sure how you would classify this dance (modern, experimental) but I would give it the title "Cirque-Du Soleil-esq." A corps of about a half-dozen dancers tackle the stage portraying various games from child hood (hop-scotch, tug-of-war) but they do so while manipulating large lengths of rope. At one point, the dancers weave themselves into a human-sized game of Cats Cradle. The music and style are truly unique and the performance is hypnotic.

Finally, the program concludes with a repeat performance of Christopher Stowell's "Eyes on You." This piece may sound a bit familiar as it originally premiered a few years back at OBT . . . it ALSO might sound a bit familiar because the entire piece is set to the music of Cole Porter (one of the legends of Musical Theatre). The cast perform classical ballet steps with a blockbuster Broadway vibe. I'm not kidding, even if you've never seen a live ballet before but simply love musicals you will love this piece.

Tickets are going fast so be sure to check out OBT.org for ticket info.