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Going Rogue

Forget taming these free spirits. Houston's culture vultures are branching out from the classical arts with a bevy of outside-the-box, rising-star performing arts troupes.

Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre

Jason Nodler and Tamarie Cooper founded their experimental ensemble-based company, Catastrophic Theatre, four years ago offering up darkly-funny, envelope-pushing productions. Although the group is without a permanent home stage, CT regularly collaborates and performs at DiverseWorks, Barnevelder and sometimes, The Catastrophic office.

Pop and classical collide in founder Shelli Mathews' Divisi Strings. It's been more than five years since the musical talent launched her non-profit group, which aims at bridging the audience age gap through string-based renditions of current pop hits. Think: Rihanna's "Disturbia" meets the symphony.

It's out with the old and in with the new for Houston's four-year-old Opera Vista company. Artistic Director and co-founder Viswa Subbaraman uses his contemporary chamber opera to tout modern works created by living composers, instead of performing tried-and-true classics. (Sorry, Puccini!)

After 17 years dancing with the Houston Ballet--seven as a principal dancer--Dominic Walsh struck out in 2002 to create his contemporary ballet company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre. Today, the organization brings together some of the most well-respected dancers, choreographers and designers in the world for traditional ballet-meets-modern dance performances, shown throughout the city.

By Natalie Bogan Morgan