April continues to be the month of abundance for dance in Oregon!
Part two of this month’s DanceWatch features Eugene’s National Dance Week, which promises to be an exciting celebration of dance in all its forms!
Running April 18–27, this annual event brings together dancers from all corners of the community, from local studios to internationally renowned artists, for a week full of performances, workshops, and activities for all ages.
National Dance Week’s roots go back to 1981, when it was first established to highlight the importance of dance in American culture and to encourage more people to engage with the art form.
Over the years, it’s grown into a nationwide celebration packed with performances, classes, and community events that reflect the full spectrum of dance—traditional, contemporary, and everything in between.
For the full National Dance Week lineup in Eugene, visit the Eugene Cultural Services National Dance Week page.
In Portland, Rakesh Sukesh, an India-born artist based in Belgium, presents because i love the diversity (this micro-attitude, we all have it), a semi-improvised solo dance-theater work examining race, identity, and belonging (April 12–19 at PICA), and the Jefferson Dancers celebrate their fiftieth anniversary with a series of shows at the Newmark Theater (April 17-19).
Also in Portland, Bharatanatyam dancer Jayanthi Raman’s Shadows From Within (April 19) will bring dancers from Nepal, India, and Indonesia to share traditional and contemporary forms rooted in storytelling and cultural memory.
Company dancers at Oregon Ballet Theater take the reins as creators this month.
They present a series of world premieres choreographed for the junior company and offer a take on where ballet is headed next in OBT by Design (April 26).
For something more intimate, Subashini Ganesan-Forbes’ Kalyana Mitra — The friends who know the gift that you are (April 25–27) is a layered meditation on friendship, emotional connection, and trust.
Created in collaboration with dancers and collaborative choreographers Jordan Isadore and Angela Mazziotta, the piece blends movement, music, and installation into a profoundly personal experience.
Celebrated musician and Portland native esperanza spalding is in residency in Corvallis at PRAx with her boundary-pushing music and dance project Off Brand gOdds (April 17–18).
Spalding has been developing the work in collaboration with Oregon State University students, culminating in a cross-disciplinary performance that weaves movement, sound, and story into an original work.
April wraps up with two striking productions on April 30: the Brazilian contemporary dance company Grupo Corpo, brought to Portland by White Bird, returns to the Schnitz with a Bach-inspired work that mixes Afro-Brazilian movement, ballet, and ritual gesture; and The Sleeping Beauty by the State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine takes the stage at the Newmark, bringing a classic story to life with lush sets and Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score.
Enjoy! See you in the wild!
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April 16-30 Dance Performances
because i love the diversity (this micro-attitude, we all have it)
Rakesh Sukesh (India/Belgium)
Co-Presented by Portland Institute for Contemporary Art and Boom Arts
April 12-19
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, 15 N.E. Hancock St., Portland
because i love the diversity (this micro-attitude, we all have it) is a dance-theater work that explores Rakesh Sukesh’s experience as an immigrant in Europe.
Sometimes hilarious and often thought-provoking, the piece delves into immigration, art, and racial bias through vibrant storytelling and trance-Sukesh’smi-improvisational movement—a technique Sukesh has taught worldwide.
What happens when his body becomes a viral, racist symbol?
How does it affect his identity and relationships with the primarily white, deeply loving artists and students around him?
Content warning: brief, full nudity.
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Step Afrika! Community Workshop
6 p.m. April 16
Hult Center, Hult Center Studio, One Eugene Center, Eugene
Step Afrika! — a professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping, a percussive dance form rooted in African American fraternities and sororities — will lead a 60-minute, open-level stepping workshop for ages five and up.
No experience is necessary; just bring your energy, curiosity, and sneakers!
Participants will learn basic step movements and gain insight into the rich cultural history of stepping.
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Step Afrika!
7:30 p.m. April 17
Hult Center, One Eugene Center, Eugene
Step Afrika! is a professional dance company founded in 1994 by C. Brian Williams dedicated to the tradition of stepping, a percussive dance form rooted in African American fraternities and sororities.
The company blends stepping with traditional African dance and contemporary styles, creating energetic performances that integrate storytelling, humor, and audience interaction.
For its upcoming show, Step Afrika! will present a dynamic performance that celebrates culture, rhythm, and community, combining technique, agility, and lots of energy!
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esperanza spalding and Off Brand gOdds Dance Company
Presented by PRAx
April 17-18
The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx), Detrick Hall, 470 SW 15th St, Corvallis
PRAx presents esperanza spalding, the 2024-25 Patricia Valian Reser Artist-in-Residence.
Born in Portland, Esperanza is a five-time Grammy winner and an eaabibacliitoti* artist trained in jazz and other creative disciplines.
eaabibacliitoti* refers to artists with European-African ancestry influenced by American cultures living in the Indigenous Territories of Turtle Island (North America).
Spalding is known for her dance project “Off Brand gOdds” and her therapeutic music initiative “Songwrights Apothecary Lab,” in which she leads workshops and residencies worldwide, blending music, dance, and therapeutic arts.
During her residency at PRAx, esperanza will collaborate with Oregon State University students to create a cross-disciplinary work.
As a 2024 recipient of the Doris Duke Foundation Artist Award, she continues to push boundaries in music, dance, and community engagement.
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The Jefferson Dancers
Presented by Jefferson High School
April 17-19
Newmark Theater, 1111 S.W. Broadway, Portland
In their fiftieth year, The Jefferson Dancers, a nationally recognized student dance company directed by Steve Gonzales and made up of students from Jefferson High School/Middle School College for Advanced Studies in Portland, return to the stage with fresh energy and seven new dances representing a multitude of genres, including hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz, aerial, and African dance.
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Eugene’s National Dance Week
Presented by Eugene Cultural Services
April 18-27
Occurring in multiple locations.
See the website for dates, times, and locations.
This annual event brings together dancers from all corners of the community, from local studios to internationally renowned artists, for a week full of performances, workshops, and activities for all ages.
National Dance Week’s roots go back to 1981, when it was established to highlight the importance of dance in American culture and encourage more people to engage with the art form.
For the full National Week’s Week lineup in Eugene, visit the Eugene Cultural Services National Dance Week page.
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Jayanthi Raman’s Shadows From Within
Presented by the Indonesian Performing Arts of Oregon (IPAO) and Rasika
4 p.m. April 19
Dolores Winningstad Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, Portland
More than 25 dancers will perform traditional dances from Nepal, Indonesia, and India in this collaborative performance directed by Portland-based Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer Jayanthi Raman and respected Nepalese dance teacher and performer Prajwal Acharya.
Through intricate movements, storytelling, and vibrant costumes, Shadows From Within offers an immersive experience that will take audiences on a journey to Nepal, the land of the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges; the lush islands of Indonesia; and the ancient classical dance of India.
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BodyVox: Junior Artists Generator
2 p.m. April 19
Walters Cultural Arts Center, 527 E. Main St., Hillsboro
Junior Artists Generator (JAG) at BodyVox presents a lively family matinee showcasing dynamic choreography by innovative Portland-based dance artists alongside works from the BodyVox repertory.
This talented pre-professional dance group (ages 14+) is known for its high level of training, commitment to inclusivity, and, above all, its joy in movement.
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Reality Cake
Tempos Contemporary Circus
April 24-27
A-WOL Dance Collective, 513 N.E. Schuyler St., Portland
Tempos Contemporary Circus is reimagining reality.
If reality were a cake, it would be a wild blend of unexpected ingredients: friends, enemies, dreams, nightmares, and lint from the dryer.
In this one-of-a-kind performance, Tempos Circus combines high-flying acrobatics, experimental theater, and quirky humor; all served with a side of live music.
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Kalyana Mitra — The friends who know the gift that you are
Artistic Direction and Concept: Subashini Ganesan-Forbes
April 25-27
New Expressive Works, 810 S.E. Belmont St., Suite 2, Portland
[In the WYSE Building.
Use building doors located on the South side of the building.]
Immerse yourselves and your hearts in Kalyana (Celebratory/Auspicious) – Mitra (Friendship), a collaborative dance and music work conceived by Portland-based choreographer and arts leader Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, with dancers and collaborative choreographers Jordan Isadore and Angela Mazziotta.
Through movement, sound, and installation, the piece reflects on the layered dynamics of friendship — including trust, vulnerability, affection, and deep respect — offering an immersive exploration of the emotional textures that shape human connection.
Ganesan-Forbes, a contemporary Bharatanatyam artist known for her collaborative and emotionally resonant work, is the founder of New Expressive Works, the creator of Community Healing Through Art, Chair of the Oregon Arts Commission, and an adjunct professor at Pacific University.
She served as Portland’s Creative Laureate from 2018 to 2021.
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OBT by Design
Oregon Ballet Theatre
7 p.m. April 26
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland
The program features world premieres by OBT company dancers, highlighting the creative voices shaping the next generation of ballet.
OBT artists collaborate with OBT2, the junior company, to present an evening of new works that reflect the evolving landscape of contemporary ballet.
Choreographers include Lauren Flower, Leigh Goldberger, Kangmi Kim, Mathilde Lambert, Ruth Langill, Isaac Lee, Jessica Lind, Charlotte Nash, Cyrus Shaskan, and Ben Youngstone.
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Grupo Corpo
Presented by White Bird Dance Series/WE ARE ONE Festival
7:30 p.m. April 30
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, Portland
The acclaimed Brazilian contemporary dance company Grupo Corpo returns to the stage for one night only with a visually dazzling and musically rich performance featuring music by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Choreographed by Marco Antônio Guimarães in 1996, this piece seamlessly blends contemporary dance, classical ballet, Afro-Brazilian movement, and ritual gestures inspired by Umbanda, a widely practiced religion in Brazil.
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The Sleeping Beauty
Performed by The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine
Presented by Classical Arts Entertainment
7 p.m. April 30
Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland
The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine and its cast of internationally recognized dancers bring The Sleeping Beauty to life in a full-length classical ballet featuring Tchaikovsky’s iconic score.
Presented by Classical Arts Entertainment, this production tells the timeless tale of Princess Aurora, cursed by the fairy Carabosse to sleep for 100 years.
Lavish painted scenery and ornate costumes created by Ukrainian artists set the stage for an evening of visual splendor.
image source from：https://www.orartswatch.org/april-dancewatch-part-two-from-national-dance-week-to-grupo-corpo-and-much-more-a-busy-month-of-dance-continues/
