Pacific Dance Ensemble (PDE)
MISSION - Pacific Dance Ensemble (PDE) is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing young dancers interested in dance as a career, the opportunity to work and perform with professional artists, produce original works and showcase their talents.
GUEST ALUMNI TEACHERS AND COLLABORATIONS– include Amber Merkens, Alison Dietterle-Smith, Amelia Zirin-Brown aka “Rizzo”, Erika Sugrue, Jennifer Harmer, Meghann Fowler, Michaela Shoberg, Marissa Maislen, Cecily Wetcher, Kurt Danna, Roseena Robinson, Anna Zekan, Amity Jones, Joanna (Bristow)Tarantola, Amanda Canepa
CULTURAL EXCHANGES - PDE had a cultural exchange program with the Toshitsuna Company from Tokyo, Japan form 1990-2003. This program took PDE dancers to Japan for one month where they stayed in home-stays while working collaboratively with the Toshitsuna Co to develop choreography and perform. During each trip dancers also studied the culture, learned a tea ceremony, visited temples and historic sites, went to traditional Kabuki theater and other cultural activities. Rotating in 2 or 3-year cycles, the Toshitsuna Ensemble came to Newport. PDE also went to Mombetsu, Newport’s sister city as Newport’s first student Ambassador’s to travel to Mombetsu, where they also performed.
HONORING INDIGENOUS CULTURES - Honoring our Northwest heritage PDE has done a series of programs honoring the indigenous peoples of the Northwest in, “An Indian Tale” with original music by Joe Armenio, “A Dance Peace” and “When the Animals Danced” which was conceived and written collaboratively by Native American writer/musician, EK Caldwell and Mittleman, with choreography by Mittleman and original music by Leon Forest. PDE’s work with the Toshitsuna Ensemble also produced works based on Japanese legends. Work with Senegalese Master Drummer Mamadou Thioub and Master Dancer/Drummer Abdoulaye Thioub produced works based on African cultures and legends.
SCHOOL COLLABORATIONS - Lecture- Demonstrations done in schools throughout Lincoln County, include; “The History of Dance”, “The Art of Choreography”, “The Founding Women of Modern Dance”, “Moving Words”, “Legends” and “Northwest Native American Creation Myths”. PDE has worked with the Lincoln County School District on various projects integrating the literary and performing arts including “Mindscapes” – dance interpretations of student writings from Lincoln County middle schools and performed at a public performance at the Newport PAC.
AWARDS - Awards include an Honorary Awards from the Oregon Arts Commission for 20 years of excellence in dance education, Oregon Dance Association’s “History in the Making” award to Mittleman (1989) and performance, numerous awards from the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts (1993, 1997, 2016), The Confederated Tribes of Siletz and Georgia-Pacific.
GUEST PERFORMANCES - PDE performances as guest artists include The Governor’s Arts Awards, Miss Lincoln County, The Oregon Coast Aquarium, Swine Dive: A Showcase of Northwest Choreographers.
SPONSORSHIPS - PDE sponsored performances include RIZO, Requisite Dance, The Jefferson Dancers, Dance West, Oregon Dance Association.
PDE is committed to bringing cultural enrichment and education to both the dance community and the community at large, through:
Exchange programs with other dance groups (national/international)
Lecture demonstrations in the 17 schools of Lincoln County, OR. PDE has given and continues to perform lecture demonstrations.
Collaborations - PDE commissions dancers, choreographers and artists from across the country, expanding dance education and awareness to both PDE members and the community at-large.
Expanding exposure and education - PDE takes members to performances in other cities to see internationally acclaimed dance companies. PDE supplies tickets and transportation to performances. PDE scholarships are also available for PDE dancers to audition for schools of higher learning, conservatories and companies.
Bringing performances to the stage at the Newport Performing Arts Center in Newport, OR.
PDE members are chosen through yearly auditions. All members contribute to choreography in addition to dancing the choreography of others, including guest artists. Members research themes being developed into dances. These themes are drawn from literature, science, history, multi-cultural folklore and contemporary issues. Members develop and practice their skills as dancers and develop leadership and organizational skills through this collaborative process. PDE members often choreograph, work with and teach dances to Mittleman’s younger students. Members regularly work with professional set, costume and lighting designers, as well as guest choreographers, musicians and specialists in various fields, including, writers, actors, scientists, entomologists, anthropologists, etc.
PDE’s produces two to four shows per year at the Newport Performing Arts Center, Newport, OR. PDE annually productions are;
“Dances from the Heart”, a free performance and benefit auction. This Valentine’s show is offered to the public free of charge to increase dance awareness and expand support for the arts in general. Monies derived from this show over and beyond the cost of producing the show go to PDE field trips and scholarships.
“Family Classics” the yearly spring performance, focuses on literary classics, featuring PDE dancers in the main roles, supported by students from Newport School of Artistic Movement. Performances have included, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream, “The Tempest”, “Don Quixote”, “Peter Pan”, “The Magic Flute”, “Jane and the Giant Peach”, “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland”, “The Patchwork Girl of Oz” All narrations are original adaptations written by Mittleman and narrated by professional actors. All shows employ professional set, costume and lighting designers.
HISTORY PDE grew out of a smaller company of adult dancers, directed by Mittleman, in an effort to expand opportunities available to Mittleman’s younger students at Newport School of Artistic Movement interested in dance as a career. In 1986, the company expanded to include dancers 10 – adults. Choreography involves dancers of multiple ages bringing new opportunities and challenges. Dancers are chosen through auditions and understand that they are producing works for the general public and are expected to live up to the high standards of the company. PDE dancers work side by side with professionals in many fields and are expected to contribute to choreography as well as being open and receptive, interpreting the choreography of others. Mittleman, who often uses improvisation as a means of developing choreography, found developing choreography with input from all the dancers, a great tool in developing their skills both as dancers and future choreographers. The company also strives to develop choreography making meaningful use of the various ages of the dancers. Collaborative choreography became a mainstay of PDE’s workings, while continuing to be a venue for introducing new works by guest artists and Mittleman.
COLLABORATIONS - PDE collaborates regularly with various dance, theatre, and orchestral companies, including productions with Red Octopus Theater Co. including “Quilters”, “The Snow Queen”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “The Bourgeois Gentleman”, “Appalachian Ebenezzer”, “Dido and Aenes” with the Yaquina Orchestra, “Pulse Impulse” with NW Showcase of Choreograhers, “East Meets West” with The Toshitsuna Ensemble, “Yuki Ona” with Abts American Dance Theater, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” with The Newport Symphony, “Peace Child” with the International Peace Child program, Requisite Dance, the Oregon Coast Council form the Arts, Lincoln County School District and the City of Newport Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Theatro Mundo
COLLABORATIONS WITH GUEST ARTISTS - Rick Bartow, Richard Kennedy, Takako Toshitsuna Jeurgen Ecksteinn, Ann Miller, Sal Strom, Elizabeth Abts, Tim Stapleton, David Tallman, Reuben Ettinger, Catherine Ross, Drake Deknatel, Rebecca Storyweaver, Richard Cabral, Margaretta Ramsey Ibrahim Sory Sylla, Ted Olsen, Marylee Scoville, Jessica Treon, Mary Eastman, Khlo and Shawn Brateng, Alice and Douglas Haga, Pete and Katrina Theodore, Mamadou Thioub, Abdoulaye Thioub, Douglas Mackie, Scott Rosin, Franz Paul Van Den Bogaard, Mark McConnell, Marc Maislen, Rhodd Caldwell, Carol Groobman, Gretchen Spiro, Laura Enzer, Tash Wesp AKA Mildred Hodittle Edward Van Aelstyn, E. K. Caldwell, Leon Forrest, Joe Armenio, Andrew Rodman, Mark Lambert, Ernest Brown, William Merkens, Bill Stiffler
