It's hard to believe that our season is close to its end. Wasn't it just the other day that Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ana Laguna introduced us to the powerful physicality of Mats Ek's choreography? Or Aspen Santa Fe Ballet launched the 12th season of the White Bird Dance Series with an exciting quadruple bill by Cayetano Soto, Forsythe, Twarp and Elo?

11 companies have indeed come to White Bird during this season, that included our final four Uncaged events before heading back to PSU next fall.

Our 12th and final company is one that making its mark around the country and Europe as well--Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet.  Artistic Director Benoit Swan-Pouffer (formerly a celebrated Alvin Ailey dancer) is attracting the most forward-thinking choreographers today from all over to create new work specifically for Cedar Lake. His dancers are young and fully committed to tackling different kinds of movement.

The program they're bringing to Portland next Wednesday, May 5, could be viewed as variations on the theme of North European "disquiet."  If you were at our Hubbard Street performance on Feb. 23, Bob Hicks gave an illuminating pre-show talk, linking the disorienting visions of the three Hubbard Street works (by Elo, Naharin and Inger) to the Portland Art Museum's fascinating exhibit "DISQUIETED," which is still running till May 16 (don't miss it!)

Cedar Lake provides a fitting continuation of this theme, this time exemplified by the choreography of Norway's Jo Stromgren, Canada's Crystal Pite, and Holland's Didy Veldman. Uncaged subscribers will recall that we launched Uncaged in October 2008 with Crystal Pite's "Lost Action," and Cedar Lake's work "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue" emphasizes Pite's highly original movement enhanced by evocative, shadowy lighiting. But it's really Stromgren's "Sunday, Again" and Veldman's "frame of view" that carry the "disquiet" theme-- each uses humor and theatrical imagery to underscore life's daily absurdities. All set to fantastic music--Bach, Offenbach, Jacques Brel, and even Portland's beloved Pink Martini!

(Photo by Paul B. Goode, Crystal Pite's "Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue")

Don't miss our final pre-show talk by Barry Johnson, one of Portland's most astute arts writers--6:45-7:05 in the Schnitzer lower lobby.

We're excited to introduce Cedar Lake to Portland. Word has it that Hofesh Shechter is working with them soon on a new piece.  Another link to the past season--certainly one of the most original voices coming out of Europe today. We can't wait to see what he creates for this adventurous company.