Preview

If you take public transit in Chicago, you hear Lee Crooks' voice every day. Crooks, a voiceover actor from Milwaukee, is the person who announces your next stop, and lets you know when the doors are closing. Susan Bennett responds when you ask Siri to tell you today's weather, or, for fun, ask her how much wood a woodchuck can chuck. There's a real person behind these seemingly automated experiences, just as there are real actors voicing animated figures in cartoons and video games.

The biggest news-maker on Trinity's upcoming engagement at the Auditorium is a world premiere with MacArthur "Genius" Michelle Dorrance. It's part of Trinity's continued efforts to find intersections between percussive cultural dance forms.

Over ten years ago, NIC Kay started taking performative walks down the streets of New York City—merely exploring a glimpse of an idea. Carrying a bouquet of cotton, a mannequin and other seemingly random objects, the NYC-based artist (who uses gender-neutral pronouns) sparked discussions and interesting public visuals. They had no idea those walks would grow into the book “Cotton Dreams,” which would then lead to a live performance and book release at Links Hall. 

It’s my job to watch dance. How cool is that? I wish I could see everything. I wish I could clone myself. I wish we had a bigger budget. I wish it didn’t take 90+ minutes to go 10 miles in this city I love. Until more money, clones or more efficient transit options are a thing, our wonderful SCD writers and I simply have to do our best.

For Kimberly Bartosik, creating work has often meant relying on lineage as much as it has turning away from it. A former dancer with Merce Cunningham who now runs her own company, Kimberly Bartosik/daela, Bartosik is no stranger to jumping between her roots tomore contemporary and experimental movement styles.

There was barely enough time to clink flutes and ring in 2020 before several Chicago dance artists found themselves in final rehearsals and performances kicking off the winter dance season in earnest. With Nutcrackers a thing of the past, experimentation is on tap this January. 

With the holiday shopping season properly kicked off, twinkle lights lining the Magnificent Mile and more cold days ahead, “Nutcracker” is in the air.