Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake.

Dance in Portland

Portland's remarkably active dance scene ranges from ballet to contemporary work.

Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Swan Lake.

For a city its size, Portland has a remarkably active dance scene that fills the city’s dance card with everything from ballet concerts of “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker” to studio productions of the freshest and grittiest contemporary work by local choreographers. If a theme runs through all of this movement, it’s innovation — Portland dance has a restless, inventive spirit that welcomes collaborations with other art forms and often spills beyond the generally accepted boundaries of “dance.” Read on to learn more about the city’s expansive dance scene, then head to our events calendar to discover even more things to do on your next trip to Portland.

International Talent

The primary presenter of dance artists from outside the city is White Bird, which has brought mostly modern dance to the city since incorporating in 1997. White Bird’s tastes generally run to the more experimental and contemporary part of the dance spectrum, especially in its Uncaged programs at Lincoln Hall at Portland State University, but even its larger shows at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall often feature advanced European and Asian choreographers, alongside their American peers.

Ballet

The largest ballet company in the city is Oregon Ballet Theatre, which has managed to operate at a quality level far above its budget, thanks to its artistic directors James Canfield and Christopher Stowell since its emergence in 1989 from a merger of two smaller companies. Under Stowell, the company focused on sharpening its Balanchine core and adding lots of neo-classical and story ballets to its repertoire. Its new artistic director Kevin Irving has worked with many of the most interesting dance choreographers in the world and is expected to bring a more modern feel to the company.

Choreographer Sarah Slipper founded Northwest Dance Project in 2004 with the idea of developing a core of athletic dancers flexible and creative enough to work with a variety of choreographers on brand new work, usually ballet-based but contemporary in look. That’s exactly what she’s done as the company has bent itself around dozens of new dances made by choreographers from around the world, attacking each with enthusiasm and skill.

Modern Acrobatics

BodyVox leans to the more modern part of the dance world, and its work has a theatrical often humorous side, if not downright antic. Founders Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland bring the acrobatics of their work with Pilobolus, Momix and Iso to BodyVox, and they’ve developed a company of dancers able to meet the movement demands without neglecting the connection to the audience.

Portland has several companies that have acrobatic or aerial tendencies (Pendulum Aerial Arts, A-WOL Dance Collective, Polaris Dance), each with a different emphasis. And two venerable companies, Do Jump! and Imago, aim their acrobatic theatrics at the younger set.

New Modern

In Southeast Portland, Linda Austin’s Performance Works Northwest plays a similar role, gathering new dancers and choreographers and combining with experienced hands — such as Austin herself.

Arts, Dance

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

This grand Italian rococo theater is a historic building and performing arts center whose Broadway marquee is crowned by a 65-foot-high “Portland” sign illuminated with 6,000 lights.
Northwest Dance Project

Northwest Dance Project is dedicated to the creation and performance of innovative, contemporary new dance works from established and emerging dance makers created in an open and artistically stimulating environment.
BodyVox Dance Company

Dance troupe BodyVox’s engaging, visceral work has been featured at the Academy Awards and in music videos for U2 and Sting, but is best experienced up close in the 150-seat studio at BodyVox’s dance center.
A-WOL Dance Collective

Formed in 2003, the A-WOL Dance Collective merges the worlds of dance and aerial. They stage exhilarating performances year-round, as well as the annual outdoor Art in the Dark festival.
Polaris Dance Theatre

Polaris Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company founded in 2002 under the direction of award-winning Artistic Director Robert Guitron that stages performances, outreach programs, classes and artist collaborations.
Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theater

For 30 years, founder and artistic director Robin Lane has led the Do Jump "actorbats" in creating a unique blend of theater, dance, aerial work, acrobatics, dynamic visuals and live music that defies categorization.
Imago Theatre

Founded in 1979, Imago Theatre features original productions that have toured internationally for decades. Imago’s productions (from classics to excursions into vaudevillian existentialism) have won acclaim around the world and at home in Portland.