Eugene Ballet Company hosts the Sept. 7 “Ballet, Beer & Barre-BQ Bash,” a benefit with barbecue, refreshments, outdoor games (including a pointe shoe toss), dance performances and new company members Brian Ruiz, Jun Tanabe and Kaori Fukui introducing the 2014-2015 season, which kicks off with Cinderella, joined by OrchestraNEXT, Oct 25-26 at the Hult. Contact Karen Warner, 485-3992, or karen@eugeneballet.org for tickets.
In the spirit of EW’s second annual Dance issue, we’d like to introduce a new monthly dance column, The Spin. Compiled and written by EW contributing writer, dancer and dance instructor Rachael Carnes, The Spin will begin in September and include a roundup of local dance news and events. Please contact Carnes with any tidbits at eugeneweeklydance@gmail.com. Here’s a little preview: The hip-hop and jazz Work! Dance Company, featured in 2013’s Dance issue, is holding open auditions 6 pm Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 at the Eugene YMCA; visit workdancecompany.com for details. Work! Dance Director Nathan Boozer says that the company must replace seven dancers who have moved away or graduated this summer. With the next show, Mechanical Dancer: Reinvention in early 2015, Boozer hopes to surpass the $1,000 they raised for Greenhill Humane Society with 2014’s Animal Instinct at the Hult.
Flex Studios, a multi-dance studio run by Angela Dunham and Lindsey Shields, offers scholarships and is “establishing a new non-profit branch of Flex Studios for our low-income families and our DANCapable program for youth through adult dancers.”
Cozmic presents an event Aug. 16 by Fusion Friendly, a group of avant-garde dancers (think belly dance, hip hop, hoopers, contortionists and jugglers), who also put on workshops. Contact fusionfriendlyevents@gmail.com for info.
Ballet Fantastique has announced the theme for its 2014-2015 season: Quest. The season begins with the “5×5” gala, a performance and celebration of five years at the Hult Oct. 10 followed by the premieres of An American Christmas Carol (with music by Halie Loren) in December, The Odyssey: The Ballet in February and more.
In other arts news, the city of Eugene and the team behind Eugene Fashion Week bring back a summer favorite, the fifth annual Summer in the City “Sidewalk to Catwalk” Wednesay, Aug. 13, at the Hult Center. Vending begins at 5:30 pm, with music and dance from Crossroads Blues Fusion Dancing at 6 pm; runway show begins at 7:30 pm. “It gets better every year,” says Laura Lee Laroux of Eugene Fashion Week. “We had a lot of new models come out. There will be a lot of fresh faces on the runway.” Fresh faces and fresh designers; there will be 10 collections hitting the catwalk including lines by newcomers Make Me by Rebecca Welton and Upsmart by Mitra Chester and St. Vincent de Paul.