PUSH FOLD | Presenters & Touring — Touring Dance/Engagement Programs | Pacific Northwest athletic contemporary dance company | Portland, Oregon, USA
PUSH FOLDArtistic Director | Samuel Hobbs | Portland, Oregon USA
 
 
 
push/FOLD's managing director Holly Shaw dancing next to a large wall featuring graffiti in Portland, OR | Photography: Samuel Hobbs
 
 
 

PRESENTERS & TOURING

booking@pushfold.org  |  +1 503.946.6474

 | 

Performance & Engagement for Contemporary Presenters

push/FOLD offers contemporary touring performance and community engagement for presenters seeking work that is rigorous, adaptable, and resonant across audiences.

Our projects scale across venues and contexts—from large theaters to intimate settings—and are supported by education and outreach that support deeper engagement beyond the performance.

We prioritize clarity, collaboration, and sustainability, partnering closely with presenters to deliver work that is artistically strong, logistically flexible, and grounded in the communities it serves.

Quick Look
 
 

Featured Touring Performances

push/FOLD offers contemporary touring performances that adapt across venues and scales, from intimate settings to large theaters. Our work is designed to meet presenters where they are, pairing strong physical performance with flexible production models and optional engagement components.

 
 

'Early'

Evening-length touring performance

Early is an evening-length contemporary dance work for four performers, designed to tour flexibly across proscenium, black-box, and site-responsive venues. Built on physically driven partnering, momentum, and stillness, the work offers audiences an immersive, emotionally resonant experience supported by an original sound score and minimal technical footprint. Early balances intensity and restraint, making it well-suited for presenters seeking rigorous contemporary performance that can adapt to varied spaces and audiences.

Key touring details:
  • Length: ~60 minutes, no intermission
  • Cast: 4 dancers
  • Music: Original recorded score (synthetic + acoustic textures)
  • Design: Minimalist lighting and scenic needs
  • Venues: Proscenium, black-box, installation / site-responsive
  • Content note: Original version includes nudity; fully clothed version available
Audience Experience:

Athletic, immersive, and serious in tone; structured through duets and solos that unfold a single arc of connection, power, and transition.

Watch Full Video
 
 

'Vespers'

Large-scale interdisciplinary touring performance

Vespers is a large-scale interdisciplinary performance merging contemporary dance with a live choir of up to 100 singers, inspired by Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil.

Designed for presenters seeking ambitious yet adaptable work, the production integrates movement and music as a single system rather than parallel elements. Vespers offers audiences an immersive, contemplative experience that bridges contemporary performance and choral traditions, while remaining adaptable to different venues and production contexts. Vespers can be realized through partnerships with local choirs, touring vocalists, or a hybrid model that balances artistic integrity with local resources.

Key touring details:
  • Length: ~65 minutes, no intermission
  • Performers: 5 dancers, 1 choral director + local or touring choir (scalable)
  • Vocalists: Option to include touring choral soloists/ringers as needed
  • Music: Live a cappella choral performance
  • Design: Lighting-driven staging with minimal scenic elements
  • Venues: Proscenium theatres and select non-traditional spaces
  • Production model: Collaborative integration with local choral partners possible
Audience Experience:

Ethereal and powerful; an immersive unfolding of sound and movement that reframes a historic choral work through contemporary physical performance.

Watch Full Video
 
 

Echoes & Earth

Adaptable repertory program

Echoes & Earth is an adaptable repertory program curated from push/FOLD's body of work, designed to respond to the scale, context, and priorities of a presenting partner. Rather than a fixed evening-length production, the program assembles selected works into a cohesive performance experience that balances athletic contemporary movement with strong musical and emotional architecture.

Echoes & Earth offers presenters flexibility while maintaining artistic coherence and depth.

Key touring details:
  • Cast: 4-6 dancers
  • Format: Curated repertory program (customizable)
  • Length: Flexible (typically 40-80 minutes)
  • Performers: push/FOLD dancers with optional student or local artist participation
  • Music: Original scores and/or live elements depending on selected works
  • Venues: Proscenium, black-box, non-traditional, and site-responsive spaces
  • Production model: Built collaboratively to align with presenter resources and goals
Audience Experience:

Grounded, immersive, and physically driven; a sequence of works that emphasizes clarity, connection, and atmosphere rather than narrative continuity.

 
 

Education & Community Engagement

push/FOLD's education and community engagement programs extend our performance practice into classrooms, studios, and community spaces. Offerings include youth-reach performances, workshops, and residency-based engagement designed to support learning, participation, and local connection.

 
 

'Physics in Motion'

Youth-reach touring school performance

Physics in Motion is a touring performance and education program for K-12 audiences that connects contemporary dance with core principles of physics. Through live performance and guided demonstrations, dancers embody concepts such as momentum, gravity, force, and balance, offering students an intuitive, accessible way to experience scientific ideas through the body. The program is designed to engage a wide range of learners while supporting classroom curriculum and school-wide programming goals.

Key engagement details:
  • Audience: K–12 students (adaptable by grade level)
  • Format: Performance and/or workshop options
  • Length:
    • Assembly performance: 30-60 minutes
    • Classroom workshop: 30-45 minutes
  • Customizable Curriculum Tie-Ins—aligned with NGSS and dance/PE standards
  • Venues: School gyms, auditoriums, theatres
  • Technical needs: Minimal; company provides sound system
  • Content note: Original version includes nudity; fully clothed version available
Learning Experience:

Interactive and physically engaging; students see physics concepts activated through movement and are invited to explore how their own bodies function as systems of force and motion.

Book Physics in Motion
 
 

Visceral Movement Theory™

Workshops, classes, and residency-based engagement

Visceral Movement Theory™ (VMT) is push/FOLD's movement framework for exploring biomechanics, momentum, and embodied awareness through physically driven practice.

Rooted in contemporary dance, athletics, and somatic inquiry, VMT workshops adapt across contexts—supporting artists, students, athletes, and community participants in developing physical clarity, coordination, and responsiveness. Sessions are structured to meet participants where they are, emphasizing accessibility, curiosity, and practical application over stylistic replication.

Key engagement details:
  • Formats: Single workshops, multi-day intensives, residency-based programs
  • Participants: Dancers, students, athletes, educators, and community groups
  • Focus areas: Biomechanics, force exchange, momentum, spatial awareness
  • Settings: Studios, classrooms, gyms, community spaces
  • Customization: Content shaped in conversation with presenters and partners
Participant Experience:

Physically grounded and exploratory; participants engage movement as a system of forces rather than a fixed vocabulary.

Bring VMT to Your Community
 
 

Technical Overview (Snapshot)

push/FOLD tours with a flexible technical model and extensive experience adapting to a wide range of venues while maintaining artistic integrity. Final technical requirements are developed collaboratively with presenters based on the selected work, venue, and available resources.

Full technical riders and schedules are provided upon request after initial conversations.

Company Size
  • Touring performances typically involve 4–7 performers
  • Additional touring personnel as needed (1–2)
Performance Length
  • Varies by production
  • Most programs range between 60-70 minutes (intermission as needed)
Venue & Stage
  • Proscenium, black-box, non-traditional, and site-responsive venues
  • Preferred minimum performance area: approximately 25' x 25' (7.5m x 7.5m)
  • Dance-appropriate floor required (sprung floor or professional marley preferred)
  • Clear, unobstructed performance space
Lighting
  • Lighting-driven staging with no large scenic elements
  • Standard front, side, and top lighting coverage
  • Programmable lighting console (ETC Ion or similar)
  • Lighting plots and cue sheets provided in advance and adapted to venue capabilities
Sound
  • Professional PA system capable of full-range playback
  • Subwoofers preferred for select works
  • Sound files provided digitally in advance
  • Company can tour with or adapt to house sound systems
Load-In & Technical Time
  • Technical needs vary by work and venue
  • Typical setups range from half-day to single-day load-in/tech, with flexibility where possible
  • Schedules confirmed in advance with presenter technical staff
Engagement & Talks
  • Artist talks and post-show Q&As available upon request
  • Microphone needs limited to engagement activities only
Documentation
  • Photography and video recording by presenters require prior approval
  • Company documentation may occur for archival purposes
Hospitality
  • Standard touring hospitality requirements provided upon booking

Full technical riders and schedules are provided upon request after initial conversations.

 
 

Presenting & Touring Inquires

We welcome conversations with presenters interested in touring performances, education programs, or residency-based engagement.

To discuss availability, scale, or alignment with your venue and community, please contact:

Samuel Hobbs, Artistic Director
samuel@pushfold.org  |  +1 503.946.6474
 | 

- or -

booking@pushfold.org
 
Samuel Hobbs | Managing Director: Holly Shaw
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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