4 Hours with Olivier Wevers

Olivier Wevers is from Brussels, Belgium. He received his training at the Karys Dance Center with Nicole Karys, a former dancer with Béjart’s Ballet du XXième Siecle. He was a Principal at Royal Winnipeg Ballet, dancing regularly with Evelyn Hart, prior to joining Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1997 where he is a Principal Dancer. Mr. Wevers versatility as a dancer and actor accounts for his vast repertory. He has performed lead roles in all the major full-length classical ballets, as well as an extensive list of contemporary works by the world’s most noted choreographers. He stands out in roles that require character development and intense emotional color. Olivier Wevers performed the Divertissement pas de deux in the BBC’s 1999 film version of PNB’s production of Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, filmed at Sadler Wells Theatre, London. He has performed as a guest artist with numerous North American ballet companies and the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet Company (Japan). He has appeared at Le Gala des Étoiles, Dancers for Life, The Millennium Gala (Japan), and the Aoyama Ballet Festival (Japan). In 2001, he toured Asia with Evelyn Hart, performing Van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet. In 2004, he performed as a guest artist for New York City Ballet’s Balanchine Centennial, and in 2005, he performed with Peter Boal and Company. Mr. Wevers has choreographed works for numerous companies in Canada, Japan, and the United States, including: Pacific Northwest Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Spectrum Dance Theater, Seattle Dance Project, and Cornish Dance Theater and was selected to participate in the 2009 National Choreographers Initiative, held in Irvine California. In 2008, he was the recipient of the Artist Trust/ Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship Award, recognizing his work, Shindig, commissioned from PNB. In 2006, he was selected and participated in the prestigious New York Choreographic Institute. Olivier Wevers’ work has appeared in many dance festivals, including 2007’s Prix de Lausanne Gala in Tokyo, PNB’s Laugh Out Loud Festival, White Bird’s 4×4 Ballet Project, Against the Grain/Men in Dance and Seattle’s Bumbershoot. In 2009, Olivier Wevers founded his own dance company, Whim W’Him, in order to collaborate with artists and to further his choreographic vision.  The company premiered in January 2010 at On the Boards in Seattle to sold out houses and critical acclaim.