WHITE BIRD DANCE
Walter Jaffe and Paul King, founders 1997–present
1997
White Bird Linen. White Bird Chocolate. The name “White Bird” could work for anything, reasoned Walter Jaffe and Paul King. An homage to their cockatoo, Barney, the brand gave the two tastemakers wiggle room in case their risky new obsession—bringing world-class dance companies from other cities to Portland— didn’t work out. In 1986, when the couple first planned their move from New York, Jaffe (a publishing industry pro) and King (a pastry chef ) dreamed of doing “something with food” But as they settled into Portland, 1) they noticed “there was already a lot happening with food,” and 2) they heard that Paul Taylor Dance Company, which they’d known and patronized back in New York, was coming to town for the Western Region Booking Conference. They met up with Taylor's general manager, who introduced them to others in his industry—mostly agents and company managers.
30
ARTSLANDIA 2015–2016
“We didn’t want to take from the community; we wanted to give back.”
Then, as Jaffe puts it, he “popped the question”: Would they present Paul Taylor Dance in Portland? The couple decided to go for it. They put on Taylor’s show, and 1,400 people came. Turns out, Portland was eager to see world-class dance. The orphaned audience of Portland State University’s lapsed dance series had been seeking somewhere else to go, and Jaffe and King’s fellow transplants from larger cities hungered for dance (beyond ballet) that met their cultivated tastes. White Bird also discovered a life-saving loophole called “Wednesday.” On the only day of the week that union musicians demanded off, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall was available for dance shows—and to White Bird’s delight, audiences seemed to relish midweek entertainment. Initially, White Bird planned six shows per season, but by 2001, they revved up to 12. The same year, they revived the PSU Dance Series. Once in 1999 and again in 2010, they even brought Baryshnikov to town!
Jaffe and King had initially started White Bird as an LLC rather than a nonprofit because, as King puts it, “We didn’t want to take from the community; we wanted to give back.” That civic impulse evolved as they transitioned to 501(c)(3). During the recession, they dreamed of opening a brick-and-mortar dance center in the heart of downtown, “integrating dance into the community.” The location fell through, and the couple kept working from home—but White Bird redoubled their efforts to dispatch dancers directly into community outreach. The companies White Bird presents regularly visit Portland Public Schools and youth lockdown facilities; they offer movement workshops and talks to the public; one even choreographed a line dance for 164 community members to perform in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Dance is a medium that can rise to a high standard of excellence, but if you ask White Bird, it’s also a daily necessity. Like linen. Or chocolate. .