Shaun Keylock Opens New Creative Studio in Portland
Shaun Keylock Company, founded in 2018, has opened a creative studio for dance and performance research in Portland. The studio is the new home for award-winning choreographer Shaun Keylock and his company of dancers and will serve as a unique resource for local artists and communities.
Based inside the historic Baker Building on the corner of North Albina and Killingsworth Street, the company’s new headquarters comprises a 2,000 square foot ballroom, two dressing rooms, and a 600 square foot lobby and reception area shared with the fellow tenants of Albina Studios. The first dance organization to be based inside the building, the studio will be a place for new movement research and collaboration across disciplines.
A cornerstone program for the company is an array of classes and education initiatives designed around a modern and contemporary dance curriculum. At the new studio, Shaun Keylock Company will offer classes and workshops taught by the company’s dancers, choreographers, and visiting guest artists. These classes will be provided at a reduced, sliding scale rate to neighborhood partners, community members, freelance artists, and professional dancers.
Located just steps away from Portland Community College’s Cascade Campus, the studio will serve as a venue for the promotion and discussion of contemporary dance and performance research. Keylock plans to facilitate curated public programs and conversations organized by the company in collaboration with guest scholars and experts from various fields.
In keeping with his company’s collaborative mission, Keylock also plans to cultivate new work by local and regional artists and offer residencies and performance opportunities at the studio. He is currently seeking funding through his network of fiscal sponsors and local supporters. Audiences can expect affordable public programs that demonstrate Keylock’s vision of combining technical rigor with historical references and a queer sensibility.
In addition to moving the company to its new home, Keylock has other ambitious plans this season. This month, Shaun Keylock Company will begin production on two new performance projects, ‘The Embodied Archive’, a performance series reviving historic dances for new audiences, and a new evening-length contemporary dance work, part one of which will premiere for White Bird Dance next year.
Keylock, born and raised in Oregon, is fast becoming one of the region’s leading choreographers and directors. His work has brought him into collaborative dialogue with organizations and institutions, including the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, On the Boards, Northwest Dance Project, BodyVox, and New Expressive Works. Keylock’s creative aspirations are perfectly matched in this new studio, allowing his company to have a permanent space to rehearse, form new relationships and exchanges, and create a lasting impact on the community.
Shaun Keylock Company is an independent platform for contemporary dance and performance research established in 2018 and based in Portland, Oregon. Click here to learn more and support the company’s new studio.
“At Shaun Keylock Company, we share the voices of LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities, both on stage and in the creation and production of our work, in the belief that the work we do can inspire, connect, and motivate our community through dance. We wanted to open a studio that promotes these ideals and makes space for the communities we serve. This new studio lets us do exactly that. It lets us dive deeper into creating and producing new work that supports radical contemporary dance and queer performance in Portland, and I can’t wait to share it with our friends, audiences, patrons, and community.”
— Shaun Keylock, Artistic Director, Shaun Keylock Company