Events & Performances

In Oregon Ballet Theatre's closing program, they have commissioned renowned choreographers from near and far to share their vision of Portland: Princess Grace Award winner Rena Butler, Guggenheim Fellow Helen Simoneau, push/FOLD Founder and Director Samuel Hobbs, and OBT’s own rising star, Makino Hayashi. This is only the tip of the iceberg as we invite Portland artists — musicians, painters, writers—to explore what it means to live in this city through a fully immersive theater experience.

push/FOLD presents the fifth annual Union PDX - Festival of Contemporary Dance, coming to you in-person and livestreamed from the renowned Hampton Opera Center (Portland Opera)!

Festival:23 Artists

Curation for Festival:23 is pending. Stay tuned and sign up for our newsletter for ticket drops and festival announcements!

To learn more about the curation process: Click Here

In this two part engagement, push/FOLD travels to U of O for our Visceral Movement Theory™ workshop and Artist Talk w/ Q&A. Join with students and community members as a part of our ongoing outreach programming as we deconstruct process and technique from our latest world-premiere production of 'Illum'.

Join push/FOLD's artistic director Samuel Hobbs as they lead an interactive workshop on Visceral Movement Theory™ at the upcoming Stage the Change conference in Bend, Oregon. Exploring the connection between emotion and physicality in performance to express themselves more authentically and powerfully on stage, High school students from across the Pacific Northwest embark on this unique opportunity to use the performing arts as a means to find their social voices and become agents of change.

This two-day conference will feature two keynote speakers: Broadway star and author Mandy Gonzalez, and Kimberly Howard Wade, Executive Director of Caldera Arts.

In this inter-departmental collaboration at Western Oregon University, push/FOLD shares an evening in this several part tribute to the impact of Matthew Shepard's life and death on the LGBTQ+ community.

The students of Western Oregon University perform a world premiere commissioned work alongside the dancers of push/FOLD performing 'November'.

push/FOLD brings the energy this winter with an intrepid showcase of original work, including the highly anticipated World Premiere of Illum!

Performing at the beautiful Patricia Reser Center for the Arts this February featuring a world-premiere from Composer‑Choreographer Samuel Hobbs. Filling the stage with ethereal moodscapes, high-impact and sweeping movement, floorwork, and dynamic partnering in this not-to-miss event, this performance features the show-titled work 'Illum' alongside a selection from our body of work.

push/FOLD joins Portland's Tempos Contemporary Circus, and B. Movement Project for Junction:23 this February 17 & 18 at the Polaris Dance Center. In an incredible three-part production of dance, acrobatics, and aerial movement, each company brings their unique style for this fun-filled evening.

push/FOLD presents Festival:22 at the Hampton Opera Center, our fourth annual production of the Union PDX festival program!

This year, we build with the unprecedented success of this indelible program to bring in artists based in Israel, Denmark, and Las Vegas to perform and teach alongside Portland's Makino Hayashi, Sweta Ravisankar, and push/FOLD.

For full performance, masterclass, and workshop details: Click Here.

Join us for a spooky time at OMSI's After Dark Halloween event! Explore the museum for the 21+ crowd and enjoy site-specific performances by push/FOLD throughout the evening.

** Costumes are highly encouraged. **

The Portland Symphonic Choir and push/FOLD perform selections from 'The Lark' in this tribute concert for three conducting legends: Frank Holman, David Wilson, and Bruce Browne. We are honored and excited to perform in the beautiful Bank of Expensify building in downtown Portland.

Partnering with Portland Center Stage, push/FOLD celebrates power in movement on October 16th from 1:00pm-1:45pm. Enjoy this free public event featuring site-specific performances and audience interaction. Learn what truly makes our bodies move.

Social Media Links

• PCS - Facebook Event

push/FOLD seeks one to two (1-2) professional-level dancers, ages 22 and older, for immediate paid contracts.

Held at the wonderful Open Space "Platform" in NE Portland, this workshop-style audition is open to all advanced to professional-level movers from any dance genre or tradition.

** This event is free for all attendees. Advanced registration recommended. **

For eligibility and details: Click Here.

In this pioneering program for pre-professional and advanced level dancers, The Portland Ballet brings in Samuel Hobbs to create a brand new dance film in collaboration with Skye Stouber.

Over the course of two weeks, students work closely with Samuel to develop filmmaking sensibilities and explore movement ideas in addition to taking masterclasses from various Portland instructors throughout the week, culminating in a world premiere film showing on August 27th.

Ten Tiny Dances (TTD) is back!

Back in Beaverton, OR push/FOLD presents a new work on a 4'x4' stage with nine other exemplary contemporary and traditional choreographers.

Join us for this free event outside, and then peruse the incredible goods at the Beaverton Farmers' Market.

Invited to perform at the Seattle International Dance Festival (SIDF), push/FOLD makes the journey north to showcase an excerpt of ‘Early’ on June 11, 2022. push/FOLD shares the evening with trio Akoiya Harris with Nile Ruff and Maven and LINxSIG (Ivana Lin and Mary Sigward).

Local Portland companies Tempos Contemporary Circus, push/FOLD, and B join together for our third year to present Junction:22 this February 25 & 26 at the Polaris Dance Center. In this three-part performance, each company brings their unique style of dance, acrobatics, and aerial in a vibrant fusion of movement.

Performances include both in-person and livestream tickets.

Junction:22 Livestream Login

push/FOLD presents the Union PDX - Festival:21 at the renowned Hampton Opera Center (Portland Opera) this November 4-7, sponsored by Bill & Wendy Whitsell. Festival:21 features contemporary dance performances and masterclasses in the genres of afro-cuban, break, street, and contemporary dance by international, national, and local artists:

Following each performance (November 5-7), join us as we chat with the artists in a facilitated Q&A. Learn about their process and artistic developments, features of their work, and experiences as professional artists navigating their communities and the world today.

Festival:21 Livestream Login

push/FOLD returns to Samuel's alma-mater, Western Oregon University as a special guest artist to perform alongside faculty artists and alumni to Jump Start the return to live performances and dance classes after a year of quarantines and shutdowns due to COVID-19.

Portland’s own push/FOLD, led by multi-disciplinary artist and composer-choreographer Samuel Hobbs, makes their international, in-person, debut at the Festival Internacional de Danza Contemporánea de la Ciudad de México.

Selected as one of five artists to represent the United States, push/FOLD performs their 2018 work ‘Early’—push/FOLD’s first evening-length work by Samuel Hobbs and push/FOLD’s first-ever self-produced performance.

push/FOLD presents 'Early' at Zidell Yards as a part of the 'Old Moody Stages' collaboration alongside Profile Theatre and the Portland Opera.

Recast and restaged to perform at the Zidell Yards stage with an all female cast, join our final two performances in Portland before we leave on our first international tour to Mexico City, Mexico!

push/FOLD celebrates our foray into international touring with a special in-studio preview event of 'Early'

Jordan Kriston (a former dancer with Pilobolus), Heather Hindes, and Ashley Morton join Briley Jozwiak to recast 'Early' for 2021. 'Early' marks our first step into international performances, bringing our emerging company full circle.

push/FOLD presents “Bodies“ as a special invitation for the 33rd annual Dancing on the Edge Festival. Screened at the historic Firehall Arts Centre on July 15, "Bodies" features a 50-minute selection of push/FOLD's performance works and film productions.

push/FOLD is honored to share the festival line-up with several renowned artists including Shay Kuebler (Radical System Art), Wen Wei Dance, Rachel Meyer, and Lesley Telford (Inverso Productions), amongst many others.

As our city continues to grapple with the realities of COVID-19, Oregon artists: Tempos Contemporary Circus, push/FOLD, ELaFaLa Collective, and AWOL Dance Collective present a unique performance for JUNCTION:21, livestreamed from the historic Alberta Rose Theatre!

This four-part co-production, featuring the signature styles of each group in a fusion of Dance, Acrobatics, Aerial, and camera play.