Rainbow Dance Theatre’s ensemble of eight virtuoso dancers transforms the concert stage into a world of mystery, pathos and humor Its name highlights its roots in Hawaii, the “land of rainbows”, as well as the ethnic diversity of its company members and the diverse cultural influences in the choreography performed by the Company. The Company celebrates this diversity as well as state-of-the-art te
chnology in dance theatre performance with its virtuosic style that fuses West African Dance, Haitian Dance, Hip Hop, Martial Arts and American Modern Dance with computer animation and aerial choreography. This high-impact, rapid-fire performance style features a rugged athleticism and gravity-defying partnering. 3-D backdrops, inter-active full-stage sets and lavish costuming add a unique visual element that transforms the dance performance into an entertaining and provocative theatrical event. Founded in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1991, Rainbow Dance Theatre (RDT) has been based in Monmouth, Oregon since 1998. The Company has toured throughout the world, performing in Europe, Asia, the United States, and Mexico to widespread critical and popular acclaim. At the invitation of the United States Pavilion, the Company represented the state of Oregon at the 2005 World Expo in Nagoya, Japan. Other international festival performances include the Second International Dance Festivals in Taegu and Pusan, South Korea, the 5th and 9th Concurso Continental de Danza Contemporanea in Mexico City, D.F., Dance Tanz in Osaka, Japan, Men Dancing and Cultural Slam in Honolulu, Hawaii, the World Expo ’92 in Seville, Spain, and the 2004 International VSAarts Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. RDT tours throughout the Northwest United States as a member company with the Arts Northwest on Tour program. As a roster company with Young Audiences, RDT performs for over 15,000 Oregon and Washington school children per year. Its “Rainbow Project”, funded by grants from the Oregon Arts Commission and the 21st Century Learning Center, brings Hip Hop and African Dance classes and performances to at-risk children, teens and their families in the Salem, Falls City, Monmouth and Independence, Oregon communities. The Company has directed similar programs in other cities throughout the United States in conjunction with local community organizations, schools, and police departments. The Company and its Artistic Directors have received numerous other grants including those from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Atherton Family Foundation, Fred Meyer Foundation, Persis Corporation, and MJI Broadcasting.
