Explore the Arts with Heidi Duckler Dance/ Northwest
Running from July 2025 to January 2026, this series of interconnected workshops with local artists is designed so that each session builds upon the last, deepening artistic exploration and strengthening community bonds. Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on and express their personal stories, cultures, and lived experiences, all while collaborating with professional artists to co-create a rich tapestry of shared creativity.
Meet the Instructors
Rachel Attias – Writer & Storyteller
Writer, educator, and editor based in Portland, OR. Rachel’s writing has appeared in n+1, Porter House Review, Portland Review, Columbia Journal, and more, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions. She holds an MFA from Oregon State University. Her writing and her heart are concerned with relationships, both present and ancestral, memory, time, everyday absurdity and, above all, humor.
Oliver Casillas – Muralist
Full-time artist focusing on public art, murals, and immersive art exhibitions, integrating painting, video documentation, and audio atmospheres. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, to a Mexican mother and a Californian father, Oliver has cultivated a unique artistic vision from a young age. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from ITESO University and pursued postgraduate studies in creativity and project development at the Université de Namur in Belgium. He is also the administrator of the cultural center “Casa San Felipe” in Guadalajara.
Balamurali Balu – Composer
Composer and music producer based out of Portland, and Chennai, India. Bala showed his bent towards music composition at an early age. He honed his music production skills by completing courses in electronic music production, orchestral scoring, and mixing techniques from Berklee College of Music. Bala had composed for several independent films and jingles when he got his break in the Indian film industry, where he has completed projects in different languages.
Tony Carnell – Dancer
Tony is a versatile dance artist raised in Boise, Idaho, with over 15 years of professional training and performance experience. Beginning their formal training in 2009 on a full-tuition scholarship at Ballet Idaho’s Academy, Tony developed a strong foundation in ballet, contemporary, modern jazz, and performance technique. Their professional career includes soloist work with Idaho Dance Theater, multimedia and contemporary performances with LED Boise and Project Flux, and company artist with W’HIM W’HIM Dance Company in Seattle. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Tony dances with Open Space Dance and serves as Performing Artist and Program Director for Heidi Duckler Dance, supporting youth programming and community outreach.
Photo courtesy of Hacienda CDC
Arts Initiative at Las Adelitas with HDD/Northwest
Heidi Duckler Dance Northwest is proud to launch A Garden of Doors at Las Adelitas, an affordable housing complex in NE Portland, Oregon. A community-based development which attempts to mitigate the effects of rising rents on families, and the inevitable displacement and gentrification within the Cully neighborhood. The four-story project transforms the former “Sugar Shack” site into a 142-unit, place-based affordable housing development with unit sizes ranging from studios to three bedrooms for homeless individuals, working families, and people of color.
Explore the Arts with Heidi Duckler Dance/ Northwest
A Garden of Doors by Heidi Duckler Dance/Northwest was made possible with support from MAP Fund.
