In four movements

If the idea of French music makes you think of a pleasant combination of romance and passion, finished off with a dash of pretense, you may want to go check out the ballet this weekend.

In Oregon Ballet Theatre’s most recent installment of its Grand Tour season, Artistic Director Christopher Stowell has chosen to put together four very different ballets set to music from French composers, exercising the capabilities of his company. Here are some highlights from Friday’s dress rehearsal.

First was Zais, choreographed by Stowell in 2003 for Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet–a highly structured and elaborate assembly of 22 dancers. The music was composed in 1748 by Jean-Philippe Rameau for the French royal court, and at Friday’s performance, the full orchestra featured Portland State’s own chamber choir. The dancers wore costumes resembling a mini version of what might have been worn to a formal performance when the music was composed: a peculiar variation on the tutu standard.

The highly structured choreography lined the dancers in formal rows, forming interweaving patterns and crisscrossing over the stage. Three couples paired off for individual dances, and while initially engaging in energy and design, the repetition and consistent tone of the whole piece left very little lasting impression.

Next was the light and whimsical Afternoon of a Faun, set to Claude Debussy’s “Prelude a l’Apres-midi d’un Faune.” The sparse set zooms the audience in to a minimal dance studio, complete with wrap-around barre. After a moment, it is clear that the dancers, when facing the audience, are actually looking into a mirror. Very clever.

At once haunting and mischievous, the music and the 1953 choreography are flawlessly timeless. The audience watches a young couple display their affections for each other, and the performances, even in this dress rehearsal, by Arthur Sultanov and Gavin Larsen, were so genuine, so heartfelt, that the piece ended far too soon.

The following Pas de Deux Parisien was an OBT premiere using the music of Leo Delibes, known for composing the famous ballets Coppelia and Sylvia. Fanciful and romantic, it gave two dancers the opportunity to treat the audience to partnered lifts, turns and jumps, highlighting the capabilities of the male-female partnership in ballet.

The costumes were formal and bright, and Yuka Iino’s red bloomers under her skirt were priceless.

Maurice Ravel’s infamous Bolero ended the program, with its trademark rat-a-tat drumming and heartbeat of a pulsing bass line. In a debut choreographed by Nicolo Fonte, the dancers nimbly shifted from slow and accurate movements to quick, almost spastic ones, gathering momentum along with the music. The end result was dramatic and illuminating–a huge, blood-red curtain was unfurled, gobbling up one of the solo dancers.

If you go…

Oregon Ballet TheatreKeller AuditoriumFriday and Saturday, Feb. 29 and March 1, 7:30 p.m.

For tickets, call 503-2-ballet or purchase at Ticketmaster outlets.

Student prices start at $17.