A-WOL Dance Collective

A-WOL Dance Collective believes that the arts build community and enhance the quality of life. Art, in its various forms, fosters creativity, empowers individuals and brings people together. A-WOL's warehouse headquarters offers a place of belonging for its patrons. Our students become friends with one another, our audience hangs out before and after shows, our volunteers mingle with our performers and our staff takes great ownership in our organization. Many have told us that they have found a sense of meaning and belonging by being a part of A-WOL in various ways.

A-WOL was created in 2003 as a “Collective.” The four co-founders’ intention was to form a group that could operate efficiently by using the different strengths and skills of all company members, both on and off stage, liberating audiences from traditional ideas of what it means to dance. Mingling the worlds of dance and aerial, our dancers ignite a wonder and curiosity for what can happen when a human body takes flight. The physicality of their movement both on the floor and in the air, conveys striking fearlessness and unmistakable rigor. A-WOL dancers have been seen hanging from the trees in the middle of the forest to dangling from the ceilings of Portland’s trendiest night clubs. Hip yet sophisticated, A-WOL has a versatility of style.