Just out., February 20, 2009, Page 28, Image 28

»ijustput FEBRUARY 20, 2009
dance
Break'
the Mold
Gay choreograph
are traditionally str
how dance companies
by Rebecca Ragain
ot
N
every
internationally
known ballet choreographer
would desire—or even con
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sider—having his work per­
formed during halftime at
a professional basketball game.
But Trey McIntyre likes doing
things differently. One of the
JONAS LUNDQVIST
goals of his newly full-time com­
pany, Trey McIntyre Project,
is to work toward “making a
company that’s more viable
in an American setting.”
McIntyre says: “Dance in the
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U.S. is in a tricky place: It’s not
woven into the fabric of who we are.
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It is for Europeans. We don’t grow up
with dance in the U.S. generally."
To discover how to make dance more
pertinent to the general U.S. population,
McIntyre is questioning pretty much every­
thing about how dance companies are tradi­
tionally structured in this country, from how
they are created to where they are based.
“Every day we’re asking why are we doing what
we’re doing, truly why, in the big and small pic­
Trey McIntyre Project will
unveil the commissioned
piece "Serious" for its
Pacific Northwest debut.
ture,” he says. Is it because it’s “the best option for
us, or because it’s always been done that way?”
Before forming his company, McIntyre was
already in demand as a choreographer, receiv­
ing commissions from Ameriatn Ballet Theatre
and Germany’s Stuttgart Ballet. That didn’t stop
his friends from trying to convince him to found a 1 spected venues such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance
company of his own. One strong proponent was his
Festival and the Aspen Dance Festival. Within a
partner, dancer John Michael Schert, who is now ex­
few years, enough presenting organizations were
ecutive director of Trey McIntyre Project. Another
asking for more performances that the time seemed
was Oregon Ballet Theatre dancer Anne Mueller,
ripe to make the company a full-time venture.
the company’s current director of outreach.
During discussions with Schert and Mueller,
McIntyre realized he didn’t have to follow the
“There seemed to be enough of a critical mass
that I felt it was worth taking advantage of that,”
says McIntyre.
typical model for a dance company. In 2004 he
After considering a number of cities, he de­
founded Trey McIntyre Project as a part-time
cided to base the company in Boise, Idaho, par­
company that toured seven weeks each summer.
tially because of its relaxed lifestyle and still­
Trey McIntyre Project was well received at re-
developing arts scene.
V
tuesday, march 17th
gay/lesbian/bi/trans social mixer 6 pm-close
O Vault Martini Lounge / No Cover, Ortnfc proceed* to Portland» Q Center
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