Patricia Reser Center for the Arts

In this lecture demonstration, members of Hung Dance will provide an introduction to Taiwanese dance company Hung Dance’s movement language, including how their acclaimed work Birdy blends traditional Chinese exercises and materials with contemporary dance. The company will also delve into the inspiration and concepts behind Birdy, followed by a short excerpt of the work. Guests will have the opportunity to have their questions about the dance answered by members of the company. This lecture demonstration will be delivered primarily in Mandarin, with live translation between Mandarin and English.

Choreographer Lai Hung-Chung makes dances of striking beauty and intention. “Birdy,” his captivating signature work for Hung Dance, moves between suspense and explosive energy, between the weight of tradition and the pull toward something new. Hung Dance blends traditional Chinese arts, including tai chi, Peking Opera, and classical Chinese music, with contemporary dance technique and driving electronic music, creating work that is poetic and rhythmic at once. What audiences see on stage is a world in constant transformation, where bodies bend and resist, images linger, and the tension between holding on and letting go becomes the dance itself.

TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN

Birdy

“…a dreamy sensibility with astonishing athleticism in culturally sensitive modern dance performance.” —Charlie Smith, Pancouver

Sponsored by George & Nancy Thorn. White Bird’s Uncaged Series Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

The Friday and Saturday performances will have pre-show talks. Come early to hear from the dancers from 6:15–6:45 PM. No ticket needed.

Join us November 3rd for the Hung Dance Lecture Demonstration, FREE with RSVP here .

Choreographer Lai Hung-Chung makes dances of striking beauty and intention. “Birdy,” his captivating signature work for Hung Dance, moves between suspense and explosive energy, between the weight of tradition and the pull toward something new. Hung Dance blends traditional Chinese arts, including tai chi, Peking Opera, and classical Chinese music, with contemporary dance technique and driving electronic music, creating work that is poetic and rhythmic at once. What audiences see on stage is a world in constant transformation, where bodies bend and resist, images linger, and the tension between holding on and letting go becomes the dance itself.

TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN

Birdy

“…a dreamy sensibility with astonishing athleticism in culturally sensitive modern dance performance.” —Charlie Smith, Pancouver

Sponsored by George & Nancy Thorn. White Bird’s Uncaged Series Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

The Friday and Saturday performances will have pre-show talks. Come early to hear from the dancers from 6:15–6:45 PM. No ticket needed.

Join us November 3rd for the Hung Dance Lecture Demonstration, FREE with RSVP here .

Choreographer Lai Hung-Chung makes dances of striking beauty and intention. “Birdy,” his captivating signature work for Hung Dance, moves between suspense and explosive energy, between the weight of tradition and the pull toward something new. Hung Dance blends traditional Chinese arts, including tai chi, Peking Opera, and classical Chinese music, with contemporary dance technique and driving electronic music, creating work that is poetic and rhythmic at once. What audiences see on stage is a world in constant transformation, where bodies bend and resist, images linger, and the tension between holding on and letting go becomes the dance itself.

TAIPEI CITY, TAIWAN

Birdy

“…a dreamy sensibility with astonishing athleticism in culturally sensitive modern dance performance.” —Charlie Smith, Pancouver

Sponsored by George & Nancy Thorn. White Bird’s Uncaged Series Sponsor: Ronni Lacroute

The Friday and Saturday performances will have pre-show talks. Come early to hear from the dancers from 6:15–6:45 PM. No ticket needed.

Join us November 3rd for the Hung Dance Lecture Demonstration, FREE with RSVP here .

When the time is right, the most celebrated reef on Earth turns into a snow globe as millions of coral polyps reproduce to send the next generation afloat. This incredible display disguises a harsh truth: the Great Barrier Reef is under attack. More than half of the coral here has died, with a warmer ocean bleaching vast sections. But there is still plenty to see and plenty to save. We go on assignment in a series of dives with marine biologist and National Geographic Explorer Erika Woolsey to meet the most colorful residents of this underwater jungle.

Dr. Erika Woolsey is a marine biologist, divemaster, and virtual reality filmmaker. Her research and career have taken her to reefs all over the world. Woolsey carried out her Ph.D. research in Australia, where she studied the Great Barrier Reef. She is the chief scientist and CEO of The Hydrous, a non-profit organization on a mission to inspire ocean empathy and marine stewardship. She uses 360-degree photography to create immersive virtual reality videos to help people understand the ocean and reefs from anywhere in the world. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at Stanford’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab.

Amazing Whales OMSI Engagement

Calling all marine biologists! Students and learners of all ages are welcome to come early before the show to enjoy a FREE special engagement offered in partnership with OMSI. Young marine biologists take a close-up look at whales, examine baleen, and learn about the adaptations, habitat, and stewardship of these amazing mammals. Students will touch real whale artifacts and see a 60-foot, life-size, inflatable whale. Topics include: adaptation, stewardship, mammal classification, whale ecology. For ages 5 and up.

Date: January 21, 2027

Time: 5:00 – 6:00 pm

Location: The Lobby

Space is limited, reserve FREE spot here.

Bob James’ music has made a mark in every decade since the 1960s and yet, he is far from a household name. Despite a prolific catalog and devoted audience, there’s a large segment of music fans who may not know his name or story but will instantly recognize his music.

“Bob James: Avant Smooth” is the story of jazz keyboardist, composer, arranger, and performer Bob James sitting down with Mikael Jorgensen of the band Wilco, son of Bob’s longtime recording engineer Joe Jorgensen, to discuss his challenges and successes across a genre-spanning music career from classical, to avant-garde, to jazz, and, very much by accident, Hip Hop.

Grammy-award-winning artist Mikael Jorgensen has been touring and recording with Wilco since 2002. Jorgensen cultivates projects parallel to Wilco, including Quindar, an electronic multimedia duo that remixes the NASA audio and film archives, and Expandards, a collaboration with the singer Isaac Koren that explores The American Songbook while composing new, expressionistic songs.

Now in its eighth year, PRAx and the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University present American Strings, a series of conversations and intimate performances with iconic musicians from the Americas whose perspectives shape our world. Prior guests have included Keb’ Mo’, Rosanne Cash, esperanza spalding, and many more.

Hosted by ethnomusicologist and public historian Kelly Bosworth, American Strings performances offer audiences the chance to hear artists play and reflect on their practice. In conversation, artists discuss process, biography, and the themes of their work. Conversation is followed by musical performance. Guests typically perform unaccompanied, but in select cases may appear with their ensembles.

Dr. Kelly Bosworth is Mary Jones and Thomas Hart Horning Assistant Professor of Public History and Ethnomusicology at Oregon State University, where she teaches courses such as “Social Change and American Popular Music” and “Musical Worlds of the Pacific Northwest.”She works at the intersection of sound, place, and belonging. Her research on music/sound/noisein U.S. history delves into the diverse archives of musicmaking, reconstructing often-silenced histories through the songs and sounds associated with place. Her PhD dissertation (Indiana University, 2024) explored “The Music of Miracle City: Vanport, Oregon and the Sonic Imaginaries of Multiracial Democracy.”

Sponsored by John & Kate Stirek

Bright colors and captivating calls are just the start with some of Earth’s most amazing species. Frogs can turn nearly invisible, leap more than 20 times their body length, and defend themselves with poison. We go on assignment with conservation biologist and National Geographic Explorer Jodi Rowley to discover all kinds of incredible abilities and springy biodiversity.

Skeleton Canoe follows the story of young Nawbin, an Anishinaabe youth searching for where they fit in. After mistakenly breaking their family’s canoe paddle in a fit of emotions, they flee their home and set out on a rite of passage journey that will take them along the water. Along the way they encounter unexpected friends, weather storms, and discover a calling to care for the earth in this time of climate crisis. Skeleton Canoe is more than a performance, it’s a community gathering.

One morning in an Anishinaabe town not too far away from here, Nawbin sees an eagle drop a feather while they are out digging a pit to prepare for the ricing. They rush back to tell their family, but all are distracted with preparations and ignore Nawbin. In the storm of their emotions, the family’s sacred ancestor oar is broken. Scared and embarrassed, Nawbin runs through the night landing in a birch forest far from home. By the riverbed they encounter Jiimaan, the bent-wood frame with pieces of birchbark clinging to the sides. Jiimaan is alive and invites Nawbin to journey with them down the river.

On their jouney down the rvier, Nawbin and Jiiman meets many friends. They receive knowledge in answer to their questions, each lesson connected to an Anishinaabe teaching. In the end, Nawbin returns home with a greater understanding of who they are, where they come from, where they are going, and their purpose.

Skeleton Canoe follows the story of young Nawbin, an Anishinaabe youth searching for where they fit in. After mistakenly breaking their family’s canoe paddle in a fit of emotions, they flee their home and set out on a rite of passage journey that will take them along the water. Along the way they encounter unexpected friends, weather storms, and discover a calling to care for the earth in this time of climate crisis. Skeleton Canoe is more than a performance, it’s a community gathering.

One morning in an Anishinaabe town not too far away from here, Nawbin sees an eagle drop a feather while they are out digging a pit to prepare for the ricing. They rush back to tell their family, but all are distracted with preparations and ignore Nawbin. In the storm of their emotions, the family’s sacred ancestor oar is broken. Scared and embarrassed, Nawbin runs through the night landing in a birch forest far from home. By the riverbed they encounter Jiimaan, the bent-wood frame with pieces of birchbark clinging to the sides. Jiimaan is alive and invites Nawbin to journey with them down the river.

On their jouney down the rvier, Nawbin and Jiiman meets many friends. They receive knowledge in answer to their questions, each lesson connected to an Anishinaabe teaching. In the end, Nawbin returns home with a greater understanding of who they are, where they come from, where they are going, and their purpose.

Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), is a two-time Edison Award winning and five-time Grammy Award nominated musician, composer and producer. He is the nephew of jazz innovator and legendary sax man, Donald Harrison, Jr. His musical tutelage began under the direction of his uncle at the age of thirteen. After graduating from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) in 2001, Adjuah received a full tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music where he earned a degree in Professional Music and Film Scoring thirty months later.

Since 2002, Adjuah has released twelve critically acclaimed studio recordings, three live albums and one greatest hits collection. According to NPR, Adjuah “ushers in new era of jazz”. He has been heralded by JazzTimes Magazine as “Jazz’s young style God.” Adjuah is known for developing the harmonic convention known as the “forecasting cell” and for his use of an un-voiced tone in his playing, emphasizing breath over vibration at the mouthpiece. The technique is known as his “whisper technique.” Adjuah is also the progenitor of “Stretch Music,” a jazz rooted, genre blind musical form that attempts to “stretch” jazz’s rhythmic, melodic and harmonic conventions to encompass multiple musical forms, languages and cultures.

Now in its eighth year, PRAx and the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University present American Strings, a series of conversations and intimate performances with iconic musicians from the Americas whose perspectives shape our world. Prior guests have included Keb’ Mo’, Rosanne Cash, esperanza spalding, and many more.

Hosted by ethnomusicologist and public historian Kelly Bosworth, American Strings performances offer audiences the chance to hear artists play and reflect on their practice. In conversation, artists discuss process, biography, and the themes of their work. Conversation is followed by musical performance. Guests typically perform unaccompanied, but in select cases may appear with their ensembles.

Dr. Kelly Bosworth is Mary Jones and Thomas Hart Horning Assistant Professor of Public History and Ethnomusicology at Oregon State University, where she teaches courses such as “Social Change and American Popular Music” and “Musical Worlds of the Pacific Northwest.”She works at the intersection of sound, place, and belonging. Her research on music/sound/noisein U.S. history delves into the diverse archives of musicmaking, reconstructing often-silenced histories through the songs

Get ready for an exclusive evening of dance with OBT’s annual choreographic tradition, OBT By Design. This unique show brings together OBT company artists and their second company, OBT2, for a night of world premieres. You’ll see rising stars step into the spotlight, showcasing their creativity and new works. It’s truly a special opportunity to witness their vision.

This year’s program features 12 brand-new pieces created by dancers like Bailey Shaw, Ben Simoens, and Zuzu Metzler. The performance, held at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, is one night only. Plus, it includes a 30-minute Q&A session after the show. Experience something new!

If it’s deliciously intelligent discourse you want, with wide-ranging allusions (when was the last time you heard someone cite D’Artagnan’s advice from his father on leaving Gascony for Paris?) and occasional high-culture belly laughs, too, then head up to the Rose Building on the Lincoln Center campus and get ready to be charmed and disarmed. Adam Gopnik’s New York is short (90-odd minutes), sweet, and provocative.

Adam Gopnik’s New York is all New York. Art, snowflakes, Central Park, child raising, pluralism and individualism, and his quest of writing with what he calls “a wild exactitude.” All New York, yes, except when he takes what he calls left turns from the discussion which lead—well, one gets the sense that he has more ready-to-tell stories than time allows, so each performance might differ somewhat. (After decades as a

popular lecturer on what his wife and children refer to as his “perpetual tuition tour,” he is clearly comfortable on stage or podium.) Gopnik’s smoothly free and easy delivery makes it all seem simple and off-the-cuff, belying the likelihood that every

sentence was meticulously sculpted.

Yes, Gopnik strives to concentrate on discussing New York as seen through his perceptive eyes. But he strays, again and again, at one point winding up in Venice. (His longtime Upper East Side analyst unaccountably decrees that “you will order the linguine alle vongole, and then you will be happy.”) As it happens, on the very night when Adam Gopnik’s New York closes, I myself will be sitting in an osteria in Dorsoduro, inevitably digging into a plate of linguine alla vongole. Happy, I suppose—Venice and vongole will do that to you—but I don’t imagine it will be quite as nourishing as spending 90 minutes at Lincoln Center with Adam Gopnik in Adam Gopnik’s New York.