Echo Theatre

Specialties

Echo Theater Company is a non-​profit arts organization with over 30 years experience as a physical theater school specializing in acrobatics, trapeze, aerial dance, and physical theater for ages 1 — 100. We currently offer classes, camps, parties, performances and events.

We have classes seven days a week at two locations, Echo Theater and Multnomah Arts Center

History

Established in 1977.

We began as Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theater, founded by Robin Lane. In 2013, our two organizations split and we became the Echo Theater Company. Our all-​ages school, now under the direction of Do Jump alumna Wendy Cohen encourages physical confidence, freedom, and grace in a creative, non-​competitive atmosphere. Students develop strength, balance, flexibility, and their imaginations while working together with peers to explore the intersection of ensemble physical theater and circus arts. We have three pre-​professional youth performance companies that give dedicated students the opportunity to spend the academic year in a focused environment and delve deeply into a youth-​led creative process, creating original collaboratively devised creative works.

Professional performances, under the Creative Direction of Aaron Wheeler-​Kay offer audiences the opportunity to see highly physical, highly collaborative live theater featuring our teaching artists.

Meet the Manager

Aaron W.

Manager

Aaron Wheeler-​Kay is Creative Director of the Echo Theater Company. A Portland native exposed to dance through the public schools, he is a former Jefferson Dancer, was an ensemble member of Do Jump! for over a decade, and a contributing choreographer to both companies. He has designed and created numerous original aerial apparatuses in conjunction with the ETC School and Do Jump! He has facilitated the creation of original multidisciplinary ensemble theatre for over ten years as the director of the pre-​professional youth companies of the Echo Theater Company. He also wrote and directed the Drammy-​nominated Seeds of Hope, produced in collaboration with the Do Jump! School.

Aaron feels lucky to be a professional artist in his hometown.