Oregon Arts Watch

Dance Writing

Beth Whelan's writing on dance is published in The Philadelphia Dance Journal as well as Oregon Arts Watch. Covering local and touring shows, Whelan offers an introspective look at movement/choreography and its intersection with the public eye.

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Samuel Hobbs’ push/FOLD dance company prepares for a Mexico City festival

Beth Whelan

Jul 22, 2021
10 min

Samuel Hobbs’ push/FOLD dance company prepares for a Mexico City festival

After months of hibernation, push/FOLD bounds into action with a restaging of an recent work JULY 22, 2021 // DANCE // ELIZABETH WHELAN...

Beth Whelan

Mar 13, 2021
6 min

For houseless women, a fresh Momentum

Dance workshops rethink the dance world and aid houseless women, children and nonbinary people at the Rose Haven shelter MARCH 13, 2021...

Shaun Keylock Company: Dancing the past into the future

Beth Whelan

Jan 30, 2021
13 min

Shaun Keylock Company: Dancing the past into the future

The Shaun Keylock Company navigates Covid-19 shutdowns in its new space while looking to Portland’s modern dance elders for direction....

Beth Whelan

Jul 21, 2020
11 min

Pandemic Ed: Dancing remotely and well

Dancers will dance, together in the studio or, these days, together on Zoom JULY 21, 2020 // CULTURE, DANCE, ED, FEATURED // ELIZABETH...

How Portland’s big dance organizations responded to Black Lives Matter

Beth Whelan

Jun 30, 2020
12 min

How Portland’s big dance organizations responded to Black Lives Matter

Portland's very white dance companies attracted blowback from the dance community and agreed to change JUNE 30, 2020 // CULTURE, DANCE,...

Beth Whelan

Mar 31, 2020
10 min

The Show Must Go On(line)!

Portland’s dance community responds to the COVID-19 health crisis as dance spaces close, classes shift online, shows are postponed, and...

Beth Whelan

Mar 3, 2020
24 min

Striking a reckoning with death

Jess Evans and Lyra Butler-Denman's paired solo shows "Delicate Fish/BARDO" take a tender look at grief, pain, and death MARCH 3, 2020 //...

Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble: Light and shadow

Beth Whelan

Feb 19, 2020
7 min

Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble: Light and shadow

Darvejon Jones dances love and joy, but he understands the darker shadows, too, in his company's first concert FEBRUARY 18, 2020 // DANCE...

Beth Whelan

Jan 29, 2020
5 min

Everything and Nothing

Subashini Ganesan and Yashaswini Raghuram integrate classical Indian dance forms and a modern dance sensibility in "Listening to Silence"...

Dance review: NW Dance Project’s stocking stuffers

Beth Whelan

Dec 17, 2019
5 min

Dance review: NW Dance Project’s stocking stuffers

NW Dance Project’s holiday show, conceived by its dancers and resident choreographer, felt a lot like a sampler plate of grandma's...

Beth Whelan

Nov 19, 2019
5 min

A journey home for Israeli choreographer Amy Leona Havin

The Holding Project's new dance at Shaking the Tree Theatre considered how we choose to make things holy NOVEMBER 18, 2019 // DANCE //...

Beth Whelan

Oct 1, 2019
7 min

Union PDX: Making the case for dance

Samuel Hobbs created a dance festival to showcase dance and to confront the problems the art form faces in Portland OCTOBER 1, 2019 //...

Beth Whelan

Jul 25, 2019
4 min

Dance preview: The essence of love in Indian dance

Viraja Mandhre and Shyamjith Kiran focus on the rasa of love in their bharatanatyam concert Sunday night JULY 25, 2019 // DANCE //...

Beth Whelan

May 15, 2019
6 min

Keylock company finds its footing

The contemporary dance company stages its first evening-length performance with work by founder Shaun Keylock and two others MAY 15, 2019...

Linda Austin’s ‘Ordinary Devotions’ is a peculiar playground

Beth Whelan

Mar 12, 2019
4 min

Linda Austin’s ‘Ordinary Devotions’ is a peculiar playground

MARCH 12, 2019 // DANCE // ELIZABETH WHELAN Ordinary Devotions, a new contemporary dance work by veteran Portland choreographer and...

Beth Whelan

Oct 17, 2018
3 min

Tapping into memory

Portland Tap Company debuts with "The Man Who Forgot" OCTOBER 17, 2018 // DANCE // ELIZABETH WHELAN “Your stories go on, but who are...

Contemporary dance befriends vaudeville in ‘Some Are Silver’

Beth Whelan

Sep 25, 2018
4 min

Contemporary dance befriends vaudeville in ‘Some Are Silver’

Lighthearted antics thread through new and vintage pieces by Carlyn Hudson SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 // DANCE // ELIZABETH WHELAN Carlyn Hudson...

Dance review: ‘Waters of the World’ is a liquid love story

Beth Whelan

Jun 19, 2018
5 min

Dance review: ‘Waters of the World’ is a liquid love story

Heidi Duckler pays homage to the liquid side of the Northwest in her new site-specific dance in the Fair-Haired Dumbbell building JUNE...

Dance Preview: BodyVox’s ‘Rain & Roses’ checks some boxes

Beth Whelan

May 9, 2018
3 min

Dance Preview: BodyVox’s ‘Rain & Roses’ checks some boxes

BodyVox finishes up its 20th anniversary season with a dance concert set to the music of female songwriters MAY 9, 2018 // DANCE //...

Diversity dances: Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater

Beth Whelan

Apr 30, 2018
4 min

Diversity dances: Rejoice! Diaspora Dance Theater

Oluyinka Akinjiola's troupe mixes a social justice message with choreography drawing on the joyous movement of the African diaspora APRIL...