Winifred Haun and Dancers First Draft on March 1st at Links Hall held space for many Chicago creatives to illustrate the bright future for their dances.
The work presented may be incomplete, or altered in the future, but has a beginning, middle, and end. The evening showcased a variety of modern, contemporary, praise, and west African dance.
“The Fight To Be Found” by choreographer Imani English opens with three dancers and a solo center stage. Elegant violins play over the speakers. Three more enter, all six wearing various shades of earthy brown flowy clothes.
Though the dancers maintain greater distance in spacing, their unison is impeccable. Truly dancing as a whole. The movement quality highlights softening and releasing.
Choreographically, the space is explored by cannons, solos, trios, distal movement, and superb usage of repetition.
Julia Schaefer's “When Rain Speaks” starts with a solo of a performer reclined on their back while tapping their foot on center stage. Another enters the space. Both wear brown pants, the soloist a black long sleeve shirt and the latter a light beige shirt.
After a beautiful display of partnering, the two illustrate their own movement phrases simultaneously. All while an enchanting harmony of music fills the theater, it's as if one is in a fairytale.
The two demonstrate weight sharing, soaring lifts, gorgeous floor work, as their bodies blend together with the smoothness of silk.
Both close out Schaeffer's piece walking together, back-to-back, displaying a shared connection, even without eye contact.
Truly, Robin Davis's “The Tendency Of Change” done to the music of “Adventure Time” lives up to the name of the classic Cartoon Network show.
Five dancers enter the stage with warm lightning in a country western manner. As the lights fade to blue, a solo occurs to whimsical music.
As the ensemble continues to light up the stage, they perform in unison with different level changes and facings. This is followed by a frenzy of collisions in a cartoon-like manner.
More duets, trios, and solos animate the space before earthshaking blaring guitar erupts along with thrashing bodies.
With red tops and black pants, four dancers take the stage in To Love Somebody. Choreographer Ariel Dorsey uses cannons, sustained extensions and ponchés, moments of rest and fall and recovery to bring their vision to life.
An exciting change of pace from the other pieces of the evening was when a wooden chair was brought onto stage and wasn't used as a prop often seen in other dance styles.
Concepts that we use with bodies (like support, rest, and balancing) with an inanimate object puts a unique take on what you turn to for support. Of course, the seated choreography was also captivating. After all, who hasn't danced in their seat before?
In “Searching Between,” choreographer Mandy Milligan utilizes a unique music score, striking lighting, and bold movement to leave the audience wanting more.
Four suit-wearing movers pose before the audience. We hear a recording from a live show playing over music, as the performers sashay around one another eventually creating a circle in center stage.
For a moment, tenderness is displayed, resting their heads on one another's shoulder; however, this is soon replaced by wide legged stances and shuffling feet as the four break off into pairs.
Their arms switch between shapes as if arm wrestling and do more traditional lifts and carries one sees in modern dance. It serves as another visit to the juxtaposition of support versus competition.
After an energized solo with red lightning that ends in chaotic movement, the other three dancers return wearing only parts of their women's suits, bringing with them a lighting change, from red to warm gold.
With all four dancers back, we're treated to powerful lifts, dazzling turns, and a fabulous back to the audience silhouette that really seals the piece.
Choreographer Simone Gadlin offered the only solo piece for the evening. Wearing a beautiful lacey red flowy dress, “Immortal” opens with a woman's voiceover.
Her back to the audience, she travels from downstage right (audience view) to stage left, then center. Gadlin executes slow, controlled, and graceful movement while making this pathway.
A violin swells behind the voiceover, her dress twirls as the soloist spirals and turns. Throughout her face remains elegant and focused.
The choreographer/dancer ends where she opened her performance. A blue light shines down before fading.
“To Bridge Or Cross” shows the choreography of Eona Carey, opening with four dancers reclined on their backs with a spotlight in center stage. They dress in black biker shorts and different tops.
A fifth dancer enters; however, she's in a vintage long sleeve black and white dress. With warm lightning, Carey offers a dazzling array of formations and shapes.
Duets and solos happen simultaneously. Partnering in pairs while the performer in the dress does a solo. Duets become trios that evolve into the full ensemble. The stage is filled with movement and is a feast for the eyes.
Prince Adrean premiered “Exodus.” Four dancers are on stage in square formation, as blue and purple lights illuminate the stage.
A voiceover plays about the black experience during times of segregation as we hear African music. The ensemble does full body movement.
The music shifts to a jazzy ballad about blackness. Hips sway, before the performers move to stage right, to allow a cannon charge under warm lightning.
Hair flies and whips as undulations, high releases and a plethora of the African and African diaspora movement vocabulary is executed with precision, energy, and soul. It's a celebration of polyrhythmic dancing and honey—it's a party for sure!
Posing, confidence, slayage, and fierceness across the stage ensues, as black embrace continues. Dancers end with one hand on their neck, the other arm extended overhead, and the chin to chest. Arden closes out serving “Strange Fruit” realness for a lasting impression.
“First Draft” not only recognized how far these dances have come and the wealth of potential they have to go.
First Draft is presented by Winifred Haun & Dancers at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave, running from March 1st - 3rd, Friday and Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 3pm. Tickets are $35 at winifredhaun.org or by clicking the event link below.
