The third night of JUBA! at the Dance Center of Columbia College features two long-form works by M.A.D.D. Rhythms and Kilian Deissler and, artist in residence, Dani Borak's 9-Point-Inc.!
M.A.D.D. Rhythms presents an excerpt from its critically acclaimed Feeling Good: A Mad Tribute to Nina Simone.
Founded by Bril Barrett, Martin “Tre” Dumas, and Jumaane Taylor, M.A.D.D. is comprised of dancers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, sharing one common trait: a love and respect for the art of Tap Dance. Over the course of almost 15 years, M.A.D.D. Rhythms has given hundreds of kids across the city of Chicago a safe space to learn and grow through the art of Tap Dance. Through their tireless work in the community, M.A.D.D. Rhythms has fostered the education of many of today’s most sought-after tap dancers, all committed to sharing culture, tradition, and love of The Dance.
"Amid a harsh political climate in America, where injustice is brought to light faster than ever, and racist idealisms thrive in indifference, we find so many of the artistic voices we turned to in times of discord lost to the ages. One such voice is that of Nina Simone, whose monumental body of work is so unapologetically forthright in matters of human rights. With Feeling Good: A MADD Tribute to Nina Simone we invite Nina’s creative voice back to the conversation and honor her contributions through the art of Tap Dance."
9-Point-Inc. presents Kick The Square.
"Kick the Square is 9-point-Inc.'s first programme and was laid out to encompass 105 minutes. The dramatic arc consists on the one hand of the conflict and symbiosis between two musical worlds – the world of Broadway and the world of the composer – on the other hand of the intensifying fusion of music and dance.
The dancer is gradually integrated into the music, while the musicians take on roles increasingly closer to tap dance, first with only a few, accentuated steps. These continue to gain musical importance, until finally the musicians leave their places behind the music stands and conquer the stage in rhythmically composed and choreographed steps, while continuing to play their instruments. In the dramatic culmination, the musicians edge the dancer off the tap dance instrument, and the solo of the “squares” begins: seven people, tap dancing in composed steps on seven “squares,” moving past each other. This poses its own new challenges because classical musicians – unlike the tap dancer - are trained to keep the measure beat with their feet, while showing their virtuosity with their hands on the instrument. In this situation, the rhythmic complexity is shifted to the feet, while the instrument still needs to be played with the hands. This is an extremely unfamiliar and
challenging situation for the ensemble.
With this program, Kick the Square, 9-Point-Inc. invites everyone to dive into an unknown world of music and tap dance!"
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Please call 312-542-2477 or email us at info@chicagotap.org with any questions, comments, or concerns.
