Oregon’s dance scene is in full motion this May, with a diverse and exciting array of performances by seasoned professionals and rising voices. From world premieres to personal solo work, rock operas to Shakespearean remixes, the month showcases the breadth and vitality of the Oregon dance scene to the max!

In the land of classic tales remixed, NW Dance Project reveals two world premieres: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a sleek reimagining of Shakespeare by the Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano in partnership with set designer Luis Crespo; and Piaf, Ihsan Rustem’s lyrical tribute to the legendary French singer. BodyVox blends tragedy and comedy in Death and Delight, a reimagining of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the bold and quirky choreography of Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland, accompanied live by pianists Yoko Greeney and Maria Garcia. And Ballet Fantastique offers Aladdin: The Rock Opera, pairing contemporary ballet, among other styles, with Queen’s powerful anthems.

In You Can’t Be Serious, Andrea Parson combines dance, storytelling, and comedy to reflect on personal loss with both humor and heart. In April she was interviewed by Lori Tobias for Oregon ArtsWatch about turning grieving into art; you can read about it here.

Longtime Portland dance artist Linda K. Johnson will host a conversation with artist-activist Chisao Hata as part of Johnson’s Mycelium Dreams: The PASTfuture Long-Form Archival Conversation Series, honoring decades of her community-driven performance work. In January, ArtsWatch’s Dmae Lo Roberts talked with Johnson, who is also a veteran dancer, teacher, and activist, about her project to “map” the voices and experiences of important figures in Portland’s dance and performance scene: You can rea the story and listen to the podcast here.

New Expressive Works, always a space for experimentation and risk, features a new group of bold choreographic voices exploring healing, heritage, and identity.

Student and youth performances shine this month too, From Reed College’s politically charged concert to Kalakendra’s Nrityotsava of Indian classical styles, to Steps PDX’s joyful, community-centered Bloom. Works from The Portland Ballet and Sultanov Ballet Academy highlight classical forms and emerging choreographic voices, while Mobaya: Coming of Age honors West African traditions through a generational story of growth, music, and resilience.

If you are interested in checking out White Bird’s 2025/26 season of dance ahead of time, check out Amy Leona Havin’s breakdown of its 28th season, which includes Urban Bush Women, Ballet Jazz Montréal, Gibney Company, Hervé KOUBI, Barcelona’s Lali Ayguade, and L.A.’s Versa-Style Street Dance. You can read that here.

May performances showcase a vibrant ecosystem of professional innovation and rising talent, proof that Oregon dance is thriving. If you would like more information, scroll down.

May Dance Performances

You Can’t Be Serious
Andrea Parson
May 2-3
Ten Fifteen Theater, 1015 Commercial St., Astoria

Choreographed and performed by veteran NW Dance Project dancer and Princess Grace Award winner Andrea Parson, You Can’t Be Serious is an autobiographical solo that fuses dance, standup comedy, and storytelling to explore the memories and scenes surrounding the loss of Parson’s younger sister to breast cancer in 2020. It explores a final bow in Germany, a cancer diagnosis, a death, a cookie, and a conversation with God. The work strikes a nuanced balance between humor and tragedy, creating a hilarious and tragic story about witnessing and struggling with death. 

Later in the month, May 22-26, Parson brings You Can’t Be Serious to The Vault Theater & Event Space in Hillsboro: See details below.

PASTfuture Long-Form Archival Conversation series with Chisao Hata
Conceived and curated by Linda K. Johnson
11 a.m. May 4
Performance Works NW || Linda Austin Dance, 4625 S.E. 67th Ave., Portland

This month, Portland dance artist Linda K. Johnson will have a one-on-one conversation with global citizen artist Chisao Hata as part of Johnson’s Mycelium Dreams: The PASTfuture Long-Form Archival Conversation Series, which documents the lives and work of veteran Portland dancers and dance-adjacent artists. Hata is a dance educator, artist, political activist, and community organizer. Her work spans from Hiroshima to Cuba and New Mexico to Ontario, Oregon. Hata is the visionary behind projects such as Gambatte Be Strong, which highlights Japanese American resilience, and co-creator of Stories in Movement with Vanport Mosaic. She also directed Coming Home, a week-long memory activism initiative in Portland’s Old Town, honoring its diverse cultural legacy. Her work is deeply rooted in her Japanese American heritage and decades of advocacy for justice and community healing.

Aladdin: The Rock Opera
Ballet Fantastique, founding choreographers/producers Donna Marisa and Hannah Bontrager
May 8-11
Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Silva Concert Hall, 1 Eugene Center, Eugene

In this magical fantasy rock ballet, Ballet Fantastique reimagines the iconic story of Aladdin through contemporary ballet theater, set to a soundtrack of music by Queen, including “We Are the Champions” and “Somebody to Love.” Co-choreographed by Donna Marisa and Hannah Bontrager, the production blends diverse dance styles and features live music from an international group of musicians, including Tita Hutchison, JP Durand, and Liza Carbé. Ballet Fantastique’s Aladdin explores themes of power, fate, and social change with humor, drama, and a bold narrative.

Death and Delight
Presented by BodyVox
May 8-17
BodyVox Dance Center, 1201 N.W. 17th Ave., Portland

BodyVox’s Death and Delight reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream through bold choreography by Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland, accompanied by live performances of Prokofiev’s and Mendelssohn’s scores by pianists Yoko Greeney and Maria Garcia. The evening moves between tragedy and comedy, tracing doomed young love and the tangled misadventures of four lovers lost in a magical forest. Hampton and Roland, co-founders of BodyVox and former performers with Momix, ISO Dance, and Pilobolus, bring their distinctive blend of dance theater to this double bill. Greeney, a Portland-based performer and educator, and Garcia, a Puerto Rico-born pianist with an international career, provide the live musical foundation for this contemporary take on classic stories.

Reed College Spring Dance Concert
May 9-10 
Reed College, Greenwood Theater, 3203 S.E. Woodstock Blvd., Portland
Free and open to the public. Reservations required.

Reed College’s Dance Department presents choreography by students and faculty that celebrates the art of storytelling and dynamic movement. Highlights include a performance by the Afro-Contemporary dance students, featuring a collaborative work set to the Afrobeat sounds of protest from Fela Kuti and his son, Seun Kuti. Advanced students will also perform guest choreography by longtime Portland dance artist Minh Tran, as well as a tribute to Nina Simone, choreographed by Oluyinka Akinjiola in collaboration with the dancers.

Kalakendra’s Nrityotsava
5 p.m. May 10
HECSA Portland Balaji Temple auditorium, 6100 S.W. Raab Rd., Portland

Kalakendra, one of Portland’s most prominent and longest-running presenters of Indian performing arts, presents Nrityotsava, an extravaganza of Indian classical dance. Portland-area Indian dance teachers, choreographers, and students will perform a wide range of styles, including Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bollywood dance, and more, showcasing the rich diversity of India’s dance traditions.

Mobaya: Coming of Age
Sebé Kan Youth African Dance
Presented by Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater 
7 p.m. May 16
Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, Portland

Mobaya: Coming of Age is a vibrant, multi-generational dance performance showcasing Mali and Guinea’s rich cultural traditions through live West African music. The performance focuses on the young women’s journey as they come of age in a community deeply rooted in tradition, while also confronting the challenges of modern life. Mobaya: Coming of Age is a celebration of cultural resilience, empowerment, and the enduring strength of community across generations.

New Expressive Works’ 17th Residency Performance
Featuring choreography by Olga Kravtsova, Barbara Lima, Claire Olberding, and tiny vessels (Emily Haygeman and Rachel Goldperson) 
May 16-18
New Expressive Works, Studio 2, 810 S.E. Belmont St., Portland [In the WYSE Buliding.]

Founded in 2012 by Subashini Ganesan-Forbes, New Expressive Works’ (N.E.W.) The Residency Program supports diverse local choreographers by providing free rehearsal space, a stipend, and mentorship focused on creative and organizational growth. So far, the program has served 75 choreographers and nearly 460 collaborators. The Winter 2024/Spring 2025 residents include Olga Kravtsova, who explores folklore and urban life through experimental movement; Barbara Lima, a Brazilian artist blending contemporary and urban dance with a somatic focus; Claire Olberding, a dancer, teacher, and visual artist committed to fostering thriving arts communities; and tiny vessels, a neuroqueer collective of Rachel Goldperson, Emily Haygeman, and collaborator Freddi Wyss, whose work draws upon contemplative traditions, modern dance, Action Theater, and Butoh to explore healing and emotional landscapes.

Sheen
Presented by Open Space Creative Container
May 16-23
Open Space Creative Container, within Oregon Contemporary, 8731 N. Interstate Ave., Portland

Open Space presents two world premieres and revisitation in this triple bill. Artistic Director Franco Nieto debuts a new triptych on the Open Space Dance company, while Chicago-based choreographer Noelle Kayser offers Fragments, a poetic new work inspired by the life and writings of Sappho. The program also features a restaging of Who Lights the Sun? by Keelan Whitmore, currently rehearsal director at BalletX, exploring the mythic hero’s journey through uncertainty, spirituality, and transformation.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Orchestra Next

Presented by Eugene Ballet, artistic director Toni Pimble
May 17-18 
Hult Center for the Performing Arts, Silva Concert Hall, 1 Eugene Center, Eugene

Toni Pimble’s impressive 46-year tenure as artistic director of Eugene Ballet culminates in a celebratory double bill. The program begins with Suzanne Haag’s visually stunning piece Silk and Steel, a dynamic theatrical work that blends fast-paced ballet with vibrant colors. Following this is Pimble’s beloved rendition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a charming and comedic interpretation of Shakespeare’s enchanted forest, featuring mischievous fairies and intertwined lovers. The ballet is enhanced by new scenic projections from Eugene-based artist Satoko Motouji, known for her previous work on Eugene Ballet’s Peer Gynt, and Pimble has created new costume designs for the fairies and rustics, while Axel Dāzee has designed fresh looks for the lovers. Orchestra Next will perform the score live, adding depth and energy to this dynamic and spirited retelling.

Don Quixote
Presented by Sultanov Ballet Academy with choreography by Director Artur Sultanov after Marius Petipa 
May 17-18
Lake Oswego High School Auditorium, 2501 Country Club Rd., Lake Oswego

Sultanov Ballet Academy presents a lively one-act version of Don Quixote, choreographed by director Artur Sultanov and set to Ludwig Minkus’s energetic score. Inspired by the Spanish dances of the full-length ballet, the performance features guest artist Bailey Shaw, soloist with Oregon Ballet Theatre, as Basilio, and OBT soloist Benjamin Simoens making his SBA debut as the Toreador. The program also includes a range of classical and contemporary works showcasing the versatility of SBA’s dancers.

You Can’t Be Serious
Andrea Parson
May 22-26
The Vault Theater & Event Space, 350 E. Main St., Hillsboro

Choreographed and performed by veteran NW Dance Project dancer and Princess Grace Award winner Andrea Parson, You Can’t Be Serious is an autobiographical solo that fuses dance, standup comedy, and storytelling to explore the memories and scenes surrounding the loss of Parson’s younger sister to breast cancer in 2020. It explores a final bow in Germany, a cancer diagnosis, a death, a cookie, and a conversation with God. The work strikes a nuanced balance between humor and tragedy, creating a hilarious and tragic story about witnessing and struggling with death.

Earlier in the month, May 2-3, Parson brings You Can’t Be Serious to Ten Fifteen Theater in Astoria: See details above. 

Current/Classic (with World Premieres)
Presented by The Portland Ballet
1 and 5 p.m. May 24
Lincoln Hall, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave., Portland

In celebrating the evolution of ballet from classical to contemporary, the Portland Ballet presents four distinct works. The program begins with George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and features a world premiere by John Clifford, The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. It also includes Dennis Spaight’s Crayola and a world premiere by Nick Le-Jurica, Like Water (my friend). The works offer emotional depth, explore a variety of unique concepts, delve into relationships, and explore musical precision in the framework of imaginative storytelling.

Steps PDX Presents: Bloom 2025
May 30-31
Portland State University, Lincoln Performance Hall, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland

Celebrate the talent, creativity, and community spirit of Steps PDX dancers at Bloom, the annual spring performance featuring students from the Steps PDX School and Community Partnerships, including the BIPOC Youth Dance Program. This family-friendly event showcases a dynamic range of styles — ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, Hip Hop, and Jazz Funk, and 100% of proceeds support youth programs, dance scholarships, and community events.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream + Piaf (World Premieres)
Presented by NW Dance Project
May 30-31 
Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, Portland

NW Dance Project presents two world premieres, each offering a fresh perspective on iconic voices. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano reinterprets Shakespeare’s enchanted forest of love and mischief, accompanied by striking sets designed by Luis Crespo, known for his work on Carmen and Sarah Slipper’s Hedda. Sansano was the artistic director of Luna Negra Dance Theater from 2009 until 2013, and now combines his work as a freelance choreographer with Proyecto Titoyaya, the Spanish dance company he founded in 2006 with Veronica Garcia Moscardo.

Also premiering is Piaf, by company resident choreographer Ihsan Rustem, an intimate, lyrical homage to French singer Edith Piaf, whose iconic music and voice drive the movement in Rustem’s 14th creation for NW Dance Project.