Curtain Call for Olympic Ballet Artistic Director

Over the past 30 years, countless little girls (and boys) passionate about ballet have found themselves under the artistic tutelage of Helen Wilkins.

As one of those little girls dancing under Wilkins and her late husband John throughout the 90s, for me the announcement of Helen’s retirement was bittersweet. Although I stopped dancing at 16, I spent many years in the studios of , performed in classic ballets such as "Giselle" and "The Nutcracker," and learned to dance en pointe under the careful eyes of the Wilkinses.

Olympic Ballet Theatre has become a cultural touchstone in the Edmonds Community, and with its focus on classical ballet, the company has turned out many dancers who have gone on to perform with prestigious companies nationwide. To her girls, Helen was often a strict ballet mistress, but one with a passion so deep for the importance of dance that it was infectious. She pushed us to realize our potential, and created an appreciation for the beauty and hard work of ballet. To study under Helen was an honor, and her legacy will live on through her school. 

Wilkins has chosen two dancers from Pacific Northwest Ballet to guide OBT into its future. Married couple Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev are set to assume leadership of the school upon Wilkins’ retirement on June 30. The couple has been working with the school for the past five years in various artists roles, and Vinson will be dancing the lead role in OBT’s 30th anniversary premier of "Coppélia" (April 17 and 18), a production they worked to choreograph over the past year.

“Ready or not, they were beautiful people,” Wilkins said. “And if you want your baby to move on and up, then you just know when it is the right moment. They are just wonderful, high-level artists, and I am excited to see them lead the school into the future.”

And, according to Vinson and Gorboulev, the future will continue to draw on the traditions of the past.

“We want to keep the conditions that she’s established here,” Vinson said. “The classes will stay based on classical ballet training and the performance of full-length productions.”

Gorboulev added that they want to bring in some contemporary works to add to the repertoire.

Wilkins is confident that Vison and Gorboulev will be able to execute their vision.

“I know that they will continue to give the students the inspiration and artistic goals of the rewarding experience of dance,” said Wilkins. “They will keep the students and the school moving on and continue making dance important in their lives.”