TESTING THE LIMITS OF HUMAN PHYSICALITY
Executive and Co-Artistic Director: Renée Jaworski and Artistic Director: Matt Kent
OCT 4
Wednesday | 7:30pm | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
All of us at White Bird are thrilled to welcome you to our 2023-24 season, our 26th season, for another year of world-class contemporary dance. Hot on the heels of our landmark 25th Anniversary Season last year, this season we are proud to return with perennial favorites while also introducing many new artists to Portland. In Season 26 we are once again presenting renowned dance companies from overseas. In March we return to the Keller Auditorium for the first time in a decade. Four companies, nearly half the season lineup, make their White Bird premieres this season. It is an exciting time.
And what better company to channel this excitement than Pilobolus? The company, also freshly off the surge of a major anniversary (their 50th) has proven that age can dull neither their collaborative spirit nor their sense of humor. Tonight we will be treated to an evening of mixed repertory that spans the company’s five decades of history, including classic works Sweet Purgatory and Walklyndon, as well as newer collaborative creations Behind The Shadows and The Ballad. Collectively, these dances demonstrate Pilobolus’ unique ability to mix the playful with the daring.
Tonight we also wish to thank Co-Founders Walter Jaffe and Paul King for 25 years of exemplary leadership, and celebrate their many accomplishments. Most recently, the two have been awarded the Tim Wilson Distinguished Service Award by the Western Arts Alliance, the largest association of performing arts professionals in the western U.S., in recognition of their laudable record as dance presenters. The Distinguished Service Award is WAA’s most selective prize. Please join us in congratulating Walter and Paul on this tremendous accomplishment!
We hope you will join us next week at the Newmark Theatre, as we present ink by Camille A. Brown & Dancers. ink completes Brown’s trilogy on race, culture, and identity, with an exceptional cast of eight dancers backed by four musicians versed in Blues, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Swing. Tickets are on sale now at www.whitebird.org
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Walter Jaffe & Paul King, Co-Presidents
Ken Edwards, Vice-President
Kim Allchurch Flick, Treasurer
Sandra Holmes, Secretary
Leroy E. Bynum, Jr.
Graham Cole
Lisa Mangum
Shawn K. Mangum
Nancy & George Thorn, Founding Board Members Emereti
White Bird Team
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Christopher Carvalho, Director of Patron Services and Communication
Noelle Simone, IDEA Director
Jeff Forbes, Technical Director
Deanna Reeves, Communication Manager
Gretchen Westlight, Operations Manager/Executive Assistant
Mia Chavez Lysaght, Administrative Assistant
Natalie Anthony, Graphic Designer
Alexandra Kuhle, Graphic Designer
Photo by Jingzi Zhao
EXECUTIVE/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
RENÉE JAWORSKI
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
MATT KENT
DANCERS
NATHANIEL BUCHSBAUM
MARLON FELIZ
CONNOR CHAPARRO
HANNAH KLINKMAN
DANCE CAPTAINS
NATHANIEL BUCHSBAUM
QUINCY ELLIS
GENERAL MANAGERS
ANNA BATE
KIRSTEN LEON
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
LIZ DURKIN
LIGHTING SUPERVISOR
YANNICK GODTS
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
RYA GREENE
QUINCY ELLIS
ZACK WEISS
EDUCATION DIRECTOR
EMILY KENT
STAGE MANAGER
DANIELLE DE VITO
DECK MANAGER
MAX JABARA
Major support for Pilobolus Artistic Programming provided by:
Created by Robby Barnett, Renée Jaworski, Matt Kent, and Itamar Kubovy in collaboration with Shawn Fitzgerald Ahern, Benjamin Coalter, Matt Del Rosario, Eriko Jimbo, Jordan Kriston, Jun Kuribayashi, Derion Loman, Nile Russell, & Mike Tyus.
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Quincy Ellis, & Marlon Feliz OR Quincy Ellis, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Music: Vivaldi; Michelle DiBucci & Edward Bilous; Mezzo Soprano, Clare McNamara; Violin Solo, Krystof Witek
Lighting and Set Design: Neil Peter Jampolis
OnTheNatureOfThings was commissioned by The Dau Family Foundation in honor of Elizabeth Hoffman and David Mechlin; Treacy and Darcy Beyer; The American Dance Festival with support from the SHS Foundation and the Charles L. and Stephanie Reinhart Fund; and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Created by Gaspard Louis, Renée Jaworski & Matt Kent in collaboration with Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Music: Michael Wall
Costumes: Valerie St Pierre Smith
Lighting: Diane Ferry Williams
Awaken Heart was supported by Stephanie Fenwick and The Ballet Foundation.
Choreographed by Robby Barnett, Lee Harris, Moses Pendleton, & Jonathan Wolken
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Quincy Ellis, Marlon Feliz, & Paul Liu
Costumes: Kitty Daly
Lighting: Neil Peter Jampolis
Created by Darlene Kascak, Renée Jaworski, & Matt Kent in collaboration with Eryn Barnes, Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Quincy Ellis, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, Paul Liu, & Zack Weiss
Storytelling: Darlene Kascak of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
Soundscape: Ben Sollee
Costumes: Valerie St. Pierre Smith
Lighting: Brian Tovar
Props: Yannick Godts
The Ballad is commissioned by the American Dance Festival with support from the Doris Duke/ SHS Foundations Award for New Works. Additional support provided by the Institute of American Indian Studies and The Ballet Foundation.
Created by Renée Jaworski, Matt Kent in collaboration with Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Quincy Ellis, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, Paul Liu, & Zack Weiss
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Connor Chaparro, Quincy Ellis, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Music: David Poe
Lighting: Yannick Godts
Behind the Shadows is inspired by work from Shadowland (2009), and the contributions of Steve Banks, David Poe, Robby Barnett, Renée Jaworski, Matt Kent, Michael Tracy, Neil Peter Jampolis, Neil Patel, Liz Prince and the original cast of Shadowland.
Choreographed by Robby Barnett, Alison Chase, Jonathan Wolken, and Michael Tracy in collaboration with Adam Battelstein, Rebecca Jung, Kent Lindemer, Vernon Scott, John-Mario Sevilla, and Jude Woodcock
Performed by Nathaniel Buchsbaum, Connor Chaparro, Quincy Ellis, Marlon Feliz, Hannah Klinkman, & Zack Weiss
Music: Chamber Symphony, Opus 110a, by Dimitri Shostakovich. Orchestral arrangement by Rudolf Barshai
Costume Design: Lawrence Casey
Costume Painting Executed by Martin Izquierdo Studios
Costume Construction: Kitty Daly
Lighting: Stephen Strawbridge
Pilobolus is a rebellious dance company. Since 1971, it has tested the limits of human physicality to explore the beauty and the power of connected bodies creating awe-inspiring and accessible performances. In the five decades since, Pilobolus has continued to propel the seeds of expression through their collaborations with some of the greatest influencers, thinkers, and creators in the world and its unique educational programming. The company offers classes serving all ages and movement abilities. Pilobolus classes use movement to teach dancers and nondancers alike to harness the creative potential of groups. Bespoke leadership workshops for corporate executives, employees, and business schools teach teams how to maximize creativity, solve problems, create surprise, and generate joy through the power of nonverbal communication. Pilobolus continues to bring the beauty of movement to the world, growing and changing each year while reaching new audiences and exploring new visual and physical planes. Learn more at pilobolus.org.
RENÉE JAWORSKI (EXECUTIVE/CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) has been an indelible force in Pilobolus’s artistic landscape since joining in 2000. A performer who captivated audiences worldwide, her magnetic stage presence laid the foundation for an expansive creative career. In 2011, she was chosen to lead Pilobolus’s post-succession evolution, becoming Artistic Director, and in 2022 became the first Executive Director with an intimate dance background. Her choreographic experience has been extensive and pioneering, crafting pieces reflecting her innovative dance and theater approach. Her exceptional work spans various platforms, from the 79th Annual Academy Awards to the Grammy®-nominated video for OK Go’s “All is Not Lost,” as well as overseeing prestigious projects like Radiolab Live: In the Dark and the World Science Festival, Time and the Creative Cosmos. The University of the Arts honored her with the Silver Star Alumni Award, and her collaborative work on Round House Theater’s production of The Tempest, directed by Aaron Posner and Teller, earned Pilobolus the Helen Hayes Award for Best Choreography in a Play in 2023. Guiding Pilobolus with vision and creativity, she ensures it remains a vibrant, celebrated arts organization.
MATT KENT (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR) joined Pilobolus in 1996 without any formal dance training. His unconventional entrance into dance and theater parallels the Founders’. In Pilobolus, he found an outlet for his artistic and creative vision and began a diverse and prolific career. He has performed on prestigious stages around the world and created choreography for colleges, professional dance companies, as well as grand productions involving shadow, horses, acrobats, large scale Michael Curry puppets, actors, stunt men, hip hop dancers, athletes, zombies, and more. His work on Shakespeare’s The Tempest co-directed by Aaron Posner and Teller won the Helen Hayes Award for best choreography. He developed the movement vocabulary for The Walking Dead. His work has appeared on the Academy Awards, Conan O’Brien, Penn & Teller’s Fool Us, Wetten Dass, and multiple television commercials. As Artistic Director of Pilobolus, he brings an unconventional approach to innovative theatrical experiences. A powerhouse of creativity, he leads the 50 plus year old Company, keeping the vintage historic works authentic and relative, while breaking new ground to create transformative experiences to engage, inspire, and leave audiences in awe.
BUCHSBAUM (DANCE CAPTAIN) Manipulator of Light and Shadow, Harnesser of Momentum, Shepherd of Saccharomyces, Student of the Ephemeral, Walker of the Prime Material plane. He is known amongst the Planeswalkers as Tragic the Blathering and is rumored to be known in the Northeast as simply… “Nate.” When he isn’t wandering the realms, delighting both young and old with his nimble, scantily-clad acts of physical storytelling, he dwells in Connecticut, brewing beer in his garage under the watchful eyes of his feline familiars. Nate was absorbed into Pilobolus in 2012.
CONNOR CHAPARRO (DANCER) was born in Lakeland, Florida. He eventually found himself at the University of Memphis where he graduated with a double concentration in Dance and Dance Science. You can find him cooking his mother’s secret salsa recipe and sharing it with people in his spare time. He loves to explore nature, see people’s smiles, and learn about the crazy world we live in. This is Connor’s first season with Pilobolus and he is SO excited to be performing for you, the audience! He sends you “Mush” love.
QUINCY ELLIS (DANCE CAPTAIN) began training as a gymnast and figure skater in his home state of Maine before earning his B.F.A. Acting degree from Emerson College. He has performed and taught for Theatre Raleigh, The MoveShop, DeFunes Dance, and The Neighborhood Playhouse…among others. Quincy has also danced for a variety of NYC Drag Artists, including Juicy Liu and Miz Cracker. Outside of theater, he’s an avid traveler, evolution enthusiast, and nature lover. Quincy joined Pilobolus in 2017. He does not dye his hair gray…it grows that way. www.quincy-ellis.com quincy.m.ellis
MARLON FELIZ (DANCER) has danced with Pilobolus since 2014, touring Shadowland productions around the world, and now presenting repertory and artistic programing wherever possible. Additional credits include a Broadway debut in the new West Side Story, and other musicals, cruise ships, and NYC-based companies. She received her foundational training in ballet and modern dance at New World School of the Arts, and completed her B.F.A in Dance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. She is originally from Miami, FL.
Tour
HANNAH KLINKMAN (DANCER) was born and raised in Dexter, Michigan where she was classically trained at Ballet Chelsea. She studied at Grand Valley State University and completed her training with BalletMet Columbus in 2016. She has since danced and created with Festival Ballet Providence, Dance The Yard, co-founded the Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project, and toured and created new work with MOMIX. She creates costumes and her own choreography when not on the road. Hannah is a Mindfulness Meditation teacher, Pilates instructor, dance teacher, and houseplant enthusiast. Hannah joined Pilobolus in 2021.
ZACHARY WEISS (DANCER) grew up in Chapel Hill, NC and began his formal dance training at age eight. He has always been a performer whether it be playing the saxophone, singing, acting or dancing. Zack studied contemporary dance at UNC School of the Arts for a year before transferring to Swarthmore College. He graduated in 2020 with a major in Engineering and a minor in Dance. After working as a Data Engineer in DC for a year, Zack joined Pilobolus in 2021. Outside the studio, Zack can be found riding/fixing bikes, finding high places to climb, and reading science fiction (but not all at the same time).
Unlock the Story Behind the Dance: Scan this QR code to journey beyond the stage and into the creative minds of Pilobolus. Explore the artists,design elements, and inspirations that come together to shape the unique world of each piece.
A Tribute to Those Who Soar with Us!
Our Flock List includes total gifts made between July 14, 2022, and September 14, 2023. Those with total gifts of $100 or more are honored online (linked through the QR code to the right), and those giving $250 or more are listed below. For questions or changes regarding our Flock List, please contact Executive Director, Graham Cole at graham@whitebird.org
TITANIUM PATRONS ($10,000+)
Anonymous
Terry Bean
Joan Cirillo & Roger Cooke
The J and J Foundation
Walter Jaffe & Paul King
Ronni S. Lacroute Fund of Oregon Community Foundation
James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation
Oregon Arts Commission
Regional Arts & Culture Council, including support from the City of Portland, Multnomah County, and the Arts
Education & Access Fund
Ellen Walkley
DIAMOND PATRONS ($5,000+)
Janet Roberts & Ed Clark
Ken & Ann Edwards
Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
George Eighmey & Peter Livingston
Maryanne & David Holman
Jackson Foundation
Lisa & Shawn K. Mangum
Morel Ink
Angela Roach
Jaymi & Francis Sladen
Technology and Society, Inc.
Herbert A. Templeton Foundation
George & Nancy Thorn
Edyth Willard
GOLD PATRONS ($2,500+)
Anonymous
Mariana Crawford
Carol Streeter and Harold Goldstein
Mark Holloway & David Kahl
Sandra & Stephen Holmes
Christopher Johnson & Rex Bills
New England Foundation for the Arts
Joanne & Steven Rizzo
Marian & Elihu Schott Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation
George & Nancy Thorn
SN Charitable Foundation in Honor of Tahni Holt and DeeAnn Nelson
WESTAF TourWest
SILVER PATRONS ($1,000+)
Anonymous (2)
Sherrie Barr & Philip Lewin
Chris & Audry Bond
Natalie Butler
Leroy Bynum
Roberta Davis
Justin WB Dune
Leslye Epstein & Herman Taylor
Marco Escalante and Dongni Li
Kim and Greg Flick
Marnie Frank
Andrea & Fred
Valarie Grudier
Connie Guist
Jamey Hampton & Ashley Roland
In Memory of Beth Hyams
Leslie S. Homer Charitable Fund of the Community Foundation for SW
Washington
Nancy Goodwin & Albert Horn
Anna King
Murray Koodish
Peter Kost
Robert & Larissa Lodzinski
Candace Lounsbury
Barb & Randy Lovre
Mana Mahaffey
Ron and Shirley Pausig
Janet L. & Frank Phillips
Dean Richardson
Marti & John Rosenthal
Carol Schnitzer Lewis Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation
Sarabelle Hitchner & Tom Snell
OnPoint Community Credit Union
Carl Andreen
Robert Aughenbaugh
Laurie Balmuth
Mary and Joseph Bernert
Tracy Brophy
Denise Carty and Roger Brown
Family Fund
Jed Cohen & Paul Lance
Marvin & Abby Dawson
Dennis Deming & Corky Cortright
Ann & Ron Emmerson
Pat Evenson-Brady
Brian Ferriso, Portland Art Museum
Barbara Fishleder & John Wolfe
Fong Family Fund of Oregon
Community Foundation
Charles & Kyle Fuchs
Lucile Gauger
Christine & Bob Gilmore
Corrina Hall
Karen Henell & Gregg McCarty
Heather & Loren Jenkins
Dennis Johnson Donor Advised Fund of the Pride Foundation
Marge & Stephen Kafoury
Jim Kalvelage
Mary Kane
David Magilke & Butch Williams
Ellen F Rosenblum and Richard H Meeker
Kathleen & James Meyer
Steven Clark Neighorn
John Eric Noran
Steven Odum & Eileen O’Neill Odum
Marthel Porter
Judith E Posey & Edward J Doyle
Jenice Powell
Stephen W. Seifert
Kathy Taylor
Minh Tran & Gary Nelson
Brian Yellin
Elizabeth Arch
Bill & Michele Bader
Lynne Barnes, MD
Sean Berry
Janet Bowersox
Kay Bristow
Marcia & Richard Bushnell
Margery Cohn
Amy & Gary Cole
Danièle Colonna & Steve Jacobson
Barbara & Tom Cooney
Amber DiLoreto
Annie Dudley
Debra Dutkiewicz & Timothy Evans
Sara Elgee
Stuart Farmer
Ivy Gibson & Joe FitzPatrick
Evelyn Hamann
Thyra Hartshorn
Carol Ihlenburg
Alan & Sharon Jones
Wendy Kahn
Paula Kanarek & Ross Kaplan
Carol & Jeffrey Kilmer
Peter Kokopeli
Joanna Langdale
Bonnie and Mike Leiser
Jennie Leslie & Bradley Taylor
Jenni Lipscomb
Sarah Logan
Edward Maurina III
Kelli May
VeAnna Morgan & Pam Town
Alison Nimura
Stan and Susanne Penkin
Anonymous
The PDX Roes
Leslie Rose
Janet and Tom Schmitt
Anne Senters
Donna Shu & Tom Kane
Steven Smith
Barbara & Dani Steinfeld
Christine Tell & Jeff Davis
Brian & Nikki Weaver
Beth Kaplan Westbrook
Rhiannon Wood
Rambus Foundation
LIVE MUSIC
OCT 12-14
THU-SAT | 7:30PM | NEWMARK THEATRE
White Bird greatly appreciates the support of the following foundations and government arts agencies:
White Bird thanks all of our Community Partners:
WHITE
White Bird’s 2023-24 season is supported in part by the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the Western States Arts Foundation, and the James F. and Marion. L Miller Foundation.