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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 7, 2009)
Ä M WWW J U S TO U T COM . AUGUST 7 2009 DANCE NWDP Celebrates New Home with Packed Schedule CELTIC PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL THE LEFT COAST EISTEDDFOD AT THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM TICKETS AT TICKETMASTER.COM AUGUST 22ND ONLY I S NEEDS tenor Bruce Anderson Oceans Apart Tyler Stenson bb c w a lesc h R AUGUST 21ST JESUS PRESLEY, WESTERN AERIAL, RUNAWAY NORM, THE SLIMJIMS DAYTIME EVENTS BOTH DAYS AUTHORS, ARTISTS, FILM, WELSH MARKET AND MUCH MORE S5.00 AT THE DOOR mcmenamin's crystal ballroom 1332 west burnside more info http://amerlcymru.ning.com Slightly over a month after Oregon Bal let Theatre held an emergency fund-raising performance to keep its doors from closing, Northwest Dance Project opened the doors o f its new home to the public. NWDP, headed by Sarah Slipper and Scott Lewis, brings young professional danc ers together with emerging and renowned choreographers. The result is a slew of new dances and a strengthened web of profes sional connections for all involved. After five years spent shuttling between different rehearsal and performance spaces, NW DP leased a studio/performance space in the Mississippi Ball room, on North Shaver Street. The first public performance there— a showing of work cre ated by two choreogra phers during a six-day residency—took place July 18. It was an aus picious start: the event sold out and a second show was added. Maurice Causey, ballet master for Ned- erlands Dance Theater, was one of the chore ographers who created new work with the residency’s group of nearly 30 dancers. “Collaborating with them was amazing, from the first day,” says Causey. Causey was also inspired by N W D P’s no-holds-barred artistic atmosphere, which helped him to create 16 minutes of dance in a fraction of the time typical of such an en deavor. Causey says, “The ideas never stopped in my mind. That had a lot to do with the en vironment. The environment was very open.” After the residency, NW DP invited Cau sey to return later this summer, joining three other choreographers on the Summer Premieres program, being performed August 14-15. The dance that Causey, who is gay, is creat ing for Summer Premieres explores the concept of predicament— especially gender predica ments. He’s working with three couples: one made up of a male and female dancer, one of two women and another of two men. At the time of this writing, Causey was in the midst o f shaping the untitled work, but he did already know that it wouldn’t be a pretty dance. “Obviously, predicaments are difficult situations,” he points out. “The cho reography is quite emotionally aggressive and the language is also quite aggressive.” Causey is impressed with the skill level o f the dancers in N W D P’s company. He was hoping to work with dancers who have good technique, but who aren’t restricted to that. He got his wish; Causey says that NW D P’s dancers “can really move, if you understand what I mean.” He continues: “They’re familiar with their ability to move and are hungry enough to use that, and also to collaborate with me to create my work. That has attracted me to go further and deeper into my work at the moment.” Also making dances for Summer Premieres are James Canfield, former artistic director o f Oregon Ballet Theatre and current artis tic director o f Nevada Ballet Theatre; Lucas Crandall, associate artistic director o f Hub bard Street Dance Chicago; and Wen Wei Wang, artistic director o f Wen Wei Dance. After these choreographers finish their work, another four will begin in the NW DP studio in preparation o f the Fall Premieres program, October 16-17. One o f these is DAN FISICO By REBECCA RAGAIN Edgar Zendejas, artistic director of a M on treal-based company called ezdanza. Zendejas is returning to the program for a second year. About last year, he says, “I had a really good experience and enjoyed the piece and the dancers.” Sharing a program with other choreographers marks another benefit: “I always love to see other works, and ways o f working.” Also in 2008, Zendejas got to know fel low Montreal choreographer Mark Godden, whom he’d never met in person previously. In addition, Zendejas kept in touch with several o f the dancers he met. He is excited to return to Portland, which he feels is “very open for art.” Earlier in his career, Zendejas danced with a company whose director eliminated pieces with male duets or gay themes when touring in the U.S. because of worries about how those elements would be received. So last year, when Zendejas decided to have a male duet in his work for NWDP, called “De Wilde (the Wanted),” he was a little concerned about others’ reactions. “But in NWDP, I’m free to express what is part of me,” says Zendejas, who is gay. “I did the duet and it turned out very well.” NW DP’s Summer Premieres program is 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., Aug. 14-15, at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway. Also, mark your calendar fo r Fall Premieres, Oct. 16-17. Tickets are 120-140 through www.nwpdp.com.
