Isabelle Bloodgood has been serving as a principal dancer at the Ballet Fantastique since 2023. The principal is the highest position in the ballet world, and “there is a level of respect and expectation from the room,” Bloodgood said. “Growing up, it was definitely always a goal and a dream of mine to be a principal dancer.”
Bloodgood’s mother put her into ballet classes when she was three years old. “That’s what moms do,” she said. When she was in middle school, Bloodgood saw “Sleeping Beauty” by the American Ballet Theatre, and her interest in ballet climbed to the next level.
During the show, Bloodgood said to her mother, “That’s what I want to be when I grow up.”
Bloodgood’s mother asked her if she was okay with just being in a ballet company and not being the main character. “No, I don’t care, I just want to dance,” Bloodgood replied.
After her initial ballet classes, Bloodgood transferred to a more intense studio, started taking ballet classes every day and went to boarding school to maximize her hours of training. “There is a lot of rejection in the ballet world and it can be tough, but my love of it helps to overcome those challenges,” Bloodgood said.
In 2020, Bloodgood was looking for an innovative company putting out new, exciting shows. That was when she found Ballet Fantastique.
“Ballet Fantastique created world premieres that I have never heard of before,” Bloodgood said. She attributed the show “American Christmas Carol,” as one of the shows that caught her attention and interest.
She auditioned and joined the company in 2020. “It was a crazy season but great,” Bloodgood said, reflecting on the first few years when the company tried to be creative to keep the momentum under the pandemic.
When Bloodgood first heard about “Murder at the Ballet,” she said she remembered thinking, “How are we going to do and afford this?” The show would need “wonderful live music, and the costumes would need to be well-prepared,” she said.
Sabrina Chu, a University of Oregon sophomore, said she has never been to the Hult Center. “I don’t think many students know about it”, Chu said. “I have seen the Nutcracker in Portland, and It’s so satisfying to watch, they are so light on their feet.”
Bloodgood said the show intends to be interactive, giving the audience a chance to decide who did it. “Audiences should expect to see something they have never seen before, something that would be a real treat’ for the Halloween season,” she said.
“I feel like anyone who has done dance or theater should go,” Chu said. Tickets to the ballet range from $22 to $120, or $15 to $65 for students and youth.
As for Bloodgood, moving forward she hopes to continue dancing for a few more years as a principal dancer. After ballet, she hopes to go into marketing, as she said she’s a person who “wears multiple hats.”
