Neil Ellis Orts

Neil Ellis Orts is a writer and performer, living in Houston. Visit him online at neilellisorts.com.

The Pilot Dance Project Presents Jennifer Mabus’ Requiem

The Pilot Dance Project Presents Jennifer Mabus’ Requiem

The Pilot Dance Project Presents Jennifer Mabus’ Requiem August 5, 2017; 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8pm, the Morales Funeral Home by Neil Ellis Orts East of downtown Houston, on Canal Street, an audience gathered in the foyer of the Morales Funeral Home (the first Hispanic owned funeral home in Houston), a stately edifice […]

Read More →

Read More →

The Pilot Dance Project Presents jhon r. stronks’ Once upon a time . . .

The Pilot Dance Project Presents jhon r. stronks’ Once upon a time . . .

April 28, 29, 30 and May 5, 6, 7, 2017, 7:30pm, The Pilot on Navigation freneticore.net It’s an interesting challenge to write about a choreographer whose work you’ve been looking at for the better part of a decade. I’ve watched the work of john r. stronks evolve over the years, themes shifting, presentational style morphing […]

Read More →

Read More →

Karen Stokes Dance – DEEP: Seaspace

Karen Stokes Dance – DEEP: Seaspace

October 20-22, 2016, Zilkha Hall, The Hobby Center by Neil Ellis Orts DEEP: Seaspace was already in progress as the audience filtered in. Audio interviews with Houston Ship Channel captains play as performers in white, baggy jumpsuits take slow, stiff steps across the stage. They pause, turn to the audience, and offer enigmatic stares before […]

Read More →

Read More →

NobleMotion Pairs with Musiqa to Give us Tonal Impact

NobleMotion Pairs with Musiqa to Give us Tonal Impact

  by Neil Ellis Orts NobleMotion Dance has been a centerpiece of the Houston dance scene since they started producing work in 2009. Known for their tightly choreographed athleticism and use of technology they always bring a bit of spectacle to the stage. Teaming up with Musiqa for an evening in Zilkha Hall, the Hobby […]

Read More →

Read More →

Evolutionary Incarnations

Evolutionary Incarnations

Samskriti Dances the Stories of Vishnu Dashavatar. It has a simple meaning. “Avatar” means “incarnation.” “Dasha” means “ten.” Hence, Dashavatar refers to the ten incarnations of the Hindu deity, Vishnu. Samskriti, a Houston based Indian performing arts company, will be presenting Dashavatar on Sunday, April 6, at 5pm at the Cullen Theater, Wortham Center. Conceived […]

Read More →

Read More →

Movement and Color

Movement and Color

Modern dance has a history of its choreographers being in conversation with visual artists. Two of the more famous examples would be Martha Graham with Isamu Noguchi and Merce Cunningham with Robert Rauschenberg. Following in that tradition is choreographer Teresa Chapman and visual artist Lucinda Cobley, both based in Houston. Their cross-disciplinary conversation gave us […]

Read More →

Read More →

They, Who Sound

They, Who Sound

  We entered from the back alley/loading dock side of the converted warehouse now known as Hardy and Nance Street Studios. A small,rectangular cement room with chairs set all around the periphery greeted us. There was no program to prepare us, so we waited until Leslie Scates, dancer, and Damon Smith, upright bass player, entered […]

Read More →

Read More →

VauLt Dance Company Thread

VauLt Dance Company Thread

Spring Street Studios Friday, October 19, 2012   VauLt Dance Company, choreographer Amy Ell’s performance company, inaugurated their new home in Spring Street Studios with an hour’s length program. Thread was the title given on the printed program handed out before the show, but some publicity had a subtitle:Stories of Eight Women and Their Lessons in Limitation. […]

Read More →

Read More →

NobleMotion Spitting Ether

NobleMotion Spitting Ether

NobleMotion Dance & David J. Deveau Barnevelder Movement/Arts Complex Friday, August 31, 2012 Lights flash, arc, blind, blink. Arms, legs, faces appear, disappear. Shadows bend, swallow, haunt.   Spitting Ether: A Reality Bending Dance, created in collaboration by NobleMotion Dance and lighting designer David J. Deveau, is an evening of light and dance, yes, but perhaps […]

Read More →

Read More →

Top