A POWERFUL CLOSE TO OUR 2022-23 UNCAGED SERIES
Thank you for joining us tonight, as we close our 2022-23 Uncaged Series with the White Bird premiere of The TL Collective, led by the prodigious emerging choreographer Micaela Taylor. The TL Collective burst onto the Los Angeles dance scene in 2016, earning rave reviews for its talented dancers and unique style, a combination of contemporary dance, hip-hop, and expressive gestures.
It is our honor to be presenting the world premiere of Micaela’s newest work, BlueNav, though we know this distinction is fleeting. Perhaps the most impressive quality of Michaela Taylor as an artist is the blistering speed at which she creates new dances - dances which are in high demand. Since gaining nationwide attention in 2019 on Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” list, she has earned commissions from top companies across the country, and over the next two years she will create new work abroad for world-class dance companies including Ballet BC, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, and more. We are overjoyed at the abundance of dance we are able to offer over the next several months, a continued celebration of our 25th Anniversary. We hope you’ll join us at The Reser in two weeks for the long-awaited return of Trinity Irish Dance Company. Trinity’s unique fusion of traditional Irish step dancing and contemporary dance was an important part of early White Bird seasons, and in the 20 years since has grown only more impressive and innovative. Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, with a powerhouse program of both new work and classic repertory, will open our 2nd annual WE ARE ONE Festival the following week.
Our Mini Subscription, a discounted package of all three companies in this season’s WE ARE ONE Festival, is on sale now through February 14 and makes a wonderful Valentine’s Day gift. For more details on this package, as well as all of our upcoming shows, please visit us online at whitebird.org.
Board of Directors
Paul King, President
Walter Jaffe, Secretary, Treasurer
Leroy E. Bynum, Jr.
Graham Cole
Ken Edwards
Kim Allchurch Flick
Sandra Holmes
Lisa Mangum
Shawn K. Mangum
Nancy & George Thorn, Founding Board Members Emereti
White Bird Team
Walter Jaffe and Paul King, Co-Founders
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Christopher Carvalho, Director of Patron Services and Communication
Jeff Forbes, Technical Director
Deanna Reeves, Communication Manager/Production Assistant
Gretchen Westlight, Operations Manager/Executive Assistant
Natalie Anthony, Graphic Designer
Lauren Bayard, Poster Volunteer Coordinator
Stephanie Sussman, White Bird Archivist
Walter Jaffe, Co-Founder Paul King, Co-Founder
Graham Cole, Executive Director
Photo by Jingzi Zhao
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Micaela Taylor
THE COMPANY
Marlie Couto, Davon Rashawn Farmer, Charizma Lawrence, Kaia Makihara, Madison Tanguay, Micaela Taylor, Jessie Lee Thorne, Austin Tyson
LIGHTING DESIGNER & PRODUCTION/STAGE MANAGER
Katelan Braymer
ARTIST REPRESENTATION AND BOOKING INQUIRES:
Margaret Selby
262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701 New York, NY 10018 Office: 212-382-3260 | mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com
ARTIST STATEMENT
Mycommitmenttostorytellingiswhatbrewsmycreativity.I’vealwaysbeendrawntothe imaginary,unknown,andprofoundwaysofrelatingtoothers.Afterdiscoveringdanceas asourceofcommunication,Iimaginedthatmyabilitytotranscendwordswouldbewhat definesmyartistry.However,I’vefoundthatmyroleasdirector/choreographerofTheTL Collectivehasbeenevenmoregroundbreaking.
Thisprogramfeaturestwooriginalworkschoreographedbymyself,yetinspiredbythe individualsofTheTLCollectiveandbeyond.“Drift”and“BlueNav”causeustoreflecton whatitmeanstobehumanandstretchesuspastourcapacityasmovers.Thestamina thatisbuiltthroughourworkgivesouraudiencesanunconventionalandvisceral experience.
IspeakonbehalfoftheentirecollectiveofourimmensegratitudeandrespectforWhite Bird,asithasbeenonourdreamlistofperformanceseriesforawhile.Wealsowouldlike tothanktheincredibleaudiencesthatsupportandfuelourenergy.Nonetheless,aspecial thankyoutotheincredibleartistsofTheTLCollectivefortheirremarkablecommitment andstrength.AswellasourmanagementteamatSelbyArtistsMGMTforbelievinginour creative voice.
- Micaela Taylor, Artistic Director The TL Collective
BLUENAV
World Premiere
CHOREOGRAPHER: Micaela Taylor
ORIGINAL LIGHTING: Katelan Braymer
MUSIC: Micaela Taylor, various artists: “Twitch” Liquid Cinema “Mortar” Guonadottir
“I Wanna be Loved By You” Marilyn Monroe
Sound bites from original composer Ryan Somerville
Dancers: Marlie Couto, Davon Rashawn Farmer, Charizma Lawrence, Kaia Makihara, Madison Tanguay, Micaela Taylor, Jessie Lee Thorne, Austin Tyson
BlueNav focuses on the unified calm during the storm. In times of uncertainty, it’s the rhythm of togetherness that keeps survival. Inspired by the story of a United States Army Corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in World War II, Desmond Doss. He Saved 75 men in combat trapped at the top of the escarpment.
The TL Collective was founded by Micaela Taylor in 2016, ignited by her passion to create engaging, diverse, work. After a successful launch in LA of premiered work, Molecular Fuel, Taylor continued to create new works that were performed throughout intimate spaces in LA. PopMadness (2017), SeeColour (2018), and ROSEWOOD (2018). Due to rave reviews, in 2017 Taylor was commissioned to perform her work; PopMadness in Grand Performances which further exposed her work to the greater Los Angeles community. Since then, The TL has solidified their repertoire with commissions and presentations by Grand Park, Ford Amphitheatre, The Broad Stage, The ACE hotel, and Jacob’s Pillow. The TL Collective is now on the rise as one of LA’s emerging dance companies.
MICAELA TAYLOR – ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR, Micaela Taylor is a dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic Director, Founder, and Choreographer of the TL Collective. Trained in hip-hop and ballet, she has created her own dance genre called Expand Practice, exuding emotion from the core and creating varied physical shapes and textures as expressions of one’s authentic self. Her quirky style of exaggerated facial expressions, gesture, and athletic theatricality sets her work apart. Taylor created her own technique and is building The TL Collective all from the ground up. She received the Inaugural Springboard EMERGE Choreographic Award, was named in Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” in 2019, and graced the cover of Dance Magazine in April 2020. Most recently she was awarded San Francisco’s Audience choice Award for “Best Solo Artist.” A millennial herself, Taylor is a role model and influencer to aspiring BIPOC artists and is creating groundbreaking work that introduces commercial styles to concert dance. Taylor’s work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Broad Stage, Ford Amphitheatre, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, and more. Alongside the launch of her company, Taylor has been commissioned to choreograph and teach by Rambert Dance Company, The Getty Museum, BODYTRAFFIC, Springboard Danse Montreal/Gibney Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, B12 Festival Berlin, Carlos Acosta’s Acosta Danza, and more. Upcoming commissions include Martha Graham Dance Company and a co-commission by Jacobs Pillow and American Dance Festival.
Our Equity Commitment
White Bird believes in the transformative power of movement and its capability to uplift, inspire, and unite. Historically, institutionalized performing arts were built within a system of ingrained racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and transphobia, with the result being a field that does not prioritize the voices of marginalized groups. Our commitment is to break down these structures and to foster a community that not only represents a diverse range of individuals, but gives equal access and value to their voices.
The entire staff and board at White Bird understand that systemic social norms are inherently biased. We acknowledge the unique nuances between equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and recognize the added complexities of addressing these concepts in a historically oppressive region such as Oregon. Our vision is an ecosystem where the power of the arts is able to impact and inspire all communities, while simultaneously uniting each individual in a shared human experience.
Values Excellence in Performance Diversity in Movement Accessibility and Inclusiveness Generosity of Spirit Dedication to Community Fiscal Responsibility
WHITE BIRD LOVES OUR FLOCK MEMBERS!
We could not exist without your generous support. Our Flock List is current as of December 31, 2022. Contributions made after this date will appear in future programs. Any questions or corrections, please contact Graham Cole, graham@whitebird.org, 503-245-1600. Our full Flock List is kept current on our website; see the full Flock List online at whitebird.org/flock-list or scan the QR code:
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