A bold new era for Eugene Ballet begins with the world premiere of ‘Dracula’

EUGENE — Eugene Ballet opens a new chapter with the world premiere of Dracula, an original full-length ballet choreographed by Suzanne Haag, Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer. This hauntingly cinematic production makes its debut November 1–2, 2025, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Dracula marks Haag’s first full-length ballet and the first new production since Jennifer Martin became Artistic Director and Suzanne Haag assumed her expanded leadership role, following the retirement of Founding Artistic Director Toni Pimble.

“Creating a full-length ballet has been a dream of mine for years,” says Suzanne Haag. “It takes an extraordinary amount of collaboration, dancers, designers, musicians, and the incredible organizational and community support that makes a production like Dracula possible.”

Inspired by Bram Stoker’s gothic masterpiece, Haag’s Dracula blends classic horror with a fresh visual language. The sets and costumes unfold in a grayscale palette reminiscent of early black-and-white cinema, with vivid accents of color to distinguish the principal characters and flashes of red symbolizing blood as a connecting life force. Videographer Katherine Frizzell creates a shifting abstract landscape of projected imagery, transforming the stage into a fluid world that moves between Transylvania and Victorian England. The ballet’s all-new soundscape, curated by Haag, draws on the work of Romanian and British composers, as well as modern masters Max Richter and Alfred Schnittke. Dracula’s heartbeat pulses through original percussive motifs by Brian McWhorter, Eugene Ballet’s Music Director and Director of Orchestra Next, who has composed rhythmic passages symbolizing Dracula’s connection to his victims.

In collaboration with Bounce Gymnastics, Haag introduces an inventive aerial rigging system that enables dancers portraying Dracula’s “undead women” to move in ways that challenge gravity. “I wanted them to move less like humans and more like supernatural beings,” says Haag. “It’s unlike anything we’ve done before.” Costume design is a shared creative effort between Axel Dāzee and Toni Pimble, merging Victorian elegance with a modern, functional edge. Costumes are specially engineered to conceal harnesses while maintaining the ballet’s eerie aesthetic, showcasing the seamless intersection of design and storytelling.

While Dracula ushers in a bold new creative era, it also honors Eugene Ballet’s long tradition of innovation and collaboration. Pimble, who founded the company in 1978 and shaped its reputation for excellence, remains creatively involved, designing select costumes for the production. Her ongoing collaboration with Haag and Martin symbolizes the continuity between generations of artistic leadership.

“Eugene Ballet maintains a leading role in the arts not just in Lane County, but across Oregon and beyond,” says Executive Director Josh Neckels. “World premieres are central to that role. They allow us to present audiences with something they’ve never seen before, to foster new ideas, and to create opportunities for exchange between art, culture, and community.”

Jennifer Martin adds, “Suzanne’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.”

The creation of Dracula involves a full creative design team and an expansive production crew based locally in Lane County. Set construction, painting, and costume fabrication are completed by Eugene Ballet’s in-house artisans and community craftspeople at the Booth-Kelly scene shop in Springfield. “Creating a world premiere ballet at this level is a full-scale theatrical endeavor,” says Neckels. “Most of the work happens right here in our community, built by local artists, stitchers, and carpenters. When we invest in these productions, we’re also investing in the creative economy of Lane County. Over 80 percent of what we spend stays right here.”

Haag’s Dracula explores themes of desire, mortality, and transformation through visceral movement and symbolic imagery. Among its most striking innovations is a corps of “blood” dancers, representing the physical and emotional connections among the characters. “I wanted to show how all these people are linked, how the same force that sustains life can also be what binds us in tragedy,” Haag explains.

Beyond the stage, Eugene Ballet’s creative process engages its entire ecosystem, from professional dancers to academy students. “Our Academy students often take part in world premieres,” says Neckels. “They get to see what it means to create something entirely new, to collaborate with professionals, and to feel the spark of that collective imagination. It’s an experience that can shape their lives far beyond the studio.” Local partnerships have also been integral to the production: Bounce Gymnastics for aerial design, Smiles for Oregon for custom-crafted vampire fangs, and the Shelton McMurphey Johnson House as the setting for the ballet’s cinematic trailer and photography.

“It’s rare for a regional company to produce this level of original work,” says Neckels. “But that’s what defines Eugene Ballet, creating, collaborating, and giving audiences experiences they can’t find anywhere else.”