Come as You Are 2025

Suggested Donation / $10

Heidi Duckler Dance Northwest is excited to announce the next installment of its acclaimed salon series, Come As You Are, taking place at PLACE studio on Thursday, March 13th. This special evening will feature a film screening that highlights the company’s celebrated work in site-specific dance, showcasing the intersection of movement, place, and storytelling.

Guests will enjoy an evening of artistic immersion, with wine and snacks provided, and live music composed by Justin Ralls. Performances will feature the talents of singer Abbe Drake and clarinetist Lisa Limpton, bringing Ralls' compositions to life. In addition to the film and live music, attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet and engage with three of the company’s esteemed performers: Charles Roy and Tony Carnell.

A multi-genre vocalist, stage and screen actor, burlesque artist and drag performer with a Masters degree from USC Thornton School of Music. Studied Meisner technique with Susan Coromel at Willamette University, and improv at Groundlings in Los Angeles. A native Oregonian recently back from 10 years in LA working primarily as a digital content creator. Abbe has interests in working on straight plays, musicals, staged readings, and performance art/avant-garde works.

Clarinetist, impresario, and arts entrepreneur assumed the role of Executive Director of Opera Theater Oregon in April, 2017. She studied at Portland State University for her undergrad as well as The Central Chinese Conservatory of music in Beijing. As one of the founders of Contemporary Portland Orchestra Project, longtime collaborator of Filmusik, and other new music collectives in PDX, she is an avid performer and advocate of new music. As a performer she is extremely versatile having performed with numerous symphonies in the region and festivals such as Decibel festival, TBA festival, PDX Pop Now!, Music FestNW, Astoria Music Festival, and many others. She currently serves as Principal Clarinet with the Salem Orchestra. She aspires to continue the dialogue of sharing new ideas and relevant art with the Portland community and is excited to continue this work through Opera Theater Oregon into the future.

Internationally recognized and award-winning composer, inspired by the natural world: “a gifted melodist…a beautiful blend of natural and human-made music” (Artslandia), “impressive…showing a mastery of orchestral technique” (composer, John Adams), “definitely establishing his own voice” (SF Examiner). Ralls’ music engages ecologically and socially relevant themes in opera, orchestral, chamber, solo works, film music, and intercultural collaborations. He holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition, specializing in Nature, New Music, and Indigenous Thought.

Host or Publisher Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest