The Spin

This month’s dance kicks off with #instaballet at the First Friday ArtWalk.

“Watch Eugene Ballet Company dancers make a ballet!”#instaballet co-founder Suzanne Haag writes. “Audience members get to suggest steps (feel free to get inventive and a little crazy) to create a ballet to be performed at 8 pm.” Catch it 5 to 8 pm Friday, June 5, at 771 Willamette (between 7th and 8th); come and go as you please. More info at instaballet.org; free.

A block away that same night, Kesey Square lights up from 6 to 7:30 pm, June 5, with Arts Alive, a dance, performance and visual art showcase curated by Susanna Meyer and hosted in conjunction with the First Friday ArtWalk.

“Various dance groups perform to live music, as visual artists interpret the scene,” writes Meyer, who will also dance in the program with her daughter. On tap is a duet by DanceAbility International’s Alito Alessi featuring Jana Meszaros and Kelcie Laube. Also look for original music composed by Paul Safar and performed with pianist Ben Farrell, a group piece by choreographer Laura Black, a new work by Alli Bach as well as dancers from Eugene’s tango and Coalescence dance community; free.

Also on Friday, June 5, the UO Department of Dance offers its Spring Dance Loft, a showcase of work by students in the department, 8 pm at the Dougherty Dance Theatre, Gerlinger Annex; $3-$5.

A local circus artist who goes by the name Francia is launching her solo project, Bricolage Cirkus, 8 pm Friday and Saturday, June 5-6, at Bounce Gymnastics and Circus Art Center (329 W. 3rd Ave.), where she also works. “This is also a contemporary circus work with minimal makeup, costumes and very intimate,” Francia writes to EW. “In so many ways circus arts are going back to basics, diverting from the over the top Cirque du Soleil-style productions.”

Zapp Dance performs 6 pm Sunday, June 7, at the Hult Center; $15.

Eugene’s largest hula school, Hulau Hula o Nu Pua o Hawai‘i Nei, presents its annual show 2 pm Saturday, June 20, at Cascadia Middle School featuring hula performed by dancers of all ages. The theme is “Once Upon A Time,” and several dances will tell the myths of ancient Hawai’i. “Proceeds will help send 25 dancers to a hula competition on Big Island in November,” event organizer Buck Mueller says. See napuaohawaiinei.com.

Lane Community College’s Dance Program offers its Open Show at 3 pm Tuesday, June 2, at the Ragozzino Performance Hall. The show will feature ballet, modern, jazz and hip-hop dance; free.

“At the end of each term, students in all dance classes come together to perform Open Show on the main stage in a setting that is informal and fun,” says Bonnie Simoa, LCC’s dance department head.

All That! Dance Company presents On Fire! Dance Concert, featuring performers ages two to adult, in the Powers Auditorium, 7 pm Friday and Saturday, June 26-27; $15. For tickets, visit wkly.ws/20v.

On the audition front, Xcape Dance Academy holds tryouts for its new competition team program for kids through adults 4 to 9 pm Monday, June 29. Visit xcapedance.com for more information.

And a tip of the hat to DanceAbility International, for its recent granting successes, pulling in funding from the Oregon Community Foundation, the Wheeler Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts in support of DanceAbility’s organizational capacity-building and a national tour of new work. Kudos!

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

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