Performances Fill Out the Dancegoer’s Summer Calendar

The traditional performing arts season may be over, but there’s still plenty of dance to see this summer, including several performances by the Northwest Professional Dance Project.

A three-week intensive workshop for young dancers (ages 16 to 25) is at the heart of the innovative NWPDP program, which is now in its fifth season. The participating dancers are either planning to join a professional company or are already part of one but looking to stretch their artistic limits during the summer.

After weeks of taking classes from guest artists and working with award-winning choreographers such as Donald McKayle and Mark Godden, the dancers perform for the public as part of NWPDP’s “Showing by Dance Makers.” This year’s performance, Aug. 15 and 16, includes six new works by local, national and international choreographers.

Last year, artistic director Sarah Slipper added another facet to NWPDP. She invited select workshop participants from previous years to come together and perform as a company, which was dubbed The PC. These are dedicated dancers, one and all; they include students from The Juilliard School and members of professional companies such as Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theater, BalletMet Columbus and Kansas City Ballet.

The members of The PC participate in NWPDP’s outreach program, called Dance Moves, which brings dance to local youth groups. Company members also collaborate and build relationships with influential choreographers during the process of creating new dances.

Several of these dances premiere at The PC’s performance July 11 and 12, including work by rising star Aszure Barton, Portland’s James Canfield and Lucas Crandall, and Alejandro Cerrudo of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, as well as Slipper’s 2007 duet “The Nuisance of Being.”

Canfield’s contribution to The PC performance is a 20-minute dance inspired by pushing “shuffle” on his iPod. The choreographer is intrigued by the ritual of waiting to hear which song will pop up next and then reacting to the random selection—what makes us choose whether to stick with a song or skip it? What memories and emotions are triggered by certain pieces of music?

The iPod-inspired dance is the second work Canfield has created for NWPDP this season. He also choreographed a brief, stunningly beautiful solo for PC member Lateef Williams. It will be performed along with short works by local choreographers Slipper, Mary Oslund, Gregg Bielemeier, Lane Hunter and Jonathan Sadony July 9 and 23 as part of PCPA’s free summer performance series.

For a complete schedule visit www.nwpdp.com.

—Rebecca Ragain