Oregon Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Jessica Lind and Company Artist Ben Youngstone will retire after performing at OBT’s 2024–25 season closer, The OBT Collection (June 5–8).
Jessica Lind
After 14 unforgettable years with Oregon Ballet Theatre and 12 years in the Company, Principal Dancer Jessica Lind will retire at the conclusion of the 24/25 season.
Rising through the ranks and through three Artistic Directors, Lind has danced many leading roles and been part of the creation of numerous ballets, most recently working with OBT Artistic Director Dani Rowe on the creation of Marilyn. “She is a muse and an inspiration for choreographers,” says Rowe.
“Marilyn was the first full length creation where I was the one being created on,” says Lind. “It felt really special to work together with Dani in the creation process and to know that we were making history!”
Jessica began ballet at the age of four, but it wasn’t until OBT’s Annual School Performance at the end of her first year as an OBT2 that she knew she wanted to dance professionally. In 2013 she was promoted into the main company as an Apprentice, and then in 2022 she was named a Principal Dancer.
“I am beyond grateful for my career at OBT,” says Lind. “I recognize how fortunate I am to have had such a full career in one company. I want to thank all the stagers, choreographers, ballet masters, teachers, and directors that I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from. Thank you for seeing something in me, maybe even before I could see it in myself. Thank you to the OBT dancers, past and present, for providing endless inspiration and memories on and off stage.”
On her future beyond dance, Lind shared “My plan is to take a moment to breathe. I am really looking forward to taking some time and space to discover new interests. I am passionate about working with young athletes and I have some ideas moving forward, but for now, I want to enjoy wrapping up my career and not jump into anything right away.”
Ben Youngstone
After four impactful years with Oregon Ballet Theatre, Company Artist Ben Youngstone will retire at the conclusion of the 24/25 season.
As a strong collaborator, Youngstone is relied upon in the company. His presence is a uniting and calming force in the studio, where his maturity and consistency are an anchor for everyone that works with him. Ben’s work ethic and intelligent approach to dance transforms a name on a casting sheet into a memorable character.
“He takes a role and continues to knead until it’s deeply connected to him personally,” says Rowe. “Then it plays out on stage as this wonderful transformation into character, drawing the audience into the performance.”
“The roles I’ve gotten the opportunity to perform at OBT have been some of the most challenging in my career,” says Youngstone. “To meet those expectations, I’ve had to grow significantly in my technique, movement quality, and acting skills.”
Reflecting on his time with OBT, Youngstone shared that what he’s going to miss the most is seeing his coworkers on a daily basis. “OBT has a really special collection of personalities as well as artists who I’ve been fortunate to call my friends these past four years. Their talent and dedication to the craft inspires me every day.”
In looking towards his future, “I’m currently about three-fourths of the way through an Agricultural Science degree at Oregon State University. I’m excited to complete my degree and then enter that industry,” says Youngstone. “I also hope to continue pursuing choreography and I am excited to find new ways to incorporate all kinds of dance into my life outside of the bounds of company work.”
Final Performances
See Lind and Youngstone’s final performance with OBT this June in The OBT Collection at the Newmark Theatre. The Saturday, June 7 at 7:30 pm performance will celebrate Ben Youngstone’s impact on OBT. And the Sunday, June 8 at 2 pm performance will be dedicated to Lind’s career at OBT, performing a special pas de deux After the Rain by Christopher Wheeldon.
“I have so many people to thank here for believing in me and pushing me to grow past what I had once seen as my own limitations into a stronger and more fully rounded artist,” says Youngstone.
“Thank you to the Portland audience for your support and cheering me on from the house,” says Lind. “Sending all the love right back to everyone.”
The entire organization of Oregon Ballet Theatre extends a multitude of thanks in recognizing the esteemed careers of Jessica Lind and Ben Youngstone and for everything they have contributed to this art form, to OBT, and to all of us lucky enough to have been witness to their journey.
Featured Image: Jessica Lind and Ben Youngstone in Christopher Stowell’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Photo by Jingzi Zhao.
Image 1: Jessica Lind and Brian Simcoe in Stanton Welch’s Indigo. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert.
Image 2: Ben Youngstone in Matjash Mrozewski’s The Lost Dance. Photo by Blaine Truitt Covert.
