Edmonds Center for the Arts

Vibrant and exciting new contemporary works by guest choreographers Christopher Stowell and Nadja Saidakova.

Estimated Performance Length: 1 hour, 30 minutes.
(Including one 15 minute intermission)

Saturday, February 15, 2025, 7:00 pm

Sunday, February 16, 2025, 5:00 pm

Ticket Price: $24–$47
(varies by age and seating location)

MEET THE CHOREOGRAPHERS

Christopher Stowell

Christopher Stowell, the son of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, was born in New York City and received his training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. In 1985, he joined San Francisco Ballet where he danced for 16 years, appearing in theaters throughout the world including the Paris Opéra, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. As a Principal Dancer, Mr. Stowell performed leading roles in full-length classics and had roles created for him by Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson as well as contemporary choreographers including Mark Morris, William Forsythe, David Bintley and James Kudelka. An established interpreter of the George Balanchine repertoire, Mr. Stowell appeared in almost every Balanchine ballet performed by San Francisco Ballet.

In 2003 Stowell was named the Artistic Director of Oregon Ballet Theatre, a position he held until 2012. During his tenure Stowell made significant additions to OBT’s repertoire, bringing works to Portland from some of the world’s most celebrated choreographers, including Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Paul Taylor, Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka, Christopher Wheeldon and Lar Lubovitch.

Stowell was the Assistant to the Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet from 2014 to 2015, has served as a juror for international competitions in Lausanne and Beijing as well as a guest repetiteur, teacher and choreographer in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Beijing, London and Copenhagen. In 2017 Stowell was named the first Associate Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, a position he held until 2022.

Mr. Stowell has taught and coached in San Francisco, New York, Japan, China and across Europe. He has created works for San Francisco Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and Pacific Northwest Ballet as well as the New York City Ballet Choreographic Institute. He has also staged the works of George Balanchine, Mark Morris and Christopher Wheeldon.

Nadja Saidakova

Nadja Saidakova, born in Izhevsk, Russian Federation, is a celebrated ballet master and former principal dancer with an extensive and illustrious career. Trained at the Perm State Ballet Academy, she has been recognized for her exceptional talent with multiple awards, including nominations as Dancer of the Year by Dance magazine in 2005, 2006, 2010, and 2012, and the “Outstanding Female Performance” award by Dance for You magazine in 2012/2013 for her roles as Brunhilde in Maurice Béjart’s “Ring of the Nibelungs” and Tatiana in John Cranko’s “Onegin.”

Saidakova’s professional journey began with the Moscow State Classical Ballet in 1991 before she became a soloist at Deutsche Oper am Rhein in 1995. She later joined Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, where she rose to the rank of First Ballet Soloist and continued to perform with Staatsballett Berlin from 2004. Throughout her career, she has performed iconic roles such as Odette/Odile in “Swan Lake,” Kitri in “Don Quixote,” and Tatiana in “Onegin,” among many others.

In addition to her stage career, Saidakova is an accomplished choreographer, having created works such as “Just a little more…,” “Egopoint,” and “Elegie” for various ballet companies. Since 2017, she has also served as a Master of Ballet and Workout, sharing her expertise with the next generation of dancers. Her final stage appearance was as Tatiana in “Onegin” in 2017, marking the end of a remarkable performing career.

The 2024-25 Performance Season is generously sponsored in part by Adam and Sonja Cobb and Mill Creek Family Services.