Community Calendar

Philadelphia-based choreographer Shannon Murphy premieres her latest work, a performance journey titled, “To enter we have to be okay with leaving.”, Labor Day weekend at Subcircle Residency in Biddeford, ME. Audiences are invited to walk through the forest behind the residency, illuminating connections between the erosion and deposition of soil with human relationships. Using dance, music, puppetry, and poetry, Murphy and her collaborators explore the transitional spaces between love and grief - life and death.

This is a site specific work, original to a patch of wilderness in Biddeford. Murphy has choreographed dances and puppetry within the woods and created a sound score from original poetry, field recordings, interviews and music - all designed to evoke our imagination and notice the cycles of the forest and the cycles of our lives. What builds up and what wears away are central themes of the show. Because the Performance Journey takes place in an unmanicured part of the property (a wooded trail and mowed field path), audiences should be aware of inherent risks associated with being out in this kind of natural environment (ie: fallen/falling branches, trip hazards, and insects). Each small group of 10 people will be accompanied by a docent(s), guiding them along the walking loop to each performance site. Audiences will gather at the time stated on their ticket and view a visual art installation created by Murphy before embarking on their journey which takes approximately 50 min to complete. The work is sometimes silly and fantastic, at other times reflective and mournful. Murphy and her collaborators steward you on a journey like no other, sure to have you re-orient yourself to the pace of soil.

This presentation was made possible with support from Onion Foundation and Horizon Foundation, Inc.

Philadelphia-based choreographer Shannon Murphy premieres her latest work, a performance journey titled, “To enter we have to be okay with leaving.”, Labor Day weekend at Subcircle Residency in Biddeford, ME. Audiences are invited to walk through the forest behind the residency, illuminating connections between the erosion and deposition of soil with human relationships. Using dance, music, puppetry, and poetry, Murphy and her collaborators explore the transitional spaces between love and grief - life and death.

This is a site specific work, original to a patch of wilderness in Biddeford. Murphy has choreographed dances and puppetry within the woods and created a sound score from original poetry, field recordings, interviews and music - all designed to evoke our imagination and notice the cycles of the forest and the cycles of our lives. What builds up and what wears away are central themes of the show. Because the Performance Journey takes place in an unmanicured part of the property (a wooded trail and mowed field path), audiences should be aware of inherent risks associated with being out in this kind of natural environment (ie: fallen/falling branches, trip hazards, and insects). Each small group of 10 people will be accompanied by a docent(s), guiding them along the walking loop to each performance site. Audiences will gather at the time stated on their ticket and view a visual art installation created by Murphy before embarking on their journey which takes approximately 50 min to complete. The work is sometimes silly and fantastic, at other times reflective and mournful. Murphy and her collaborators steward you on a journey like no other, sure to have you re-orient yourself to the pace of soil.

This presentation was made possible with support from Onion Foundation and Horizon Foundation, Inc.

Portland Ballet Presents: Boy Meets Girl

Come be part of an enchanting evening with Portland Ballet, where love blooms in a 1950’s Italian-restaurant setting on date night. Over the course of the night, dance stories of different characters entwine to create a fun-filled evening where love is in the air, and everyone leaves with a song in their hearts!

Saturday, August 30th 2pm and 7pm

Portland Ballet Presents: Boy Meets Girl

Come be part of an enchanting evening with Portland Ballet, where love blooms in a 1950’s Italian-restaurant setting on date night. Over the course of the night, dance stories of different characters entwine to create a fun-filled evening where love is in the air, and everyone leaves with a song in their hearts!

Saturday, August 30th 2pm and 7pm

Mixed Level Belly Dance:

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! In this Mixed Level (Beginner through Intermediate/Advanced) class, we will work with improvisation and group choreography, as well as continually working with subtleties of technique at whatever level you are.

Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes. Zils (finger cymbals) and veils will also be used in class and are available for purchase from the instructor.

Fall 2025 & Winter 2026 Session I (Beg/ML)

10-week Session: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-7:15pm
9-10 & 24, 10-8 & 22, 11-12, 12-10-25 & 1-14 & 28, 2-11 & 2-25-25
$150 per person for the 10-week session; $20 drop-in rate per class.

@ People Plus, 35 Union Street, Brunswick, ME

Register through Merrymeeting Adult Education for the current session.

Mixed Level Belly Dance:

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! In this Mixed Level (Beginner through Intermediate/Advanced) class, we will work with improvisation and group choreography, as well as continually working with subtleties of technique at whatever level you are.

Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes. Zils (finger cymbals) and veils will also be used in class and are available for purchase from the instructor.

Fall 2025 & Winter 2026 Session I (Beg/ML)

10-week Session: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-7:15pm
9-10 & 24, 10-8 & 22, 11-12, 12-10-25 & 1-14 & 28, 2-11 & 2-25-25
$150 per person for the 10-week session; $20 drop-in rate per class.

@ People Plus, 35 Union Street, Brunswick, ME

Register through Merrymeeting Adult Education for the current session.

Join Portland Ballet as it follows Alice down the rabbit hole for its premiere of Adventures in Wonderland. Drawing upon the classic by Lewis Carrol, the peculiar world of Wonderland is brought vividly to life through the art of ballet and a curious cast of beloved characters. A new ballet choreographed by Artistic Director, Nell Shipman—don’t miss this enigmatic production created for audiences of all ages!

Adventures in Wonderland
Friday, October 24 at 7pm
Saturday, October 25 at 2pm
Westbrook Performing Arts Center

Join Portland Ballet as it follows Alice down the rabbit hole for its premiere of Adventures in Wonderland. Drawing upon the classic by Lewis Carrol, the peculiar world of Wonderland is brought vividly to life through the art of ballet and a curious cast of beloved characters. A new ballet choreographed by Artistic Director, Nell Shipman—don’t miss this enigmatic production created for audiences of all ages!

Adventures in Wonderland
Friday, October 24 at 7pm
Saturday, October 25 at 2pm
Westbrook Performing Arts Center

Mixed Level Belly Dance:

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! In this Mixed Level (Beginner through Intermediate/Advanced) class, we will work with improvisation and group choreography, as well as continually working with subtleties of technique at whatever level you are.

Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes. Zils (finger cymbals) and veils will also be used in class and are available for purchase from the instructor.

Fall 2025 & Winter 2026 Session I (Beg/ML)

10-week Session: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-7:15pm
9-10 & 24, 10-8 & 22, 11-12, 12-10-25 & 1-14 & 28, 2-11 & 2-25-25
$150 per person for the 10-week session; $20 drop-in rate per class.

@ People Plus, 35 Union Street, Brunswick, ME

Register through Merrymeeting Adult Education for the current session.

Mixed Level Belly Dance:

Authentic Belly Dance, or raks sharqi, is an ancient form of dance. Raks sharqi means “dance of the east” in Arabic. Belly dance celebrates every body type and every stage of life. The dance is proud and powerful and soft and sinewy with elegant and isolating movements emanating from the core. It’s the Pilates of dance. And so much fun! In this Mixed Level (Beginner through Intermediate/Advanced) class, we will work with improvisation and group choreography, as well as continually working with subtleties of technique at whatever level you are.

Please wear comfortable clothing, similar to what you might wear to a yoga class that will allow for free movement and the ability to see your movement. Hip scarves make it even more fun. You can dance barefoot or in a pair of comfortable dance shoes. Zils (finger cymbals) and veils will also be used in class and are available for purchase from the instructor.

Fall 2025 & Winter 2026 Session I (Beg/ML)

10-week Session: 2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 6-7:15pm
9-10 & 24, 10-8 & 22, 11-12, 12-10-25 & 1-14 & 28, 2-11 & 2-25-25
$150 per person for the 10-week session; $20 drop-in rate per class.

@ People Plus, 35 Union Street, Brunswick, ME

Register through Merrymeeting Adult Education for the current session.