Uncaged Concludes with Dazzling ENTITY

A lot has been written about Wayne McGregor, whose company Random Dance we're bringing next week to Portland. He is certainly one of the busiest and best choreographers today, creating work for the Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, NDT,  and, coming up, New York City Ballet. Not only is Random a resident company at London's Sadler's Wells, but Wayne is also Resident Choreographer at the Royal Ballet. If you saw the documentary La Danse, he was prominently featured while working with the Paris Opera Ballet dancers on "Genus." He has received numerous awards and honors, including being named Choreographer of the Year by Germany's Ballet-Tanz Magazine.

Does any of this go to Wayne's head? Based on the several times that Paul and I have met with him--including his visit to Portland with his company in 2005--not at all. Wayne is totally down to earth and wonderfully approachable. Sadly, he won't be able to join us in Portland this week since he is so busy with his various commissions. But we are excited to welcome his wonderful company, who will give three performances of his dazzling work  ENTITY on Thursday-Saturday at the Newmark.

This ends our Uncaged series, so you may wonder, why are we using the Newmark in downtown Portland? Not a typical, out-of-the-way Uncaged venue. The reason is that we wanted to bring this groundbreaking work to Portland, and due to its sophisticated technical requirements, we had to use a large stage with capacity for projections, video and intricate lighting. Wayne conceives work in mult-dimensional terms, and consequently the venue needs to accomodate his exciting vision.

Uncaged means many things to us. It has meant alternative venues, such as Oaks Park for Anouk van Dijk and the YWCA for Chunky Move. It has meant unusual neighborhoods, such as in Northeast where the Bison Building is located, across from the Franz Bakery.  Most of all, it refers to the liberating nature of the work--work that breaks boundaries.

ENTITY certainly does that. His virtuoso dancers move at lighting speed, non-stop for 60 minutes. Wayne is fascinated with the way the brain and the body control one another, and there are times during ENTITY when his dancers's bodies seem to come from an alien world-- the movement of individual limbs is so accentuated-- the head is moving in a different direction than the leg-- one leg is moving one way, while the other leg is moving the other way. Wayne seems to be testing the limits of the body's capabilities with ENTITY, but there is no question that his gifted dancers meet the challenges he sets before them. They are astounding.

ENTITY also benefits from fascinating visuals---mobile set, compelling video and projections--and haunting soundscapes by innovative composers Jon Hopkins and Joby Talbot.

Please join us next week for our final Uncaged performances of the season.

ADDED BONUS: We will announce our PSU season at the Random shows. YES, Lincoln Hall is reopening next fall, and we can't wait to return!