State of Wonder will melt your winter blahs down to marshmallowy molten goodness with provocative dance projects, hot new fiction, and music for transformative times (with twirling rifles!).

Tahni Holt’s Sensational Disorientation - 1:21

When it comes to women, there are two things American culture doesn’t look so kindly on: age and weight. Portland choreographer Tahni Holt’s newest performance delights in both. “Sensation/Disorientation” runs at Reed College’s Diver Studio Theatre as part of White Bird’s Uncaged Series Jan. 18–22.

Studio Session with Typhoon’s Kyle Morton - 7:19

Kyle Morton is known for the soaring, lyrical songs he writes for his band, Typhoon. Now Morton has put out a solo record called “What Will Destroy You” that gives breath to his somber and contemplative style (not to mention incredible wit).

David Byrne Taps Portlander Kelly Pratt For Star-Studded Color Guard Collaboration- 14:56

Kelly Pratt, who has worked with everyone from Beirut to Cold Play, first collaborated with David Byrne when Byrne asked him to arrange horns and lead the band for Byrne's "Love This Giant" album and tour with St. Vincent. Then came an even more unusual request. Byrne had become fascinated with the distinctly American phenomenon of color guard, which involves dances using flags, sabers and wooden rifles generally set to marching band music.

Byrne invited an incredible roster of musicians, including Nelly Furtado, former Beastie Boy Ad-Rock, How to Dress Well, tUnE-yArDs, and Nico Muhly with Ira Glass, to compose new songs and play them live at Brooklyn's Barclay Center, soundtracking the nation's best winter guard teams. Pratt did all the horn and string arrangements. They filmed it all for a documentary-concert film hybrid called "Contemporary Color" that is playing during the Northwest Film Center’s Reel Music Film Fest on Jan. 21, and will open nationally in March.

New Novel from Jon Raymond: Freebird - 21:21

The erudite warmth of writer Jon Raymond’s work has spanned screenplays, arts criticism, and fiction. His new novel, “Freebird,” focuses on three generations of a family struggling with the horrors of war, teenage angst, and living with the legacy of a father who survived the Holocaust.

Desert Rain: Meeting the Living Building Challenge - 28:51

Can a house be more than a place to live? Can it be a demonstration of our highest aspirations? Our columnist-in-residence, Randy Gragg, introduces us to Tom Elliott and Barbara Scott of Bend. Their house, Desert Rain, was made to meet certification of the Living Building Challenge using the highest standards for energy efficiency, power generation, water systems management, and more.

Pander Brothers Re-Imagine “XXX” as “The Dissident” - 36:44

Jacob and Arnold Pander’s kinetic comic books panels are full of exciting contrasts, with doses of film noir and pop art sensibility. Last year they Kickstarted a project to revive one of their most famous comics titles: a tech thriller about an American journalist on the lam in a futuristic version of Amsterdam, after civil society in the U.S. goes into freefall. The story was published by Dark Horse Comics as “XXX,” and the Pander Brothers are re-releasing it online as “The Dissident” — with an extended prequel.

Two Choreographers Make Traditional Dance Contemporary - 43:05

Two remarkable choreographers come together next weekend to show new contemporary dance works. They’re from radically different traditions, but each embraces a marriage of traditional and modern forms. Subashini Ganesan’s “Bliss And Other Easy Things” and Oluyinka Akinjiola’s “IBUKUN: The Celebration,” running together as "Ignite" Jan. 20–22, were developed through Ganesan’s New Expressive Works Residency, housed in the space she runs at Studio2.