April Newsletter: Chicago Wins Gold Medal In Olympic Dance Event!

APRIL FOOLS! Gotcha there? Well, even though there is no Olympic Dance Event to date, Chicago might as well be declared the unofficial winner for the sheer number of terrific dance events taking place this month. April is CHICAGO DANCE MONTH, making our fair city a dancing fool’s paradise. Celebrate by seeing your favorite companies in familiar places, or try something new in a non-traditional space. Dancers and dance lovers can also attend open rehearsals, sneak peeks, sample classes, lectures, or panel discussions. 

Don’t miss a great opportunity to preview companies you’ve never seen before when Chicago Dance Month kicks off Friday, April 3rd at 4 PM with “OPEN SPACES” a series of free weekly showcase concerts at Pritzker Park (in case of inclement weather, all Pritzker Park events will be moved to the Fine Arts Building.) Each concert will present works by several different companies, representing dance styles ranging from Tap/Rhythm, Musical Theater, and Multi-disciplinary to Ballroom and Social Dance, Modern, and Ballet, Jazz, and Culturally Specific Dance Styles.

The first ever Chicago Rhythm Fest: STOMPING GROUNDS, a city-wide celebration of the rhythmic arts,  will run from April 14-May 13. Highlighting African, Irish, Mexican, Spanish, and American cultural traditions, STOMPING GROUNDS will present performances in five distinct communities showcasing five of Chicago’s most accomplished percussive arts companies: Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s BAM!, Ensemble Español Spanish Dance Theatre, Mexican Dance Ensemble, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, and Trinity Irish Dance Company. All performances will feature members of all five companies.

Links Hall is buzzing throughout the month, with solo Turkish dancer in Nejla Yatkin’s  “What Dreams May Come” (April 3);  PEEP SHOW with Winnifred Haun, Vershawn Ward/Red Clay, and Olivia Block (April 6); Brandi Coleman/”What We Do With Time” with Guests from Jump Rhythm Jazz Project (April 10); “3-On-3” dance improv with Marie Casimir, Bill Harris, and Julian Kirsher (April 13); Ananya Dance Theatre (April 17); Poonie’s Cabaret (April 24); and Jewel Tones: Jessica Marasa (April 27).

The Athenaeum Theatre hosts Tarantism: jorsTAPchicago (April 24-26); and Inaside Chicago Dance (April 24-25). “Tarantism” is the third installation of artist collaborations. Local artist/sculptor, Erik L. Peterson builds an exploded, moving stage to challenge the dancers in Tip Tap Tow. Inaside Chicago Dance presents an evening of innovative jazz choreography by established, emerging, and new choreographers in its annual Spring Concert.

You can see the Joffrey Ballet’s  four “New Works” at The Cadillac Palace Theater (April 22-May 1). “In Creases” is NYC Ballet dancer Justin Peck’s poetic invention. Christopher Wheeldon’s “Liturgy”, to music by Arvo Pärt explores innovative partnering. Joffrey Ballet Master Nicolas Blanc created  “Evenfall” for Joffrey Ballet dancers, following the thread of poetry in a couple’s early romance through their enduring love in later years. “Incantations” is an abstract work by Val Caniparoli set to music by Russian minimalist composer Alexandre Rabinovich-Barakovsky. 

Ragmala Dance brings “Song of the Jasmine” to The Museum of Contemporary Art April 11-12.  

"OPEN DOORS: Chicago Landmark Building Performances" presents four free concerts in unconventional spaces: April 16 Hope Goldman, Ashley Derain, and Dropshift Dance at Modern Classics Furniture; April 21 Dance Works Chicago performs at The Palmer House; and at First United Methodist Church at Chicago Temple, you can see Duncan Dance (April 22), and The Blueprinting Project (April24)

Dance Chance presents “Redux 6.0,” Four Local Choreographers at The Joffrey Academy, (April 18)  On April 24, Lou Conte Studio hosts Dance Chance.

For details and tickets for all these and more, click on “Upcoming Events.”

Lynn Colburn Shapiro, editor