OUTRUN
THE
BEAR
There is a saying,
“when being chased by a bear, you don’t need to outrun the bear, you just need to outrun your friend”
We choose to ’Outrun The Bear’ together - a statement that symbolizes our commitment to partnership and the practice of upholding a supportive, collaborative environment as the foundation of our creative journey.
About us
Outrun The Bear is the creative partnership of choreographers Megan Doheny and Ilya Nikurov, whose work blends physical intensity, playfulness, and striking emotional detail. Their practice is rooted in collaboration and shaped by an ongoing inquiry into human connection.
Former dancers with Israel’s renowned Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) for a total of 9 seasons, they were both awarded the Yair Shapira Prize for their contribution to contemporary dance in Israel (2018 & 2021).
Megan and Ilya began creating together in 2015 and have since presented their work at leading international festivals across Europe, Israel, the U.S., Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. Recent highlights include residencies with LA Dance Project and the Centre Chorégraphique James Carlès (Toulouse, France), along with commissions from the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company (South Korea) , KCDC (Israel), Open Space (Portland, Oregon), and Backhaus Dance (Orange County, California). Their latest full-length work “Bioland” was commissioned by the Crush on Trash Foundation (Krakow, Poland) and supported by the National Institute of Music and Dance in Poland. Currently, Megan and Ilya enjoy engaging with audiences through live performance, building artistic relationships across borders through creation and collaboration, and sharing their research-driven approach to movement and partnering with dancers around the world and in their home base of Southern California.
“Our research exists in the space between reality and the dream world. Bringing honesty and authenticity to the forefront of our work through conditions of fantasy and imagination, we share personal stories with our audiences in thought-provoking contexts.
Photos: Jingzi Zhao