Description

From the themes of 'Moon' and 'Illum', grown from the natural processions of life and cycle, the music and movement of ‘Part II’ are an homage to transition and the necessity of transforming yourself into insurmountable creatures—survival in community. Inspired by the shapes and shadows of our bones, muscles, and sinew, the costumes and lighting complete this work as breathing and living elements within the movement—an exploration of the innate power of the human body.

Background

'Part II' is the third installment of a triptych, following the successful premieres of 'Moon' and 'Illum' performed by push/FOLD respectively at the Union PDX - Festival of Contemporary Dance in November, 2022, and at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in February, 2023. 'Part II' would be my first professional Ballet commission to be set on the main company of Oregon Ballet Theatr (OBT).

For myself as an artist, this commission is a major milestone in my personal career that coincides with my own reconciliation of identity and the coalescence of efforts in my careers, my efforts expanding push/FOLD and our successes, and my personal relationships. I have always found the opportunity of change and transition to be beautiful, even when tumultuous, and I wanted to return us as audiences to something beautiful that we all share—the power of the human body, life, transition, growth... within community.

When I was first asked to be a part of the Made in Portland program for OBT, Peter Franc posed the question, “What have you heard about Portland, and how does it make you feel?”

I am an Portland-born artist. I have lived many things in Portland and heard many more. As a whole, I feel our city has promise and an opportunity to grow from a deep history. Through the shutdowns of 2020 and ‘21 an ounce of the deep boil of our city’s history and relationship with itself was felt publicly and very visibly. We experienced an upheaval of awareness and national attention that I think we continue to grapple with in the hopes of reconciliation and moving forward. Ultimately, I believe that the true identity of Portland was revealed and the resilience and urge to protect came out—protect what we see, protect what we want, protect who we love. That reconciliation of identity is a major component of maturity for us as humans as we recognize what serves us and then work to build ways forward in community.